Classroom News: May 23rd

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

Our trip tomorrow to Oceanside is based on a fantastic true story of the actions two naturalists took in the early 1900s. William Finley and Herman Bohlman were two young scientists who met as boys while bird watching in Portland, Oregon. While in Oceanside, the two young naturalists witnessed many people on boats going past the Three Arch Rocks, using the sea lions and shore birds as targets for target practice. Day after day, boats would come by and shoot hundreds of animals, leaving them behind. William and Herman realized that if the animals were getting killed at this rate, there soon wouldn't be any left. They decided to take a 14 foot boat to to the large rocks to photograph the birds and wildlife, hoping that they could teach others about the animals and help save them. After an amazing adventure of getting themselves and their delicate camera equipment to the cliffs on the rocks, William and Herman were finally able to take many photographs of the coast animals. Months later, they traveled from Oregon to Washington D.C. to meet with Theodore Roosevelt and showed him their photographs and explained what was happening on the Oregon coast. President Roosevelt was convinced by these two young naturalist to make Three Arch Rocks a National Wildlife Refuge. It was the United State's third sanctuary and the first ever on the west coast. It offers protection to thirteen species of birds and three species of seals and sea lions.

Tomorrow we'll be able to enjoy and learn about the animals that these two young scientists risked their lives to help many years ago! Students learn throughout their time at FGCS that ecosystems are connected and the life within them is interdependent, which includes people. Tomorrow the Barn Swallow students will not only see the Three Arch Rocks where a healthy ecosystem exists, but will also learn more about the life close at hand, thriving in the many tide pools on the shore of Oceanside. Students will choose one or two tide pool creatures that they observed and will be painting them on clay tiles that will be displayed as public art around the school. The tiles will serve as a reminder to all of us of the shore animals, just as William and Herman's photographs helped bring an awareness to the animals of the Oregon coast.

Students should bring a healthy lunch, a full water bottle, wear shoes that are easy to walk in and that can get wet and/or sandy, and wear layers to stay comfortable on the shore. We will be leaving right away at 9:00 and the bus needs to be back to school by 2:00. This makes for a quick but special trip!

Thank you families!

Sincerely,

Sherry

Classroom News: Volunteer Confirmation

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

Here is a list of our parent volunteers as of Friday, May 20th. We have enough volunteers, but if you are interested in joining us, you are welcome to do so! Thank you for your support families!

-Oceanside Trip: Tuesday, May 24th (all day) VOLUNTEERS: Beth (Alyssa K.'s mom), Jey (Lola's mom)

-Jackson Bottom Wetlands: Tuesday, May 31st VOLUNTEERS: Becky (Alivia's mom), Jey (Lola's mom)

-Haystack Rock Trip: Monday, June 6th (all day) VOLUNTEERS: Jeff (Alyssa K.'s dad), Jey (Lola's mom), Jennifer (August's mom)

If you have questions, you are more than welcome to email me at S.Reuter@fgcschool.org

Sincerely,

Sherr

Classroom News: Upcoming Trips and Dates

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

There are many trips and special events happening during these last weeks of school. Here is a list of all important upcoming dates:

-Oceanside Trip: Tuesday, May 24th (all day)

-Third grade speeches due: Thursday, May 26th

-Memorial Day (No School): Monday, May 30th

-Jackson Bottom Wetlands: Tuesday, May 31st

-Celebrations of Learning: Wednesday, June 1st (5:00-6:30)

-Grading Day (No School): Friday, June 3rd

-Haystack Rock Trip: Monday, June 6th (all day)

-Field Day: Monday, June 13th (Please send your child to school in comfortable clothes, with sunscreen on, and full water bottles.)

-Bridging Day: Tuesday, June 14th (Dismissal is at 1:05)

If you have questions, you are more than welcome to email me at S.Reuter@fgcschool.org

Sincerely,

Sherry

Classroom News: May 19th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

We have an all school meeting tomorrow morning during the school day and with school spirit in mind, students have voted today for a school wide 'Dress as Your Favorite Movie Character' day. If your child would like to dress up tomorrow he or she is more than welcome to do so! Our parent music volunteers have also arranged for a musical show by 'Recycle Man' during the all school meeting. It should be an interesting morning!

I have also just received the following email from our student art teacher. The Barn Swallows have art on Fridays and will begin painting a very exciting mural tomorrow. Students will be using permanent paint on the asphalt for the mural and their teacher asks that the clothing and shoes students wear will be old and able to get paint on them.

Dear Families,

As I am technically taking over Teresa's role as the primary art teacher, I thought it appropriate to notify you (and ask if you) would be willing to send home an email to parents letting them know that we will be working with outdoor acrylic paint tomorrow, Friday the 20th, (which has proven to not wash out of most fabrics). Do you mind letting parents know to send their students with clothes and shoes that can be "redecorated." We are hoping to prevent as much paint as possible from contacting clothes and shoes but also want to prepare.

Thank you kindly,

Jennifer

Thank you Barn Swallow Families!

Sherry

Classroom News: May 18th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

In my rush to go pick up my class from art, I forgot to say when the Haystack Rock trip is. It is scheduled for Monday, June 6th. Both of our ocean trips have been scheduled on dates that allow us to see the tide pools! I hope to see many parents there! (You can either carpool or go with us on the bus. We will have two classes on the bus and will have plenty of room.)

Sincerely,

Sherry

Classroom News: May 18th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

We have many exciting trips planned for the end of the school year and our Oceanside trip is coming up quickly! Next Tuesday, May 24th, we will be exploring and learning about living creatures in tide pools! As mentioned before, we will need several parent volunteers to join us. Would you like to come? We would love to have you!

We will be going to Jackson Bottom Wetlands on Tuesday, May 31st and would like 1 or 2 parent volunteers to join us. Our last big trip of the year will be to explore and learn about the creatures in the tide pools at Haystack Rock. We will need parent volunteers to come to the beach with us. Please let me know if you're interested!

Third graders will be working on speeches and will be bringing them home to work on. Visual props are encouraged! Students will be writing the speeches on their own and it will be a demonstration of what they can do without the help of others. Speeches will begin next Thursday, May 26th.

Thank you families!

Sincerely,

Sherry

Classroom News: May 15th

Dear Families,

Third grade swallows have been working hard on a variety of skills. We have worked on parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines, various polygons and their properties, story problems, graphs, and number patterns. We have also worked on moving two dimensional figures in a variety of ways. Ask your child to show you our hand clapping demonstrations of reflections (flips), translations (slides), and rotations (turns).

The third grade math test will begin this Wednesday during regular math time (from 10:45-11:40). Please remind your child to get enough sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Students have as much time as they need to complete the test. Please email me with any questions you may have.

Thank you families,

Sherry

Classroom News: May 1

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

As you already know, the third grade reading test is beginning tomorrow morning (Monday). Please help your child to get enough rest as well as eat a healthy breakfast.

Third graders will be taking their reading test this week and the math test next week. Students have as many days as they need to take the tests. Reading will begin tomorrow morning at 9:00. Students will have each morning this week, from 9:00-9:50 to work on their reading test. The math test will begin next week and will be each morning from 10:45 (right after morning recess) until 11:35.

Thank you for your support families!

Sincerely,

Sherry Reuter

Classroom News: April 25

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

This Thursday we will be going on our wetlands trip. In my previous email about our trips I said that we were going to Jackson Bottom Wetlands this week, but we're now going to Fern Hill Wetlands instead. Our class is still in need of 1 to 2 adult volunteers to join us. Would you like to come?! We plan on being out at the wetlands almost all day. (We will leave school a little after 9:00 and plan on returning near 2:00.) There are new, fuzzy goslings following their mothers about at Fern Hill. What else will we see?Please help your child to dress so that she or he will be comfortable in a variety of weather. Rain boots, pants of sturdy fabric, layers, extra socks, and most important, a rain jacket with a hood, are all very important. (If your child's rain jacket does not have a hood, please send along a hat as well.)

Third graders are about to begin their Oregon state tests. They will take the reading test first, which begins next Monday, May 2nd. Please help your child get plenty of rest as well as have healthy breakfasts!

Be looking for the News Times tomorrow, as I have a hunch that our Earth Day paraders may be in the paper!

Thank you families!

Sincerely,

Sherry

Classroom News: April 22

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

Yesterday I gave the Barn Swallows time to brainstorm a plan to celebrate and honor the earth for Earth Day today. (Even though we talked about how EVERY day really is Earth Day!) The students had many great ideas and in the end, this is what they decided to do. They wanted to plant trees, but needed trees and a place to plant them. They decided that they could plant a fruit tree in the school garden, but we would need money to buy the tree(s). A student said that we could sell our free verse poems that we have been working on and use the money to buy the fruit tree(s). In the end, we had an Earth Day parade, with students holding handmade signs (on the back of old posters) that gave tips and reminders about things everyone can do to help make a difference for nature. For example, 'Turn off lights, Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth, Take shorter showers, Buy from organic farms, Ride bikes, Turn off the T.V. and go outside, Compost, Protect our wildlife, Keep Gale's Creek clean, Grow your own food...' Students made book marks (with reused paper and reused yarn for tassels) that had their free verse poems about nature written on them. During the Earth Day Parade in downtown Forest Grove they sold the bookmarks for a dollar each! The parade made its way to Pacific University, where many bookmarks were sold! (Students also had a chance to see their artwork on display at the student union. (In Ms. Teresa's art class the students are focusing on the Western Snowy Plover. Through making large fabric banners of this endangered Oregon bird, which will be temporarily displayed on the beach in the near future, the students are learning that public art can send messages and communicate important ideas. (The Western Snowy Plover's eggs are sandy colored and laid in the kelp and driftwood on beaches. People and pets accidentally step on the camouflaged eggs, which over time has made a large impact on the population of the plovers.))

In the end, the Barn Swallows earned 35+ dollars for the fruit trees and there are many bookmarks left! The News Times took photos of our Earth Day paraders and I wanted to let you know that we might appear in the paper! Such an exciting day for the students! I think that they learned a lot from today's wonderful experience!

Sherry

Classroom News: April 18th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

Our student led conferences were a great success! Thank you for supporting your child on this important day.

Yesterday we received our Treasure Books. Students each researched a bird that lives in Oregon and together we created an Oregon Bird Field Guide. We hope you enjoy it, as well as learn something new about the amazing birds that surround us! I ordered 2-3 extra copies and if anyone would like to purchase them, they're yours! (They are $17.90 each.)

This Friday is a very big day for the Forest Grove Community School! We will begin the day with a talent show from 9:00-11:00. Then the Barn Swallows will be participating in a class created Earth Day project. We will be meeting this week to decide how we can help the nature of Forest Grove and beyond. After school this Friday is our 2nd Earth Day Bike Ride! Your child should have brought home a permission slip yesterday. If you and your child would like to go, please be sure to send the signed permission form back by this Thursday. It will be a great event!

We have several fantastic trips planned for the rest of this school year! The next trip will be going back to the Jackson Bottom Wetlands on Thursday, April 28th. That's next week. We are in need of parent volunteers to come enjoy a spring day learning at the wetlands. This will be an all day trip on the 28th. (We'll be back by 2:15.) Would you like to join us? Please email me back if you are interested.

Third graders will begin their annual state tests soon. They will take two tests, the first in reading comprehension and the second in math. The reading test will begin Monday, May 2nd, and the math test will begin the second week of May. It is important for students to eat healthy breakfasts and meals, as well as come to school well rested and happy. Please help your child to be comfortable!

Thank you Barn Swallow Families!

Sincerely,

Sherry

Classroom News: April 13th

Dear Barn Swallow Families,

The Barn Swallow students were getting ready for their student led conferences and at the end of the day I forgot to share the following news (in the email below) with the class. On Monday from 12:00-12:20, there will be a twenty minute mixed class recess/activity for the new levels. The first graders will have recess/activity with Ms. Karen and I, and the second and third graders will have recess/activity with Rachel's temporary substitute Carol and Becky (future teachers of third and fourth grade).

The Barn Swallows will discuss next year's change during our morning meeting this Monday. If you would like to share the news with your child before then, you are more than welcome to do so. (There are details in the email below that may help answer some of your child's questions.)

Every year it is always hard to let my third graders 'bridge' to the next level, now my second and third graders will be bridging. I will have to make my heart toughen up a bit! ;) We have a very special class and I am so fond of all of my students. No matter what class arrangement we have, your children are all very special to me and they will always be welcome in the Barn Swallow classroom.

I will see you all tomorrow at our student led conferences!

Sincerely,

Sherry