Valentine's Day

I was in the grocery store the other day and realized that Valentine's Day might be on the minds of Cascade students already!  If you have not done Valentine's Day with CHPCS, or if you would like a refresher, please observe the guidelines below:

• Valentines should be handmade.  Start on them now!  They can be straight up Valentines, or bookmarks, origami, little books, cartoons, jokes, etc. 
• Students do NOT have to bring Valentines in.
• If students DO bring Valentines in, they need to bring one for every student in the class (we will make a class list in the upcoming days).
• PLEASE NO CANDY!  If you would like to include a little something, consider fruit snacks, pencils, trail mix, etc.  Sweets will be sent back home with the giver.
• We do NOT have a Valentine's Day party.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

We are a school of choice, and we have a shortened school week, and an incredible amount of curriculum to cover, and one of the reasons families choose us is because we are focused on academics instead of parties.

February Field Trip

Electricity! 

February's field trip is all about electricity. We will start the morning at the Bonneville Dam with a guided tour of the hydroelectric power house. 

"Bonneville Lock and Dam is located 145 river miles from the mouth of the Columbia River and about 40 miles east of Portland, Ore., near Cascade Locks, Ore., and North Bonneville, Wash.The project’s first powerhouse, spillway and original navigation lock were completed in 1938 to improve navigation on Columbia River and provide hydropower to the Pacific Northwest. A second powerhouse was completed in 1981, and a larger navigation lock in 1993. A Public Works Administration project of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, portions of Bonneville Lock and Dam Project were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987." 

Students will review the basics of electricity while learning plenty of new information about hydropower. Our tour is scheduled for 9:30 AM. The site requires students to be in pants and closed to shoes. 

After lunch we are scheduled to tour one of the Bonneville Power Administration Substations. There Mr. Tabezyenski, a former parent, will show us how power is brought in, manipulated, and then passed on to customers. 

Both sites require me to submit the names of all students and adults attending for security purposes, so I need to know volunteers as soon as possible! 

Please let me know if are willing to join us for an electrifying day. 

Bonus March Field Trip

On March 12th from 11:30  - 2:00 we will be joining 7th grade for a bonus field trip that was not available to them last year but we feel is important for them to see .

The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education is hosting a special Anne Frank traveling exhibit. 

From their website: 
Between 1942 and 1944, Anne Frank [born 1929]  hid with her family in an attic in Amsterdam, writing daily in her diary. She did not survive the war and died of typhus in a concentration camp. Anne Frank: A History for Today depicts Anne Frank’s brief life story, abundantly illustrated with family photos and passages from her diary. Her biographical narrative is enhanced by testimony from Holocaust survivors and helpers. Historical context supplements the story through documents and photographs detailing the rise of Nazi power in Germany and the tumultuous events of the Second World War and the Holocaust that followed. 

The exhibit goes beyond the Anne Frank story and encourages the viewer to consider fundamental social values – tolerance, mutual respect, human rights, and democracy – as a way to educate the viewer about our individual and collective responsibilities to understand and respect diversity in our contemporary society. 

A small exhibit of pastel drawings by the painter Henk Pander, called Hiding, will also be on view. These rarely displayed works depict Pander's childhood in Haarlem, barely ten miles from Anne Frank's hiding place.

We will leave school at 11:30 and return by 2:00. Students will need to bring a sack lunch and regular uniforms will be worn. 

I will need a few chaperones, please let me know if you can attend! 

Theater and Music!

We have the pleasure of hosting the Portland Opera to Go on Monday, February 2nd from 9:00 - 10:00. Be sure to ask your student all about it!

From the Portland Opera website:

PORTLAND OPERA TO GO: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

Portland Opera To Go, Portland Opera’s annual Northwest tour, will feature the world premiere of an innovative bilingual adaptation of Rossini’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE as its 2015 offering.  Created by stage director Kristine McIntyre, the 50-minute adaptation will be performed in Spanish and English, demonstrating the power of love to triumph over adversity of every kind.

It’s love at first sight for Rosina and Almaviva, but there’s one very big tangle: she speaks only Spanish while he speaks only English. Worse yet, her uncle Bartolo is plotting to marry her off to one of his old, old, old cronies in a day or two. There’s just one man who can unsnarl this mess…

And presto! Here’s Figaro, Seville’s most important man-about-town. (Just ask him; he’ll tell you so himself, in one of opera’s most famous arias!) Proving that even love sometimes requires a little translation, the bilingual barber uses his razor-sharp wit to cut through the confusion, tying up all the matrimonial loose ends in a delightful blend of zany comedy and effervescent music.

American Bandstand

Please mark your calendar and join us for our next curriculum showcase!

On February 19th we will be holding a celebration of life in the 50's. The fun begins at 1:00 PM, so break out your poodle skirts and your dancing shoes.

Objectives:
Students will demonstrate understanding of the evolution of music and the birth of rock n roll.
Students will demonstrate understanding of dance techniques from different eras.
Students will demonstrate understanding of the influence of the TV on commercialism.
Students will understand the importance and influence of automobiles on the expanding suburban culture.
Students will demonstrate understanding historical events and their influence on modern events.

As well as content, students will be working on team work, problem solving, and research and planning skills.

Students will have 3 weeks to work with their small groups. Very little time will need to be spent outside of class on these projects. It is quite possible that the only thing they will need to work outside of class on is costuming.

1. A 50's dance - Students are working with Mr. Weaver
2. A hit single from the 50's. - Students are working in small groups in class
2. A live newscast featuring the top news story from their assigned year - Students will be working in their small group. Class time will be used for researching, writing, and rehearsing.
3. A live commercial featuring a product popular at the time. Class time will be used for researching, writing, and rehearsing.
4. A car from the 50's. - Students will build a replica car, supplies and class time will be provided.
5. Costumes are highly encouraged. We will be reviewing attire appropriate to the era. Poodle skirts are easy and inexpensive to make!

Family and friends are not only welcome, but encouraged to join us. Break out your poodle skirts, letterman sweaters, and rolled up jeans.

Attire for Science Fair

 Tying a tie and choosing the right knot can be intimidating or challenging. http://www.tie-a-tie.net/ is a great resource for selecting the proper knot to use, with visual and video aids to demonstrate how to tie them.

Students that do not have suits or dress clothes, may wear their regular uniform.

Bottom line: 
Skirts must be knee length

No boots

No high heels

Conservative necklines

Sleeved dresses/blouses

Collared shirts

No jeans

Converting Potential Energy to Kinetic Energy Lab

Purpose - Explore engineering design process while demonstrating principles of kinetic and potential energy

Design Goal - Create a car that will travel 42 feet in the least amount of time.

Materials -
~ 2 3 hole rods
~ 2 11 hole rods
~ 4 pegs
~ 2 axle pegs
~ 1 gear fixing
~ 1 medium drive axle
~ 1 lage drive axle
~ 1 small gear
~ 1 medium gear
~ 2 small pulley wheel
~ 2 large pulley wheel
~ 2 small rubber o ring
~ 2 large rubber o rings
~ 1 large rubber band

Science Fair Reports

I have reviewed all of the science fair papers and I am very pleased with the results. A few were handed back for minor format editing, but everyone did a great job on the content. Technical writing is very different from the narratives and expository writing we do the majority of the year which just shows how flexible and capable this 8th grade class is! I hope you're as proud of them as I am!

Two Scheduled Fundraisers

We have two fundraisers scheduled! I appreciate everyone that is helping our students earn money for Ashland. We're just under half way to our goal. 

First, Mrs. Wren has gotten us scheduled at Burgerville. 

When: Thursday, February 5th, 2015

Time: 5 pm - 8 pm

Location: Burgerville 19119 sent McLaughlin Blvd Portland Oregon 97267. 

Earnings: We earn 10% of everything sold during these hours. 

What we need: We need as many students as possible to show up and help work. All those that show up to work will be excused from homework that night. Mrs. Wren has volunteered to supervise the working students, so you don't need to stay the whole time, but will need to pick up your student at 8:00. 

 We also need everyone to spread the word and ask their family and friends to join us for dinner. 

Second, the PTA has allowed us to host the PTA Bingo and Pizza Night. 

When: February 11, 2015

Time: 6:30 PM 

Location: Cascade Heights

Earnings: All proceeds from pizza and bingo

What we need: I need someone to coordinate the pizza, people willing to contribute prizes for bingo, and students to help run the bingo game and serve pizza. 

Please let me know if you can donate a prize for bingo or are willing to coordinate pizza. 

I appreciate everyone's help! 

Possible Fundraising Opportunity

We received the following email yesterday and wondered if it was something the class would be interested in doing as an Ashland Fundraiser. I like the idea because it doesn't involve asking people to buy things. If this looks good to you, please let me know. Even better, if you're willing to be the point person to run it, please let me know.

Fundraising Opportunity- Easy, Flexible, No Selling.

Greetings,

 I am Brock Baumgartner, the phone book distribution manager for your area.  We distribute Yellow Book phone directories.  We work with individuals, schools, churches and organizations to help them with their fundraising in return for delivering phone books to their communities. Our groups find the work to be a good team and relationship building endeavor while making money for their group, organization or charity. Group Members enjoy delivering because it does not involve selling anything and the schedule is very flexible.

 We are starting our Portland deliveries on February 9th and will continue until approx. March 13th.

I am currently looking to contact groups to distribute our directories in:

• Portland
• Boring
• Clackamas
• Estacada
• Fairview
• Gladstone
• Gresham
• Lake Oswego
• Oregon City
• Sandy
• Troutdale
• West Linn
• Happy Valley
• Damascus

Below is a general overview of the delivery process:

Each route includes a listing of all the residents and businesses in that area. Residential delivery is accomplished by simply walking up to the resident's door and setting the book against the hinge side of the door. It does NOT involve knocking on doors or selling. All business locations must be delivered during regular business hours. The delivery person must go into each business and find out how many books the business requires. The delivery person is then required to get a first name from the individual who accepted the books at that location.  You may choose routes with very minimal businesses so you or your members can deliver outside of school/work hours or on the weekends.  When the routes are completed, a percentage of the businesses and residents are verified on each street of every delivery route to make sure the work was completed properly and accurately.Payment will be issued 5-7 business days upon completion of the route. Payment will vary due to the size of the book, and the number of books distributed. For one person working on one route it should pay approximately $100-$150 on average and take approximately 8-10 hours.  Of course, the more people on a route, the faster it will be completed..

You will have the opportunity to pick which routes you want to deliver.  You will need to come to my warehouses in Portland in order to select your routes, pick up your books, and return completed routes during warehouse hours.

 The whole process is fairly simple.  I will pay premium rates to groups and offer bonus incentives for a job well done.  We have 530 routes in the area and would love to have you take part.  Individuals are welcome as well.  I look forward to hearing from you.

E Readers and Battle of the Books

E Readers and Battle of the Books

            Battle of the Books has begun! We know that many students are excited to read and will want to download the books on to their e readers and we want to remind everyone about school policy on e readers.

            Grades 3 - 5 are typically not allowed to have e readers at school. During Battle of the Books we are making an exception to this rule, with some guidelines. First, students must bring the permission slip below with them. The e reader should be labeled with the student's name. In the morning when the student arrives they should turn it in to the teacher, who will keep it behind their desk until reading time. While students are using it the wireless must be kept off. Grades 6 - 8 are allowed to have e readers at school but they also must have permission from their parent, restrict use to designated times, and keep wireless turned off. For all grades, if it becomes a distraction, it will have to be taken home and not brought back. With these rules and procedures in place, students may use their e readers during Battle of the Books!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_______________________ has my permission to bring their e reader to school. I understand that Cascade Heights is not responsible for any damage or loss of the device. Students may only use the e reader during designated times and may not access the school wireless network or use the internet for any reason during the day.

__________________________________     ___________________________

Parent Signature                                               Date

Battle of the Books Official List

Battle of the Books has begun! Third through eighth grade will spend the next six weeks reading and strategizing before going head to head with the other classes in fast paced battles that test comprehension. Thursday the official list of 29 books was released. Classes will work together to not only read these books, but master them. Because each student can answer only three questions per battle, it must be a team effort. Which class will come out on top? It's anyone's game at this point. Be sure to ask your student what BOB book they are reading. You are more than welcome to read it with them or even to them! 

How are books chosen?

The Battle of the Book list is chosen by a team of teachers and administrators. They review the National Librarian’s Association recommendations, Newberry Medal winners, Caldecott Medal winners, and other notable award winners. From these lists they find books that range from the lowest reading level participating to 3 years above the highest grade participating. From there they ensure that we have fiction and nonfiction, historical fiction, classics, sports fiction, animal fiction, adventure, and a biography. The last consideration is a balance between female and male characters. The idea is to have at least one book in the list that appeals to every child participating.

What if I think a book is over my child’s head or is inappropriate for them?

The beauty of Battle of the Books is that it is a team effort. No one child is expected to read every book. In fact, it’s best if they don’t read every book. Choose 2 or 3 from the list that you are OK with and read those.

Can my child listen to the book/watch the movie/have it read to them etc?

YES! The idea is for children to be exposed to literature and to understand the story. They can have it read to them by an adult or older sibling, listen to it on tape, or read it themselves. They can watch the movie, but be careful; often the movie is not the same as the book.

Battle of the Books 2015

Battles Begin: February 23rd

• Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse
• National Geographic Kids Chapters: Ape Escapes!: and More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly by Aline Alexander Newman
• Buffalo Hunt by Russell Freedman
• Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
• Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
• Countdown by Deborah Wiles
• Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
• Game Changers #2 Play Makers by Mike Lupica
• The Story Of George Washington Carver by Eva Moore
• Getting Organized Without Losing It by Janet S Fox
• Ghosts of the White House by Cheryl Harness
• Glass Town: The Secret World of the Bronte Children by Michael Bedard
• Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
• The Case of the Spooky Sleepover by James Preller
• Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
• Just Juice by Karen Hesse
• Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
• Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
• Meow Means Mischief by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Stephanie Roth
• Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
• Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou by Dr. Edwin Graves Wilson Ph.D. and Jerome Lagarrigue
• Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earheart by Patricia G. Lauber
• Swiss Family Robinson by Johann D. Wyss
• The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War by Jim Murphy
• The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
• The Orphan of Ellis Island: A Time-Travel Adventure by Elvira Woodruff
• The Van Gogh Café by Cynthia Rylant
• The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 

Science Fair Boards

This is the layout for the science fair presentation board. We will be discussing it in detail in class on Monday focusing on how to make the material stand out and look professional. Quality workmanship is critical. Crooked papers, smeared glue, etc will give the wrong first impression. Break out those rulers and line things up. Take your time and make it look good! 

Final Science Fair Paper

This is it! Wednesday in class we discussed the final step of the science fair report. If students kept pace, they should now have their report ready to put the final touches on. It is very appropriate for parents to take a look at the final product. Below you will find a checklist for the final editing process.

Title Page - Contains full name of the paper, student name, and school name.

Abstract - 150 word summary of entire project.

Table of Contents - Lists each section of the paper and the page it is found on.

Background Research - 2 - 3 pages summarizing the prior research on the subject. Should contain at least 3 in text citations.

Question/Hypothesis/Variables - Each on its own page. Each page heading should be centered but the body text should be justified left. Section headings should be 12 point but bolded. 

Materials - Bullet point list with exact brands, amounts, etc.

Methods/Procedures - Numbered list explaining step by step. Should be detailed enough that an outside source could replicate.

Results - Including Graphs and Data Tables - The written results section should be one to two long paragraphs. It includes all of the numerical results in words. Any numbers less than ten should be written out. All numbers larger than ten may be written in digits. This may be more than one page.

Conclusions - This is the analysis and discussion of the results. It's a minimum of three paragraphs. Be sure to include whether the hypothesis was supported or refuted. Also include any further research indicated and what impact the study should have on society. In other words, who cares?

Works Cited - All sources used must be listed in APA format. I highly encourage the use of http://citationmachine.net/index2.php . Be sure to change it to APA formatting. Once it formats the citation, copy and paste it on to the last page of the report. Reorder the citations to be in alphabetical order by author's last name.

That's it! Once that is all done, the report is finished and ready to go. Hit print, put it in a folder, and take a nap.

Happy New Year - January Information

Welcome Back to 8th Grade! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful vacation and is ready to start 2015 with a bang! Below you will find lots of reminders and information about upcoming dates. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Importance of Sleep
As we head back after a long break, it's even more important to keep in mind how important sleep is for teenagers. The National Sleep Foundation shares these facts on their web site:

FACTS:

• Sleep is vital to your well-being, as important as the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat. It can even help you to eat better and manage the stress of being a teen.
• Biological sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and waking during adolescence -- meaning it is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 11:00 pm.
• Teens need about 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to function best (for some, 8 1/2 hours is enough). Most teens do not get enough sleep — one study found that only 15% reported sleeping 8 1/2 hours on school nights.
• Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns across the week — they typically stay up late and sleep in late on the weekends, which can affect their biological clocks and hurt the quality of their sleep.
• Many teens suffer from treatable sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea.

CONSEQUENCES:

Not getting enough sleep or having sleep difficulties can:

• Limit your ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems. You may even forget important information like names, numbers, your homework or a date with a special person in your life;
• Make you more prone to pimples. Lack of sleep can contribute to acne and other skin problems;
• Lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior

In addition I have found that lack of sleep causes students to be moody with each other, less able to control impulses, and have a lowered threshold for frustration. Bedtime may not be fun, but a good night's sleep is worth the effort! 

Attendance and Academic Performance
January marks the mid point of our academic year. This is a time that we look at student progress and student attendance and make plans for those that are not meeting standards in either area. The vast majority of our students are not only on track, but excelling. I will be sending home letters this week with your student that will either let you know your students is on track or ask you to make an appointment so we can make a plan! My goal is for everyone to finish the year ready for high school and beyond. With that in mind, please be aware of classroom performance and the increased demands of classroom work when scheduling appointments. I create lesson plans so that students who use their time wisely in class should never have an overwhelming amount of homework. While we do a lot of projects, the majority of the work is done in class. Students that are out due to vacations, doctor appointments, or they just couldn't get out of bed increase their home work load exponentially. 

Science Fair
We are in the home stretch for the science fair! At this point students should have their Question, Background Research, Hypothesis, Materials, Procedures, and Data Collection done. This week we will be working in the computer lab and learning how to create data tables, charts, and graphs with information collected. We will also be writing up their findings, conclusions, and the abstract. Students who have met all the deadlines will finish their paper in class with little to no time at home. The only thing they will need to do at home will be the presentation board. I will go over the set up for the board in class tomorrow. Their are size and content requirements that must be met, so please be sure you and your student understand those before starting! 

Because the gym is closed to teachers and parents on the day of the fair, we will be hosting an open house on Thursday, January 22nd. This is your chance to stop in and see all the hard work and excellent questions that CHPCS students asked. Parents and students are welcome to view the projects from 3:45 until 5:30. Please come in and look around, I promise you'll be impressed with the quality of work. 

The official science fair is on Friday, January 23rd. Students should arrive at school at 7:45 and will be released at 3:30. During the day, every student will be interviewed by multiple judges. Students should rehearse answers to the following questions: 
1. How did you choose your question?
2. Why did you choose your question?
3. What variables did you test?
4. What were your dependent and independent variables?
5. what were the results of your testing?
6. Were there any results that surprised you and why do you think that happened?
7. Why/How are the results of your test important to mankind? 
8. If you were to repeat your test, what would you change?

Interview attire is appropriate for the day. That means button up shirts with ties and slacks or dresses (knee length or longer and shoulders covered). If students do not have interview attire, they may wear their best school uniform. Jeans and leggings are not appropriate. 

Important Dates: 
January 5th - Bring raw data to class
January 8th - Final draft of report completed
January 19th- Presentation board due
January 22nd - Science Fair Open House 
January 23rd - Science Fair Day

New Lit Book
This week we will be starting our next Core Knowledge literature book, George Orwell's Animal Farm. It is an allegorical dystopian novel written in 1945. While written so long ago, our 8th graders always pronounce it the best book of the year. The humorous writing allows students to look at Stalin's era in a new light. There will be no final project for this book. For deeper understanding, students are welcome to watch the Animal Farm video available on youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YYEoWAAmDE) 

Writing 
The first week back we will finishing the books for publication. Rough drafts were due before break so that students could focus on final drafts and the illustrations. These books will be sent off the first week in March and returned to us no later than May. Students will each get a free copy of their book, professionally bound. If families would like additional copies, simply fill out the order form that will come home this week. 

Field trip
There is no field trip in January due to the Science Fair. 

FACTS

On January 31st we will be holding our annual FACTS class for middle school families. FACTS was written in conjunction with Northwest Family Services in 1989. It is a program that focuses on opening communication between parents and students in dealing with topics pertinent to their age. These topics include but are not limited to dating, refusal skills, peer pressure, high risk behaviors, etc. In order to allow parents and students to attend together, we hold this essential class on a Saturday, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and finishing no later than 4:00 p.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided. We strongly encourage both parents to attend with their child but we understand if only one person can be there. In the event that neither parent can attend, another adult that is important in their life is welcome, and in the worse case scenario, we'd rather have the child with no adult than not at all. Parents are more than welcome to come in and preview the material and everyone will be provided with take home materials as well. If you have any questions, Mrs. Denman or I am happy to answer them. We look forward to seeing you there. Please RSVP so we can order the correct amount of food. You can RSVP for lunch and attendance by visiting this link: http://goo.gl/forms/n09kGRDAXk

Recommendation Letters
For many of you, deadlines for high school applications are rapidly approaching. Thank you to all of the students who have already asked for and received their letters of recommendation. If you are applying to a school that requires letters of recommendation and have not yet requested them, please do so as soon as possible. We love to talk about how great your student is and to help them get into the right school, but doing them at the last minute is not always possible. To get a letter of recommendation from me, all you  need to do is send me an email with the information. CMC and La Salle both have specific forms that they need filled out, so please be sure to get those to me. To get a letter of recommendation from Mrs. Denman, please make an appointment with Mrs. Marlatt. Arrive at that appointment with a list of your strengths, community service, and any awards you have earned. 

Fundraising Updates
First I would like to thank Mrs. Fajardo and Mrs. Rovang for helping to coordinate our fundraising efforts this year. To date we have earned approximately $900 dollars from the Sock Hop, Twelfth Night, and Winter Showcase. We also requested and had approved a $1000 request from the PTA. That means we are just under half way to our goal. We have enough right now to see two shows and stay for one night. Coming up we have a Pizza Bingo night in January for sure and I have heard of several other possibilities. I will need two parents to work with me on the Pizza Bingo Night. If you are available, please let me know! 

Auction

CHPCS Families - the primary fundraiser for the 2014/15 school year will be an Fundraising Dinner and Auction spearheaded by the PTA and Board of Directors.  This event will take place Saturday, May 9, 2015.  We need every family to be part of this great event, by helping to solicit donations and also hopefully attending the event.  Please read over the attached Auction Handbook to see how we can all join together to support our students at CHPCS.  If you have questions, please email.  Planning meetings will be in full swing beginning in January.  

Thank you - CHPCS Auction Committee:  cascadeheightspta@chpcs.org