Wednesday, May 22nd: ALL DAY O&A: Haystack Rock
We are traveling back to the Oregon Coast to participate in the Haystack Rock Awareness Program.
The HRAP is an environmental education program with a mission to protect, through education, the intertidal and bird ecology of the Marine Garden and Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge at Haystack Rock.
Monday, May 27th NO SCHOOL: Memorial Day
Thursday, May 30th Celebrations of Learning Event 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Level 2 kiddos will present an interactive book tasting café open in both classrooms. This event is an opportunity for level 2 students to show off their favorite books and for their community to sample different authors, topics, genres, and book series.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to participate in a “Book Swap” out in the Level 2 hallway: bring a book and take a book! Book levels: beginner to young adult.
Wednesday, June 6th LAST O&A!
Fernhill Wetlands 9:30am- 1:15pm
Chaperones Needed!
Thursday, June 6th
FGCS Bridging Ceremony
1:00-2:30 p.m. at Taylor-Meade Auditorium (Pacific University)
This event honors our 'bridging' students (2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th graders) who are moving up to the next level at FGCS or the high school. Parents and other family members of bridging students are encouraged to attend. Doors will open for the event at 12:30 p.m. and the event will start at 1 p.m. Click here for a map of the Pacific University campus. Please note that the 2:30 p.m. end time is approximate - the ceremony may run longer.
Students may be dismissed to parents immediately after the Bridging Ceremony, but you must check out with me before taking your student. Students may not self-release after Bridging. Puffins not going home with parents after the ceremony will be dismissed at the usual time and place.
Friday, June 7th
Field Day and Last Day of School:
Regular 1:05pm Friday dismissal
Community School Calendar 2018-2019
State (SBAC) Testing
Puffins will continue to work through the Math tests during the week of May 20-24th. Testing is administered in the computer lab in short afternoon sessions, and students have the opportunity to work on the same test over multiple sessions so they can work at their own pace.
Please help support your Puffin:
- Every day, please send a healthy snack with your child
- Encourage them to do their best
- Help them get plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast
- Homework: practice keyboarding skills
After following the link provided here:
sign in as a guest, select your grade and test (Math).
What's Happening in the Puffin Nest...
This week, level 2 kiddos considered the following questions:
- What does pollen do?
- What happens to a flower after it is pollinated?
Back in the classroom, we continued to learn about flower structures and purposes. Specifically, we asked: what do flowers do for the plant, how do they work, and more. We solved the mystery, “Why do plants grow flowers?” (It’s to attract pollinators!)
Reading Workshop: Non-Fiction Research Clubs
This week, we continued to talk about activating and building background knowledge by thinking about what we know before and during our reading. We practiced being on the lookout for our own misconceptions.
We are focusing on the importance of learning over "knowing" so that we are flexible when we identify our own incorrect thinking. We can celebrate when we reverse a misconception, because it shows that we have learned something new, which is our goal!
Our "Research Club" unit focuses on these big ideas:
- Orienting ourselves with non-fiction text
- Digging into a topic and identifying subtopics
- Learning technical vocabulary
- Asking questions and analyzing collected information
- Recognizing text structure (Compare/Contrast and Cause/Effect)
Writing Workshop
Students are exploring the "Art of Informational Writing" during writer's workshop.
Our Process and Goals:
- We will select a topic for our informational writing.
- We will conduct research and gather informational notes from trustworthy sources.
- We will use an outline to organize information.
- We will write an interesting beginning and conclusion.
- We will write paragraphs with a topic sentence, facts and relevant details.
- We will read, revise, and edit as we work.
- Using Book Creator on the iPad, we will include headings, text boxes, pictures with captions, and other visuals in our finished books.
Suggested Weekly Homework:
Reading Homework
Spend at least 20 minutes reading (outside of school) every day.
Reading is on the "honor system" and we ask that you help your kiddo to develop a daily reading routine with good-fit books and a well-lit, comfy reading spot away from distractions.
Typing Homework
Level 2 students have typing homework to develop and support important keyboarding skills. Please practice at least 20 minutes per week on: Typing.com
Math homework
Every week, the math homework is to complete at least 30 minutes of math practice.
Ideas for math practice:
- Recommended: Students can get valuable math practice with their Dreambox account. The Dreambox accounts offer an easy way to track math progress and feature assignments that are on-topic with what we are learning in class.
- If your family would prefer to practice math skills in other ways (practice books, worksheets, flash cards, math games or other online resources such as Khan Academy), please send in your student's work OR send me an email before Friday morning each week letting me know how they completed their 30 minutes of weekly math practice.
- Current 3rd/ 4th grade math topics are listed below.
3rd grade parent info:
Current 4th grade Math Topic:
All 4th grade math students should be practicing their multiples DAILY.
Review Topics for 4th Grade Math: