Meriwether Lewis Elementary School Weekly Letter
October 11, 2017
Upcoming Dates:
October 11 & 12- Lewis Book Sale
October 12- Family Dance 6pm
October 13- Schools Closed, Statewide inservice
October 17- Lewis Dines Out- Dick’s Primal Burger
October 18- Late Start, School starts at 10:40
Message from Ms. Glasgow
I had so much fun Running for the Arts with our students last week—thank you to all of the parents and family members who came out to support the event and cheer us on! Our Arts Team will be meeting this week to begin the process of deciding how we will spend our arts funds this year. We also held our first School Site Council meeting of the year this week. Our Council has decided to focus our attention on a community-wide visioning process. This will be a multi-month process of gathering input about what is most special and important about Lewis School—with the goal of refreshing the vision and mission statement that drive our work. To kick-off this process, we will be posting a “graffiti wall” at the PTA Harvest Dance this Thursday evening. The theme of this wall will be, “What Makes Lewis Special?” We will ask adults and students who attend the dance to record their ideas. We will also post the wall for people who were not able to attend the dance in the entryways next week. We’re looking forward to seeing and hearing your thoughts!
Emily
Music Notes from Mr. Jamesbarry
Next week, October 16th, starts 5th grade band, and I couldn’t be more excited! Below is the schedule. At this first practice student will be assigned an instrument, given a rental contract, and shown the basic care for and playing of their specific instrument.
Monday 3:00 -4:00 PM - Flute
Tuesday 3:00 -4:00 PM - Clarinet & Alto Saxophone
Wednesday 3:00 -4:00 PM - Trombone
Thursday 12:20-12:50 PM - Percussion
Thursday 3:00 -4:00 PM - Trumpet
Harvest Dance
Thursday, October 12, 6-8pm
(Please note, this is a date change from the calendar!)
John L. Scott on Woodstock has generously sponsored the DJ for this event, which means admission for all will be FREE! Big thanks to John L. Scott for helping make our dance a accessible to all families.
Pizza from Pizza Roma (including gluten-free) and other refreshments will be available for purchase.
Volunteers are needed to help with set-up before the dance, serving refreshments, and clean-up. Visit goo.gl/kCDVfa to sign up, or use the sign-up sheet on the office window. Questions? Email Ellen Kotler at ellen.yerkes@gmail.com
Book Sale
The annual book sale to raise funds for the Lewis Library is this week.
Wednesday, October 11; 8am-4pm
Thursday, October 12; 8-9am, 3-4pm, 6-8pm (During the Harvest Dance)
The book sale is sponsored by Wallace Books in Sellwood
Save the Date - October 17th - Lewis Dines Out at Dick's Primal Burger
4905 SE Woodstock
From 4PM until closing Dick's Primal Burget will give 15% of their revenue towards the Lewis Dines Out Program
The first $2500 raised through this program goes towards the Proposed Classroom Project fund
Take out counts, and TEACHERS - there is a discount for you!
We want to thank all of those who came out to Double Mountain last month - we raised $350!
Talented and Gifted Nomination Process
If you would like to nominate your child for Talented and Gifted, please contact your child's teacher about completing a TAG Identification Process Form (IDPF). The form is due to your child's teacher by NOVEMBER 13th, 2017. NO LATE FORMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you have any questions, please contact the Lewis TAG Facilitator, Abby Rotwein, in Room 22 or at arotwein@pps.net.
Attention families of 3-5th graders!
There will be an informational meeting about the Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) here at Lewis next Monday, 10/16 at 3:10 in Room 24. For students who have already formed teams, there will be a team sign up sheet. For students seeking a team, there will be a place to sign up to connect with others who are interested. See you there! - Ms. Elissa
Run for the Arts was last Friday.
THANK YOU to all of the volunteers and cheer squad that made it a huge success!
Please remember to send in your form with all collected funds by FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20th!
The Lewis Run for the Arts 5th Grade t-shirt contest is in full swing! There are several creative entries by our talented 5th graders! Entries will be anonymous and judged by Lewis staff. Stay tuned for results! ALL Lewis students get a t-shirt regardless of the form requirements!
THANK YOU again for a great event!
Calling all Crafty Parents and Students!
Annual Lewis Holiday Bazaar: December 2nd 10AM-3PM
It's that time of year again - we're taking applications for spaces at our holiday bazaar.
Parent booth: $40 (6'x6')
Student booth: $10 (5'x5')
All goods sold must be handmade
Please pick up an application in the office, or contact the email below for the online application.
Questions: Contact Foy White-Chu at lewisholidaybazaar@gmail.com
New Lewis BottleDrop Fundraiser!
First Goal: Can we raise $1000 by January 26th for PTA movie and treats night?
Steps:
1. Pick up a Blue Bag in the office
2. Fill with bottles and cans that have OR $.10
-Mix glass, plastic & cans
-Limit to 20lbs (about 20 glass bottles + cans/bottles)
-DO NOT CRUSH
-Please keep clean
3. Return full bags to ANY BottleDrop center. Use bar code on bag to scan at door, drop bag in, done!
4. - Or - Return full bags to Lewis on First Thursday Drop Day
Already have a BottleDrop Account?
YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
Steps:
1. Return your bags as usual
2. Go to your online account
3. Select: Donate to a Fundraiser
4. Search: Lewis Elementary School PTA
5. Click: Donate Now!
“You will receive a tax receipt from OBRC for your donation. The charity group will also receive a record of your donation.”
**Get a raffle ticket in the office every time you turn in a bag!**
Woodstock Gives Back
A HUGE thank you to First Cup Coffeehouse for their donation of $426 to eliminate student lunch debt at Lewis. They partnered with the Lewis PTA for Woodstock Gives Back, and have been excellent supporters of our school community in other ways as well! Next time you stop in for a treat, please let them know how much you appreciate their support of Lewis.
Hello from the Woodstock Farmers Market!
FINAL WEEKS AT THE WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET
The Woodstock Farmers Market goes through October and the regular season will end with our annual Halloween Carnival on Sunday, October 29th. Come to the market and trick-r-treat at all the vendors. Wear a costume (or not!) and participate in our hourly costume parade! We will also have other kids activities just like we do at every market – Sundays, 10a - 2p, in the Key Bank parking lot on Woodstock.
We will also have a bonus Harvest Market the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 19th, to stock your pantry with all sorts of goodies for holiday feasting!
SNAP/EBT & DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS AT THE MARKET
Oregon Trail cardholders can use their SNAP/EBT funds to purchase fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, dairy products, breads, seeds and even plant starts from our vendors. Don’t miss out on our Double Up Food Bucks program which matches up to $10 each week for even more fresh fruits and vegetables! For more info on SNAP, go to www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap and be sure to spread the word to friends, family and neighbors about this great program! Check in at the info booth on market days for more information or visit our webpage at woodstockmarketpdx.com/programs/snap-debit.
Sign up for our newsletter (woodstockmarketpdx.com) and like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/woodstockmarketpdx/) to keep up with market news and events. Happy autumn!
Scrip = Gift Cards that earn schools money
What is Scrip? Gift Cards for stuff you were going to buy anyway!
Check out this short video for more information - https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=Qa-nklx3Wno NOTE: #4 in the video (can labels) is no longer an active program.
Why? Costs you nothing extra & proceeds go to support Lewis PTA Programs, such as classroom support and Lewis Library book purchases. Use the cards for your grocery shopping, stocking stuffers, teacher gifts and more!
How? Purchase available cards in the office (New Seasons, Safeway, Fred Meyer Amazon, Starbucks and Powells Books) OR pick up an order form in the office (or use this link to the Personal Order form: https://www.ttsdschools. org/Page/1108) to purchase gift cards for shopping, gifts, groceries and more! Please complete your form and give it to Tracy in the office with payment attached. Orders placed by 5:00 Monday will be available for pick up after 3:00 Thursday.
eScrip - Visit http://www.escrip.com/index. jsp and you can earn more for Lewis in three ways...
- Online Mall - Using this site and selecting a retailer will take you to your retailer’s website. Using this link means the retailer will donate a percentage of your purchase to Lewis! Easy as that! Some examples of participating businesses are Macy's, GAP and Columbia Sportswear.
- Register your debit and credit cards. When you use your cards at participating retailers, the retailers will donate to Lewis!
- Use the Benefit mobile app and Lewis earns too! Go to http://www.benefit-mobile.com/ and get the app (it's FREE!), then select Lewis Elementary School PTA (Group ID 500020229) as your cause. Set up your account so you can instantly purchase and redeem gift cards that give back!
Questions? Scrip Coordinator, Genevieve Benner (vivapalmer@yahoo.com)
Chinook Books!
If you are planning to purchase just the app please do so by 10/15! Until 10/15 the Lewis PTA will be getting 60% of the purchase price and after it will be 50% (as it is for the book/app combo). Please use this link to purchase: https://chinook.co/lewispdx. If you purchase in response to an email sent from Chinook Book the funds do not go to Lewis PTA. However, if you use the link this year, next year’s reminder from them will be linked to Lewis PTA.
Books with apps are still available in the office for $25, if you like the convenience of both (I do!). Some great neighborhood coupons include: Cloud City, Grand Central, Laughing Planet, New Seasons, Toast and Ace Hardware! Other great coupons to look for are: Circuit Climbing Gym, Cotton Cloud Futons & Eco Car Wash!
Cleveland Warriors Youth Basketball Tryouts
Registration is now Open for:
Boys Grades 4th-8th
Winter Basketball Tryouts
Saturday Oct. 28
• 4th 2:15-3:15
• 5th 3:30-4:30
• 6th 4:45-5:45
• 7th 6:30-7:30
• 8th 7:45-8:45
Saturday Nov. 4th
• 6th 9:00-10:00a
• 4th 10:15-11:15
• 8th 11:30-12:30
• 5th 1:15-2:15
• 7th 2:30-3:30
For complete program information and to register for tryouts go to:
www.cleveland-warriors.com
Meriwether Lewis Elementary School
Classroom Notes
News and information from our classrooms... October 11, 2017
Notes from Ms. Allen - Kindergarten
Hello Kindergarten Families,
We had lots of fun last Friday running for the arts! The kindergartens had a blast. Parents and families you made this event very special by attending. Also, last week your child had the opportunity to learn about school bus safety, we sat on a school bus, and learned how to be safe (on and off the bus) in case of an emergency.
Our PTA (art) fundraiser was a success. Leo's mom, Courtney, planned and orchestrated our class art project. We also had Sierra’s mom, Tara helping students with their art. Your child got to use blue paints, and neon colored crayons to make beautiful paintings, which was inspired by the book ‘Swimmy’. You will have an opportunity to view and purchase soon. Thank you Courtney and Tara!
What we are learning about:
Language Arts: We have been discussing and practicing how to write a simple sentence. For example, starting a sentence with an uppercase letter, finger spacing between words, and using a period at the end of a sentence. Comprehension skills we are focusing on this week and next week are classifying and categorizing. For the next two weeks we will be focusing on and learning about non-fiction books.
Word Work: At the end of this week I will introduce a new set of sight words. We are still working on the words: a, is, in, to, and, that, I, am, little.
Math: We are working on the following skills: observing and describing patterns (recognizing likenesses and differences). In addition, we have been solving small addition math problems. Lastly, we have been working on sequencing and writing numbers, kindergarteners tend to invert the teen numbers, so we have been purposeful in getting comfortable with identifying and writing them correctly.
Gardening: This is our 3rdweek doing gardening work with Ms. Kathleen. This week your child planted garlic and pulled weeds.
Daily Practice: Every day we talk about and practice being kind, responsible, and safe.
Reminder! On Halloween, October 31st, we will be going to the Pumpkin Patch. All families should have received a permission slip this week in their child’s folder.
Notes from Ms. Kennedy - Kindergarten
Last week, we started each morning with our interpretive Happy Dance! That means every child in Room 4 arrived on time and ready to learn. Thanks very much for helping your little ones begin their workday so successfully. We always look forward to our daily snacks and 10:15 Brain Break! As the weather becomes damper, we’ll still aim to get outside and run around. Jackets or ponchos with hoods are highly recommended. If your child wears rain boots on PE days, Tuesday and Thursday, please tuck a pair of sneakers into their tote.
Your children are champions of our classroom routines. They are becoming more independent and confident with each passing day. When I read a story under the document camera, students are continually interacting with the text: pointing and making connections when they spot words they know. It is very exciting! We began Reading Workshop in earnest, and everyone is paired with a Reading Partner for the month. Students begin Reading Workshop as independent readers, sitting back to back with their partner. At the signal, they rotate with their partner, sitting E.E.K.K: elbow-to-elbow, knee-to-knee. Give it a try at home :)
This week marked a new phase of Words Their Way. We have moved out of concept sorts (for instance, fruit and not a fruit) and into rhyming! As warm-up to the session, children hide a green or red square in their hand. Once I say two words and ask, “Rhyme or no rhyme?” they reveal green for yes, and red for no. It is a quick assessment to gauge understanding in the room. Making up rhymes at home is a great way to support our work.
No school on Friday. I will miss seeing your children! Weekly photos posted https://mskennedyroom4.blogspot.com/ Thank you one and all!
Notes from Teacher Leslie - Kindergarten
Fall is here and Kindergarten is in full gear! In the last two weeks we have found our flow with Reading and Writing Workshops. In Reading Workshop we have transitioned from reading learn about the world books to familiar storybooks. We are practicing looking at the pictures, remembering the words and reading! We also worked on making the words in our stories match the pictures. Check out the blog for photos of our students reading with their reading partners and a new Special Friend.
Have you heard your student saying, “When you’re done you’ve just begun” and wonder where that came from? Well, in Writing workshop that is the skill that we are practicing. We are practicing adding to our pictures and our words. If we added to one piece of writing, we can start a new one or reread our writing. Students are becoming confident in their writing skills and can be heard sounding out words on their own! It may not be right, but they are kindergarten spelling and doing a wonderful job!
Run for the Arts was a blast! Thank you for your support cheering on our runners and collecting donations and pledges.
Our first field trip is coming soon! A yellow form came home yesterday with information about our field trip to the farm on October 31st. If you would like to chaperone please make sure you have a background check filled out. Chaperones will need to meet us at the farm on Sauvie Island.
Notes from Teacher Dana -- 1st Grade
Room 3 has been bustling with excitement around Writer's Workshop. We have been learning "craft moves" from published authors such as bring characters to life by making them move and talk, and also by telling our stories in itty bitty steps to make them full of detail. I've been amazed at the growth in the kid's writing over the past month. It’s so fun to watch. Last week we got to meet our Reading Buddy Class. Most of the kids got to meet their new buddy and get to know them a little. Reading buddy are always a very fun part of 1st grade. It creates such a wonderful opportunity to get to know kids in the upper grade levels and to do activities together.
Unfortunately I missed Run for the Arts, but according to Ms. Patricia the kids had a blast and did an outstanding job running their little hearts out.
In science we have been doing a unit about light and shadows. This unit helps students develop the idea that the sun, moon, and stars change position in the sky in ways that are fun to watch and predict. The kids cheer when they see science on the schedule. I love it!
I've had a few questions regarding birthday celebrations at school. We do not do any food treats on birthdays at school. A favorite way to celebrate your child is to have them bring a favorite book for me to read aloud to the class. And, of course we sing the birthday song as well.
A few reminders- Please remind your child to return their library book on or before Wednesday every week. Also, please be sure the take home folder is checked each night and returned to school each day. It’s very important to establish the routine even if there isn't any communication in the folder.
Notes from Mrs. Logue - 1st Grade
Literacy, art and science studies are in the forefront now during daily studies as the fall season offers much to read, write and learn about. We have just finished our burlap and tempera sunflower collages, and will be firing our clay sunflower bowls this week or next hopefully:)
This week we will do a mini unit around Oregon’s greatest Fall treasures, APPLES! We will sampled many local varieties, (including crab apples, SOUR!) creating graphs, recorded observations and sketch apples using oil pastels. We are also reciting poems and reading about Johnny Apple Seed through tall tales written about him. Our spelling/high frequency words are different for each child as they navigate their way through them. If you are able to volunteer as a “Word Ring Helper”, Let me know and I will dial you in:) In math, understanding addition and subtraction story problems and finding ways to sort items, such as our amazing button collection, is the goal. Our math vocabulary includes: near, far, under, over, middle and behind and we are getting ready to embark on Unit 2, From Land to Sea: counting, computation, and patterning. In reading, students are learning to build on their current abilities during 1:1 conferences, small group and whole group literacy activities. It is rewarding to see the excitement in their eyes as they discover first hand that reading is a meaning making process that can open the way for new learning and information they share. Ask your child about the books in our room and what they read alone and with reading partners each day. Your child is becoming capable of choosing “just right” books for themselves and practicing activities that move them forward as learners, building on their current knowledge and interests.
Students are working hard to use self control and empathy when playing and learning together. During whole group lessons, we talk often about the important, “Show Me Five” : “Eyes watching, Ears Listening, Mouth Quiet, Body Still and Quiet Hand Up If You Want to Speak”. Last of all and most importantly, we say, “Caring Heart” and all five fingers are placed over our hearts to symbolize our caring of each other and our learning together. Transitioning from one space to another, be it seat to rug or classroom to home, is a challenging part of school for many so please hang in there with us! Systems are being put thoughtfully in place and new seating arrangements have been made to better the learning environment. Some students are also choosing to use “quiet learning” head sets for noise reduction when needed to help concentration on tasks in our small class of communicative children!
Each day is very busy for your child so please remember to pack a “dry” low sugar snack if possible and help them to get at least 10 hours of sleep a night. We have many drippy noses circulating through the classroom so hand washing is taking on extra importance right now. Thank you parents who are able to pop in and wash down tables daily! We appreciate it and the germs hate it!
Thanks for all your donations for Run for the Arts. The funds collected through the children’s efforts are used to bring extra art supports to Lewis School and they are appreciated!
Take care of each other:)
mrsloguewordpress.com
twitter@ AnneAbuckley (Mrs. Logue-Rm 6)
Notes from Mrs. Jamesbarry - 1st Grade
It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been in school for 28 days. We’ve settled into many of our classroom routines and the kids are beginning to build their stamina for first grade work habits. October can be a challenging month as the weather changes and the new-ness of school wears off. Some students begin feeling so comfortable in the classroom that they start to take advantage of the rules. It a good time for chats about expectations. You can support our work here at school by reinforcing the Lewis school rules of Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe.
In the classroom we are working on strategies for reading and writing tricky words. In math, we sorting and categorizing sea creatures and buttons, graphing, and solving simple addition and subtraction story problems. I am finishing up Fall assessments so I can begin targeting instruction to best fit individual needs. We have Word Ring Helpers signed up for Tues, Wed, and Thurs mornings. Thanks so much! We would love to have a Monday & Friday person if at all possible (it can also be on an every other week basis if thats works better for you.) I will post more volunteer opportunity as the come up. Cheers!
Sarah Jamesbarry
sjamesba@pps.net
Notes from Ms. O’Dea - 2nd Grade
Room 5 is up and running, literally. During Run for the Arts we collectively ran 216 laps, which translated into 54 1/2 miles. That's like running from Portland to Salem! Calculating our data using unifix cubes and regrouping, then regrouping again made for a hands-on Math lesson. And of course, I had to read a good story
We've also started working on the TAG test booklets, doing one section per day. I am pleased with how everyone is focusing and doing their best thinking. It's actually been engaging and interesting for most students. The Tag office should be sending results back early November (ie conferences).
The thinking process in our math lessons has correlated well with the Tag concepts: closely observing patterns, visually and numerically.. How does the pattern change, grow, stay the same? Can you extend it knowing the relationship? We're also looking at repeated addition as multiples.
During reading, we've been enjoying reading folktales. And discussing the common features of this genre of literature.
We've also started a class read aloud focusing on the character, Judy Moody, a popular chapter book series. then on October 26, we're going to see a live performance, a play featuring Judy Moody and her brother, Stink. The permission slips went home on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Gardening: Last week the students "dug in" and helped weed to prep an area for a rain gully. This week they learned about and labeled parts of a leaf.
Just a reminder: No school on Oct. 13 and Run for the Arts $$ due Oct. 20th.
And, please dress your child for the weather, as we will be going outside in almost any weather. Need that fresh air rain or shine.
Sincerely, Ms. O'Dea
Notes from Ms. Leake- 2nd Grade
This week we finish up our first set of Math Work Places. The activities focused on counting and patterning. The most challenging work place was unifix cube growing patterns. Students were asked to look at a pattern card and build the first 3 arrangements on top of the card. Then they build the next two arrangements and recording their thinking in their packets. Students were asked to find out what part of the pattern matched each of the arrangement numbers. For instance, what part of the pattern matched the 1, 2, and so on. If students could figure this out, it would help them record what the 10th arrangement would be without building it. Finally, students wrote down what they noticed about the pattern.
Match the Beetle game was another sorting activity asking students to compare information gathered on their beetle. Students recorded information about their birthday month, the number of people in their household, their favorite sport and favorite season.
Students wrote clues so others could guess which beetle was theirs.
Counting money up to 50 cents was also challenging for some students. Students spun a spinner and collected pennies. They traded in 5 pennies for a nickel. Then they traded 5 nickels for a quarter and continued to build up until they had two quarters. The goal was to read their board and practice counting on from 5’s. So it might sound like: 5,10, 15, 16, 17 if the students had 3 nickels and 2 pennies.
If your child is struggling at home with naming the coins or correctly counting the coins, please practice at home. If your child would like an extra challenge, have him/her scoop a handful of change, shake and spill the coins calling heads or tails. Together you can sort all of the coins by heads and tails and each of you counts the coins in your pile to see who has the larger amount. Play the game several times for extra practice.
These packets should come home on Thursday. The expectation was that each child would go to each station 3 times over the course of the work place and record on their planners. Only some of the activities had a record sheet so you’ll have to ask them about Race you to 50 cents, Count and Compare, and Geoblocks. Please take some time to reinforce the effort they put in. Was each activity sheet complete? Did they do 3 or more of each station? Make a plan for finishing all of the activities for the next Work Places.
Lewis Elementary School
Weekly Newsletter
October 4, 2017
Upcoming Dates:
October 6- Run for the Arts
October 6- Walk + Roll
October 10- TAG Meeting 5pm Rm. 22
October 10- PTA Meeting 6:30pm
October 11 & 12- Lewis Book Sale
October 12- Family Dance 6pm
October 13- Schools Closed, Statewide inservice
Message from Ms. Glasgow
Hello. One month into my first year at Lewis, I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation and gratitude for what I see happening around me—from the professionalism of our teaching and support staff, to the care and compassion of our students, to the positive and proactive engagement of families. I feel honored to be a part of this team. This morning, I was joined by 25-30 parents at our first monthly “Coffee Talk with Emily.” Questions raised hit on important school-wide policies from technology usage, to blended classrooms, to homework. I enjoyed hearing multiple perspectives about each of these topics and will be following up by raising these issues with our School Site Council (which meets for the first time next week). Our next monthly Coffee Talk is scheduled for November 1st—I hope you’ll join us. I will also be attending next Tuesday’s PTA meeting with a few teachers to give tips about how to get the most out of your parent-teacher conference and to talk a bit about effective home-school communication. I’ll close by reminding you that Run for the Arts is this Friday—I’ll be doing my best to keep up with your kiddos as they run laps to raise money for our arts program. Feel free to come help out or cheer us on!
Emily
Book Sale
The annual book sale to raise funds for the Lewis Library is next week.
Wednesday, October 11; 8am-4pm
Thursday, October 12; 8-9am, 3-4pm, 6-8pm
Talented and Gifted News
Mark your calendars! If you are the parent/guardian of a currently identified TAG student, the Lewis TAG parent meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 10th, from 5-6 PM in Room 22. More details will be sent home with your child next week.
Talented and Gifted Nomination Process
If you would like to nominate your child for Talented and Gifted, please contact your child's teacher about completing a TAG Identification Process Form (IDPF). The form is due to your child's teacher by NOVEMBER 13th, 2017. NO LATE FORMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you have any questions, please contact the Lewis TAG Facilitator, Abby Rotwein, in Room 22 or at arotwein@pps.net.
PTA Meeting
Tuesday, October 10, 6:30pm in the Library
Free childcare provided.
On the agenda:
How to get the most out of teacher conferences
Communicating with the school and teachers
Come learn from Ms. Glasgow and teachers some helpful tips for conferences and school communications.
Scrip = Gift Cards that earn schools money
What is Scrip? Gift Cards for stuff you were going to buy anyway!
Check out this short video for more information - https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=Qa-nklx3Wno NOTE: #4 in the video (can labels) is no longer an active program.
Why? Costs you nothing extra & proceeds go to support Lewis PTA Programs, such as classroom support and Lewis Library book purchases. Use the cards for your grocery shopping, stocking stuffers, teacher gifts and more!
How? Purchase available cards in the office (New Seasons, Safeway, Fred Meyer Amazon, Starbucks and Powells Books) OR pick up an order form in the office (or use this link to the Personal Order form: https://www.ttsdschools. org/Page/1108) to purchase gift cards for shopping, gifts, groceries and more! Please complete your form and give it to Tracy in the office with payment attached. Orders placed by 5:00 Monday will be available for pick up after 3:00 Thursday.
eScrip - Visit http://www.escrip.com/index. jsp and you can earn more for Lewis in three ways...
- Online Mall - Using this site and selecting a retailer will take you to your retailer’s website. Using this link means the retailer will donate a percentage of your purchase to Lewis! Easy as that! Some examples of participating businesses are Macy's, GAP and Columbia Sportswear.
- Register your debit and credit cards. When you use your cards at participating retailers, the retailers will donate to Lewis!
- Use the Benefit mobile app and Lewis earns too! Go to http://www.benefit-mobile.com/ and get the app (it's FREE!), then select Lewis Elementary School PTA (Group ID 500020229) as your cause. Set up your account so you can instantly purchase and redeem gift cards that give back!
Questions? Scrip Coordinator, Genevieve Benner (vivapalmer@yahoo.com)
Art-Based Fundraiser!
This year the PTA is doing an Art-Based Fundraiser to support our art program at Lewis.
You may submit any artwork - something made at home, something from last year's art folder, something made THIS year in the classroom, as long as it meets the guidelines (Max size 12"x17", no 3D, no glitter, no salt, no sand, no trademarked items).
The artwork will then be made into goods, such as t-shirts, mugs, pencil holders, phone covers, and much more! You can purchase these goods in November and they arrive in time for the holidays.
Think FAMILY gifts!
**Please check with your child’s teacher to find out if they are doing a classroom project before the deadline of October 9th. If they are not, be sure to submit a piece of art from a previous year or something your child has created at home.
All original artwork will be returned at the end of the fundraiser. EVERYONE should submit something, as EVERYONE gets FREE trading cards!
Deadline for artwork to be turned in to the teacher: October 9th!
Questions? Please contact Foy White-Chu at lewiselementaryptaor@gmail.com
Harvest Dance
Thursday, October 12, 6-8pm
(Please note, this is a date change from the calendar!)
Pizza from Pizza Roma (including gluten-free) and other refreshments will be available for purchase.
Chinook Books!
Chinook Books are available to purchase in the office. Half the proceeds go to Lewis PTA! If you haven't had a Chinook Book before take a look. There are so many great coupons - you can easily save the purchase price without leaving Woodstock Blvd. You save money & the PTA earns money to support the school programs - win/win! Books with an app are $25 (this is less than last year!) and apps alone are $15 (plus we get 60% instead of 50%). Let's do some coupon clipping!
Lewis Elementary School
Classroom Notes
October 4, 2017
News and information from our classrooms...
Notes from Ms. Canales- 2nd-3rd Grade
Well, hello there families! Room 16 is still rocking (science pun). The last few weeks in room 16 have been our best yet. Our community is really coming together and we are settling into our routines. Reader’s workshop seemed very natural to this group from the start, and now writer’s workshop and science have kicked into gear as well! The kids have been LOVING writing time during the past week, and many have been sad when it’s time to stop!
Our Rocks & Minerals lessons are off to a wonderful start! We’ve learned how to make observations and classify rocks based on their physical properties. Next we will compare what we’ve learned through hands-on observations with facts we read in informational rock books. Then we will start exploring minerals. In reader’s workshop, we will continue with the last bend of our Building a Reading Life unit. We’ve been learning different strategies that readers use to understand a story--making a mind movie, keeping a list of facts, giving themselves a comprehension check, making higher level predictions, and retelling or rethinking. Next we will move to practicing strategies that readers use to tackle hard words. In writer’s workshop our Crafting True Stories unit continues. We’ve learned a few strategies for generating true story topics and for strengthening our storytelling voice. Next we will build in reflection and self-assessment as a way to keep track of our progress. In second grade math we are shifting our focus from patterns to place value, double digit addition without regrouping and measurement. The third graders are moving from their focus on subtraction strategies to ways to express numbers and expanded notation.
A big thank you to everyone who sent in egg cartons. We have collected plenty! Thanks for your help! The cartons will help us organize and store our minerals during the rest of our science unit!
Just a heads up, my mom is having knee replacement surgery this week. Her surgery is Friday, October 6th. Because of this, there will be three days in October where the students have Mr. Colvin as a sub. Those dates are Friday October 6th, Thursday October 19th and Friday October 20th. My sister is in town from Seattle, and since she can work remotely most of the time, she will do the bulk of the daytime caregiving after surgery and I can limit my time out of school to 3 days. We’ve talked about this at a few class meetings, so it’s not unexpected for the students.
Let’s have a fabulous October!
Ms. Canales
Notes from Mr. Hansen/Ms. Brenan - 3nd Grade
Dear Room 10 friends,
This week I (Mark) am writing to share some news about Writing and Math. We have created some great routines for working together and independently in both areas.
There is a lot of great work happening during our writing time. I get a little thrill every day when the students moan that writing time is over. They love to write and the energy is contagious. We are in the midst of writing stories from our lives, focusing on developing the heart of each story with dialogue, description and telling the story bit by bit. Soon your students will bring home a piece to share with you.
In Math we are moving from a general review into working with larger numbers. We are laying the conceptual foundation for multiplication and division and starting to explore fractional relationships. We have found a lot of interest in seeing the world with mathematical eyes. We look at different situations and pieces of information about the world and think about how we can model them mathematically.
We also had our first visit from some Reed College Mathematics students who will be joining our class every month. They bring fascinating mathematical puzzles to give us a taste of what it is like to be a professional mathematician.
We are off to a great start!
Thanks, Mark
Notes from Mrs. Redmond - 3rd Grade
Room 17 hosted our first guest teacher of the year yesterday and I came back to wonderful comments about how great the class was while I was away at a training. I know how amazing they are, but it always makes me proud to hear that others think so also. It’s also nice to know that all of the work we have put in learning the routines and expectations over the first several weeks of school have really paid off.
We met with our kindergarten reading buddies last Friday and it was super sweet to see the 3rd graders with the younger students. It’s a pretty big deal when you finally get to be “the big buddy” and they took the responsibility very seriously. It was a great block of reading time and some of them even reconnected with each other on the playground later in the day.
Last week we started our Rocks & Minerals science unit and our budding geologists have been enjoying examining the different rocks, sorting them by their physical properties, and even trying to deduce whether they are sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic. Next, we move into closely observing and testing different minerals, which we now know are the “building blocks of rocks.”
We continue to grow as readers. Recently we talked about doing a retell to ourselves or a partner, so that the big parts of the story are fresh in our mind as we start our daily reading work. Asking your kiddos to tell you about what they are reading at school is a good way to help them transfer the skills we are practicing during Reader’s Workshop to their at home reading life. Who is the protagonist? What are they like? What is the “problem” in the story? Do you have any predictions? We also took a survey on Monday to examine our reading “grit.” After analyzing the results many of the new goals they set were around reading more often, and for longer periods, at home.
Our class is full of some great mathematical thinkers and we will be wrapping up our first unit this week. Next week we will begin our second math unit on place value structures and multi-digit computation. A common struggle that jumped out on the beginning of year benchmark assessment was telling time to the minute. We will be practicing the skill in class, but if you have an analog clock at home feel free to break it out and work with them on it.
Several of you have asked about the art fundraiser that the PTA is doing. As a class, we have created some alien paintings that I plan to submit. However, If you have a piece at home that you would prefer to submit, that is fine also. Any artwork from home needs to be brought in by this Friday, so that we can make sure it is labeled and ready to be sent in on Monday. Elliot’s mom, Kendyl, is helping to coordinate, so if you have specific questions on the requirements (size limitations, etc.,) she would be a good one to ask, or you can email me and I can help find the answer. If you would like to stop by and look at your kiddo’s alien before you decide, please do.
Reminders: Please be sure to return your Run for the Arts form - we’re running this Friday at 10:30. Feel free to join us for a lap or two, or just to cheer us on if you can.
Notes from Ms. Elissa – 4th Grade
How is it already October?!? Time flies when you're in fourth grade!
I will be sending home Scholastic Book Orders this week. When you order, it helps raise money for our classroom to purchase new books throughout the year. If you plan to order books, please turn in your form to me or order online using our class code on the back of your packet by Thursday, October 12th!
We started a new writing unit last week. In this unit, students will use acting techniques and movement activities to help them become stronger writers. Students will also be using mentor texts to examine what great authors do in their writing. This week, students are focusing on writing a powerful introduction that draws the reader in by using character description, sound effects, setting description, dialogue or humor. They have been doing remarkable work!
In math we are working on strategies for solving multiplication and division problems using rectangular arrays. Last week, students used tiles to build the arrays and this week, students have learned how to sketch them quickly. We will continue using this method throughout the year. Thank you for supporting your child in making time for homework! It has been great to see their strengths every day.
We are learning about Oregon Geography right now in class. So far, we have learned about some of the mountain ranges, lakes, cities, rivers, and regions in our state. We have a big project coming up where students will build their own salt dough map of Oregon. We will need about 25 pounds of salt dough for this project and I would LOVE your help with making it. If you are interested in making some salt dough at home before Thursday of next week (the 12th), please let me know via email (edingus@pps.net) so I can send your child home with the supplies and the recipe! We are also going to need some volunteers in the classroom that day, so if you are free on Thursday, October 12th, feel free to join us for some messy (and fun!) geography work.
Run for the Arts is this Friday morning. Please make sure your child wears some good running shoes and send in their form by the end of the week.
All the best,
Ms. Elissa
Notes from Ms. Rotwein - 4th Grade
We are fully in 4th grade mode these days! Let me catch you up on all the goings on in the classroom.
Reading: This week in reading, we are focusing on engaging with the text by asking questions and wonderings. Our mentor text is the aptly named "Wonder," by R.J. Palacio. Students are practicing takes notes as they read about questions that they have.
Word Work: We are in week three of our Words Their Way routines. Be looking for those weekly assessments coming home with your child. Be sure to ask your child about what spelling rule she/he is studying each week.
Math: Last week we transitioned from building multiplication arrays to sketching them. Thanks for helping us have a successful first week of math homework! This week we will be working on division arrays and solving multiplication and division story problems.
Writing: We began our personal narrative unit last week. We are using movement games and acting activities to help us brainstorm and become better at showing rather then telling action and dialogue in a story. Students are currently working on a story about a time they broke the rules. We're having a lot of fun with it!
Social Studies: Last week, we read some articles and had a discussion about the debate over football players kneeling for the National Anthem. In our geography unit, students labelled major cities, lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, and the regions of our state on a map. They also spent time exploring an amazing online map resource made by PSU called the "Student Atlas of Oregon." Students took notes about interesting maps in pairs and then shared their learning with the class.
Upcoming News: On Thursday, October 12th, from 10:15 AM to noon, we will be making salt and flour topographical maps of our state. We need your help in making it successful! I am looking for five parent volunteers to help us make the dough the evening before. I will provide you with the supplies (salt & flour) and the directions. You just will need to send the dough with your child to school that day. Additionally, I need volunteers the day of. The more the merrier! Please email me at arotwein@ppp.net if you are able to help.
Run for the Arts is this Friday, October 6th, from 10:30-11:00 AM. Please send the forms to school with your child by that date.
Notes from Mr. Richner- 4th-5th Grade
Greetings!
We’ve had another busy and productive week in room 20! Can you believe that it is already October?
Our project to bring a Little Free Library to Lewis is well under way. Our book drive continues through next Wednesday. For our book drive, kids made posters, a bulletin board display, artwork, and these advertising videos (bit.ly/team20-LFL-videos). On Monday, kids began painting their illustrations on the Little Free Library.
During Language Workshop, kids are planning a letter to their pen pal in Mrs. McCollister’s class at Marquette Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin. Next steps include working with a partner to revise and edit their plans before moving onto writing their rough draft.
Last week we began Words Their Way, which is a phonics, spelling, and vocabulary program that is being used school-wide. The skill instruction focuses on word study and spelling patterns rather than memorization. Each week kids get a new set of words and use them for a variety of hands-on activities, the central one being word sorts where they organize what they know about words and form generalizations that can be used when they encounter new words in their reading and writing.
For social studies, kids are making maps and learning state locations and capitals. They took a quiz on the West region last Friday and will take one on the Southeast region at the end of this week. The kids are well prepared. We have been talking about study strategies and quiz taking strategies. Kids have been using the State and Capitals page on our blog (bit.ly/team20-states).
On most Fridays we will look together at something that has been in the news. We began last week by watching a video clip and then talking through some questions from Teaching Tolerance about NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem
We had our second meet-up with our buddies in Mrs. Logue’s first grade and had a visit from my wife and daughters. We also had many conversations about “self-control” this week. Perhaps the kids are starting to understand the advantages associated with self-control!
Coming up…
Run for the Arts is this Friday. Please help your kid remember to dress for running and bring a water bottle.
Reed Science begins this Friday. During Reed Science, two Reed College students take the lead in teaching the kids of Team 20 through a variety of hands on, inquiry-based experiences in science.
In addition to learning the regular Reed Science curriculum this fall, Team 20 will learn about the salmon life cycle with a salmon tank in our classroom. I have been in contact with someone at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and reserved a collection of Chinook eggs that will be ready for pickup at the ODFW office in Clackamas on either October 24th from 1-5 p.m. or the 25th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you think you might be able to volunteer for this pickup, please contact me. I will not be able to do it myself.
The Lewis PTA is asking all classroom teachers to remind families about a fundraiser that has been advertised by them since last June. As I understand it, families are invited to submit artwork by their child to me by October 9th. It will then be sent off to a company from which you can purchase the artwork on a variety of objects, such as a coffee mug. The artwork is then returned. For more details, please see the Lewis Newsletter dated September 27th.
Last, but not least, one more invitation to sign up for classroom messages with Remind. Remind allows me to share messages with families. If you haven’t yet signed up, please consider doing so using these directions (bit.ly/team20-remind).
Please follow us on Twitter @LewisRoom20 and at LewisRoom20.blogspot.com for regular updates and photos!
Mark
Notes from Ms. Speer - 5th Grade
A few updates from Room 21… Students are presenting their state research slides along with their beautiful state floats. Students are welcome to take their state floats home once they receive their grading rubric. Thank you for supporting your children throughout this project. The floats turned out great! In writing, students are beginning a new writing unit “ “. We will be using this unit to guide our work with Native American studies. This group of students loves to read :) so our Reading Workshop is the most sacred part of the day. Students are feeling confident about independently selecting a “Just Right Book”. Yay! We are now focusing on tracking our thinking while reading, working hard with our Word Work groups, and exploring new comprehension strategies. In math, we are reviewing how to find factors of any given number. We are also identifying if a number is prime, composite, or “Uno no?” (Ask your kids what that means) We are also squeezing in as much art as possible. We just completed some ‘animal obsessed’ art that we are going to use for the PTA fundraiser. We are currently working on a still life piece that will be displayed this month. Stay tuned for an update.
A few other reminders--
-Run for the Arts is this Friday so please make sure your kiddos are wearing appropriate clothing and shoes.
-Students have two more geography regions to study for so please make sure they are practicing at home.
-Students need to have multiplication assessments complete by the end of the month so don’t forget to quiz them.
*Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @LewisRoom21 and visit our classroom blog for weekly updates http://lewisroom21.blogspot.com/.
Notes from Ms. Sarah Kohn - 5th Grade
Happy October! I have to say, it makes me happy to feel that crisp fall air and to have the weather cooling down a bit. We have been busily getting into routines in Room 23! Every day is very busy. We have finished our state reports, which I am using as a secondary work sample. The floats were terrific! It has been fun sharing them and learning more about each state! In math, we are looking at patterns, prime and composite numbers, prime factorization, mean, median, mode and range, plot lines, , analyzing data, and more! I always try to add math games to my blog that correspond to concepts we are working with. I encourage you to visit my blog and provide your child with time to practice with those concepts. On that note, we have a handful of students who are still working on their times tables. It is CRITICAL that students know their facts up through 12! If they don't have these, it will make multiple digit multiplication very challenging. Please continue to practice, to ensure newfound skills are not forgotten! We have started Work Work in Room 23 and we are working hard to learn patterns that help us better understand word meaning. PTA is asking each child to submit a piece of art for a fundraiser they are working on. Please read the newsletter for more information and submit a piece by tomorrow. They will return the piece to you. Run for the Arts is Friday. Make sure your child has their water bottle and appropriate shoes and clothing. (I sent water bottles home to be washed last Friday. Many did not return!) If you are interested in helping, I know we can use the support and encouragement! Finally, there are a few of you who have not signed up for conferences, yet. The sign-up is outside my door. Either stop by, or you can drop me an email and I can get you signed up. Thanks for all the support you offer your kids. They are wonderful and feel so proud when they do well!
skohn@pps.net
mssarahkohn.wordpress.com
On Twitter: sarahkohn3
503-916-6360
Notes from Mr. Post - Room 7
First I want to thank all the families who joined us for Back to School Night! More than half the families attended and students showed their parents what they have been doing so far at school. Families also received sample weekly schedules to keep track of what’s happening each day in school.
For Morning Work, students have been practicing their handwriting skills with Handwriting Without Tears packets. This week we also started doing Words Their Way word family sorts. For Reading, leveled reading groups each have a Reading A--Z book related to rules, laws or manners. They have read the books to each other, and are completing packets of related literacy materials. For Writing, students have written passages about a time they broke a rule, what the consequence was, and what they could do better next time. We have been sharing these passages during Share Time. For Math, students are finishing their units on place value, counting and addition. Next we will focus on counting back and subtraction. We will also work on other fundamentals like basic fractions, time, and money.
We finished our September unit, “We Have Rules and Laws”. We did a survey in which students vote for their favorite type of reward, and “Prize” and “Special Activity” were tied for most votes, followed by “Dress Up Day”. Our October Unique Learning Curriculum unit is called “Make It Move”, and it’s about Physics and motion. We will explore and learn about basic physical forces and simple machines. We will do experiments including one about strapping an egg onto a toy car and having it go down a ramp, then comparing that to another toy car with the egg not “wearing a seatbelt” and compare the results. We will also play Vocabulary Bingo to familiarize ourselves with concepts like “force”, “push”, “pull”, and “speed”.
For Art, we are working on a project called “Simple Icons”. Each student is making three related icons about something they like, for example animals, or cooking, or video game elements. The completed project will be submitted to the PTA so students’ artwork can be put onto products like mugs and keychains, that can be ordered by families through a website as a fundraiser for Art at Lewis.
bpost@pps.net
503-916-6408
http://room7mrpost.wordpress.com/
