Peregrine Press

September 28-October 2

Schedule:

Monday: Art

Tuesday: NO Out and About

Wednesday: Out and About to Nana Cardoon's (Local Garden-cider pressing and garden activities); PE

Thursday: Art; Buddy Reading at the ELC

Friday: Music at Tom McCall; Fitness Friday (Vanessa subbing for me so I can get ready for my wedding the next day!)

Last Week:

We had a very fun and productive week! We worked on writing and reading assessments that were not necessarily fun for the students, but a necessary part of school. They were wrapped up on Friday so now we can really just focus on fun learning! Tuesday we did some team building at Roger's Park. We played a game called "Chocolate River" that you should ask your kids about. It is a favorite in this class for returning students. When we returned to school we created mini-weather experiments with convection currents and twisters. The rest of the week was more Lewis and Clark journal writing, Word Work to improve spelling, and some weather activities. On Thursday we had a great presentation on managing energy levels. It is called "How's your engine running?" The students experienced different sensory things and gauged if it brought their energy level up or down and put it where it needed to be. I thought it was very beneficial for the whole class. Friday we had our first music class at Tom McCall. It was so much fun! The kids really seemed to be excited about it. They were very respectful and really represented our school well. I was very impressed.

This Week

We will continue our focus on Lewis and Clark, and weather. Students will be writing their second, and hopefully third journal entry for their experience on the Corps of Discovery. We will also have some changes in our schedule. We will not have Out and About on Tuesday because we will be going to a local garden/farm, Nana Cardoon's, on Wednesday instead. The students will get to press apple cider and help with some other projects that need to be done. This will also shift our Wednesday art class to Thursday morning. On Thursday we will also start Buddy Reading at the ELC (Early Learning Community) at Pacific University. We participated in this last year and it was a very positive experience. We join with a class of preschool kids and read to them, write stories with them and occasionally do some art projects. This will happen 2 times a month. Friday Vanessa will be subbing for me because I am getting married on Saturday and I have a lot of prepping to do. The kids will have a great time with her!

Outdoor School Information:

Monday I will be sending home information about Outdoor School. The blue guidebook, the medical information form, and the souvenir form need to be returned to me, by October 16^th. (If you can return them at conferences, that would even be better!) The blue guidebook is just some generic information so please don't write in them because they get shared through the whole region. We will also send home a "what to bring" list which you can keep.

Important Upcoming Events:

October 8 and 9: Goal Setting Conferences (We will have more information coming about signing up.)

October 15^th (Thursday): Field Trip to Fort Clatsop. We need 2 more parent volunteers to let me know if you can come. Also, we have to leave the school at 7:45 on a Mid-Columbia bus so we need all students to the school at 7:30! We will be back in time for a normal dismissal.

October 27^th (Tuesday): Field Trip to Historical Society in Portland. We need 1 or 2 more volunteers for this event so please let me know if you can come. We will be riding tri-met and need to leave right at 8:50 so please have your children here by 8:35. We will return in time for a normal dismissal.

newsletter

Peregrine Press

September 21-25

Schedule

Monday: Art

Tuesday: Out and About (Teambuilding in the Community)

Wednesday: Art; PE, Back to School Night 6:00-7:30

Thursday: Regular Day

Friday: Music at Tom McCall; Fitness Friday

Last Week

We had a very productive week for our first full week! The students researched the person they have become on the "corps" and wrote their first journal entry. They also learned about the Louisiana Purchase through an activity using google earth. They used maps to identify the present day states that the Louisiana Purchase included as well as the route the Corps of Discovery took. For our Out and About we headed to the Tom McCall Forest and did a teambuilding activity to start with. Then they spent an hour doing a variety of sketching activities to mimic the record keeping that Lewis and Clark did with the flora and fauna (plants and animals.)

We also spent a some time learning about different clouds and what they mean. Fitness Friday was successful with the majority of the class really participating well. We met our new Out and About teacher Erin and had a chance to as her some questions and share some ideas for outings this year.

This Week

This coming week we will continue our focus on Lewis and Clark and weather. Our Out and About will be at a park in the community where we will do some teambuilding activities to help build our classroom bond. We will also start a music class at Tom McCall Upper Elementary School on Friday. This means that we will leave the school at 9:00 and walk to Tom McCall for the music class.

Back to School Night: This night will be an opportunity for parents to come to the classroom and learn about how we do things at FGCS. Please leave your lovely children at home because this is really meant to be an information night for the parents. We will have 2 sessions: 6:00-6:45 an 6:45-7:30. You just choose the session you want to come to (you don't need to tell me beforehand) and head to the classroom. We will go over the PLP, Report Cards and our teaching methods. This will not be a time to ask specific questions about your child, we will be able to discuss those personal things at the conferences on October 8^th and 9^th.

Upcoming Events

October 8 and 9^th: Conferences

newsletter

Good Morning Everyone,
Here is the newsletter for this week.  I forgot my camera cord, so I will get pictures added to the blog later today, or tomorrow.  Feel free to check them out later.  To get to the blog you can go to the school website fgcschool.org, click on the Classroom Info and then click on Peregrine Falcons.  Also, don't forget that pizza money is due on Tuesdays, and please encourage your child to bring a plate from home so we don't have to waste paper plates.
Thanks and I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Veronica

newsletter

Hello Peregrine Falcon Families,
Here is the newsletter for this week.  Let me know if you can't open it.   I hope you all enjoyed the weekend!
Thanks,
Veronica

I just remembered one more thing.
Pizza Wednesday starts this week.  Please have your money in by Tuesday.  I sent home the forms on Friday, let me know if you have any questions.

newsletter

Peregrine Press

June 8-11

 

Tuesday:  Move-Up Day; Field Day

Wednesday: Bridging Ceremony and CLEAN OUT THE CLASSROOM

Thursday: Last Day of school, dismissal at 1:05

   

Last Week

We really accomplished a lot last week and had a great deal of fun.  Our beach trip on Monday was super fun, although it did go by way too fast!  The scinec fair on Tuesday was really interesting and I think it inspired many kids to want to do something like that next year.  We worked on the FGGP and Math life a few times, trying to wrap up those activities.  For the FGGP, the students worked on videotaping a PSA for how to be a good digital citizen.  When it is completed it will be on the FGGP blog for your viewing pleasure.  In Math Life the students encountered their unexpected expense/reward.  Some students went into debt and others won some money!  Thursday was our first annual Fun Run and it went off without a hitch.  Gretchen and I could not be more proud of how well our classes did with this event!  We do hope to get all donations turned in by Wednesday.

Saturday night was the much anticipated campout that also was a great success.  I saw big smiles 99% of the time!  Thanks again to all the parents that helped provide food, time and money to this event.

 

This Week

Well, it is almost over!  We will be wrapping up any loose ends, reflecting on the year and saying goodbye to many students that are bridging or moving on to other places.  It is a very bittersweet time. 

Please help me get the classroom cleaned out by making sure your child brings a large bag on Wednesday.  I will be passing back a great deal of work and many projects are quite cumbersome, so those students that normally ride their bikes, might need to get some help getting some of this stuff home.

Also, for the bridging ceremony on Wednesday please be sure that students bring a sack lunch that does not need to be microwaved.  We will be eating picnic style at B Street Farm.

 

Thank you all for your help and support this year!  I could not have made it through this year without all your support, both emotional and physical so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

I will try and get some slideshows of photos from the year up on the blog in the coming weeks.

 

 

newsletter

Peregrine Press

June 1-5

   

 

 

Schedule

Monday: Trip to the Beach!  Please make sure that your child will be at the school by 8:35 because we are leaving at 8:45.  I will have my classroom back door open at 8:15 if some kids want to come even earlier.

Tuesday:  Science Fair 9:30-10:30 (This was an optional activity for Level 2 students.)

Wednesday: PE; Celebrations of Learning 5:00-6:30

Thursday: Fundraising Run! 10:00 at Lincoln Park; Art

Friday: No School, Grading Day

Saturday: Overnight Camping Trip

 

Last Week

We had a great week last week.  Our Out and About to Safeway was a success.  Students were well behaved and very respectful when they were hunting through the store for specific food items.  They compared the prices of lunch items for healthy foods and non-healthy foods.  Later they found the class average for the food item comparisons and found that it was less expensive to buy healthy foods!  That afternoon the students that wanted to presented their literacy projects.  There were a variety of  interesting presentations.

Wednesday we spent some time on the Forest Grove Grid Project blogging about the photos that had recently been taken by all the groups and responding to discussion questions.  I was happy to see so many students remembering what it means to be a good digital citizen.  They were respectful to each other and wrote thoughtful comments and responses.  We then had presenters come and share more information on Leave No Trace (an outdoor education program).  Laura and I felt very proud when the students were asked lots of different questions about how to respect nature and they knew all the right answers.  It proved that these students really are great stewards!  That same day we also spent time with our ELC buddies.  We played parachute games like "popcorn" and "cat and mouse."  It was a bittersweet day because it was our last time with our buddies.  Our students really made great connections with their buddies and I saw tremendous growth in their patience, kindness and mentoring abilities.  Not to mention that over the course of this experience they worked on reading fluency, note taking, typing, clay arts, map making and just all around fun!

Thursday morning was spent at B Street Permaculture Farm where the students took some great photos to add the to Forest Grove Grid Project.  It was a beautiful day to be outside and it was one of those days that as Becky would say "puts a rainbow in my heart."  This class is so well bonded together that is sometimes seems unreal.  How did I get so lucky?!!  That afternoon we spent time working on Math Life activities connected to the Safeway Out and About.  Students also got the chance to write checks which is always fun to do when you are a kid!

Friday we spent more time in the computer lab blogging on the B Street Photos and had our final routine of spelling tests, goal reflections and weekly summaries.  Whew!  What a week!

 

This Week

Are you ready for this week???  It is going to be jam packed.  We will start out with our beach trip.  Please remember that we are leaving at 8:45 sharp.  We will be returning at 2:30 so dismissal time will be normal.  Tuesday we will be attending the Science Fair that was set up by some students in Gretchen's class.  It will be held in the middle school portables and parents are welcome to come to this event.  It will be similar to the World Fair in set up but the participation of students was optional and I am not sure that any students in our class are participating.  There should be some fun things to see though.  Wednesday we will spend some time getting ready for our final Celebrations of Learning to be held at the school from 5:00-6:30.  I will be gone that night because I have class at PSU but Becky will be hosting for our class so please come and check out all the great things she has done with our class this spring.  She has been amazing!

 

Thursday is another big day with our first annual Fundraising Run!  It will be held at Lincoln Park starting at 10:00 at Pavilion One.  We could use another volunteer to help out if anyone is interested.  Your job would be simple, I promise.  Also, if you would like to participate in the run itself that would be great.  You don't need a sponsor sheet, but any donations are welcome!  The run will last for 30 minutes.

 

Finally, no school Friday, but the big campout is Saturday!  Please email me if you have any questions.  Hopefully you all got the permission forms back with a map and a bright notecard that specified what I need you to bring (if you can).  I am heading out to my parent's place today to start getting stuff ready!  Thank you so much for all your help and support with this.  I have never planned anything like this before, not to mention planning a beach trip, a fun run and a bridging ceremony all at the same time!  I have learned some valuable lessons through all of this.

 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1 Out and About to Seaside	2 Science Fair 9:30-10:30 at the Level 3 Portables	3 PE   Celebrations of Learning 5:00-6:30	4 Fun Run at Lincoln Park 10:00 am   Art	5 No School (Report Card Prep)	6 Overnight Camping Trip Drop off	7 Overnight Camping Trip Pick up
8	9 Field Day	10 Bridging Ceremony and School Photos	11 Last Day of School Dismissal 1:05

 

 

newsletter

Peregrine Press

May 26-29

   

Schedule

Tuesday: Out and About to Safeway (Healthy Eating on a Budget)

Wednesday:  Leave No Trace Presentation;ELC; PE

Thursday: Photography at B Street Farm

Friday: Art

 

***I am waiting for a few more permission forms for the beach and the camping trip.  My plan is to get final info out to everyone this week. Many parents have offered to help with whatever is needed and what I am trying to do right now is determine what is still needed.  Thanks so much to everyone that is helping with this!

 

Last Week

We just completed our last full week of school for the year!  Our Out and About to Lincoln Park involved a great deal of math and exercise.  We started out by calculating our average stride/gait length.  Once each student figured that out by using a measuring stick, taking 10 steps and doing some math calculations we were ready to head out to Lincoln Park.  When we arrived we all walked around the "Fun Run" Track and counted our steps.  This was then used later in conjunction with the average stride length to calculate the distance around the track.  It was quite complicated but many of the students began to get a grasp on it. Once we had all walked around the track once, we had Running Club for 30 minutes to see what we could run in that amount of time because the Fun Run will be 30 minutes long.

 

Becky introduced a literacy program called the Daily 4.  It focuses on the different components of literacy including reading to self, reading to someone, writing and word work.  I was really surprised and pleased at how receptive the students were to the program because it is so close to the end of the year.  I could see it really being a great component of my literacy program for next year as well.

We spent some time looking at food costs and health in preparation for our Out and About to Safeway.  Becky created a really fun "Price is Right" game to play to introduce food item costs.

The Forest Grove Grid Project consisted of some photographing through town on Thursday and then all the pictures were uploaded on Friday. The students wrote their weekly summaries on the blog instead of on paper for the week and many chose to do their goal reflections on the blog as well.  If you haven't yet seen the site, ask your child to show you.  There are some really fun blog posts.

 

On Friday we also went to spend time with our ELC buddies.  They recently started learning about insects so we joined them in creating insects out of clay, buttons and pipe cleaners.  It was another great day with our buddies.

 

 

This Week

The activities this week will continue to be focused on the Forest Grove Grid Project and Math Life.  Our Out and About to Safeway will focus on purchasing food on a budget that is healthy.  Tuesday afternoon students that want to, will share their literacy projects.  (Everyone was supposed to have completed a project, but it is not required that they present anything in front of the class.)  Wednesday we will have a special presentation on a program called Leave No Trace that Laura introduced us to earlier in the year. Wednesday will also be our last day with our Buddies at the ELC which is very sad, but I do hope to continue that again next year. We will head out to B Street Farm on Thursday to get pictures for the FGGP.  Friday will be our LAST HOMEWORK AND SPELLING WEEK.

 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
25 No School (Memorial Day)	26 Out and About to Safeway Healthy Shopping on a Budget	27 Leave No Trace Presentation   ELC Buddies   PE	28 Photography at B Street Farm	29 Last Homework Due   Art	30	31
1 Out and About to Seaside	2 Science Fair 9:30-10:30 at the Level 3 Portables	3 PE   Celebrations of Learning 5:00-6:30	4 Fun Run at Lincoln Park 10:00 am   Art	5 No School (Report Card Prep)	6 Overnight Camping Trip Drop off	7 Overnight Camping Trip Pick up
8	9 Field Day	10 Bridging Ceremony and School Photos	11 Last Day of School Dismissal 1:05