All School Photo for Sale

The all-school photo taken at Ash Street Field is on display in the school office and copies are available for sale. An 8 x 14 sells for $12, an 8 x 24 for $25.  You may order a copy of the photo in the office. Please make checks payable to Craig Huston Photography. Orders are due by 9 a.m., Tues., June 3rd.

 

 

 

Future of FGCS

Dear FGCS Families: It was good seeing some of you at our discussion on the future of FGCS at the city library last week. We covered a range of topics, from development of our high school program to homework to the importance of physical activity and the arts to our children's education.

For those of you who were unable to attend, I'm sending a link to a document I handed out at the meeting that covers most of the topics we discussed. http://www.fgcschool.org/documents/index.php (Find the FGCS Future Prospectus document under the Mission and Planning heading) .

If you're unable to access the link directly, please go to the Documents page at www.fgcschool.org or ask for a copy of the document in the office.

A couple of highlights:

Start Time: We have decided to begin the school day earlier next year to make it possible for our middle/high school students to participate in after-school sports and activities at other district schools. School will begin at 8 a.m. Release times will continue to be staggered: Level 1 will release at 2:15, Level 2 will release at 2:30, Level 3 (7th and 8th graders) will release at 2:45, and Level 4 (9th and 10th graders) will release at 2:45 as well. This was a difficult decision to make, recognizing that research shows that adolescents and teens need more sleep and might benefit from a later start. However, it is this same age group that has expressed interest in participating in district sports and activities, so we are trying to balance competing needs. We will assess the change over the next school year and, as always, welcome your feedback.

Homework: In response to feedback from parents, we are modifying our homework policy. Students, parents and teachers will work together to determine what homework students will be expected to complete.

Please feel free to contact me at v.gray@fgcschool.org or 503-359-4600 if you have any questions.

Vanessa

Correction

FGCS Theater Performance        

The performance is this Friday, May 30, at 7pm at Theater in the Grove, located at 2028 Pacific Avenue. 

 

 

 

FGCS News Items

Students Painting/Allergy Alert

Students will begin painting wooden silhouettes of their classroom birds the week of 5/26 as part of an outdoor art project being directed by our fabulous art teacher Teresa Perrin. Painting will take place during regularly scheduled art classes over two weeks' time.

Please make sure your students wear grubby clothes on the day they have art class (schedule below) because they will be painting with non-washable outdoor paint. Important Note: Students will be using latex paint - if your student has an allergy to latex that would preclude him/her from participating in the project, please notify the office and the student's classroom teacher immediately. Questions? Contact Karen at 503-359-4600 or k.torry@fgcschool.org.

Art Class Schedule

Monday - Veronica's Class

Tuesday - Sherry's Class

Wednesday - Rachel's Class & Level 3*

Thursday - Charlie's Class

Friday - Level 3*

John's and Megan's classes alternate art class on Wednesdays and Fridays - please contact John and Megan to verify art days for your students over the next two weeks.

Family-School Committee Meeting Weds., 5/28

Wednesday, May 28th, is the final Family-School Committee meeting for
this school year. We would like to invite you to meet in Rachel's
room for one hour, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

We will be discussing the development - for next year - of four
subcommittees. Some of these sub-groups will be helping with events
all year, but some are only for a couple of events.

We will be looking for adult family members to join at least one of
the folllowing subcommittees of the Family-School Committee: Family
Resources, Socials, Celebrations & Recognitions, and Classroom Support
(Room Parents, etc.). Each group will determine how often they need
to meet, how they will communicate, who will report back to the
Family-School Committee, and for which tasks they will be responsible.
Each group will have support from the general Family-School Committee
and staff members.

Please join this effort to develop our school community - hope to see you on Wednesday!

FGCS Theater Performance

You are cordially invited to a free theater performance presented by a group of our Level 2 and 3 students at 7 p.m. this Friday, May 3, at Theater in the Grove, located at 2028 Pacific Avenue. These students have been participating in an after-school theater class led by Jeanna Van Dyke, director of the TITG School of Theater Arts. Please note: The performance is a series of monologues and vignettes dealing with bullying, rumors and other issues in the lives of adolescents and teens, so may not be suitable for for younger children.

Update Items

Lost & Found: Like Himalayan blackberries or dandelions, no matter how much we try to get rid of it, the Lost & Found pile keeps coming back. Please stop by the foyer on the main floor this week to check for those missing jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets and miscellaneous items. Anything unclaimed will be donated to our Out & About closet or a local clothes closet serving disadvantaged families. Questions? Contact Karen at 503-359-4600 or k.torry at fgcschool.org.

P.S. One good way to help you student avoid losing jackets, etc., is to label them with his/her name - that way I can return the item to the right person.

Spirit Day: This Friday, May 23rd, is Spirit Day and this month's theme, selected by staff, is Hangin' at the Beach. In Oregon, we're more likely to wear fleece jackets than bikinis at the beach but please make sure your student knows that whatever they wear should be 'school appropriate,' meaning that outfits shouldn't expose a lot of skin and should be something the student can comfortably wear to the library for All School Meeting. Contact Karen at 503-359-4600 or k.torry at fgcschool.org with questions.

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

The Scholastics Buy 1-Get 1 Free Book Fair is coming to FGCS next week. Volunteers are needed Tuesday through Friday to set up the fair, sell books and pack up again at the end of the event. Volunteer sign-up sheets are posted in the west hallway (where students enter in the morning). Questions? Contact Shannon Carskadon at shannon_carskadon at msn.com.

Volunteers Needed for Outdoor Art Project

Dear FGCS families and friends:

Teresa, our art teacher, is heading up an ambitious outdoor art project with our students and she needs your help. The project entails creating wood silhouettes (one for each student!) of the six birds for which our classrooms are named: barn swallows, tree swallows, peregrine falcons, kestrels, great horned owls and barn owls. The silhouettes will be painted by students and mounted on the fence surrounding our play yard.

Here's what Teresa needs:

1. Volunteers who own and know how to use scroll saws to help cut out the silhouettes (Teresa has templates to make cutting the shapes easier).

2. Donations of colorful outdoor paint (preferably low- or no-VOC) for students to paint the wood silhouettes.

3. Volunteers to help install the silhouettes on the fence, probably during the last week of school.

Please email Teresa at t.perrin at fgcschool.org or call to leave a message for her at 503-359-4600. Thanks for your help!

All School Photo Monday May 12

Dear families: On Monday, May 12, the entire school - students, teachers and staff - will trek to Ash Street Field for an all-school photograph. Copies of the photo will be available for sale - details to follow.

If for any reason you do not want your student to participate in the all-school photo, please notify the office as soon as possible at 503-359-4600.

High School Information Meeting - Reminder

A reminder that an informational meeting about the development of our high school program is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 in the Rogers Room at the Forest Grove City Library. An earlier newsletter included an incorrect date. If you have questions about the meeting, please contact Vanessa Gray at v.gray at fgcschool.org or 503-359-4600.

April Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS – MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Family-School Committee

The Family-School Committee (the FGCS version of a PTO) will be meeting Wednesday, April 30 from6:30 to 7:30. We are eager for more parents to become part of this organization – please join us!

Cookies, Coffee and Cocoa

Please join Community School families, teachers and staff for our 2^nd Cookies, Coffee and Cocoa Social scheduled for 5:30-7:00 p.m. Friday, May 2^nd. To accommodate as many families as possible, this event is not being held at school but will take place at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ at 2032 College Way. If you have questions, please contact Vanessa at 503-359-4600 or v.gray@fgcschool.org.

Future of FGCS Discussion

Vanessa Gray will host a discussion about the future of our school, focused in particular on plans for the high school program. This is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20th at the Forest Grove City Library's Rogers Room. The conversation, led by Vanessa, will cover future growth of the school in general but focus particularly on development of our high school program.

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is returning Tuesday, May 26-Thursday, May 28. At this sale, you get one free book or other item for every one you buy. Volunteers are needed to help with the fair at the following times:

Mon., May 25 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (set up in the foyer)

Tues., May 26 8-8:50 a.m. and 3:05-4 p.m.

Weds., May 27 8-8:50 a.m. and 3:05-4 p.m.

Thurs., May 28 8-8:50 a.m. and 3:05-7 p.m. (sign up for as much time as you can spare)

Fri., May 29 9 a.m. (pack up away the fair materials and put the foyer back in order)

To volunteer, please call Shannon Carskadon at 503-312-4421 or Shannon_Carskadon@msn.com.

NEWS

State Testing

State-mandated testing in reading, math and science is underway. All students 3^rd grade and older will take tests in reading and math; 5^th and 8^th graders will also take a science test. We want to share our philosophy about testing. Our perspective is that standardized tests are one mode of assessment among many and can provide useful information about student performance. Teachers have worked to help students feel prepared for testing without “teaching to the test” or over-emphasizing the importance of this particular type of assessment. We will use test scores as one tool to identify strengths and areas where students need additional help. Please contact Vanessa or your child’s classroom teacher if you have questions or would like more information about your student’s participation in testing.

FGCS Expanding Next Year

Our school community will be growing in the coming year. We will be “growing up” our Level 3 to include 10^th graders, with classes divided next year into 7^th/8^th and 9^th/10^th groups. In addition, we plan to add one classroom each at Level 1 (ages 6, 7 and 8, or 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grades) and Level 2 (ages 9, 10 and 11 or grades 4^th 5^th and 6^th). We will soon begin the process of hiring new teachers and are already in the process of recruiting new students. Please pass the word to your friends and family members. Enrollment forms are available online at www.fgcschool.org or in the school office.

REMINDERS

Rain Gear Required!

Students at the Community School go outside every day, rain or shine, for recess, Out & About, field research and sometimes just for a brisk walk to get their hearts pumping and their brains humming. Downpours and hailstorms we try to avoid, but otherwise we feel that fresh air and movement is critical to learning, not to mention just feeling good throughout the day. Please be sure your students come to school every day equipped for wet weather with waterproof or water-resistant shoes and jacket.

Contact Information

Please notify the office and your student’s classroom teacher immediately if there is any change in your address, telephone number, email address or if you make any changes in arrangements for picking up your student. Please always call as soon as possible if you know you will be late. Many younger students feel anxious if parents don’t arrive when expected. If you arrive late, please park and come into the office to pick up your student.