April 18 Student-Led Conferences
April 18 Last Day for Talent Show Sign Ups
April 18 May Lunch Orders Due
April 19 No School
April 24 All day Out & About to Cannon Beach
April 26 Earth Day Bike Ride 1:30
Student-Led Conferences: April 18th
All Plovers are expected to participate in a conference with their family on Thursday, April 18th. These conferences will last about 20-30 minutes and provide an opportunity for your Plover to highlight their growth this year, as well as their strengths and challenges. There will be multiple families in the classroom simultaneously; I will be available for questions, but I will not be meeting individually with each family. The Plovers will be working hard to rehearse and prepare for leading their conferences, so we hope to see you there! If you haven't already, please contact the FGCS office (503-359-4600) to schedule a conference.
Homework Due by Friday, April 19th
1. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
2. Complete 20 minutes of typing practice.
3. Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice (click here for DreamBox).
4. Optional - Compete Opinion Paragraph of the Week
Prompt: What kind of after-school class or club should be offered at FGCS? Give 3 reasons.
Upcoming Out and Abouts
This week, Plovers will help with work in the Backyard Garden. Next week, we are going to the coast for a beach clean up and art project!
Volunteer Opportunities
Out & About Chaperones - Needed 5/1 (Jackson Bottom Wetlands).
State (SBAC) Testing
Level 2 students will begin state testing on Monday, April 29th. Testing is administered in the computer lab in short sessions, and students have the opportunity to work on the same test over multiple sessions so they can work at their own pace. Over the next few weeks, we will discuss the English Language Arts (aka Reading and Writing) test and look at some sample questions together. Students will also have the opportunity to complete a practice test in the computer lab. Please help support your Plover by: encouraging them to do their best, making sure they eat breakfast and bring a snack, and helping them get plenty of sleep.
Under Oregon law, parents have the right to exclude students from standardized tests. Parents are required to sign an opt-out form and submit that to the school office. Use this link to download opt-out forms, or you can request forms in the school office.
Weekly Review
Last week, the Plovers visited the Backyard Garden and met local beekeepers. The students learned about different kinds of bees, tasted four varieties of honey and tried on a beekeepers suit! Then, they played a game to learn more about pollination. Finally, students made “seed bombs” to help plant more flowers that bees rely on. Seed bombs are balls of seeds, along with carriers like clay and compost. They can be launched into spots that are otherwise hard to reach or plant. You don’t even need to bury or water them! We will place some around school and students will bring seed bomb home to plant.
Back in the classroom, students discovered the most dangerous animal in the world isn’t sharks or lions, but… mosquitoes! Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading diseases like malaria, West Nile, and Zika. In our activity, students applied knowledge about habitats and life cycles toward preventing mosquitoes in a fictional town.
Communication
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Parents and students can e-mail me at [email protected]. You can also leave a voice message on the class phone or set up a time to meet with me before/after school.