Summer Break
Lewis Elementary is on break for the summer. Classroom Notes will resume publishing in September…
Kindergarten News from Room 1- Mrs. Parks
Monday, our friend Thidapech returned from Cambodia. Everyone was so happy to see her. In sharing about her trip, we learned: It was a very long plane ride, she loves Cambodia, and there are McDonald’s and ice cream there too!
Tuesday, we drew pictures of ourselves to compare with pictures and photographs we took and drew on the first day of school. Everyone laughed as we saw how much we had all grown, physically and in our self portraits. Academically and socially we have grown and changed so much this year too. I am just completing end of the year assessments. The first grade teachers are very fortunate. Your children are bright and capable. I will miss them very much!
If you have not already, please return your child’s permission slip for your trip Monday to the park with our buddies!
Music and Technology Notes from Mr. Jamesbarry
It’s our last full week of school. I can’t believe the school year has come to and end. I want to say what a pleasure it’s been working with all our students this year.
In our final week of school, 4th & 5th grade student in technology are work to finish their Car Fee Communities, while 3rd grade students are finishing their silent movie scoring projects.
In music we’ve been working on a couple of “top secret” songs. At this time, I still can’t spill the beans.
I hope you’re summer is filled with fun and sun.
Notes From Ms. Leake
It is hard to believe that the year is almost over. In the remaining time, we continue to look at community. This time students are moving beyond the classroom to the Lewis neighborhood. They are focusing on the people, businesses, and services that make a healthy neighborhood. They’re considering needs vs. wants as we get ready to design our own neighborhood. Each table group will work together to plan what services and businesses will be in their section of the neighborhood. Students will work cooperatively on mapping skils and will include the key components of a neighborhood.
Tomorrow is our field trip to Brookside Wetlands. Don’t forget to have your child dress for the forecasted weather. Please be sure join us for our end of the year celebrations on Monday. We’ll have a picnic at Berkeley Park and a presentation by OMSI in the afternoon. See our newsletter for more details on what to bring.
Mrs. Pechette’s First Grade
On Friday we took our maturing monarch butterflies to the new Lewis School butterfly garden. After some hesitation, they took flight on the wind. Do you suppose these were the first butterflies to visit the garden? As first grade scientists, the children have been finding and bringing insects for further observation. This helps us find differences and similarities in insects. In math we learned a new game called Five in a Row, which helped us make different combinations by adding. Using American artist John Singer Sargent’s Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose as an inspiration painting, we used chalk to draw a garden and paper lanterns. The children’s confidence was abundant as they tried this new media.
News From Ms. Davis’ Class
Thank you all for a fantastic year. It has been a pleasure working with all of the children in our classroom. Thank you all for your help and support. I don’t know how I could have made it through the year without so many of you donating your time to our classroom projects. I wish you all a relaxing, sun filled summer (hopefully it peeks out soon)! We are off to Jean’s Farm tomorrow. This is a walking fieldtrip so make sure your child wears comfortable clothes and shoes. Please provide a sack lunch for your child. Next Monday, June 9th, we will be having an ice cream party in Berkeley Park with our buddy class. Please sign up to donate some supplies. The sign-up sheet is outside our classroom door.
Notes from Ms. Ross and Mrs. Sharp’s 3rd Grade Class
We have come to the end of another amazing school year. We are so proud of the social and academic growth of our students. Thank you for your reinforcement to get the homework in to me during the school year, of course the piece de resistance was the Portland Bridges. On Monday, June 9th the students will need large sacks to take home all of their school work.
Thanks to Gregory MacNaughton our field trip to Reed College’s Cooley Art Gallery was a great success. Jess’ collages made us all think, laugh, and question the relationship of all of the elements of the compositions. If this was not enough, the students went to a Reed classroom, and they made their own compositions using a variety of pictures and words. Even the weather was kind to us by caressing us with the sun.
Wednesday, however, is the most important day because this is the day that the students get to share all their hard work. Please come and praise their efforts. The class open house is from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in case you misplaced the flyer that I sent home. I hope to see you all at this happy occasion.
Ms. Swan’s 2nd grade
***As you probably heard, our field trip to hike the trails of Oaks Bottom was a huge hit! I could tell our focus on using descriptive words was working when many children described the trip as some form of “exhiliarating, yet exhausting.” Huge kudos to our parent helpers: Angie, Jen, Julie, Megan, and Teresa. By the time you read this, we will have just returned from our final trip of the year which is to Brookside Wetlands.
***In class, we are working on mini-research papers on animals, the food pyramid in our Healthy Bodies unit, and solving various story problems by using the strategies we’ve focused on all trimester (hundreds chart, pictures, grouping by 10’s and “chunking” into friendly numbers.) Our final National Geographic will come home this
week: Doctor Bugs.
***We’re still seeking donations for our picnic at Berkley Park on Monday, June 9th (see letter I sent home last week for details.) There are also a couple slots left fordthe last day of school sundae sign-up.
Room 5 Notes by M.L. Amsbury
June themes for room 5 feature aqua, the color of water. We will be experiencing the feel and texture of water. We also have activities and games involving pretend fish.
We will be experimenting with bubbles. And, as the weather allows, we will be playing with water, water balloons, and other watery things.
The June counting story is:
FIVE LITTLE FISH, SWIMMING IN THE LAKE.
The first one says: “Here comes the bait.”
The second one says: “It looks like a worm to me.”
The third one says: “Ohhhh, yummmmmmmmmy.”
The fourth one says: “Take a good look.”
The fifth one says: “On, no, there is a hook!”
Then o-o-o-o-o went the wind.
And out went the lights.
And five little fishes, went swimming out of sight.
Room 7, Life Skills with Mr. Post
This week we are preparing for our field trip to the zoo. We will be taking Tri-Met, so we planned our route: #75 bus to Hollywood TC, then Max Red line up to the Zoo. We are also practicing using the right amount of coins and/or bills to pay the bus fare, which is $1.40 per student. We are reviewing public-safety rules and helpful signs that we will need to know on our trip. Each student has chosen an animal that he or she wants to see the most, and we are researching some fun facts for each animal. Students will also draw and paint pictures of their chosen animals. On Monday we did a great activity with Lee, and this poem sums it up: “Two hands, wood, and some glue; Dad, I made this ‘cool thing’ just for you!”
Classroom Notes from the Fifth Grade-Mrs. Gould
Wow! Here it is…the last full week of school! Where did the year go? We still need field trip slips from about 1/2 of our class for the Reed College art field trip next Monday. Also if you are planning on attending the fifth grade picnic next week (11:30 AM), we need your reservation now so that we can buy enough food. If I don’t get to talk to you at the Promotion Assembly next Tuesday (1:45 PM), I would like to thank you for all your support this year and wish you and your student best wishes for a fun summer and a great middle school experience!
Mr. Manger’s Class
It’s been a wonderful year. Thank you all for welcoming me into your caring community here at Lewis. I look forward to working with you and your children again next year, and continuing our goal of educating tomorrow’s citizens of our nation. Enjoy your summer, have fun and keep reading, writing and counting with your kids!
News From Mrs. Bennett’s and Ms. Williams’ Rm.
This week we are wrapping things up. In literacy we have been reading and writing poetry. Each student wrote a collection of poems, and has selected his/her favorites to
put onto a page for a class poetry book. Everyone will then get a copy of the book.
We will also complete our science unit of “Land and Water” on Friday with the building of a dam in our “stream tables”. Students, in groups, will decide how they want to build the dam, and then will place their “houses” in a desirable place. We’ll then let the water flow. We’ll see which group’s homes withstand the flood, and analyze how the results were affected by their dam.
I can’t believe the year is almost over. What a terrific group of students we have had this year, and what good progress each one has personally made! Thank you, parents, for all your support!
Classroom Notes from Mrs. Logue’s First Grade
I can’t believe that this school year is about to come to an end! Your children have grown and changed so much! Coincidently, now that your little “butterflies” are ready to fly up to second grade, our little butterflies in the classroom unfurled from their cozy chrysalis on Monday! We released them in the new butterfly garden and they relaxed on a tree near by. We talked about how they were camouflaged when their wings were closed and later the students created their own probiscus from straws and drank “aphid nectar”, (limeade!), from pixi cups just like a butterfly! We have had a great week so far! We enjoyed a Metro puppet show on Monday, Tuesday we measured everything we could and today is “crazy” hair day! Thursday we will have the famous artist and author Annie Painter join us for a lesson and it is also the day to wear our Lewis School shirts. If your child, like me does not have one, just have them wear a Run for the Arts, or favorite team shirt to show their spirit! A couple of my students said they will be wearing their chess club shirts and another child said she would like to wear her softball shirt:)The spirit days should be fun and low stress for the kids and you! Our library is hosting the fantastic Scholastic Book Sale again this year organized and produced by PTA President, Tracy Buckley. It is a two for one deal so do not miss it this time!! Friday is field day so be sure to have your child dress appropriately for busy, outdoor activities! After an exciting exploration of praying mantis last week, during Work Time Centers tomorrow, we will study ,up close, crickets! They are fascinating insects. Next week we will have a end of year get together with our buddy classroom! I have finished all of the needed assessments for your child this year and I am pleased to see a lot of growth academically made by all students. I have loved teaching first grade and especially loved being your child’s teacher. I will miss each one dearly but I am so excited for them to “fly up” to second grade and to have the second grade teachers get to know these precious children the way I do! Thank you for all your support this year, and please make sure your child keeps reading and writing over the summer break!!
News From Room 4 Kindergarten–Miss Cindy
This is the last full week of school and we will be finishing up the kindergarten school year by creating more art with Zachary’s grandmother, Collin Murphy. Children will also be learning about more kinds of insects through art, literature math and science. On Friday, weather permitting, we will have field day all afternoon. Be sure to have your child wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes that day. The PTA book fair is also going on in the Library for the rest of the week. I really enjoyed seeing so many of you at the Volunteer breakfast yesterday-I am so thankful to all of you who have volunteered at Lewis. On Monday the class saw an assembly called “Mother Natures Garden”; be sure to ask your child about what they learned. It has been such a pleasure teaching your child this year; I am so impressed with them academically and they have grown up so much!
Notes From Ms. Leake
I trust that you all had a relaxing weekend. The weather certainly was a part of our conversation Tuesday. It helped that the class had learned about thunderstorms recently. They had lots of observations about the weather leading up to and following the storm.
This week we continue with our human body and healthy habits unit. Ms. Winslow is starting a short nutrition unit with the class. We would welcome any magazines that have multiple food pictures if you have any to donate for a food chain project. We are also getting ready for our trip to Oaks Bottom with the Audubon Society. Last week students finished their nonfiction books on animals found in an urban habitat. They celebrated by sharing their books with their families at our Authors’ Tea. Thank you to all who attended and/or sent in cookies and juice. We’re also working on our end of the year assessments and birthday books for our 11 Summer Birthdays.
Kindergarten News from Room 1- Mrs. Parks
Thursday, we shared our newly published narrative stories with our third grade buddies. Third graders listen to us read them and gave us each written and verbal feedback. Students brought their stories home to share with family and friends. If you have not seen it yet, please check your child’s backpack. Thursday, we also performed drama exercises, with the help of Michael Wherly. We are actors and actresses!
Friday, our very own Kyndall, performed Irish dancing in the Lewis Talent Show. WOW! She is talented!
Our tadpoles have yet to grow back legs…but they seem to get bigger everyday. If you are interested in adopting a fish, salamander or tadpole, there is a permission slip attached.
Students are working on an informational text. We have experts in our class on everything from sharks to loosing teeth. We will continue those this week.
We are also focusing on end of the year assessments.
Mrs. Pechette’s First Grade
When we returned to school 0n Tuesday after a 3 day weekend, 2 butterflies had hatched from their chrysalis. This was a very exciting event for the class, but posed the question, “How do we safely transfer the butterflies to a larger cage with room to fly?” The children were fascinated to watch what was once a caterpillar, learn to fly for the first time! Many also discovered their meal worm chrysalis had turned into a beetle. We’re continuing with end of the year assessments. The exciting part for each child is to see how much they have learned. The students are feeling a sense of readiness for second grade. Don’t forget to let me know if your child wants to celebrate a summer birthday.
Ms. Swan’s 2nd grade
***The new health unit began with a lesson on protecting our senses. Think goggles, earplugs and potholders! Your child can give you all the safety advice you’ll need. In Math, “Pocket Day” is coming up again on Thursday, so choose your outfits wisely. =-) We’ve been reading all about Koko, the famous gorilla who could communicate easily with humans by using sign language. His best friend was a little kitten. The kids are mesmerized by his story. They are looking forward to seeing selected pieces from a DVD about Koko’s life.
***There are so many fun activities and events over the next two weeks, from two more hiking field trips to observe our urban habitat to stuffed animal day, a picnic in the park and Field Day. I will be sending a separate letter outlining our final activities of the year this week.
***In the meantime, please remember that our Audubon Society led field trip to Oaks Bottom is scheduled for THIS Friday from 10am to 3pm. Everyone will need a small backpack, a water bottle and a sack lunch. We’re excited!
Room 5 Notes by M.L. Amsbury
The May story poem is:
5 little pansies growing by the lake.
The 1st one said, “I love a sun break.”
The 2nd one said, “We’re all standing in a row.”
The 3rd one said, “Watch us grow & grow & grow.”
The 4th one said, “Here comes a thunder cloud.”
The 5th one said, “Oh, my, that sound is loud!”
Then o-o-o-o-o went the wind, and OUT went the light.
And the five little pansies, shivered in the night.
As the weather continues to be very unpredictable, I appreciate that the students have with them a variety of clothing changes. Shorts and short sleeved shirts are great for the warmest days, long pants and long sleeve shirts keep the chill off of the students as they travel to and from school on cool mornings and afternoons.
News from Room 23-Mrs. Keefer & Mrs. Nicholl
The Oregon Trail Gallery was well attended. We had 23/25 families represented! We are so proud of all their hard work. Their projects showed their talents and knowledge! We were very pleased. Thank you for coming and supporting your children and our program. We will be sending home the projects this Friday. Please plan to help your child get them home.
The cursive handwriting is done this week. For any student missing handwriting, a volunteer made copies for them. They were put in their mailboxes on Thursday, May 22. Please get them in by May 30th. Thanks!
This week is the last week of homework. This week’s homework is cursive Z, their names in cursive, and a book report (due 6/2).
Music and Technology Notes from Mr. Jamesbarry
I just want to start by saying congratulations to all the student who participated in this year’s talent show. I think it was a huge success and showcased many of the talents of Lewis students. I to say how proud I am of the Band, Strings, Recorder Club and Boomin’ Beats. This has been a great working with all of you. I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I have.
We are fast approaching the end of the school year. This means returning school instruments. If you played in Band or Strings you need to return your instruments by the end of this week. You can keep your books and any supplies you may have purchased. There are no more rehearsals or concerts scheduled for these groups. Recorder Club members you have all purchased your own recorder this year, so you should have nothing to turn in to me. There is also no more classes scheduled for this year, so sleep in on Wednesday. Boomin’ Beats you do have two more concerts to play. This Friday the Boomin’ Beats are opening the Lewis School BBQ & Picnic. We are scheduled to play from 5:30 - 6:00 PM. You should have received a letter on Tuesday with all the details. Your second concert is for Ms. Leake’s 2nd grade class. This will be an in-school performance and I will have details for you this week.