September 4 No School
September 6 Picture Day
September 18 Library Visit - Chaperones needed (see below for sign up)
Homework Due by Thursday, September 7th
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. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
3. Optional: Complete at least 20 minutes of typing practice.
Create your own username and password for Typing.com by going to our class page, or 4th graders can log in with their FGCS gmail account!
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 visit the Backyard Garden and work on team building. Students should dress appropriately for the weather and bring a water bottle. Next Wednesday, we will make journals to use during our upcoming Northwest Coast Native American simulation.
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 five 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 journal making activity at the Backyard Garden on September 13th!
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.
5. Laundry and Dish Duty - Finally, I am looking for volunteers 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!
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 short week, but we filled it with fun projects and games. One of our themes this year is story telling and the Plovers jumped right in by creating fiction stories about Dinobaby's summer adventures! The students also started learning the routines of our classroom and getting to know their new classmates. We read Beekle by Dan Santat and The Snurtch by Sean Ferrell. 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.