Reading Goal of 15, 000 minutes

As of today we are at 12, 923 minutes! We are so close! Keep up the reading over the weekend and we will make our goal!

Take Your Child To Work Day

Thursday is Take Your Child to Work Day. If you plan on taking your child to work, can you please let me know. We count the day as a school day.
Here are some questions for your student to share on Monday.

Name:_______________________

I hope you have a great day following your family member around at work today. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions below. There will be a share time on Monday!

1. What does your family member do?

2. What did you find interesting about their work?

3. Did you notice anyone reading?

4. Did you notice anyone writing?

5. What are you learning at school that will help you when you have a job?

Family Fun Night Reminder

FAMILY FUN NIGHT - WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Family Fun Night is fast approaching (May 3rd) and we hope you and your family are planning to come.  We wanted to be honest and say donations for our grade level basket have been low.  If you haven't had a chance to donate, any amount would be helpful, and we can take donations in by Tuesday morning, April 24th. 

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Unwin @ 503-510-5694 or theunwins@comcast.net

Family Fun Night

Please don't forget that if you are planning on sending in a donation for the grade level basket to send it in as soon as possible!
Thanks!

Water, boating, fishing website

http://exploretheblue.discoveryeducation.com/

This site has games, activities and family connections for water, boating and fishing.
Enjoy!

Family Fun Night

Don't forget that we are still seeking donations for Family Fun Night!

Family Fun Night is Coming!

THURSDAY, MAY 3^RD!!

Save the Date!  Family Fun Night is Thursday, May 3rd^th. 

It is one of the most anticipated events of the year

& we hope you will all be there!!!

A big highlight of the evening is the raffle baskets.  

This year is a little different because we are doing “Grade Level” themes, instead of themes by class!  We’re excited the grade classrooms are joining together to allow for amazing baskets/items this year!

The theme for the 1^st Grade basket is:

YUM!!! Coffee, Candy & Sweets!

You may choose to donate to our basket by making a cash donation

or purchasing items to donate.  With donations we hope to purchase

 a Keurig machine and and ice cream machine and supplies. 

Suggested items for our basket include:

For Coffee:  Coffee shop gift cards, coffee grinder, whole beans,

espresso machine, Keurig-style cups, etc. 

For Sweets:  Sno-cone machine or supplies, bags of candy, cookies,

baking mixes, your favorite family sweet snack.

If you choose to purchase items, please include a gift receipt– thanks…)

All donations should be sent in with your student no later than Friday, April 20^th.  Baskets and items will be on display in the library the week prior to Family Fun Night!

Watch for more details soon for the whole event!!  See you there!

Thanks so much for your continued support at Forest Ridge Elementary!!  Our students, staff, families and community all benefit from our involvement!

See ya’ Thursday, May 3^rd!!

P.S.  Please “like” Forest Ridge Elementary PTC on Facebook to see updated information on Family Fun Night and other upcoming PTC and school events! 

Poster Contest

Today your student is bringing home a permission slip for a poster contest. We'll be making the posters in class. To be able to submit your student's poster to the contest, I need the permission slip filled out and returned. Thanks!

April Book Order

There are additional flyers online!

Book Club Order Due Date : April 30

Scholastic Book Clubs Ordering Information

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs

Class Activation Code: H92FN

Dear Parent,

This month's Scholastic Book Clubs flyer is ready for you to explore with your child. Once you've decided which books to purchase, please return the form and payment to me, or give online ordering a try. It saves time, offers more book choices, and earns extra rewards for the classroom.

To start ordering online, follow these simple steps:

1.  Register at Scholastic Book Clubs' secure Web site (www.scholastic.com/bookclubs), and create your own User Name and Password.

2.  Enter the onetime Class Activation Code above to link you to our classroom.

3.  Choose the books that you would like to order.

4.  Pay for your selections using your credit card.

5.  Submit your order to me online.

It's always a special moment to see an entire classroom bursting with excitement to open the book box!

Thank you,

M.White

Summer Reading Ideas

I know a huge challenge for families is finding books that match the reading leveling system we use here at school during the summer. I have two websites that should help with that challenge.

http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/
This website has lists of books by grade level, author and title. If you look at the grade level lists, the Guided Reading Level is located  right after the title.

http://minibooks.scholastic.com/minibooks/home/
This is a subscription site from Scholastic. I believe it's between $20 to $30 for a year. If you haven't checked out the parent section of the website please do. They have free printable, activity ideas and articles. It's a pretty good site.

I will continue to post ideas for summer reading and other subjects as I run across them.

My Plate

This week we are studying "soil to spoon". This is the journey of where food comes from and eating healthy. Students have a worksheet to use at home to look at how they eat. You do not need to return this, it's for your information. Also, we looked at a website http://www.choosemyplate.gov/information-educators.html that has a game, posters and other information about eating healthy.
The next time you are in the grocery store ask your student about where the food you are buying comes from!

Sum Dog *correction*

I am finally getting some of my "chores" done that I had planned on completing during conferences. That snow day really messed up my plans!!
One of my chores was to create "challenges" on Sum Dog and have them ready to go. I got them done for the month of April and I am now starting May. It is my goal to have challenges set up all through the summer. Please let me know before the last day of school if you would like your student's level to be set above second grade. Currently all students have their level set at first and second grade.
Enjoy the challenges!

Update:
I got all the challenges done!! created challenges from now until September. Have fun!

Science Expo at Willamette University

Science Expo

April 18, 2012

Willamette University: Sparks Center

5:30-7:30

You are invited to attend to the fourth annual Salem-Keizer School District’s Science Expo. This year’s Expo showcases the many ways that students interact with science in our K-12 schools and universities as well as how science is used out in our community.  HOPE Team students from A-3 & B-4 will be presenting their work – for the Fender’s Blue Butterfly, Naturescaping and Kids Care About Conservation.

Features this year are:

Salem-Keizer Schools (K-12)

-          Table displays and posters of the great science work being done in the classrooms around the district.

-          Salem-Keizer teachers will show the research they have been involved in

University

            - Professors from Willamette will be on hand with posters to explain their work.

            - University representatives will be available to talk about their science programs   and show what can take place in a science classroom.

Community

-          A variety of agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business that use science for their work.  They will be on hand to share their work in a variety of ways and answer questions.

Reverse Science:

- In turning the traditional “Science Fair” on its head, elementary and middle school students are going to be evaluating professionals and their research, scoring them, and determining a winner, who will receive the first annual “Latter Day Darwin” trophy.

Science Talks:

Ambitious students from around the Salem-Keizer School district will share, via PowerPoint presentations, the research they conducted. This will take place in the Sparks Meeting Room inside of the main front doors (look for signs).

Please take time to visit all the displays, see a science talk and ask lots of questions of those displaying their work. It is important that you also fill out evaluation forms at the end of your time here so that we can continue to grow this event and make it even better next year.

Brief Schedule

5:30-7:15—Organizations, Businesses, Professors, Undergraduates, and Students will, in all manner of forms, share the science that is being done in and around Salem

7:15-7:30—Closing Ceremonies and Presentation of Latter Day Darwin Award.

Programs within Program:

5:45-6:15—Research talks with Salem-Keizer Students (in Sparks Meeting Room)*

6:15-6:45—Reverse Science Scoring for Elementary and Middle School Students

6:45-7:15—Research talks with Salem-Keizer Students (in Sparks Meeting Room)

*Corrected* Earth Week

EARTH WEEK – April 15 – 22^nd                      

Forest Ridge Elementary – Premier Oregon Green School

will celebrate our 8 “R’s”

Reduce~Reuse~Rot~Recycle

Renew~Repair~Reject~React

We hope classrooms and families will join in by participating in the following opportunities:

REDUCE waste in the first place:

- Water conservation – Come see “Kids Care About Conservation” slide show presented by A-3 and win a Kids Care Kit!

- Energy conservation – Visit energyhog.org – children and families enjoy a game format while becoming educated about many ways you can conserve energy at home.

- ZERO WASTE DAY – Thursday, April 19th

Students/classrooms will attempt to add NOTHING to our waste stream.

- Sustainable Classroom Audit – HOPE Team members will distribute and collect audit forms that help students and teachers monitor energy, water and materials waste in classrooms.

- AT HOME - Calculate your CARBON FOOTPRINT

                                                 – NatureConservancy.org (FREE)

                                                 - carbonfootfrint.com (FREE)

Forest Ridge HOPE Team will sell “KIDS’ CARBON CREDITS” for those interested in offsetting carbon emissions.

REUSE items again and again instead of choosing throw away disposables.

- Bring your best metal containers and celebrate with others that choose to reuse instead of buying plastic water bottles. Win a “Metal vs. Plastic” - Help Our Planet Earth metal reusable container.

- Pack a 100% Reusable Lunch and win a SLURPEE!

- Re-purpose items that you would otherwise throw away. Clean your closets and take usable items to Goodwill or a thrift store.

ROT

- Compost or vermi-compost (worm bin) your fruits, vegetables, grains, coffee grounds/filters.

- Take Sally White’s “BUILD A WORM TOWER” class after school (date t.b.a.)

RECYCLE

- Review what is expected curbside and other options in RECYCLING.

Google Marion County – Public Works - Recycling Information

- Become a Master Recycler – Google Marion County Public Works Master Recycler

- Recycle your crayons, glue sticks and Capri Suns – take them to A-3/ A-Pod drawers

- Be an EARTH FRIENDLY SHOPPER!  Buy LOCAL! Purchase items/packaging made from post-consumer recycled content of at least 30%.

RENEW  (- able resources)

- Choose renewable GREEN energy options where possible. Power companies offer purchase of green energy (hydro, wind) vs. coal produced energy that is harmful to our atmosphere and to our environment during extraction.

- Check out C-4’s SOLAR PANEL PROJECT!  Learn how to install solar panels!

REPAIR

Don’t throw it away – fix it! Directions for repairing 1000’s of items are a click away.  Or find local repair shops to repair/rebuild. If the repair / fix is still not acceptable, consider donating the item to the appropriate company. (You can donate your vehicle to Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center or OPB)

REJECT

DO NOT choose companies, organizations and service providers that employ wasteful or practices harmful to natural resources, water, land or air.

CHOOSE earth friendly INSTEAD. 

Google Marion County – EarthWISE certified and choose these businesses for your consumer needs.

REACT –

- Let your voice make a difference.  Communicate with those that are earth friendly and those that are NOT. Fill out feed/back suggestion forms at establishments that you frequent.

- Write a letter directly to the business you support or wish to see changes made. Support legislation by writing legislators directly or signing petitions. 

- Students in classrooms may have a class discussion about consumerism and how this will affect their future. They may choose to write a persuasive classroom REACT letter that has AUTHENTIC PURPOSE.

Nature Night

The first ever Forest Ridge Family Nature Night is this Thursday (April 12) at 5:30. There will be information, games and critters. Come join us for a fantastic evening!

Arbor Day!

Celebrate ARBOR WEEK April 1 – 5

Trees are so important to Oregon that we celebrate them all week! We hope you will join us in honoring this valuable natural resource. Not only do we use them for building structures and for many other products; but they also absorb the carbon dioxide we create and give us back oxygen. That helps reduce carbon in the atmosphere that otherwise contributes to the warming that causes climate change.

TREE-mendous family opportunities:

-          Bring your family to Forest Ridge Naturescape.  Enjoy our native species and

       increase your knowledge base about them by reading our plant identification  

       signs.  Your child’s classroom teacher may check out the “Native Species Clue  

       Cards”  that you may use to add fun to learning about native species.

-         Visit www.therainforestsite.com, click on the green button daily and save 11.4 square feet of rainforest. Do the math -  How much will your family preserve in 30 days? One year?

-         Plant a native species tree!  VOLUNTEER IN FOREST RIDGE  

                                                    NATURESCAPE

-         If you can’t plant a tree, donate to Arbor Day Foundation – Take Action Now- Many opportunities for planting trees on the planet where most needed.

-         Take a nature walk. Look, listen, feel signs of spring and all the life that is connected to our native Oregon habitat.

-         Visit National Wildlife Federation - Create a Wildlife Habitat – This site will help you enjoy many hours of “Planet Earth” in your own backyard!

-         Make an appointment with a local tree:

Open a picture book; cherish the message beneath its branches with your family -

Giving Tree  Shel Silverstein

Mama Miti  Wangari Maathai

A Tree is Nice Udry

What Would I be in an Evergreen Tree    Blomgren

Kapok Tree      Lynne Cherry

Tell Me Tree  by Gail Gibbons

-         Stop junk mail: Go to DirectMail.com  - National Do Not Mail List

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parent initial and return this to A-3 to enter into a drawing for a free KROC Center Pass:

We CARE a whole awful lot – we are celebrating TREES!

Child’s name ___________________ Rm. # _____  Parent initial _______

Spring conferences

I just found out this morning that we will not be scheduling a different evening time for conferences. If you and I had a conference scheduled, we'll need to reschedule for a time before or after school. I will be sending a note home with my available times. Due to meetings and classes, it will take me a few weeks to get everyone in.  Thank you for your understanding!