On Thursday we participated in the final Battle of the Books competition. It was an extremely close match up, but in the end the class of Mrs. Hubler/Loeung beat us by 1 point. I was very proud of what our class accomplished during the Battle of the Books.

On Friday we measured the amount of weight that our bridges could hold. The Geek Squad won the prize when their bridge held 56 pounds. Students also voted on the bridge that they felt showed the best craftsmanship. The winner, as voted by the class was Top Hammer. Look for an upcoming post with bridge pictures.

There is so much going on next week that I think the best way to give the information is by going day by day.

On Tuesday 5/29 the PE soccer championship will take place. The final drafts of the persuasive essays are due. Students will begin organizing some of their work for portfolio night.

On Wednesday 5/30 it will be bounce day. The PTA is rewarding the classes for their hard work at the Jog-a-Thon by bringing a bounce house to the school for the day. We will playing in the bounce house from 9-9:30. In the evening from 4-8 will be portfolio night. Stop by anytime from 4-8 and let your student show you some of their accomplishments from the school year.

On Thursday 5/31 we will be going on our jet boat field trip. The buses will leave at 10:30 and we will return about 3:15. Before we go to the field trip the 5th graders will be going to the middle school from 8:15-8:45 for an orientation.

Friday 6/1 is the last day of school. School is dismissed at 12:35. We will be watching movies in class. One of the movies we will be watching is a movie adaptation of the book “The Westing Game”. The movie is rated PG. In order for your child to be able to watch the movie they need to return the permission slip that was sent home last week.

Let me know if you have any questions about what is going on next week.

Rocks by Mason and Levi

The children of the preschool room made gorgeous paintings of rocks on canvas to contribute to the school wide Columbia River Gorge mural project.  These paintings were printed onto cards, and will be available Wednesday afternoon during our Garden Party for purchase.  Each package of 12 cards made by your preschooler is $20.00.  The proceeds go to fund future curriculum connected art endeavors.

“These are adorable with the sophistication to use for my professional and personal correspondence!”  -Mom of a Corbett Preschool Artist

This week, we continued our journey to the past as we learned about the daily lifestyle of children in the mid 1800’s.  The kids enjoyed hearing which games were common before the rise of technology and even made up their own low-tech games.  We highlighted the local town of Latourell and learned about the colorful family that founded it.  Our field trip on Friday gave us the opportunity to imagine walking the same streets when it was a bustling party town.

Portfolio Night is Wednesday.  Arrive any time during the one-hour slot you indicated.  When you arrive, your child will lead you through 4 stations which you can visit at any pace you choose.  At the end of the night, you’ll have a box of things to take home.  Please do not arrive after 7:30, as we must close up at 8:00.  We will not distribute progress reports on Wednesday.  They will be mailed the week after school dismisses.

This time of year, we always get questions about a child’s class placement for the coming year.  The default is that we’ll keep our current kindergarteners and 1^st graders.  However, if you have concerns about your child’s current placement, DeeDee Hanes is always willing to hear your concerns.

Here’s some information about summer classes being held right here at school!

An online sign up for summer enrichment classes is now available.   Courses in grades K-6 are currently available!   To register for the classes click on the “Summer Enrichment” link in the top right hand corner of the district web page.

http://corbett.k12.or.us/summer_enrichment/Summer%20Enrichment%20Class%20List.php

Once on the page follow these steps:

1.       First, click on the “Sign Up” button and make a user name and password for yourself.

2.       Second, click on the “Sign In” button and select courses for your student(s) to attend.

3.       Pay for summer enrichment courses at the Grade School office.

Little Ants

We are little ants,

we are all in a line,

hunting for some food;

and that’s what we find!

We’ll be in your…

garbage, your dishes, your cake, and your pans,

your cupboards, your ketchup, your cartons, and cans,

your sugar, your syrup, your left-over stew.

Anything you can eat,

We can eat too!

As our students scatter to middle school, CAPS, and new neighborhood schools, I want to thank everyone who has made this school year successful! We have only nine students returning to our class next year and will be welcoming multiple new students in the fall.

Finishing touches need to be added to each student’s presentation about A Great Place to Visit. Everyone has already chosen a special place in Oregon or a spot in another state that was important to the Oregon Trail or to Lewis and Clark. Materials should have already been gathered, notes organized, and prompt cards written. Remember that only words and phrases are recorded on the note cards; no one should write entire sentences. Speeches are meant to be a talk presented to the audience, not a read-aloud. The formal speeches will be given on Wednesday, May 30th. Prior to then, practice, practice, practice!

Our class discovered all ten Mystery Class locations. We correctly identified Rabat, Morocco; Maseru, Lesotho; Vientiane, Laos; Montevideo, Uruguay; Sheffield, United Kingdom; Casey Australia Station, Antarctica; Singapore; Blantyre, Malawi; Palampur, India; and Shaw Island, Washington, USA. Check http://www.learner.org/jnorth/mclass/spring2012/update051112.html#meet  for messages, pictures, and videos from the classes.

Thursday was the moment of truth for our seven bridge corporations. Unfortunately, every group discovered that they had ignored one or more of the six specifications for the bridge construction. Modifications were made with varying degrees of success. Take a look at the photos (https://picasaweb.google.com/100193003652266897653/BridgeCompetitionMay242012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI6yxezI3daOfw&feat=directlink) to see the structures before they were demolished.

Congratulations to our class champions – The Northwest Bridge Company! Kudos also to the Bridge to Terabithia group for their second place finish. The structures were judged on load-bearing ability, craftsmanship, and economical use of materials.

All of our students have been registered for the Summer Reading program through the Multnomah County Library. Gameboards will be sent home next week. Please encourage daily reading, weekly visits to the library, and participation in some of their many FREE programs. See www.multcolib.org for details.

Please plan to come to school for Portfolio Night, coming up on Wednesday, May 30th. This is a time for you to sit down with your child and view selected work from this year. No need to make an appointment; just drop by between 4 and 8 p.m. Plan to spend about 15-20 minutes in conference with your student. (Fifth grade band students need to report to the band room at 6:00 p.m. for a short performance. You can visit our room either before or after the show.)

Remember that we have two field trips next week. For both trips, participants need to wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes (in layers) to suit the weather. Bring a snack, beverage, and lunch for each trip, unless you have already placed an order with the cafeteria.

We will be walking five miles of the old Columbia Gorge Highway with Mrs. Lilly’s class on Tuesday. Chaperones are Josh McKenney, Sheila Nelsen, Francy Thompson, and Corinna Powers. Please plan to car-pool, as the bus will be loaded. Arrive by 8 a.m. for an 8:15 departure. We will return by 3 p.m.

On Thursday, we will be viewing many of the Portland bridges while on a jet boat tour. Chaperones are Ann Chatterton, Marge Potts, Ruth Edwards, Debbie Docherty, and Annette Calcagno. Please arrive by 10:15 a.m. We will return by 3 p.m.

The district is once again offering some summer enrichment classes. Yours truly is teaching many of them! Choose from Robotics, Japanese, Wacky Water, Basketball, Puzzles, Inventions, Playing with Food, and Marvelous Math. Morning classes are offered from 8:30-11:45. Afternoon classes run from 12:15 to 3:30. See http://corbett.k12.or.us/summer_enrichment/Summer%20Enrichment%20Class%20List.php for descriptions and registration.

Please search under the beds, behind the dressers, and in the closets for any books that don’t belong to you. Return them to school next week. (We are still missing a Bridges book from the county library!!!)

Lastly, please join us for the Ice Cream Social, sponsored by the PTA. You will find us out in the shed about noon on Friday, June 1^st. Come to help scoop or just to eat!

Enjoy a marvelous summer!
Susan Handy

shandy@corbett.k12.or.us

503-261-4235                                                

Dates to Remember:

• Monday, May 28th – Memorial Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday, May 29^{th -} Walking Field Trip with Mrs. Lilly’s Class
• Wednesday, May 30^th – A Great Place to Visit Speech
• Wednesday, May 30^th – Portfolio Night 4-8 p.m.
• Thursday, May 31^st – Jet Boat Field Trip
• Friday, June 1^st -Last Day of School – 12:30 p.m. dismissal

There are a few supplies still to sign-up for that are posted outside the classroom.  Also, we need two people to be designated as photographers.  Please send an email to mrousse@corbett.k12.or.us if interested.

Thank you and we are looking forward to the end of the year party!

Ms. Rousse and Ms. Mitchell

Another paper that came home is a permission slip to watch a PG movie. We just finished reading “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin. The students loved reading the book. On the last day of school we will be watching a movie adaptation of the story.

Finally, you are invited to come and watch us in our last Battle of the Books battle. It will be the championship match and will begin at 2pm on Thursday 5/24.

Friday, May 25: regular school day and our bridge competition day.

Monday, May 28: no school for Memorial Day.

Wednesday, May 30: Portfolio Night, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Please stop by to see your student’s work from the year as your schedule allows. If you have a 5th grader in band, note there will be a performance for this group that night. Fifth grade band students should arrive in the band room no later than 6:00 pm for a 25-30 minute performance.

Thursday, May 31: Jet Boat field trip.

Friday, June 1: last day of school. Students will be dismissed at 12:30 this day.

May 22^nd, Tuesday Our teachers will take a professional development day to attend a workshop. However, in the preschool, the show will go on with a much loved group of teachers and assistants who have joined our preschool class throughout the school year.

May 25^th, Friday This day is a regular school day to make-up class time in coordination with the Corbett School District. Families who would usually attend Friday school are welcome to join. However, this will not be a Fun Friday schedule for the children as we will be on our school day schedule.

May 28^th, Monday The preschool will be closed for Memorial Day.

May 30^th, Wednesday This day is our end of the year celebration around our garden study. The fun begins at 2pm and ends promptly at 3pm. All children in the preschool are welcome and encouraged to attend with their parents from 2pm to 3pm.  RSVP by sending an email to mrousse@corbett.k12.or.us.

June 1^st Friday The last day for preschool is a HALF day ending at 12pm.  We will enjoy ice cream with the rest of the Corbett Grade School.  Extended care will begin at 12:00pm and end promptly at 3:00pm.