We're Nearly There!

With the final week approaching, there are a number of last minute items we are trying to wrap up in class. The students have been working diligently on their "Utopia Projects" and did an amazing job with our Maya simulation (special shout out to Mayapan for having the largest population of all our city-states). Human growth and development has also gone very well; I think most of the students are relieved we are almost done! 

Now we just have about 500 more things to finish before next Thursday. Here's a break down of the next week. Our student leadership also wanted to have a spirit week, so there are themes for each day. 

Friday, June 7: 

• Spirit Day: Wear green, our house color
• Last day of human growth and development
• Wrap up Personal Finance unit
• Return Oaks Park permission slips and $5
• Attend 6th grade dance, 7-9:00 pm in the OPE gym

Monday, June 10: "Camp Day"- wear outdoorsy clothes

• Turn in final draft of Newbery book report
• Wrap up Utopia Project?
• Finish end-of the year writing assessment

Tuesday, June 11: "Beach Day"- dress like your headed to the beach

• Go to SHS to watch, Ralph Breaks the Internet
• Present Utopia Project
• First round of desk clean-outs

Wednesday, June 12: "Sports Day"

• Final Desk/Cubby Clean-out
• Yearbook distribution and signing (bring fun pens!)
• Kickball tournament with professional kickball pitcher (for reals!)

Thursday, June 13: "Bright Colors/Tie Dye Day" - wear your tie-dye to Oaks Park

• Oaks Park field trip- all day. Please pack a lunch and dress accordingly. Electronics, but NO social media, allowed.

Friday, June 14: "Hat & Sunglasses Day"- Their future's so bright, they gotta wear shades!

• Last day of elementary school
• Class Awards and fun activities
• Early Release at 12:45

The Beginning of the End

With less than three weeks remaining, we have a lot to cover! Here are a few quick updates for this week. 

Tie-Dying T-Shirts

Please remember, we would like all students to bring plain white t-shirts to tie-dye by Thursday. The tie-dying will be happening on Friday. I have a few parents who have volunteered to help, but we could always use more! Please let me know if you are available to help out. 

Human Growth & Development

Last Thursday, I sent home a letter informing parents of our upcoming human growth and development unit. If you did not receive your letter, please note we will begin instruction on Monday, June 3 and finish on June 7. If you would NOT like you student to receive instruction in this area, or if you have questions, please let me know. I am more than happy to share information about our curriculum with those of you who are curious. Our curriculum materials are also available to view in the main office. 

OPPO 6th Grade Dance

This afternoon, I also sent home information about the upcoming "Under the Sea" semi-formal dance, being held on June 7, from 7-9 pm. This is an Otto Petersen Parent Organization sponsored event, but being that I also have a sixth grader, I will be in attendance. I am so excited to watch a bunch of nervous sixth grader stand around awkwardly for two hours.

If you would like to join in the fun, our OPPO president is looking for background cleared volunteers to chaperone. Please send Jessica Townsend an email at ottopetersenpresident@gmail.com if you would like to help out. 

End of the Year Units

These last few weeks of school we will be working on a number of projects. If your student was in my enrichment class (they know who they are), they have been assigned a book report. I will be going over the due dates tomorrow, but for parents who like to keep their kids organized, these are due on Friday, June 7th. Most students have already finished reading their books. At this point, they need to finish the rough drafts for homework, and start the final drafts once I have cleared their rough draft work. Rough drafts should be finished by Monday, June 3rd.

In social studies, we are well into our Maya simulation. The students are doing an AMAZING job participating in the different jobs and activities required for this unit. I have been very impressed! We will wrap up the year with a quick study of Aztec and Inca civilizations, as well. 

Students working hard during the Maya simulation.

For language arts, the students are working to create Utopian societies. Many are working in groups to design what they feel is the best community. This unit builds on our work with The Giver and many of the other texts I read aloud in class (I have a great love of dystopian literature). It is a lot of fun to watch these kids think through the intricacies of designing a "perfect world". The students will finish outlining their work this week and will then type up a report next week. The last week of school will be committed to the students presenting their utopias to their classmates. I can't wait!

Why Don't I Update My Blog in May?

This appears to be a problem. I do not do enough blog posts at the end of the school year! We are so busy, it seems to be impossible to get to my desk and write out what we are doing and what is coming in the weeks ahead.

Proof we are still working hard!

The last few weeks we have finished state testing, are nearly finished with our project for The Giver, have started a book report, are in the middle of our final science rotation (cells, with Mrs. Baker), and took our math placement tests for middle school (don't worry...they also take teacher recommendations)! 

In the coming weeks we still have a lot to cover. This week we are finally starting our Maya simulation for social studies. We are also going to continue not having standard writing homework, as most of the class is working on reading/drafting books reports. If your students work with the Title I department for reading, this was not assigned to their group. In addition, the math teachers are all working on wrapping up geometry and statistics before the end of the year. 

We have other fun units planned, as well. We are going to be working on a personal finance project, a few fun writing tasks, and I sent home information about tie-dying t-shirts for our trip to Oaks Park. Also, be sure to ask your students for their permission slips for this Friday's movie. Mr. May and I have teamed up to show The Giver. It is rated PG-13, so if you'd like your student to opt out, we will have another film The Wizard of Oz available. We will ask students to complete compare/contrast activities after watching the films. 

On Friday, we also have field day. Encourage your students to wear green- our house color. I am really looking forward to this event and hoping for great weather. Do make sure your students dress accordingly. They will be outside for a couple of hours. 

Please let me know if you have any questions for the end of the year. It will be a busy, but guaranteed fun, last few weeks!

Mixing It Up!

With state testing coming soon, we have switched gears this week to give us time to prepare. In language arts we started reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. Students will report on their understanding of the text through "matchbook summaries", or short explanations of each chapter accompanied by simple drawings to symbolize the key points of the story. This project is a nice break from our weekly reading menus and skills tests. We are only two chapters in, but most of the kids are already "hooked". If you notice fewer grades for language arts, it is due to the duration of this project. 

State Testing 

Next week is state testing. We are trying to minimize the impact of testing on our schedule with a new approach. Rather than many short sessions to complete the tests, we are doing a week of two-hour testing sessions. I have decided to break our mornings up as follows:

Day One: Math Multiple Choice (1 Hour)
                Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Two: Math Multiple Choice (1 Hour)
                Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Three: Finish Math Multiple Choice/Start ELA Multiple Choice (1 Hour)

                   Math Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Four: Language Arts Multiple Choice (1 Hour)

                 Finish Math Performance Task/Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Five: Finish Language Arts Multiple Choice (1 Hour)

                 Finish Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Don't worry- I'll keep track of all of this for your students! They are ready, and I know they will do well. What I do need from families is the following:

• Students need to be to school ON TIME. We start testing first thing in the morning. 
• Please make sure your students have a healthy breakfast and snacks. 
• Please also try to get them to bed at a good time and let me know if your child has any concerns before taking the test. 
• If your students have not brought headphones to school, please make sure they have a comfortable pair.
• If it is reasonable for your family, I would prefer no cell phones next week. They MUST be turned off and in backpacks during the testing session. It is a state requirement. If your student needs their cell phone, please help remind them to keep it off during the school day. I will do checks in the morning, as well.  

We will NOT have homework next week. I want kids to go home and play! They will need a break in the afternoon. An hour of running around outside is what I most wish for next week's after school time. 

In the classroom we will spend our afternoon working on fun projects, including more work with The Giver, a new social studies unit, and a special art project. 

Thank you so much for your support!

Final Notes

Friday is House Color Day. We are House Integrity and our color is green. We voted on a house mascot; it is a rising phoenix. On Friday, we will have our second house meeting, where we work to create norms for our groups. 

Look at all our 80's school spirit!

Finally, we will be sending home two important pieces of paper by the week's end. The first is a yearbook order form. The second is our final Scrip order of the year. We are still a few hundred dollars shy of meeting our goal for a fully funded end-of-year field trip. Please take a minute to look through the Scrip order form to see if you would like to purchase some gift cards. 

Thank Goodness Spring is Here!

Even with the rainy forecast, it is so nice to walk into school without the bitter cold wind biting at my skin. What a difference the change of seasons makes! 

As we move into the final quarter of the year, I want to thank you for your continued support. This is the end of elementary school, and the excitement is tangible. As with every year, please make sure to check in with your students frequently about the work, behavior, and stress in and around school. Your children are going through A LOT of changes right now; it can get a little stressful. As always, I am here to help. 

Spring Conferences

On that note, next week week we have spring conferences. I will be reaching out to parents by week's end if I feel your student needs a conference. If you do not hear from me, but have concerns, please let me know and I'll add you to the schedule. We have no school this Friday (April 5) or next Friday (April 12) to allow for progress report preparation and conferences. We will also hold conferences on Thursday evening of next week (April 11). If you are invited to a conference, it is likely due to concerns around work habits and organizational skills not in place for middle school.

Paperwork 

Yesterday, I sent home two pieces of paperwork: spring photo order forms and a permission slip for the end-of-the-year movie. Photos are only for students who return an order form. Please have the paperwork returned by the end of the week. Today, I will be sending home information about an Easter Egg Hunt, and an opportunity for our sixth graders to volunteer at the event. 

Spirit Day

Tomorrow is our April spirit day. Get out your photo albums and look back at all the greatest fashion trends of the 80's! In addition to our typical spirit day events, we are adding a new element to our school's positive behavior support plan: School Houses. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, or British school stories, you might be familiar with a house system. We have divided the school into six houses named for the character traits focused on in our building. Each house is comprised of one fourth, fifth, and sixth grade class. We have teachers and support staff in the houses, as well. We will be having our first Integrity House meeting tomorrow, where we come up with a motto, before our spirit assembly. If you have questions, be sure to ask your students more information. I am really looking forward to using this model to increase positive behavior in our building. 

Homework

Tomorrow, you should also expect a writing homework assignment. With the crazy weather and schedule of March we got a little off track. Please expect weekly writing assignments for the month of April. Remember, they are due on Thursday morning!

Have a great week!

Outdoor School

It's finally here: the panic of preparing for Outdoor School! This afternoon, your student will be bringing home a set of reminders for Outdoor School (ODS). If your student left early for group or is in band on Wednesday afternoons, I will make sure they get their paper reminders tomorrow. The paperwork includes an additional copy of the packing list, important reminders of dates and times, and information about how to mail your student a letter. We are also looking for volunteers to help with luggage. Please let me know if you can help!

In addition to the supply list items, our camp director has let me know that he's really into baseball. He encouraged kids to bring their softball/baseball mitts if they have one at home. I can't wait to show off my amazing ability to throw a baseball/softball about two feet in front of myself! I know we have a lot of baseball/softball players in our room, so I was excited to share this information with kids.

Also, we will be attending with another school: Aloha/Huber Park. This is a K-8 school not far from where I used to live in Beaverton. I think this will offer our kiddos a great opportunity to make friends with students from "over the hill". In addition, it puts added pressure on us to be excellent representatives of our school and community. I know these kids will rise to the occasion.

I am so excited to bring this opportunity to your students. Please let me know if you have additional concerns or needs. I'm here to help!

A Couple More Quick Announcements

On Friday we will be making up Lorax Day from last week. Students are invited to wear mustaches (not too distracting please) and the color orange. We will hold our spirit assembly that afternoon.

Our class had the largest amount of donations for Doernbecker Days and have earned a pizza party! We will be treated to some Dominos on Friday before lunch. I put in a request for one gluten free pizza, but I didn't make any other special requests. I would still send your students with lunch, as I'm not sure how many slices each kiddo will get.

Finally, the fourth grade is holding their annual clam chowder sale. Order forms went home late last week. If your student would like to participate, the money will help support fourth grade field trips.

No Snow? Let's Go!

Outdoor School Parent Night

                                                   

On Wednesday, February 13th, we will be holding the Outdoor School Parent Night in the cafeteria, from 6-7:00 pm. The sixth grade teachers will present information on what to pack, what to expect, and what to plan for the week of ODS. In addition, we will be providing all the forms necessary to get your kiddos to camp. We are looking forward to seeing you there. If you are concerned about being able to attend that evening, forms will be available for the rest of the students on Thursday. Please have these filled out and returned to the school by Tuesday, February 19th.

Middle School Information Night and Forecasting

Yep, that's right...your student is almost a middle schooler! The last week of February, we will have visitors from the middle school to present information on how to choose electives and prepare for middle school. Please expect your student to bring home a course listing and sign up form that week. I believe SMS will also be holding a parent information night. As soon as the date and time have been communicated, I will forward on that information. 

Fundraisers

I sent home two pieces of information with students on Friday afternoon. The first was a Box Top form and the second was a Scrip order. The Box Tops are due back before the end of the month. The Scrip order is due no later than Tuesday morning (February 12). Additional Scrip order forms can be found here. The order will be ready for pickup on Thursday, February 14th. The sixth grade team greatly appreciates your support. 

                                               

The high school is also holding its annual Doernbecher Days fundraiser. Throughout February, there are a ton of events to help raise money to support this charity. Check out the SHS website for more information here, including times for the annual talent show try-outs on Wednesday. If you would like to support the efforts of our high school leaders, we also have a Doernbecher Days jar in our classroom for coin donations. So far, we have $3! Let's keep those donations rolling in!

Hoop-A-Thon winners will also be announced this week. If your student still has an envelope lurking in their backpacks, and would like to submit donations, I am sure the OPPO would take last minute turn-ins. Thank you to all the families that supported this event. It was a lot of fun! 

Classroom Happenings

We rocked it on 'Hoodie Day' with 100% Participation

This week, we wrapped up our Civil Rights unit. The students did a wonderful job reading, discussing, and responding to events having to do with this important part of our nation's history. Rather than assigning a new writing homework, students were asked to complete their Freedom Walkers project. I have included the assignment description HERE. Most of the class had a very good start on the project, with just the final draft responses needing to be copied over to their "foldable" (they should know what this means). These are due back to school on Thursday morning.

For the remainder of the year, most of the writing homework assignments will be persuasive pieces. These are my favorite prompts; I love reading what the students have to say about the topics we cover. I highly encourage you to read your student's writing. Their insights are fresh, thoughtful, and often chuckle worthy. 

We will also be starting our fourth round of science rotations this month with Mr. May's roller coaster unit. We will start our social studies unit on human migration and settlement in the Americas, and have a number of interesting pieces coming up in our language arts adoption. It should be a busy and engaging spring. 

                                   

We will be holding a Valentine's Day celebration in the sixth grade. For 30 minutes, I will host treats and Valentine's distribution in the classroom. A class list was sent home on Friday, but I have more copies if your student did not receive one. We will make Valentine's boxes in class early this week.

If you are available to help make Italian sodas, I would greatly appreciate the help. I will begin setting up at 1:35, during afternoon recess. I will also need a clean up crew to stick around after our classroom celebration to take care of the mess. 

You might call the rest of the celebration a dance, but it's mostly just music blaring while kids stand around talking and playing games in the gym. A perfect event for the sixth grade! Feel free to join the sixth grade teachers in the gym from 2:20-2:50. It should be all kinds of fun!

Civil Rights Movement Scavenger Hunt

Use the link below to access the online scavenger hunt. Be sure to carefully record your answers on the record sheet provided. 

Scavenger Hunt Link

Hoop-a-Thon is On!

Last week, we held our kick-off assembly for the annual Hoop-a-Thon, our school's biggest fundraiser of the year. I hope you received the information sheet and envelope from your students. Families can continue to collect donations through the week of the event, January 22-24. The donation envelopes are due back to the school on February 1st.

There are a lot of great prizes, but the class with the most donations will win a basketball cookie party. I would like to encourage all the kids to try to gather at least one small donation for this event and try to win this cookie party!!

If you would like to volunteer at the Hoop-a-Thon, the sign-up link is here. It is a lot of fun to watch the kids shoot hoops. I am always astounded by their awesome shooting skills. Mr. Girres does a great job preparing them for the event.

Lately in Class...

With only two days last week, I had to get creative with our lessons. I found this great art project and article about Rosie the Riveter, the iconic woman from the image below. We kept the theme going by completing a health lesson on goal setting and having a "can do" attitude. It was a lot of fun, and as you can see, the kids did a great job on this project!

I also sent home the first homework assignment of the new year. It was a simple note taking task to help prepare for next week's writing assignment. The students will be asked to write a five-paragraph essay on personal hygiene for middle schoolers. As with most of our writing homework assignments, they will be due back on Thursday morning. 

This week we got back into the swing of things by working on another story from our language arts adoption, and we started a new science rotation with Mrs. Ashley's maternity leave substitute, Mrs. Rice. Altogether, it has been a highly productive week. It was great to have a break, but it has been nice to return to my students and start the new year off strong. I am looking forward to an excellent 2019!

- Ms. Kinsman

Look at All the School We Have!

Families, I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break. I know we are all going to need the rest, given the busy weeks we have ahead. I have a few reminders for next week and some mention of upcoming events.

Homework

Thank you to those students who returned their Country Report Extension Project assignment papers. We will be wrapping up the writing portion of the project this week and will start the Extension Project presentations on Friday. Remember, this is not a formal speech. More an opportunity for the students to share their learning and get feedback from their peers. 

On Friday, I will send home a regular writing homework. It will be due back December 6th, followed by a second writing assignment due on the 13th. I will probably send home a short writing assignment on the 14th to turn in before Christmas break starts on the 19th. 

Service Learning & Fundraising

There are many service learning and fundraising projects happening in the coming weeks. The leadership and KC clubs are heading up a can drive, blanket collection project, and are supporting our Scrip drive. In addition, the fifth grade will be holding a book fair December 3-7th. Finally, the OPPO will be holding Santa's workshop from December 10-14th. I know they are looking for parent volunteers if you are interested in helping out. 

Christmas Party

The sixth grade will be holding a Christmas party on December 19th. Like the Halloween celebration, it will be held at the end of the day, from 2:00-2:50. I know I have one parent volunteer, but if you are interested in helping out, please let me know. 

On the note of volunteers, now that Mrs. Chase (our amazing and wonderful student teacher) is done with her placement, I will be needing more parent volunteer support. If you completed a volunteer form at Back-to-School Night, you might be receiving an email with a request for help.

Have a wonderful week!
-Ms. Kinsman

NOvember

NOvember

Yep, that's right. Get your babysitters on speed dial. It's No School November. The students and I went through their planners and marked the days we will be missing school. I've also included a list below. While I miss the working with the kids on those days, I am looking forward to conferences and the holiday season.

November 8-9: Conferences
November 12: Veteran's Day
November 21-23: Thanksgiving Holiday Break

Halloween

Thank you to all the parents who helped make our Halloween party a success. The kids' costumes were great, and the team felt like the students had a lot of fun. 

Scrip

Scrip orders are due on Monday. If you are interested in ordering Scrip, I have included a link to the form here. Please be sure to make your checks out to Otto Petersen. We will be planning two more orders before winter break, as well. There will be plenty of time to get your holiday gift cards before Christmas.

Conferences

At this year's conference, we will be reviewing your student's progress report and discussing any concerns and/or goals you have for your child. I would like to invite students to attend. Ultimately, they are the one who decides their success! If you would prefer not to have your child present, I understand. I am also comfortable asking the student to step out for a moment if necessary. I am looking forward to meeting with all the families this year.  

Awesome October

Halloween

Wow! Our first holiday of the year is already upon us, and the sixth grade teachers could use your help! Below, I have included a list of tasks that could use the support of some parent helpers. Again, if you are interested in one of the specific tasks below, please let me know. 

Our party will run from 2:00-2:50 on Wednesday, October 31. If you are coming to the party, you MUST have a background check on file and check in at the front desk before coming upstairs. 

Halloween Party Tasks 

• Go to Winco to purchase 60 reasonable priced, but decent tasting apples. Also purchase enough small caramels (bulk) and cheesy popcorn (popped and cheap!) for the whole sixth grade student body (about 165 students).

• Arrive before party to cut apples

• Stay through party to pass out food

• Stay after party to help clean up

The students are welcome to wear costumes to school on Halloween, but please remember: no gore, weapons, or masks. We are also asking students to NOT to apply make-up during the school day (this includes using markers to decorate your body!). 

Google Accounts

I was hoping our district would be establishing Google Accounts for our students this fall. Unfortunately, it looks like this may not be the case. In the meantime, I have a project I would like the students to work on, which really works much better if they have a Google account. As a result, I am asking families if they could please create an account in the meantime. I will be sending home a form with your student on how to accomplish this task. If your child already has an account, they can use that. Please watch for this form before the end of the week.

Look at all the fun we have learning with technology! This is the class studying vocabulary with  Quizlet!

Progress Reports and Conference Scheduling

Next Friday, November 2, we have no school. This is to give teachers time to prepare progress reports for fall conferences the following week (November 8-9). The progress report is new to elementary schools, and I am still learning about this process. However, I am looking forward to sharing information about your student's progress at conferences. 

Conference scheduling is also different this year. Rather than sending home a sign-up request, parents will be able to log into Signup.com to schedule a time. I will be sending home more information about this process soon. In addition, watch for information in the school's newsletter. 

Fundraisers!

Thank you to all the families who supported our first round of Scrip fundraising. A special thanks needs to be extended to Anne P. and Mindy H. (parents) for helping make sure our order was picked up and organized. The sixth grade team appreciates you participation! 

Our next round of orders will go out the week of November 5th. I will have order forms available at the OPPO's Thirsty Thursday event and will send home notification next week. I know the OPPO would love to see you there, as well! Their support helps keep our field trip costs down and provides classroom monies for supplies. It is a super fun event; I look forward to seeing you there!

How Has it Already Been More Than a Month?

Busy Sixth Graders

Time is flying by in sixth grade! We have been working hard and have now moved more into the routines of the school year. This includes our weekly writing homework expectations, more science and social studies instruction, and a nearly a full unit from our language arts curriculum. 

Our biggest project of the first quarter, the partner interview, is also well underway. Student pairs have been meeting to interview one another in order to create a narrated slide show about their peer. This week, the students will be finishing up their scripts, and will hopefully begin the technology portion of the project before the week's end. My hope is to be able to have the work completed by fall conferences so families can see what their students produced.

Scrip Sale

This week, we should also be sending home information about our first Scrip sale. Please join sixth grade families in supporting our effort to fund raise for an end-of-the-year celebration trip to Oaks Amusement Park. If you have never purchased Scrip before, it easy! Here's how it works:

1. Choose from a number of gift cards available through the Scrip program. They have a number of local options, including Fred Meyer, Papa Murphy's, and Starbucks.

2. Fill out a Scrip order form. If your student forgot their form, you may use the following link HERE, or pick up a form from the main office.

3. Send your order form, and a check or cash payment back to school with your student by Monday, October 15th. Please make checks payable to Otto Petersen Elementary.

4. Orders will be sent home or ready for pick-up on October 19th.

Halloween is Coming

Halloween is just around the corner. If you are interested in helping out with our team party, please feel free to send me an email. I will also reach out to parents who filled out 'Parties' on the volunteer form. If you have time to run errands, like picking up paper supplies and food items for the party, please also let me know. We will hold a the grade level celebration on Wednesday, October 31st, from 1:55-2:50.

The Business of Being in Ms. Kinsman's Room

We are now well underway and having a great time. Again, I am so impressed with our class. They are working hard and adjusting well to the demands of sixth grade. 

I want to thank those families that made it to Back-to-School Night. Most of my presentation focused on work expectations, grading, and special sixth grade events- namely Outdoor School. I have included a slideshow about grading below. If you have any follow up questions or concerns please let me know. I do not have much information about Outdoor School at this point, other than we will be going sometime in the spring. As we hear more information, we will pass it onto families.

First, please note the link below. After Back-to-School night, families were provided with log on information for Synergy, our grade reporting software. As your students prepare for middle school, I think it is important for students and parents alike to be aware of how to check assignments. If you have problems logging in, please contact the main office, and they will help you out.

Secondly, it is important to understand how to interpret the ParentVue information. The program is not well suited for reporting proficiency grades (i.e. does your student exceed, meet, nearly meet, or does not meet the sixth grade standard). In order to help avoid confusion, I created the following guide. Please use this information when reviewing your student's scores. 

Again, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your child's performance. I want to ensure they all have a successful year!

Geography Links

Geographic Terms Slide Show

The True Size Of...

Oxfam Globe Unwrapped

PlaceSpotting

Back in Action

Whew! What an awesome first week we had! I am so impressed with all of your children and cannot say enough good things about our class. The kids were studious, enthusiastic, and dedicated all week. I hope they were able to get some rest this weekend. I know I was exhausted.

This week, we will be starting a more normal routine. We will start our regular language arts instruction, possibly start groups for math, and will continue with our first science and social studies units. I also will pass out our first writing homework for the year on Friday. I will make sure expectations for the homework are clear, but know that I will be going over this routine at our Back-to-School Night.

I also wanted to explain our specials schedule. Your student may have explained we are now following an ABC routine. Today is a B-Day, meaning we have library. Tomorrow we have P.E. I will be helping the students record the days in their planners each afternoon.

A-Day = Music
B-Day = Library
C-Day = P.E.

Thank you for returning all the forms for the beginning of the year. I am finding your notes, and the students reflections, to be very helpful. I am still familiarizing myself with each of your kiddo's needs, but if you have any concerns that have not yet been addressed, please let me know. 

Have a great week!
Ms. Kinsman

It's That Time Again

It is my favorite time of year: Back to School! Welcome to the sixth grade and to my class blog. I am so exited to have your student in my room this year and cannot wait to see their eager/excited/terrified/dread-filled/exhausted faces come Tuesday morning. I hope your students remember our fly-up day meeting from June and are excited and ready for sixth grade. I know I am!

Supplies

A couple of quick notes as we get prepared for the first week of school. We will not be holding a Meet the Teacher Night or a supply drop off. As a result, your students will need to haul all their supplies to the classroom on Tuesday morning. I'll have areas for supplies labeled and ready to go. Here's how I separate the supplies...

In Your Desk or Cubby (labeled with student’s name)	Storage (Items are for specific uses. Students will have access as needed)
Folders, Binder, Notebook Some Paper (about half a small pack) 10 Pencils Calculator Pencil Pouch/Box Colored Pencils Markers Scissors Highlighters Watercolors Glue	Dry Erase Marker Sharpies Extra Paper Extra Pencils White Paper Facial Tissue Hand Sanitizer Sanitizing Wipes Ziplock Bags Emergency Food/Water
Special Instructions	Special Items for Ms. Kinsman’s Class
Please put your headphones in a ziplock bag, and label it clearly with your name in Sharpie. I’ll store these in a special basket.	One spiral notebook One composition book

First Day of School

Drop off and pick up times have remained the same this year. Students enter the classroom at 8:15 am and are released at 3:00 pm. Please also make sure your student knows how they will be getting home on the first day of school. Here's a helpful link to the bus routes. Parent drop-off and pick-up is in front of the gym. Walkers will exit through the front doors.

On Tuesday afternoon, I will be sending home all types of information with your students. Just in case it doesn't make it home, I have included some of the documents below. It would be great to have this information returned by Friday morning, as it helps me to get to know your students and set them up for success. 

Class Notes

Whoooo is Your Child?

Whoooo Can Volunteer?

Welcome Back Scavenger Hunt

Back-to-School Night

For all other information about our day-to-day classroom procedures, please join us on Wednesday, September 19, from 6-7:30. I will provide a short, yet informative, presentation on myself and our classroom. It should answer questions about homework, grading, and fun events unique to the sixth grade. I will also be available to answer questions. 

If you have any concerns between now and back-to-school night, please do not hesitate to email or call. There is a 'contact me' link on the right side of the page, or you can call the school at 971-200-8003, ext. 3204. I always try to call or email back before the day is over.

We will see you soon!

-Ms. Kinsman

It's the End of the Year as We Know It

We are in the final weeks of school, and we are absolutely rocking it! Believe it or not, the students have been incredibly studious this last week, and we are already off to a great start this morning. We were luck to have a fun art literacy lesson on Friday and have many fun events coming up next week!

The Serious Stuff

A number of important assignments will be wrapped up over the next few days. This include a persuasive writing piece, the Newbery Book Reports, a persuasive writing assessment, and the final chapters of A Wrinkle in Time. In addition, we'll be finishing our nutrition unit and personal finance simulation. Be sure to be asking your students about how they did managing their checking and savings accounts!

The Fun Stuff

Here is a list of fun events the students have in the coming two weeks. If you would like to volunteer to chaperone the field trip, please let me know. I can bring five parent helpers this year, and I only have one spot reserved. 

Wednesday, June 6: 4th Grade Play and Final Spirit Assembly

Friday, June 8: Last Day of Math Groups

Monday, June 11: Kick-ball game (with professional kick-ball pitcher!)

Tuesday, June 12: Fly-Up Day (morning)

Wednesday, June 13: Field Day & Staff vs. Student Volleyball Game

Thursday, June 14: All day field trip to Oaks Park

Friday, June 15: Last Day of School; Dismissal at 12:45

What to Expect at the End of the Year

Book Reports & Homework

This week, students should have finished reading their Newbery Award winning titles. We have been working on the rough draft of the book report in class, and will continue to work on finishing the final draft next week. 

I originally thought we would have enough time in class to finish the reports by Tuesday, May 29, but with our busy schedule, there has not been enough class time to make this happen. In order to ensure the book reports are completed in a timely manner, I will NOT assign writing homework for next week. Instead, I will ask that students finish specific parts of the book report they are not able to finish in class. I will assign these parts each evening. Be sure to check with your students (and their planner...yep, we still fill these out each day) to see which portion of the project is due. If it has already been completed in class, your student will not have homework. 

Examples of the finished project.

Other Announcements

Please be checking in with your student about flyers and other end of the year communication in their mailboxes. Many forms about camps and summer events are being sent home each week. Today, an envelope to order yearbooks should be coming your way. If you have any questions about summer activities, please let me know. We have a number of great offerings in Scappoose.