December 2009

Level 1 Feast and Plays: Friday, December 18th, from 10:45-12:45

Students brought home invitations for the level 1 second 'annual' feast earlier last week. We are in the midst of deciding on what food we want to make and are in a flurry of action as we practice our play "The Nine Little Survivor Pigs" where we will be teaching about three primitive shelters and correct shelter location criteria. It should be very interesting!

For the feast we have decided that we are going to use the amaranth grain that we harvested in the fall at B Street Farm, as well as the walnuts that we have been drying in our room (from Ben's dad, Peter). Part of our preparation will include separating the debris from the tiny amaranth grain and cracking the walnut shells. We are thinking about making walnut and amaranth bread and crackers, as well as making our own butter and ricotta cheese! I think we also might pop some of the amaranth grain-it pops like popcorn only is very tiny. These are big plans! I will see how I can fit it all into our schedule.

We will be doing most of the cooking/preparation on Tuesday afternoon and I will be buying ingredients on Monday night. If you are able to donate a few dollars towards our ingredients I would very much appreciate it! Last year we had families donate the ingredients, but it was tricky to communicate about who would bring what. This way, I will just make a quick trip to the grocery store and get what we will need for our level 1 feast.

Thank you! I hope to see you there!

NOVEMBER NEWS

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in Portland!

We went to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory play in Portland last Wednesday. First we had a great and active time eating lunch in the park near the farmers' market. We took a quick tour through the market and saw piles of chanterelle mushrooms, along with other seasonal and local produce!Here we're on our way to a surprise stop before we go to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory playSURPRISE! We stopped at the Moon Struck Chocolate shop and learned many facts about chocolate. Our mouths were watering! Luckily, we all left with a little hand made spider truffle each!

All hand molded and formed!
The play was fantastic! We will soon be preparing for our own plays.
After watching the Tom Sawyer and Charlie and the Chocolate plays, the students will have a lot of ideas to draw from.


B STREET FARM: What Lives Here?
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Students spent a fall afternoon exploring and categorizing the life they found at B Street Farm and recorded what they found in their journals in writing or illustrations. The categories were: seeds, fungi, insects & arachnids, birds, mammals & tracks, trees & leaves and other plants.

This student has sorghum in her hand. We learned that molasses comes from the sorghum plant. In our read aloud, Little House in the Big Woods, Laura and Mary make candy with a mixture of molasses and sugar poured into the snow in tin pans. The students are hoping that it snows this winter so that we can try to make this candy. Sounds like a great opportunity to learn about measurement and proportions of ingredients in invented recipes. Perhaps we'll write a candy cookbook. If you have molasses, sugar, or pie pans the Barn Swallows would love it!

This student has the sap from a cedar tree on his fingers. We spent time smelling the cedar's sweet, green branches and observing its bark so that we could find it again. In Little House in the Big Woods we are learning about collecting the sap from maple trees in the early spring, boiling the sap down to syrup over a fire, and then crystallizing it into sugar. We are inspired to see if this would work with the maple trees here in Oregon. Laura's grandpa whittled little spouts to go into the holes in the trees and we have our own whittler in class, Kyle!

B STREET FARM:

Scavenger Hunt of What Lives Here
& Maple Tree Study
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

After choosing their own seats each day for almost two months, students have been able to get to know each other well in many academic and social situations. I have also been able to see who works well together. Students thought of at least 8 people who they either have helped often or have been helped by, and wrote them down on a card. This was to help me form more permanent groups of students that will be able to support each other academically and socially. Through using regular team building activities, students will become comfortable with one another, making it possible to take more academic risks. Students will also be able to know how to help and support each other in academic and social situations. We will also learn more about small group communication.

Here we are at B Street Farm, in our newly formed groups. Students were each given a scavenger hunt list and their mission was to complete it as a team. Students figured out different ways to make sure that each person was included, heard, and valued. From giving each other turns to lead the group around to find the next item, to using each others' backs to write, students were learning not only about what lives at B Street Farm, but also about team work.

Items on the scavenger hunt list were: Seeds (maple, acorn, walnut, and calendula), fungi (three colors; white, brown, purple), leaves and needles (maple, oak, two types of walnut, cedar, long and short pine needles), creatures (pill bug, worm, ladybird beetle), and birds (scrub jay and robin). Students had to read the list, use the pictures, work together, identify pieces of nature's web, and follow their senses for this lesson.

Maple Tree Study!
October 27th, 2009

ONE...

We are learning about farmers' almanacs and are reading a great one written for children called Linnea's Almanac. The authors are from Sweden and have many other great books for children.

After the scavenger hunt at the farm, the kids gathered on the patio as I read aloud from the almanac. We read Linnea's excerpt for October and she taught us about maple leaves. We can identify maple leaves because they are shaped like our palm. Linnea also drew a diagram, with step by step instructions for making your own maple leaf crown through threading the stems and folding the leaves. We had to try it!

TWO...


THREE!

A large gust of wind blew the 'helicopter' maple seeds into a frenzy, inspiring us to see what the wind would do to leaves in the air!

August and I figured out how to make the maple leaf crown together. It was a lot trickier than it seemed! We used a little twig to make small holes in the leaves to thread the stems through. Our leaf chain had at least 9 leaves on it, but Linnea says you need about 22!

Here is an official leaf crown, made with team work!

Many students were inspired to invent and create with maple leaves!









Finding Our New Table Groups!

Students were surprised one morning to learn that they were going to find out who was in their table group by doing a puzzle piece search around the classroom. Each student's name was written on a puzzle piece, which matched only with the other students in their group. Students were able to find their puzzle pieces and then their new groups by putting the pieces together. They have been working on making a talent quilt as well as brainstorming and discussing their group name.

Music Class

We will be having music class on most Friday afternoons. Parent volunteers are donating their talents and time, taking turns each Friday to share their love of music with level 1. Here we have Ben's dad, Peter, singing a song about a hound dog that would rather be friends than enemies with a raccoon!

Solomon has started taking violin lessons after school and wanted to play 'Happy Birthday' to Kyle! We are looking forward to the day when Solomon plays for our first class square dance, just like Pa from Little House!

After music class is over, it's hard for us to stop! We decided to experiment with jars of water. Each student took a turn improvising a song for the class. We have very creative musicians! We like to sing and make up actions during our morning meetings. Ask your child to teach you the Little Bird song and dance. Little Bird is sung by children's folk singer, Elizabeth Mitchell. We have really been enjoying her songs!

Amaranth Grain and Onion Seeds

We have spent A LOT of time getting our amaranth grain ready and are learning that it's a very delicate and time consuming process! I brought in my little scale and we have been weighing the grain. We've learned that 16 ounces makes 1 pound. So far we have at least 3 ounces of amaranth grain and a little more than 1 pound of mixed grain and fine debris. We first weighed the container that the grain would go in. Then we weighed the container with the grain and subtracted the weight of the container to find out how many ounces of grain we had. We will continue to invent ways to separate the grain from the debris and hope to have a taste of amaranth warm cereal or amaranth 'popcorn' by December! We also hope to save some of our seeds to plant next spring.

Literacy

Every day after morning meeting, where we do a greeting, sharing, song and quick team building activity, we have an hour long literacy block. Students have been using the five finger rule and reading just right books independently, doing one on one reading assessments with me, practicing hand writing, doing word sorts (word work), playing grammar games in small groups and writing stories.

Currently we are learning about how to choose a 'good fit' book using 'I. P.I.C.K.'

• I choose a book
• Purpose: What is my reason, or purpose for reading it?
• Interest: Is it interesting to me?
• Comprehend: Do I understand what I am reading?
• Know: Do I know most of the words?

When choosing books to read at home, ask your child to about the I. P.I.C.K. strategy and the five finger rule.

We are also learning about a reading routine/system called the Daily Five. I am introducing this system so that students can spend extended periods of time doing one meaningful activity at a time, in depth, and independently, while I am working with small groups. Regular literacy activities in this system include:

• Read to self
• Read to someone
• Work on writing
• Word work (spelling and letter patterns)
• Listen to reading

Once students learn the independent behaviors and expectations for each literacy activity, they will begin to make their own choices about which one to do during each block of time. I will arrange the schedule so that the choices each day include reading and writing. Mini lessons on reading and writing strategies will break these blocks of time up. The mini lessons will give students a 'body and brain break' as well as introduce them to the reading and writing skills we will be focusing on in small groups.

We are learning what 'read to self' looks, feels, and sounds like through practicing it each day. We have also been learning about the word stamina and agree that our actions and choices every day should help increase our reading and writing stamina. Next we will learn many different ways to independently read to someone, as well as continue the read to self routine. While students are learning to independently engage in meaningful literacy choices, read to self or read to someone, I will be doing guided reading and work on focused skills with small groups. My goals for guided reading are for students to foster a love of reading and become independent and thoughtful readers. These lessons in small groups will be based upon students' personal learning plan goals and will range from working with letter sounds to reading fluently with expression.

Math

In third grade math we have been learning about the names of different types of addition problems with numbers up to 20. Ask your child to explain the following facts: zero facts, counting ons, doubles, neighbors, fast tens, fast nines, make tens, and leftovers. This review of addition, as well as the 'Make the Sums' game which was sent home, is to lead to efficiency, confidence, and ease with these facts, leading into addition of double, triple, and quadruple digits. We will use what we understand about the named addition facts and relate it to subtraction, through looking at the relationship between the two operations. We will work with subtracting double, triple, and quadruple digits. We have also been learning about collecting data through surveys, displaying data on bar graphs, identifying the title and legends of graphs, and making comparisons of the data displayed.

We are about to do a black bean project with beans that I grew this summer in my garden. The beans were the third sister in a 'three sisters' section of the garden (the other two being flour corn and heirloom squash). I would like to know more about the relationship between the numbers of bean pods to the weight of the shelled beans, as well as the relationship between the length of the bean pods and the number of beans inside. I would also like to know the relationship between the weight of the bundle of dried stems, leaves, and bean pods, and the weight of the black beans after they have been shelled, to estimate how many pounds of black beans I have before I shell them.

In table groups, students will first weigh their black bean dried plant bundle and record it in pounds and ounces. They will make predictions about the relationship between the weight of the bundle and the weight of the shelled beans from the same bundle. Then they will get all of the bean pods off of the stems. Students will estimate how many shelled beans they think their table's bundle has, based on opening a few pods and counting the beans.

Next, students will learn how to measure the black bean pods in centimeters. They will learn how to round up or down to the nearest centimeter. Students will learn how to make a T-chart and begin gathering data on the beans. They will write the bean's length in centimeters, rounded to the nearest whole centimeter, in one column, with the number of beans inside of the pod in the other column. Students will make predictions about the length of the bean pods in relation to the number of beans inside of them.

Through looking at their piles of shelled beans, students will first estimate how many they have. To practice addition, students will total up the number of beans they have shelled individually through adding the number of beans in each pod, naming the type of additon fact they used as they go, rather than counting. Table groups will then find the total number of shelled beans they have, through adding double or triple digit numbers, as well as find the total number of bean pods they had. They will compare the total number of shelled beans to their estimate from before. Students will analyze their T-charts to see if there is a relationship between the length of the bean and the number of beans inside and write a brief reflection. They will also weigh the final table groups' shelled black beans and compare it to the weight of the dried bundle. Students will write reflections on the relationships they noticed through this black bean project.

My goals for this project are to give a real situation that calls for math and allows students to see mathematical relationships. Students will learn or review; weighing in pounds and ounces, measuring using centimeters, rounding to the nearest whole centimeter, gathering data, displaying data on a T-chart, making predictions of mathematical relationships, estimating, counting, adding single, double, and triple digits, and writing to show their mathematical thinking.

Pear Picking Blog and Student Advice!

If you haven't read our pear picker blog, please be sure to check it out! Leave us a comment or a question and we will write back. Scroll all the way to the top of this blog to click on the blog address.

Important Dates

• Scholastic book orders are due November 11th. (You may order online and earn books for the class!)
  
• Veteran's Day is Wednesday, November 11th (no school)
  
• Thanksgiving break is from November 25-27th.
  
• Celebrations of Learning is Wednesday, December 2nd.
  

Reminders
*Tom Sawyer and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory money ($15.75) is due October 23rd.

*Picture day is Friday, October 23rd. Please send the picture envelope to school.

*Family fun this month is at Plumper's Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, October 24th. Please contact Kelly Daily to make arrangements to meet up with class families for a fall day of fun! (See October's News for contact details.) This is also a great opportunity to car pool!

*Scholastic book orders are due November 11th.

Helping Your Child Find 'Just Right' Books
Please email me if you would like to know your child's approximate Guided Reading Level. It can be very helpful with finding 'just-right' books in the Scholastic book orders, at the library, and at book stores. There is a great web site that will do a leveled book title search, and give you a list of books for your child to try. If you are interested, go to: Bookwizard.scholastic.com. Once you are on this page, click on 'Leveled Search' and check the 'Guided Reading Level' box. Enter your child's GRL range and interests. The site will give you many titles to start with. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help! S.Reuter@fgcschool.org

Do you have a family fun idea for November?
Please email me if you have a seasonal activity for families to do together!

October 2009

October Newsletter Summary
*Rainy weather is coming! Please send outdoor clothing for rain and cold every day to school!
(Please see a complete list of what to have at school in the 'school supply' section of this blog.)
-Out and About to B Street farm on Tuesday, October 13th.
Volunteers and children must have Pacific University form in to attend.
-In order to go to Nana Cardoon Farm, will will need 2-3 volunteers.
The trip is on Wednesday, October 14th, from 9:00-12:30.
-Tom Sawyer play: $5 per student for admission (Checks to FGCS)
-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory play: $10.75 for admission and bus (Checks to FGCS)
-Class family gathering at Plumper's Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, October 24 (Contact Kelly Daily)
-Barn Swallow class pear picker website and book coming out soon!
-Amaranth grains, harvested by the Barn Swallow students, to be eaten this week!
-Literacy volunteer opportunity
-Please read September's newsletter if you have not already! It includes our weekly schedule.

October Classroom News

B Street Farm Out and About
We will be going to B Street farm this Tuesday, October 13, from 12:30-3:00. If you would like to come with us, you are more than welcome! Visitors to B Street farm, must have a Pacific University B Street permission form completed in advance of the visit. Adult and child forms are available in the school office. We will be helping to harvest more amaranth grain on Tuesday and may begin collecting seeds for seed saving to plant in the spring.

Nana Cardoon Farm Visit
We have the great opportunity to go to Nana Cardoon farm this Wednesday, October 14th from 9:00-12:30. Everything from pressing apple cider to read alouds in the farm yurt happens here. We are in need of 2-3 adult volunteers to make this visit happen. If you are able to join us, as well as walk to and from the farm with our class, we would greatly appreciate it!

Tom Sawyer Play
Level 1 classes are planning on attending two plays this month! The first is Tom Sawyer, which is here in Forest Grove. Cost is $5 per student. We are hoping to attend on Monday, October 19th.

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Play
We are also going to be attending the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in Portland on October 28th. The admission fee has been greatly reduced for our students. The cost per student, including the bus fee, is $10.75. If you are able to attend, the extra supervision would be greatly appreciated!

Family Fun: From Parent Kelly Daily
"Hello Barn Swallow families. Community is one aspect of the Forest Grove Community School. With our busy lives, it's difficult to foster a sense of community outside of the classroom. I would like to invite all Barn Swallow families to a fun afternoon at Plumper's Pumpkin Patch, located at 11435 NW Cornelius Pass Road, Portland, Oregon, 97231 ((503)645-9561) on Saturday, October 24th, from 1:00-whenever. Come run through the corn mazes, pet the baby animals, pick a pumpkin, and have some fun with other Barn Swallow families. The cost is $3 per person. RSVP to Kelly at (503)359-9690." ~Kelly

Barn Swallow Pear Pickers
Our class has been learning about team work and positive communication skills through inventing and building 'pear pickers' in small groups. Teams were able to put their skills to the test during two visits to a near by pear tree. We were able to harvest 42 pears! (Yet most were bruised and lost to fruit flies. The school compost pile is now reaping the rewards of our team work!) After this experience we have decided to educate others on how to make home-made pear pickers. Students are now writing in preparation for our pear picker website, as well as a book, on how to make a home-made pear picker. We even have a jingle. Stay tuned!

Amaranth; Grains for Cereal and Bread
Students spent a sunny fall afternoon last week picking golden/orange amaranth at B Street farm. Amaranth is a grain that is both decorative and edible. We are hoping to shake the dried seed heads into buckets and make a hot cereal or bread with the nutritious grains. While picking in the field, the kids figured out ways to be helpful to one another and some designated themselves to be the 'runners' who would go to the kids that were picking, relieve them of their heavy loads of amaranth, and run the loads to the area to be tied together in bundles. Kids were sharing their picking techniques with each other and we left with buckets and bags full of amaranth. We're hoping to taste it this week!

Literacy Volunteers
A large portion of our school year has been about learning classroom routines and procedures as well as getting to know one another through games, songs, and team building activities. It has been a busy few weeks, with the Parents' and Guardians' Back to School Night and Student Goal Setting Conferences. Teachers have been spending a great deal of time on assessments as well. Reading assessments are one-on-one, while the rest of the class is working independently. As you can imagine, learning independence so early in the year can be a challenge for some 6, 7, 8, and 9 year olds. If you are able to volunteer in the classroom, a great time to come is during our morning literacy block, from 9:00-10:10. After one-on-one assessments, I will be working with small guided reading groups at this time, while the rest of the students independently do their daily literacy centers. If you are able to attend I would love to have you guide students as they do their handwriting and word study activities, read with students, and generally be there to help them get more out of each experience. The class has been doing an exceptional job at initiating and completing their daily literacy center activities, and keeping their voices at an appropriate volume. Extra student support would be the 'icing on the cake'.

Thank You For Attending Parents'/Guardians' Night and Goal Conferences!

September 2009

Welcome
We are off to a fantastic beginning! Thank you all for participating in our family visits. They have served as a valuable time for me to get to know a little about your child before the school year began. This past week I have seen new friendships forming, as well as a lot of enthusiasm for learning! We have been learning daily routines and procedures, as well as practicing them, to help set a solid foundation for learning throughout the school year. We are also forming our classroom community through many get-to-know-you activities and games. We have a wonderful group of children in this class!


Important Dates
Parent and Guardian Back to School Night
Wednesday, September 23, from 6:00-6:45 or 6:45-7:30 (Come to either slot, arriving either at 6:00 or 6:45)
-This is an opportunity to meet other parents and guardians in your child's class and learn more about our curriculum, personal learning plans, and report cards. Please refer to the school email sent last week for more information about this night!

Student Conferences
Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9
-Please plan on scheduling your child's student conference for either October 8th or 9th. Details on how to sign up will be sent out soon.


Your Child's Weekly Schedule

Monday-Physical Education
All students should wear athletic shoes and clothes that allow them to be active. We will almost always have physical education outside, so please be sure your child has appropriate clothing. Water bottles are also important. Please send a full, reusable water bottle with your child every day to school. This will help ensure that they are comfortable physically throughout their days at school. We will also have class outdoors often on Mondays where we often get a little muddy!

Tuesday-Out and About Class
This is our scheduled time to study outside of the classroom. We will be 'Out and About' for most of the afternoon. Many of these excursions will be to wet, muddy places. Please help prepare your child to spend Tuesday afternoons outside, rain or shine. Rain boots are a good choice, as long as your child can comfortably walk in them. A rain coat, warm layers, gloves, warm hat, sun hat, and scarf will help ensure that your child has a positive experience while learning outside. Please keep most of these items, along with a change of clothes and sunscreen, in your child's backpack.

Wednesday and Thursday-Art Class
Students will have art class twice a week. They will be using a variety of materials and are welcome to bring a smock or old shirt.

Friday-Early Dismissal
Dismissal is at 1:05 for the entire school every Friday. Please send a large healthy snack with your child every Friday. We will also have outdoor class often on Fridays, so please be sure your child has weather appropriate clothing.

Things to Have EVERY Day
Since our curriculum is dependent upon getting outdoors regularly and learning through hands-on experiences, it is important that all students are prepared to be outside every day. Our outdoor curricular experiences are dependent upon having comfortable and prepared students who are ready to learn and participate. Please make sure your child has everything they would need to be able to be outside comfortably for up to a few hours every day in a variety of weather. The following items should be with each student every day and may be kept in backpacks:

Water bottle, healthy lunch, sun hat (It needs to cover the cheeks, nose, and tops of ears.), sun screen, warm hat, gloves with flexible fingers, rain boots, rain jacket with a hood, a complete change of clothing (including socks and underwear), and warm layers such as long underwear and a long sleeved undershirt

(Optional: Work overalls, with pockets, to quickly slip over clothes)

Lunch Information

We eat lunch in the classrooms, so we are trying a 'pack it in, pack it out' procedure with lunches. This means that any uneaten food will come back home, rather than going in the garbage. (This also helps easily communicate with parents and guardians what was eaten at school and what was not.) Cloth napkins and reusable containers are encouraged! Students will compost fruit and vegetable scraps, such as peels or cores, at school near the garden. We have lunch every Monday-Thursday from 11:40-12:05. Please send a large, substantial, and healthy 'snack' (or small meal) on Fridays. We have our large snack time from 10:40-11:00.

Parent and Guardian Volunteers are Needed

Thank you to the volunteers who have signed up outside of the classroom! Our school is dependent upon volunteers to help supervise students during recesses and lunch, which allow teachers to take lunch and bathroom breaks, as well as give time to prepare materials for lessons right after recesses. Our curriculum and delivery is also strengthened by having 1-2 volunteers in the classroom during morning literacy time to help guide small groups while the teacher is meeting with small reading groups, as well as through having volunteers accompany us on our Out and About trips. If you are able, and would like to volunteer, please email me at s.reuter@fgcschool.org or sign up outside of our classroom. Volunteers play a large role in the success of our community charter school. All help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Our class is still in need of parent and guardian volunteers for the following days and times:

Mondays

• 9:00-10:00, One to two volunteers to help guide small groups with handwriting, word work, and literacy games
• 10:00-10:20, Filled (Thank you Mandi!) One volunteer to help prepare and hand out snack while the teacher continues working with reading groups
• 10:20-10:40, Filled (Thank you Mandi!) One volunteer to help supervise morning recess
• 11:40-12:25, One volunteer to help supervise lunch and lunch recess

Tuesdays:

• 9:00-10:00, One to two volunteers to help guide small groups with handwriting, word work, and literacy games
• 10:00-10:20, One volunteer to help prepare and hand out the class snack while the teacher continues working with reading groups
• 10:20-10:40, One volunteer to help supervise morning recess
• 11:40-12:25One volunteer to help supervise lunch and lunch recess
  
• 12:25-3:00, One to two volunteers to help supervise with the teachers on Out and About trips

Wednesdays:

• 9:00-10:00, One to two volunteers to help guide small groups with handwriting, word work, and literacy games


• 10:00-10:20, Filled (Thank you Mandi!) One volunteer to help prepare and hand out the class snack while the teacher continues working with reading groups
• 10:20-10:40, Filled (Thank you Mandi!) One volunteer to help supervise morning recess


• 11:40-12:05, Filled starting October 1 (Thank you Kelly!) One volunteer to help supervise lunch recess


• 12:05-12:25, One volunteer to help supervise lunch recess

Thursdays:

• 9:00-10:00, One to two volunteers to help guide small groups with handwriting, word work, and literacy games


• 10:00-10:20, One volunteer to help prepare and hand out the class snack while the teacher continues working with reading groups


• 10:20-10:40, One volunteer to help supervise morning recess
  
• 11:40-12:25, Filled (Thank you Leslie!) One volunteer to help supervise lunch and lunch recess

Fridays:

• 9:00-10:20, One to two volunteers to help guide small groups with handwriting, word work, and literacy games


• 10:20-10:40, One volunteer to help supervise morning recess
  
• 10:40-11:00, One volunteer to help supervise 'large snack time'

Class Snacks
I am sending a family snack schedule where we ask that each family be responsible for providing the class with a healthy snack for one week increments. On average, families will be on 'snack duty' for 2 weeks out of the entire school year. Please contact me prior to your snack week if you have any questions or are unable to provide snack at that time. Thank you!

Enrollment Packets and B Street Farm Forms

If you have not yet turned in your child's enrollment packet, please take a few moments VERY soon to complete it and turn it in to the office. Our class still needs enrollment packets from at least 9 students. Included in the enrollment packet was a B Street Farm form, which allows your child to be on the farm property. Most of our curriculum this year will take place at the B Street Farm, yet we will not be able to go as a class until ALL forms are turned in to the office. We have had to cancel two trips there already this September. Now is the time for your children to see the wonders of the harvest on a farm, as well as 'hook' them into this year's project! Please make sure your enrollment packet is turned in by Tuesday, September 22 so that we do not have to cancel future trips planned. After the last packet is turned in, there will be a 8-10 business day turn around time before we can go to the farm. As you can see, this is really urgent! Thank you!

Family Fun Committee

Would you like to get to know the other families and children in your child's class? Do you have ideas of fun activities that could bring families together? I am inviting parents and guardians to step forward to create a little 'Barn Swallow Family Fun Committee' that would focus on planning regular family events, potlucks and get togethers. In the past we have had parents plan a Saturday family trip to a local pumpkin patch and a gingerbread decorating day and story read aloud. What other activities could our class families take part in? A camping trip? A harvest party? Renting a community garden plot together? Do you have a special skill, talent or hobby and would like to lead a little family workshop on it? (Wood working, sewing, quilting, farming, cooking, music, painting, bird watching, fishing etc.) Please email me with your ideas and let me know if you would be interested in helping to form this committee!

I'm looking forward to a fantastic year! Please email me with any questions or comments you may have at s.reuter@fgcschool.org .

Classroom Supplies

Forest Grove Community School

2009-2010 School Supply List

Level 1: Ages 6, 7, & 8

School Supplies

• 48 #2 Pencils* (High Quality=Break and Sharpen Less=More Writing Time!)
• 6 Large Pink Erasers*
• 1 Box of Tissues*
• 2 Reams of Printer Paper* (Recycled Optional)
• 24+ Colored Pencils*
• 3-5 Wide Tube Glue Sticks*
• 1 Pack of Water Color Paper*
• 1 Favorite Non-Perishable, Healthy Snack* (For Example: Dried fruit or whole grain crackers) This snack is to ensure that we have 'back-up/emergency' snacks. Teachers will send home the regular family snack schedule at the beginning of the school year.
• 1 Water Bottle (Please label with your child's name.)
• 1 Lunch Box (Optional) (Please label with your child's name.)
• Reusable Containers and Cloth Napkins for Lunches (Optional)

*If you are able to purchase or bring additional supplies listed above for others it would be very much appreciated. Classes are also in need of a few more rulers and pairs of scissors to make complete class sets. All school supplies will be shared among our community of learners, so they will not need to be labeled. As materials run low over the course of the school year we will send home requests for additional supplies.

Thank You! (There's more below!)

***Please be sure to gather and pack the important items below for the first day of school!

Important Items to Keep in Backpacks (Please label all items with your child's name.)

• Extra Set of Clothing (Shirt, shorts/pants, underwear, 2 pairs of socks) (Optional: An additional pair of outdoor, water resistant shoes is very helpful.)
• Sunscreen (Easy for your child to apply)
• Sunhat (Needs to cover the tops of the ears, nose, and cheeks) (A chin strap is helpful.)
• Gloves (With flexible fingers for outdoor lessons) (To avoid losing gloves on trips, a string or ribbon placed inside of the jacket sleeves with clips on each end to attach to the gloves is very helpful.)
• Warm Hat
• Bag for Wet Clothes

Important Items to Bring EVERY DAY (Please label all items with your child's name.)

• Comfortable Walking Shoes (Water resistant shoes are best.) We will be outdoors rain or shine regulary and water resistant, comfortable shoes will help ensure that your child is comfortable during outdoor lessons and recesses. Sturdy sandals during warm weather are great. Please refrain from flip-flops or slip-ons.
• Water Resistant Jacket (We will be outdoors rain or shine regularly and a water resistant jacket will help ensure that your child is comfortable during outdoor lessons and recesses.

Thank you for taking the time to help your child prepare for this exciting school year! If you have any questions or suggestions please contact me at s.reuter@fgcschool.org