Swim Program Reminders:

⇒ Remaining swim dates – Friday 4/24 and Mon 4/27

⇒ Bus will be on the East Side Field Trip schedule. Refer to email sent on April 3rd to see the schedule, and either save or screenshot it for future reference. (We do not share this type of info on the website). 

⇒ Pack list for students:

• A lunch they can eat on the bus (not crumby and no microwave)

• Swimsuit (make sure it fits)

• Towel

• Plastic bag to put wet suit in afterwards

• Brush for long hair

• Goggles (optional)

We spent time last week in Field Study class learning about industrial agriculture and how it differs from more small-scale traditional methods of growing food. We tried to explore both the positive and negative impacts. The students seemed to be especially interested in how animals are raised in our country for food production. It can be eye opening to learn about feed lots and how animals are treated in large scale operations. It is quite different from the cows they see around Sisters with their large pastures and big mountain views. Hopefully it was a good educational moment for them. 

In P.E. class we have continued to have fun playing baseball and kick ball. We also work in some different stretching and strength building activities. We also had fun playing sharks and minnows.

In Humanities, Blue Bay students are continuing their studies of ancient Rome by learning 30 common Latin root words and their English definitions. They can use their flash cards they made to study for the upcoming test next Wednesday. Today, they used Google Earth to take a “virtual field trip” to some of the major tourist attractions in Rome, Italy. In World Geography, the class is studying the island countries of Oceania in the South Pacific in preparation for a quiz this Friday. Students are also writing a poem that they will be submitting to the National Poetry Contest by the end of the week.

In Math, Blue Bay students received their recent test scores, addressed any confusion, and are working away on their next mission. 4th graders completed their geometry unit and have moved onto fraction concepts. 5th graders are finished with decimal operations and are also working with equivalent fractions. 6th graders are continuing to work on expressions and equations, as they dip their toes into Algebraic concepts. Our 7th graders are working on solving equations for a variable, after wrapping up their negative/positive numbers unit. Our 8th grader is taking his test on equations and systems of equations and will be moving onto functions. 

New after school club offering: This Friday marks the beginning of  “Central Oregon Innovators” or “Innovators Club” for short. Students in this club will be using Lego Robotics and AI to generate solutions for rural communities. This will be available for 6th-8th grade students and will be after school on Fridays, 3pm-5pm. It is possible the schedule will change around mid-May once track finishes up. I highly recommend upper grades students to join, to get experience with engineering, computer science, AI tools, teamwork, and place-based critical thinking/problem solving. Reminder to parents, if your child is interested and planning to participate, you will need to email transportation on Friday and let them know your child will not be riding the bus. It should be arranged for them to be picked up at the school at 5pm.

Students may be very excited to tell you we started a new circle that includes lighting a real candle to start. There are a few reasons why I use a real candle. First, they think it is really cool and it feels like a privilege to be able to help light a candle. Second, it is a good time to talk about fire safety, not playing with fire and what to do if we see a problem with fire. All good topics as we get into the warmer seasons. Third, it is something we build towards that requires them to show our habits of work.

Also the students would like to have a special show and tell. Each student will get a special show and tell day. Some students would like to bring pets to school. If you would like to come and watch our morning rhythm (8:15-8:45) that day, you are welcome to. Please let me know what item your student would like to bring for their special day.  If you would like to attend, please give a few dates that would work. 

Math: We have been reviewing place value and comparing numbers with portfolio pages.

Literacy: We have been working on finding the main topic of a story and writing about details that support that main topic. 

We had 2 guest teachers join us on Friday for a walking trip down to the river, exploring what makes a healthy river ecosystem. Students did a scavenger hunt, built model rivers, and drew (see photos below).  Ask students what they enjoyed most. 

Today we celebrated Earth Day by learning a bit about the history and thinking about small everyday choices we make that will have a positive impact on our environment.

Green Ridge Literacy: Students have begun outlining their interpretive essay question –“Is Julian’s dad a good parent?” from the book The Stories Julian Tells. They have gathered attributes of what they think/believe makes a good parent and are now composing a claim. They will provide three reasons (evidence from the text) to support said claim. 

Green Ridge Math: Students are multiplying by 1’s and 0’s and solidifying how to delineate between equal groups—especially when an equation might begin with 0 groups. 

Rose Hip & Green Ridge Creative Movement: Students from Green Ridge and Rose Hip began a visual review of the movement verbs we’ve practiced over the past three weeks. Each student will be given an action word to create a visual showcasing of this movement in low, middle, and high space on special paper.