September 5 No School
September 14 Picture Day
Homework Due by Thursday, September 8th
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!
2. Make sure you can log into Google Classroom. You can find the link on the Plover Portal homepage. Complete the All About Me survey, if you haven't already.
3. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
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.
- Beginning later in September, the math homework will be to complete at least 30 minutes of math practice every week. We will be using DreamBox this year for online math practice. More info coming soon!
- 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 their 30 minutes of weekly math practice.
- If homework is not 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 Main Street to look at what goods and services can be found in downtown Forest Grove as we start to study Natural Resources and Consumerism.
Volunteer Opportunities
Under Forest Grove School District policy, criminal background checks are required for all volunteers. 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 SignUp 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 three ongoing Plover projects that you can sign up for:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Out & About Chaperones - Sign up to join the Plovers on an Out & About! On our SignUp 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 for a Main Street mapping activity on Sept 14th or a trip to the Police Station on Sept 21st!
Finally, I am looking for a few families that would be willing to wash our breakfast dishes and laundry (small dish towels and occasionally table cloths) every week. The dishes are are small, dishwasher-safe IKEA plates (7" diameter) and bowls; the students will rinse them after Friday's breakfast so that they are ready to go straight into the dishwasher! Please let me know if you are willing to help with either of these jobs 1-2 times a month by filling out the form below. Thank you!
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 Goggle Classroom sent home again.
Things to Know to be a Successful Plover
Plover Family Survey
Other Important Info
School supply fees ($25) can be 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. One of our themes this year is problem solving and the Plovers jumped right in with an exciting engineering problem: How can you design and create a water slide that will safely transport water and a toy figure without leaking? The students also started learning the routines of our classroom and getting to know their new classmates. We read The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi and started Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo. 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 or set up a time to meet with me before/after school.