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

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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!

Knuffle Bunny Speeches

Today we all gave our Knuffle Bunny speeches. Before we gave our speeches, we felt shy, happy, scared, good, nervous, embarrassed, and afraid. During our speeches we worked on volume and eye contact. When we were the audience, we worked on listening. After we gave our speeches, we felt happy, relieved, silly, awesome, special and good.

The Buzz in B5!

Thank You!

For all the valentine’s boxes being made, valentines filled out, permission slips returned and speech practice! I know it was a busy two weeks and your help was greatly appreciated!

Heifer Project

If you plan on donating to the Heifer Project can you please send in your donation by Friday? We are hoping to have a final count by Monday. Thank you for your donations.

Field Trips

We are currently scheduling a spring field trip to the Willamette Art Center as well as Down By the Riverside. If you are interested in being a chaperone, please make sure you have filled out a background check. These take several weeks to process so now is a good time to do it.

Legibility

Thank you for working on this at home. We are working hard in the classroom on legibility and I am starting to see results! 

Notes Home on Feb. 9

Legibility

You might have heard your student talking about legibility. This is a focus in our work right now. I am looking for legibility not only in writing but in math as well. Please help remind your student to be legible whenever they write something.

Valentine’s Day Party

We’ll be starting at 2:30 on the 14. Please send in valentine holders (see Thursday Thoughts from last week) and completed valentines Friday and Tuesday.

Sum Dog

A new challenge is up and running! Have fun!

Money

We are learning to count coin currently. Please have your student practice counting collection on coins that have pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.

Speech!

Please don’t forget the Knuffle Bunny Speech homework. It is due February 16.

B5 News

Thank you!!

Thanks to all of you who have already sent in your student’s picture with their favorite stuffed animal! We are currently adding them to a Photostory project they are working on in computer lab. Please continue to email them or send them in! We’d like to finish by Friday the 10.

Valentines Day

Our party is February 14 at 2:30. I will be needing volunteers to help with handing out goodies and opening all the valentines. Let me know if you can come in and help that afternoon. The money you donated to the class party fund will supply all the goodies for the party.

Reading Help at Home

 Accuracy Help:

One of the skills we teach in reading is using “chunking”. This is a more successful strategy than letter by letter decoding. To help your student “chunk” words, have them find small bits of the word that they know like re, bl, sh, ch, pl pr, as examples. Have them read the first chunk then the next and so on. For example the word discover becomes dis-cov-er, then read the word again saying it correctly. Another “chunking” trick has to do with word endings. If your student is having difficulty with a word with an ending (-s, -es, -ing, -ed, -ly etc.), have them cover up the ending and see if they know the word without it. If not then begin “chunking “the word.

Fluency Help:

Model fluent reading for your student. Pick a page in a book and read to your student modeling good reading. Then have your student read it like you did.

Comprehension Help:

When finished with a book, have your student retell the story or ask if the book reminds them of anything. Also ask simple questions that the answer can be found in the book.

Email Changes

In two weeks, our district is changing email services. My address will not change! We expect a smooth transition, but if  you email me around the 17 and I do not respond in 24 hours, you might want to give me a call.

Tens and Ones

We've been working on looking at numbers and separating them into their tens and ones. We can take 65 and see that it is 6 tens and 5 ones. We've also been working on the reverse of this as well. We can take 8 tens and 3 ones and know it's 83. We have also been working on how to count tens and ones, by first counting groups of tens by ten and then adding the ones. For example, while looking at 3 groups of ten and 2 ones a student would count 10, 20, 30, 31, 32.
Try giving your students numbers at home and see if they can tell you the tens and ones!

Count by's

This week we are working on counting by 5's. The twist is that we are starting at ending at various count by 5 numbers. The following are examples of what we are doing.

Count by 5 from 20 to 55
Count by 5 from 55 to 100
Count by 5 from 30 to 75

Try these and others starting numbers!

17, 8 ,9

What do these number have in common? They can be used to create a fact family! Last week and this week, we have been taking the 3 numbers of a fact family and finding out the two addition equations and the two subtraction equations. Try this out with your student-on a piece of paper list the 3 numbers in an equations and then draw out four lines. Have your student write out the four equations that are in the family. Focus on correct use of plus, minus and equal sign as well as correct equations.

SumDog is coming home!

Today a letter is coming home telling about a challenge set up on SumDog.com. Log in and take a look at the website. Have fun with the math challenge! More will be coming.

January Skills

Reading

1. Daily reading for 20 minutes-try to make some of the time reading out loud to practice fluency
2. Retelling a story-after finishing a book, practice retelling the story. Focus on beginning, middle, end and characters

Writing

1. Neatness and legibility
2. Using mostly phonetic (written like it sounds) spelling- vowels may still continue to be the tricky part!
3. Uses mostly lowercase letters
4. Spaces between words
5. Writes 6 or more sentences (may not have punctuation) on a topic

Math

1. Addition with sums to 10 fluently-without fingers or counters
2. Addition with sums to 20
3. Counting to 120 by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s
4. Subtracting with numbers less than 10 fluently
5. Subtracting with numbers less than 20
6. Recognizing coins (names and values) for penny, nickel, dime and quarter
7. Counting small collection of coins with penny, nickel and dime
8. Take an addition equation and make a subtraction equation
9. Beginning to understand tens and ones

Looking Ahead:

1.      Addition sums to 20 fluently

2.      Subtraction facts from 20 fluently

3.      Reading fluently with a detailed retell

4.      Writing 10 or more sentences with phonetic and conventional spelling, correct use of punctuation and letter case. As well legible by others.