September 16 Picture Day
September 19 Backyard Garden Work Party and Movie 5-8pm
September 22 Library Visit
September 26 All School Meeting - Plovers will present
September 29 Scholastic Orders Due
Homework Due by Thursday, September 11th
1. Bring in a framed family photo to display in the classroom, unless I still have your family photo from last year. I have extra frames, if needed.
2. Make sure you can log in to IXL (our math homework website or app). Try reviewing some skills from last year. Becky and I are not assigning skills to practice this week, so just get familiar with the site and have fun!
3. This week in class, Plovers will work on completing applications for classroom jobs. Students may want to take their application home to work on it. Click here for an extra copy of our Classroom Job Application and Plover Job Postings.
Homework Expectations
- All Level 2 students will have weekly homework, which is due every Thursday.
- The most important homework is for students to read as much as they can! I hope students will spend at least 20 minutes reading or listening to reading every day.
- Every week, the math homework will be to complete at least 30 minutes of math practice. We will be using IXL this year for math practice. Starting next week, I will suggest skills for students to practice each week in the newsletter.
- If your family would prefer to practice math skills in a different way (practice books, worksheets, flash cards, math games or other online resources), please send in your student's work OR send me an email before Thursday morning letting me know how they completed
- If homework is n ot completed by Thursday morning, students will need to complete it during Academic Choice, which is a weekly project time for students to pursue their own interests.
Upcoming Out and Abouts
This Wednesday, we will help with some work in the Backyard Garden and play games. Students should dress appropriately for the weather and bring a water bottle. Next Wednesday, we will walk to Tom McCall Forest for team-building activities and nature journaling.
Volunteer Opportunities
Under new Forest Grove School District policy, criminal background checks will be required for all volunteers starting with the 2014-15 school year. This includes, but is not limited to, Out & About chaperones and classroom volunteers. Please visit the Volunteer page for more information.
Each week in the newsletter, I will mention upcoming opportunities for volunteers. I use a website called VolunteerSpot to manage volunteer scheduling and donations. You do not need to create an account to use the website, but it will ask for your email to send reminders or provide updates (like if an event is canceled). There are currently 4 ongoing Plover projects that you can sign up for:
1. Out & About Chaperones - Sign up to join the Plovers on an Out & About! On our VolunteerSpot page, you'll be able to find out more about each Out & About, including locations and times. You can sign up now to join us at the Backyard Garden this Wednesday afternoon or at Tom McCall Forest next week!
2. Breakfast Donations - The Plovers will enjoy a breakfast together every Friday morning. You can sign up now to help provide snacks. There are 2 spots available each week, so one family can donate cereal (or bagels, muffins, granola bars, etc) and another family can supply fresh fruit. We would like to avoid sugary treats and candy.
3. Mystery Readers - Parents, relatives and other Plover friends are invited to surprise the class by being a Mystery Reader in our classroom this year. Mystery Readers send in 5 clues about themselves, but their true identities are not revealed until they arrive! Readers are asked to bring a picture book to read out loud to the class. I have 2 spots available each week for mystery readers, but I can add more if those times do not work with your schedule. Please email me to schedule an additional time.
4. Library Chaperones - The Plovers will visit the Forest Grove Public Library every 3 weeks on Monday afternoons. The library requires classes to have additional adult supervision. Chaperones will walk with the class from FGCS to the library, help students locate and check out books using the self scanner, and accompany pairs of students to the restrooms and water fountain.
Family Visits
It was great to see so many people at family visits! If you were unable to attend, I've provided the handout and parent survey below. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or need log in information for IXL or Class Dojo sent home again.
Things to Know to be a Successful Plover
Plover Family Survey
Other Important Info
School supply fees ($25) can be turned into me or paid in the office. Snack donations - pretzels, crackers, raisins or granola bars - can be brought in any time.
Weekly Review
Last week was a very short week, but we filled it with fun projects and games. The students started learning the routines of our classroom and getting to know their new classmates. We read a book called The Adventures of Beekle, the Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat and each student made an imaginary friend to display on the bulletin board in the front of the classroom. We also had our first All School Meeting and recess at Central School!
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, come into the classroom before or after school, or call me before 8PM at home