This is a reminder that student led conferences are this evening, 4/23, from 3:45-7:00 in our classroom. This is a great time to review your student’s work and learn about their year. I will be around if you have any questions. If you would like to set up a private conference, please contact me.

We have been very busy in class with inquiries, writer’s workshop and health projects. Most of the work that has been assigned has already been due. Any additional work will be completed in class in the next week and a half. All students have a calendar with due dates for the last two months of the year. Here is a list of some of the past important due dates from the last three weeks:
5/7 RD Object Story – to get edited before score
5/8 Infectious Disease Project
5/10 Health Final
5/14 FD Object Stories
5/15 Whirligig Science inquiry (in class)
5/22 Math Problem Solving (in class)
5/25 Cardinal 3 Portfolio – we will try to have these done before student led conferences
5/25 Student Science Inquiry (in class)

We are also sharing our object stories in class, finishing our read aloud and planning for next year. I will post end of the year event times today or tomorrow.

Here are some brief notes from Corbett Middle School Parent Meeting on 4/4. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s core teacher.

Please join us for our principal chat, first Thursday morning each month at 8 a.m. Coffee is provided. There is no agenda, just time to ask questions and learn more about the school.

Outdoor School – If you need any copies of paperwork, especially the packing list, see Mr. Lutes. Waterproof and warm gear is needed. All information has been sent home.

The spring overnight field trip for 7th & 8th graders is 4/18-4/19. A permission slip has been sent home. We will be doing our science inquiries. We will stay in heated cabins. Their is a reduced cost of $10 for this trip. We will return by 2:00 on Thursday so that students participating in track can attend their meet.

All parents/guardians with access to the internet should utilize the connect feature of the corbett website. Go to www.corbett.k12.or.us and click on “connect” at the top of the screen. Be sure to sign up for your student’s teacher’s name and middle school notes. This is a great tool for communication because sometimes things get lost when they are sent home with students.

We will wrap up our studies on ancient civilizations and move into modern civilizations this spring trimester. Students will focus on writing compare and contrast papers. Right now for writing we are working on Art Talks. Some classes will complete an object story. We are hoping to work with the Portland Art Museum to showcase our stories in May. We will be doing science inquiry at Outdoor School and on our overnight field trip. We will be also focusing on energy for science this trimester. Health will include studies on virus, bacteria and epidemics. We will tie both the science and health studies into our focus on modern civilization. Math every day, reading every day, like normal.

Cardinal 3 – Students should have had conversations about what they are doing by this time. Portfolios are due at the end of May (due dates vary in each classroom). The teachers will collectively go over Cardinal 3 portfolios of 8th graders to decide who gets Cardinal 3 honors.

If you want a copy of the promotion slideshow, we hope to make them available at the end of the year for $10.

Wildhorse – We go to this location, to celebrate our year and build community in our school. This is the 16th and 17th of May. We will leave at the beginning of school on the 16th and return late on the 17th. You will get a list of things to bring. We need a work crew and life guards. The work crew is hard work. Vance Rogers will help coordinate that crew. Please sign up and give your email and let us know if you have a truck/trailer that can haul gear.

It’s a magical time here. 8th grade speeches have been going on. If you would like to see an 8th grade speech sneak in the back of the commons at the beginning of morning meeting.

Student led conferences are May 23rd from after school until 8:00 p.m. This is not an individual conference but a time for students to walk through their portfolio and what they have accomplished this year. If you want to set up a conference, contact your child’s core teacher.

Last day of school is 5/31. Promotion is that evening. Students should dress sharp, but it’s not the prom. It’s important for kids to come to school that day. There will be a dance after the ceremony. Any parents who would like to help out, especially parents of 7th and 6th graders, please let Mr. Leone know. Exact times TBA.

Move up day will occur the last week of school during class time. It is not affiliated with promotion.

Again if you have any questions, please contact your student’s core teacher. We only have about nine weeks left in school. It’s a busy time and we have a lot of exciting things planned to finish out the year.

Students have been using a calendar, with the last four months of the school year, to keep track of their dates. Here is what is on the calendar so far (I’ll make updates to this when we have to change something in class):

2/9 rough draft ancient China essay
2/15 print ad for Marblandia
2/15 theme for Marblandia
2/16 final draft ancient China essay
2/16 works cited for essay
2/16 book group trailer
2/21-2/23 ancient China speech
2/23 blueprint for Marblandia
2/24 Marblandia commercial or radio ad
2/29 Marblandia Day!
3/6 Multnomah Couny Library Teen Creative Writing contest
3/8 ancient China visual
3/19-5/25 8th grade speeches begin – dates of speech vary
3/20 Ancient Civilization Museum Night
3/23-3/31 Spring Break
4/16-4/20 Outdoor School
5/16-5/17 Wildhorse
5/23 Student led conferences
5/25 Cardinal 3 Portfolio
5/31 8th grade promotion
6/1 1/2 day for 6th & 7th graders

Phew!

Last week, Dr. Fruehauf also visited our class for a presentation on ancient China. The students found it interesting and I am challenging them to connect their expert China topic to the presentation.

A special thank you to the parent volunteers that joined us on our field trip: Debbie Vasen, Sharon Hocking and Angela Davis as well as Sheron and Heiner Fruehauf. You really have helped enrich this unit for our class.

I will post upcoming important dates later this week. Students have their own calendars that we have updated in class as well.

All students have received a copy of this packet in class and we’ve gone over the expectations. Each student has picked a topic that they are going to focus on for the next eight weeks. We will culminate with school-wide ancient civilizations museum. All due dates for this unit are on the second page of the packet. Students will have a substantial amount of time in class to research, write and work on their project. However, they may need to spend additional time at home to get everything completed on time.

Next week we are off to downtown Portland to enrich our studies on ancient China. Your student should have brought home, had signed and returned their permission slip along with $10 to attend the trip. We will be going to the Portland Art Museum, lunch in Chinatown, Chinese Classical Gardens and to the Central Multnomah Library. It promises to be a very busy and interesting day.

Rough Draft: Due 12/8
Final Draft: Due 12/14

Letters that have been workshopped with Mrs. Young, revised, polished and submitted can qualify for the publishing component of the Cardinal 3 portfolio.