Our PTA is now collecting pledges and donations for our annual Jog-a-thon.  This is the fund raiser that our PTA has to raise money for our grade school.  The PTA has funded computers, field trips, our mural project, classroom supplies, and books for students.  Our goal is for each and every student to raise $50.  Please help support our PTA!

There are six kids that still need to fill out the very confusing Multnomah County release form for our field trip next week.  The six students have the form in their mailbox and I will remind them to take it home.  Hopefully they will remember to ask you to fill it out!

The district will be holding an informational meeting on Tuesday, May 1 for district parents that are interested in sending their kids to our newly formed school at Springdale.  This is not a charter school, but more like a magnet school.  Corbett Arts Program at Springdale will open in the fall of 2012.  The focus of the school will be on the arts (visual and performing).  District parents will have the first choice of the limited number of seats at this school.  For more information please contact Lori Luna (lluna@corbett.k12.or.us) or rtrani (rtrani@corbett.k12.or.us).

Some important dates coming up:
Tuesday, April 24  Field Trip up the Gorge to view the bridges.
Tuesday, May 1  Field Trip to Portland to walk the bridges!
Tuesday, May 1  CAPS Informational Meeting for Parents 7 pm (Corbett Arts Program at Springdale)

Wednesday, May 2  PTA meeting in the East Commons area at 4 pm

Thursday, May 24 Final Battle of the Books
Friday, May 25   Intermediate Bridge Competition  (Yes…school for five full days this week)
Monday, May 28  Memorial Day – No School
Wednesday, May 30   Grade School Portfolio Night (not sure of the time, probably 4- 7 pm, open house format)
Thursday, May 31   Field Trip Willamette Jet Boat Tour of Bridges
Friday, June 1  Last Day of School (half day)

On Tuesday, April 24 our class will be traveling up the Gorge to view Latourelle and Shepperd’s Dell Bridges.  We will then continue up the highway to Cascade Locks to observe the Bridge of the Gods.  The purpose of this field trip is to see first hand the elements of bridges so close to our homes and school.  Everyone will need a sack lunch and snack for our trip.  We will leave at 8:30 am and return around 1:30 pm.  There is no limit on chaperones for this trip.  If you requested to come along, you are in!

We will be participating in the Battle of the Books on Thursday at 2:30 pm.  We had a “bye” week last week. Some students have been a bit more diligent in reading the specific books for the battle and hopefully more will join us.  Mrs. Chiu has been kind enough to gather some personal CD players for kids to help with reading the more difficult books.

We completed the second round of state testing last week.  We will be providing additional support for those students that have not yet achieved a passing score and then giving the final round of the test in about three weeks.  For some kids continued reading at school and at home will help continue their progress, some just need to review some of the vocabulary that the state uses on the test to help them understand what is being asked, and for some our goal is to just get a point or two higher than the last time.  Some good news is that all of our fifth grade students achieved a passing score in reading and in science!

Our five Corbett intermediate classes participated in a reenactment of the Oregon Trail as the culminating activity for our Westward Expansion unit. Wagon groups were formed of five or six students each. Each group mixed up bread dough, which was baked by our wonderful kitchen staff. Groups converted Radio Flyers to Prairie Schooners, stitched covers for their wagons, and loaded up with some food.

Pioneers set off from Independence on Thursday afternoon, April 12th. Almost immediately, each group had to rope their wagon in order to negotiate Windlass Hill. Some groups were more successful than others! At the bottom of the hill, groups enjoyed a respite at Ash Hollow, and were allowed to wash up and refresh themselves. Back on the trail again, groups met some Mormons, who warned them of cholera ahead. Sure enough, our pioneers had to stop and assist in grave digging for some unfortunate emigrants. More travelers on the trail urged our groups to turn back, due to the difficulties ahead. Our intrepid travelers persevered, and were rewarded for their efforts, as many of them discovered gold!

The hardships were not over. Due to storms and a bridge washing out, the wagons had to ford the North Platte River. Everyone waded the river; luckily with no loss of life. Another hill faced our hardy pioneers. Once reaching the top, they each recorded their initials on Independence Rock, to prove that they made it that far and to encourage those traveling behind. Next came the opportunity to add to their supply of food. The woods were teeming with wild animals. Quite a few folks successfully hunted. Some reported that the stew made from their fresh game was delicious.

Many of our pioneers offered spare food to the poor souls that they next encountered on the trail. These folks, by the name of Donner, were starving and planned to take a shortcut to California. Other folks at Fort Hall also tried to convince our parties of the merits of California, but our valiant groups continued on the trail to Oregon. In the Blue Mountains, our travelers learned of the abundant forest resources and then were offered water and encouragement at the Whitman Mission. All groups traveled the Barlow Road around Mt. Hood, rather than facing the dangerous rapids of the Columbia River. Most of the pioneers paid a toll to Sam Barlow, but a few were either very persuasive or very pathetic, and passed the tollgate without charge.

We have officially begun the Battle of the Books!  The intermediate classrooms have ten books that we will be reading and then meeting weekly to battle it out!  The list of books is located at the bottom of this email.

Our annual PTA Jog-a-thon will be April 17 and 18.  The goal is for each student to raise $50.  The money this year will go to classroom support, ECO partnership, 50 ukuleles, and a possible addition of an outside digital reader board.  If you would like to volunteer to help during the Jog-a-Tho our class will be jogging, walking, or rolling at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, April 18.  Please let me know if you will be helping.

Our Oregon Extravaganza will be on Thursday, April 12.  We have a butter churn (thanks Sheila), but still need a lot more help and supplies.  We really need any fabric scraps that you have for a quilt project – an experienced quilter would be awesome as well!

We are going to start our 2nd round of state testing on Monday, April 16.  Only students not achieving a passing score on reading, math, or science (5th) will be participating.  If you want your child to take the test again and they passed the first round, they will need something in writing that you want them tested again.  The good news is that ALL 5th grade students in our class passed the reading test!

Battle of the Books List

2012

J Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas
L Cam Jansen The Mystery of the Gold Coins
L Marvin Redpost Why Pick on Me?
M Freckle Juice
O Chocolate Fever
P Time Cat
R Indian in the Cupboard
T Bridge to Terabithia
U View from Saturday
V The Cay
V Thief Lord
W Walk Two Moons

Students have now picked their Very Important Person (VIP) to learn about.  Each student was to find a biography on their person that they could read independently.  We have some interesting people that the students have selected!  This past week everyone was given 25 minutes at the beginning of the day to JUST READ about their VIP.   Students then shared something they read that was interesting or informational.  They were then asked to write down what they had read (without going back to their book).  I originally allowed about 15 minutes for the writing part, but soon learned (by their moans and groans) that I wasn’t giving enough time.  Kids probably wrote about their VIP for at least 20-25 minutes each day!

Some students have read a couple of short books by now and some are still reading their longer biographies.  Other sources of information that they can use are online encyclopedias, websites that are about their VIP, and documentaries.  They will need to list whatever they use in the bibliography portion of the packet.

On Thursday, February 2nd we began drawing a portrait of our VIP.  Mr. Clark (our student teacher) and I were very impressed with how much effort many of the students put into their portraits.  We are displaying the portraits in the hallway using a giant timeline.  This is a great way to show students where their VIP was in relationship to the other VIPs.

Next week we will write the poem and begin the discussion of the written report.

Everyone was also sent home with at least two multiplication sheets to work on (feel free to make more copies).  They can also visit the Greg Tang website to have some online practice.   The goal is to have mastered the number that they are on (3, 4, 5, etc.).  Some of the students that are on multiplication fact 10 were also given 11 and 12 (they really shouldn’t have to study much for multiplying by 10).

Kids should also be READING over the break.  A goal of 20 minutes a day would be great.  Due to the shortened day on Thursday, December 15, we didn’t get to take our 100 spelling word test.  We will start back with those in 2012!

We return to school on Tuesday, January 3, which means school on Friday, January 6th.

I am looking forward to time with my family skiing on Mt. Hood so I will be needing everyone to do a little snow dance this next week!

Peace and Joy to you and your families!
Michelle

A flyer on Thursday regarding the Scholastic Book Fair. We will visit as a class next week to window shop. After that, students may choose to shop at recess. (No more window shopping-only paying customers allowed at recess.) Family and friends may visit before or after school, and on Wednesday evening until 7:30 p.m. The Book Fair will be on the stage at the MPB. Volunteers are still needed to help. Please contact Nancy Gyerko at 503-307-6110 or gyerko@frontier.com.

We will be taking our monthly spelling test of 100 unforgivable words.  Those students knowing all 100 will be given the NEXT 100 words!  Our goal is for everyone to show improvement on at least five words or more words.

This week will be looking at the people that were chosen to be members of the Corps of Discovery.  Who were the people selected?  Why did they want to go with Lewis and Clark?  What types of skills did they need?

As always make sure that your child is completing a lesson (including corrections) or test each day in math. If they do not complete a lesson in class it is homework.

Our masks will be out of the kiln on Monday and we will decorate them Tuesday afternoon.

The afternoon began with stories, drumming, singing, and dancing.  It was amazing to see about two hundred kids get a chance to join in on the dancing.  Jefferson Greene invited the children who thought they could become bears to join in.  They danced as bears and then as the story progressed, they became rabbits.  The children had to really listen to the change of the beat of the drum to know when to be a rabbit or when to walk in the circle.   How fun to meet new friends from Warm Springs!

Afterwards, we went back to our classrooms to eat smoked salmon (many thanks to the Heuker family), dried berries, and water.  The afternoon was such a wonderful way to celebrate our learning of the first Oregonians.