Family Day Out Opportunity

Everyone invited for a party in the woods!

Yes, let’s welcome the New Year in with a WORK party at the Hopkins Demonstration Forest—our regular monthly Community Forestry Day on Saturday, January 11.  Action begins at 8:30am and goes as long as people are willing and able.  Lunch, as always, provided—and it’s always good.  Please call Jean at the Extension office (503-655-8631) to let us know you are coming.

The plan for the 11th will be getting ready for the coming tree planting season…

 

Hopkins Demonstration Forest

Community Forestry Day

Saturday, January 11 (8:30am-4:00pm)

Tree Planting Site Preparation in the Uneven Age Management Area (UEMA)

Goals for day: 1) remove understory brush and woody vegetation; 2) cut, pile and treat with herbicides—as appropriate; 3) create planting spots and visibly mark.

This work will be done in the Hopkins UEMA that was thinned during the summer/fall of 2012.  Understory planting will be done this winter/spring.  Our plan is to treat about 2-3 acres on January 11 and another 2-3 acres at the February 8 Community Forestry Day.  We are looking for about 200-225 plantable spots per acre in this area.

Here’s what we need on January 11th:

•             Two or three chainsaw operators for brush cutting including trees up to 6” in diameter.

•             Two or three brush stackers to concentrate slash.

•             Two or three chemical applicators for cut-surface and basal oil applications.

•             Two or three grubbers for scalping planting spots and marking with flagging for the tree planters who will be coming in starting in February.

If you have these skills or would like to learn by doing—with guided instruction!—please call Jean at Extension.  Bring your favorite tools, if you wish, or we will provide at Hopkins.  All chemicals are provided, too.  LEARN BY DOING—IT’S THE HOPKINS WAY WE MANAGE OUR FOREST!

Science Fair Links

Our science fair report is being written using these two links.
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_final_report.shtml
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

We are walking through them step by step in class, so if students are present and participating, the at home final drafts should be a piece of cake.

Yesterday we did the title page. As stated and shown on the Purdue OWL page, the title page should include a clear and concise title. Everyone that had their materials present had the opportunity to share their title and get help rewording. Under the title is the student's full name. (First, Middle Initial, Last) Under that should be Cascade Heights Public Charter School. That's it!

Today we did the Question/Hypothesis/Variable page. It looks like this:

Reading Logs

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons    

Yesterday reading logs were sent home. These are intended to help me get a better feel for what students are reading and how much they are reading. Our nightly homework has always included a minimum of 30 minutes of reading, the only change is now they are to record what they are doing during this time. At the end of a book, there is a short form students are to fill out.

The deal I made with the class yesterday says that if they can show a month of adequate progress through books and adequate comprehension of those books, they no longer have to fill out the reading log on a daily basis. In other words, they can earn their way off the logging of their reading. It does not mean they can earn their way out of reading!

What counts as reading?
Any book read during the day. This includes during silent reading in class. Web pages do not count. Magazines can count if they are hard copy and contain articles of at least 2 pages long.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Reader's Bonus

Do you read the blog carefully? If so, I appreciate your time and effort! I have 5 four packs of tickets to see the Rose City Rollers at the Memorial Coliseum on January 18th at 5:45. If you would like to go, and you're one of the first 5 families to email me and request  tickets, they are yours.

Uniform Reminder

Please do a quick review of the uniform policy. We're starting to see a lot of non uniform shoes, nail polish, etc sneaking in.

Above the waist:

·Solid white shirts WITH collars (polo, turtleneck, mock turtleneck, etc.)

·Shirts must not expose the torso and long enough to stay tucked in with arms raised above the head

·All undergarments above the waist must be of a discreet color and completely covered at all times; however, the top two buttons on the uniform shirt may be opened. Any shirt worn under the uniform shirt must be solid white without printing of any kind

·Solid fire engine red vests, cardigans or pullovers, v-neck vests, NO HOODS are worn in the classroom

·SHIRTS TUCKED IN AT ALL TIMES (except PE and recess)

·Shirts and tops must come to the clavicle (no scooped necklines)

·Shirts must have sleeves; no sleeveless shirts or tank tops are allowed

·Cannot be sheer, see-through, or revealing

Below the waist:

· Navy blue pants, shorts, capris, jumpers, skirts, or kilts

·Pants may be cotton twill, corduroy (no jean or stretch material)

·Tailored walking shorts with zipper front or fitted waist

· Must be no more than three inches above the knee

·No cargo shorts or pants (i.e. pockets on the sides of pants)

·Tights or leggings in solid white, navy, or black are allowed under skirts and shorts

·PE is EVERY DAY- Proper play shoes must offer firm support, resist slipping, and pass the “kick test” (ask your child to demonstrate).

·Solid black, white, brown, or navy shoes only (small logos and stripes ok).

·NO CROCS, HEELIES, FLIP FLOPS, BOOTS of ANY KIND (including UGGS), HIKING SHOES or HIGH HEELS are allowed.

·VISIBLE solid white, black, or navy socks must be worn with all shoes.

Accessories and grooming:

·Watches, rings, and stud earrings only, small necklaces and religious scapulars are acceptable.

· Neck- and bowties:  solid red, navy blue, or white, or any red/navy/white combination.  Tie must be properly tied and no longer than waist of pants.

·NO hats, sunglasses, or bandanas may be worn in the building at any time.

·Outerwear: Any coat, sweater, or sweatshirt may be worn for warmth outdoors but may not be worn in the classroom. NO Hoods or overcoats in the classroom, regardless of color.

·Hair is to be clean, neatly groomed and not interfere with eyesight. Extreme fads in cuts, styles, or designs are not acceptable. Hair of an unnatural hair color is not allowed.

• Make-Up: Light makeup is acceptable for 8th grade only. Glitter (of any kind) or heavily applied makeup is not acceptable (eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, etc.) and student will be asked to remove it.

·Tattoos, henna designs, face painting or writing on hands, arms, legs or other visible places are unacceptable. Please remove them thoroughly before school.

·Jewelry:  ear-lobe piercing are acceptable visible piercings; other body piercing may not be visible.  Necklaces and bracelets must not be distracting. Dog-type collared jewelry, studded wristbands, wallet chains, ropes, studs, are not allowed. 

·Hands:  Hands must be clean and nails clean and trimmed.  Clear nail polish only is acceptable; NO colored nail polish--student will be asked to remove it.

 

Please note that the final determination on the appropriateness of any item of clothing and appearance rests with the staff and administration.

High School

As we begin the new year, it is time to kick high school planning in to high gear!

If you're planning on going to CMC, have you...

• Filled out the application forms?
• Asked for a letter of recommendation?
• Taken the COMPASS test at Clackamas Community College?

If you're planning on going to La Salle, have you...

• Taken the placement test?
• Submitted the recommendation forms to Mrs. Adams?
• Submitted the recommendation forms to your math teacher?
• Made an appointment with Mrs. Denman to have her write a letter of recommendation?

If you are planning to go to any place else, have you visited and asked about any requirements?

If you have taken a placement test, either the COMPASS test or the La Salle placement test, please bring Mrs. Adams a copy of the results. This will help me to refine my teaching.

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year!

It was wonderful to see everyone back and ready to go this morning. After a sleepy morning, we got right to work. 2013 was an amazing year, and 2014 will only be even better!

Math:
Course 2 finished lesson 57 today.  Course 3 just finished lesson 73. Algebra 1 is on lesson 61. Everyone is right on track to complete their course by the end of the year. You can assure success by reviewing math tests with your child.

Reading:
We have completed Twelfth Night! I'm sure you're as proud of them as I am. Our next novel will be Animal Farm by George Orwell. In Guided Reading we will be continuing to work on reading non fiction texts. Non fiction texts include a wide range of material including recipes, instructions, maps, charts, tables, phone books, directories, etc. When you are out and about point these things out and demonstrate how you use them.

Science:
Today was the last day for Rube Goldberg machines. It was fascinating to watch the different groups work together towards a common goal. Not only did they have to demonstrate the principles of physics, but they also worked through the engineering design process. I was most impressed by their persistence.

This month is the final push for the science fair. Each day we will work on the rough drafts in class. Students will then need to type up the final draft at home. On day 1 students should begin a word processing document and then add to it each night. Tomorrow students need to bring their science fair notebook to class. Below is the timeline for completion.
1/7/2014 - Title page rough draft in class - Title page final draft at home
1/8/2014 - Question rough draft in class - Question final draft at home
1/9/2014 - Hypothesis rough draft in class - Hypothesis final draft at home
1/13/2014 - Background research KWO in class
1/14/2014 - Background research rough draft in class - Background research final draft at home
1/15/2014 - Materials rough draft in class - Materials final draft at home
1/16/2014 - Procedures rough draft in class - Procedures final draft at home
1/20/2014 - Results tables and graphs lesson in class (2 copies printed, one for report and one for board)
1/21/2014 - Results narrative KWO and rough draft in class - Results narrative final draft at home
1/22/2014 - Conclusions KWO and rough draft  in class - Conclusions final draft at home
1/23/2014 - Bibliography final draft in class
Weekend of the 24th - Students complete the board at home. This should take less than 2 hours because they will already have everything they need typed up and ready to place!
1/27/2014 - Turn in report, notebook, and board.
1/31/2014 - Science Fair!

History:
In history this month we will be going back in time and across the country to India. We will be learning about the decline of European Colonialism  in India and how Ghandi brought change to the land. By the end of the unit students should understand the geography of the area, the life of Ghandi, and his impact.

Field Trip:
January 28th is our field trip day this month. It will be a regular school day. Students are expected to be on campus in their best uniforms at 8:00. They will be interviewed by judges and will present their project to other grades. Everyone should bring a hearty snack and a healthy lunch. A more detailed schedule for the day will be coming out soon!

Class Shirts:
Our 8th grade class shirts arrived! Students may wear them on Thursdays for the rest of the year with their regular uniform pants. If you did not order one but would like to, let me know no later than the 15th and we'll put one more order in.