Forest Grove Community School News: March 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Conferences & Other News

Dear FGCS Families:

Student-led conferences are scheduled for Thursday, April 9. Conferences for students in Levels 1, 2 and 3 will be from 9 a.m. to noon and from 5 to 8 p.m. High school parents are invited to an open house from 5-6 p.m. There is no school Thursday, April 9 or Friday, April 10.

Sign-up sheets for Level 1, 2 and 3 conferences will be available at the front desk tomorrow (Weds., April 1). Please come in or call the school office at 503-359-4600 to sign up for a half hour time slot.

Student-led conferences place students and their work at the center of the conference. At FGCS, we believe that students learn best if they are partners in their own education, so we have asked students to assume a more active role in assessing their work. Teachers are working with students this week and next so that they will be prepared to share with their work and discuss their progress with you. Teachers will be available to help students with their presentations, but the primary responsibility for the conference rests with the students.

If you would like to talk privately with your student's teacher, you may schedule a separate time on Fri., April 10 or another day. High school teachers have set aside time from 6-6:30 p.m. Thurs., April 9 and 12-1 p.m. Fri., April 10 for individual parent meetings. If you'd like to meet with more than one high school teacher, please contact your student's advisor to arrange a team meeting.

UPCOMING EVENTS
--Budget Meeting 7 p.m. Weds., April 8: The FGCS Board of Directors has scheduled a special meeting to discuss next year's budget. The meeting will take place in the high school modular building.

--Board Meeting 7 p.m. Tues., April 14: The FGCS Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of every month in the high school building. The meeting is open to the public and all are invited to attend. Agendas and minutes are posted on the Board page of the web site.

--PTO Meeting 7-8 p.m. Thurs., April 16: The FGCS Parent-Teacher Organization meets the third Thursday of every month in the high school building. The PTO is seeking individuals willing to serve in board positions next school year. For more information, please contact Tessa Anderson or Misty Lewis at fgcs_pto@yahoo.com.

--NO SCHOOL FRI., APRIL 24: This is an in-service day for our teachers.

REMINDERS
--PIZZA WEDNESDAY: Forms to order for Pizza Schmizza slices for lunch on Wednesdays are available at school or on the Documents page of the web site. Orders must be in the fundraising box in the main hallway by noon Tuesday to get pizza the following day; you may also order multiple weeks in advance. Slices are $2.50 each; choices include cheese, Don Ho and pepperoni. Proceeds from pizza sales benefit FGCS.
--

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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Correction: Budget Meeting

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The special budget meeting of the FGCS Board of Directors is scheduled
for 7 p.m. Weds., April 8, 2009 in the high school building. An
earlier message gave the wrong day. Sorry for any confusion!

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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

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Budget Meeting & Other News

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SPECIAL BOARD MEETING SCHEDULED
-The FGCS Board of Directors has scheduled a special budget meeting for 7 p.m. Tues., April 8, 2009, in our high school building. All are welcome. Board agendas and minutes of past meetings are posted on the Board page of our web site at www.fgcschool.org.

RETURNING STUDENT FORMS
-Tomorrow (Fri., 3/20) is the deadline for you to let us know whether you plan for your students to return to FGCS next year. We need this information to determine how many spaces we have available for new students. Forms are available in the school office or on the Documents page of the web site, or you can email your student's name, current teacher, grade next year and whether he/she will return to Karen at k.torry@fgcschool.org.

MARCH PTO MEETING CANCELED
-The PTO meeting scheduled for tonight (Thurs., 3/19) has been canceled because of scheduling conflicts. The next meeting will be Thurs., April 16 in the high school building.

LAST CALL FOR LOST & FOUND!
-Unclaimed items in our lost & found (located near the main student entrance) will be cleared out during spring break. Please come look for those missing jackets, gloves and water bottles.

HAPPY SPRING BREAK!
-School is out March 23-27, with classes resuming March 30.

NO SCHOOL APRIL 9, 10 and 24
-Student-led conferences are scheduled for April 9-10. No school those days. Please watch for information about signing up to attend a conference with your child.
-April 24 is an in-service day for our teachers. No school that day.

BRING US YOUR PHONE BOOKS, EARN $$ FOR FGCS
-Please bring in your old phone books and other mixed paper for recycling. FGCS gets paid by the pound for recycled paper - phone books, because they're heavy, are especially valuable. You can put paper right into the large green dumpster located in the school parking lot behind the high school building.

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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

PTO Meeting Canceled

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The meeting of the FGCS Parent-Teacher Organization, scheduled for
tomorrow (Thurs., March 19) has been canceled because of scheduling
conflicts. We apologize for the late notice and hope you all will be
able to attend future meetings, regularly scheduled for the third
Thursday of every month in the high school building.

The PTO is looking for people interested in serving in board
positions. The PTO is dedicated to supporting the students, teachers
and mission of the Forest Grove Community School. Nominations will be
made at the April meeting, with voting at the May meeting. For more
information, please contact Misty Lewis or Tessa Anderson at
fgcs_pto@yahoo.com.

Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

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Monday, March 16, 2009

H.S. Project Mentors Needed

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Dear FGCS Families and Friends - High school students in a
self-directed learning (SDL) class need adult mentors for their
individual research projects. Mentors will meet with students
occasionally to provide guidance and expertise and, if possible,
attend student presentations. Mentors can play important roles by
providing an 'outsider' perspective on students' school work or
helping them see how interests and passions can translate into jobs or
careers they may pursue as adults.

Below is a list of topics students are researching - if you can help,
know someone who might be able to or would like to learn more about
mentoring students in the SDL class, please contact Robin Lindsley at
r.lindsley@fgcschool.org. Thanks!
-----
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING STUDENT RESEARCH TOPICS

-Computer Animation: Using 'Blender' software to create a 3-D object
-Hebrew language studies
Videography: Making a video about horse drill
-West Point Academy/Civil Engineering
-Planning FGCS's 2009 Field Day
-Musical Instruments: Making a bass guitar
-Digital Art: Making art on a computer
-Photography and Art: Combining graffiti-style lettering with
photography
-Art Improving art skills
-Computer-based graphic design
-Fiction Writing/Publishing
-Horticulture

Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600; 503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

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Friday, March 13, 2009

News & Reminders

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IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDERS
Several of you have called our attention to safety concerns during dismissal time. Please observe the following practices to make sure all our children get home safely:
-- Do not idle in traffic lanes on Pacific Ave. or park in business lots, including the Bank of the West lot just east of school. Park in designated spots on the street or in city lots.
-- If your children self-release, please regularly review safe walking practices with them. We have received reports recently of students failing to observe traffic lights and crossing in the middle of the street (rather than in crosswalks). This is both a safety issue and a community relations concern. Student behavior - good or bad - reflects on the school, even when it occurs off school grounds after dismissal time.
-- As a reminder, city law prohibits skateboards and other wheeled vehicles on city sidewalks in the main business district. FGCS cannot enforce this ordinance but violators are subject to citation by city police. We recommend that students walk their bikes, board and scooters until they are outside the downtown area.

LOST & FOUND
Please check out our collection of lost and found items near the main student entry. All items must be claimed by Fri., 3/20.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
- The FGCS Board of Directors will meet at 7 p.m. Tues., March 17 in the high school building.
- The FGCS Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) will meet at 7 p.m. Thurs., March 19 in the high school building.
- Spring Break is March 23-27 - let's hope that's not the week Mother Nature remembers that it's supposed to rain in Oregon!
- Remember that FGCS does not always follow the District calendar. Please refer to the FGCS calendar you received at the beginning of the school year or the calendar on our web site at for accurate information.

RETURNING STUDENT FORMS - 3/20 DEADLINE
Please let us know your plans for next school year by turning in the Returning Student Form on our web site at http://www.fgcschool.org/documents/index.php. We must receive your information by Fri., 3/20 to guarantee your child's space at FGCS for next year. If you have questions, please contact Karen at k.torry@fgcschool.org or 503-359-4600. Thank you!

OPEN ENROLLMENT
Enrollment for new students at FGCS is open through April 1st. Please spread the word about our program to families you think may be interested in place-based education. Parents may call Vickie at 503-359-4600 to schedule a school tour and classroom visit.

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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Board Meeting Rescheduled

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The March meeting of the FGCS Board of Directors has been rescheduled
to Tues., March 17 at 7 p.m. in the high school building. The meeting
is open to the public. The agenda is posted on the web site at
www.fgcschool.org.

Community members are invited to meet finalists for the job of
superintendent of the Forest Grove School District at 7 p.m. tomorrow
(Tues., March 10) at the district office, 1728 Main Street in Forest
Grove. Comment cards will be available for those who want to provide
written feedback to the District board. Information about the
superintendent candidates is available at the District web site at
www.fgsd.k12.or.us.

As you may know, FGCS is operated by its own board of directors, not
by the District board. However, the District board is responsible for
approving and renewing our charter - the legal document that
authorizes FGCS to operate as a public charter school. The new
superintendent will play an important role in negotiating the renewal
of our charter in 2010.

Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

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Thursday, March 5, 2009

School Day Tomorrow

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Dear FGCS Families - This is a reminder that tomorrow (Fri., March 6) is a school day at FGCS. Dismissal for all students will be at 1:05 p.m., as usual for Fridays. If your student rides a District school bus, please be aware that other District schools are closed tomorrow and buses will not be running.

NEWS & REMINDERS
- The FGCS Board of Directors meets at 7 p.m. the 2nd Tuesday of every month in the high school building. The next meeting is scheduled for Tues., March 10. The agenda is posted on the Board page of the web site.
- FGCS PTO meets at 7 p.m. the 3rd Thursday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for Thurs., March 19. The PTO is still lookinig for someone to serve as secretary. For more information, contact Misty Lewis at fgcs_pto@yahoo.com.
- Lost & Found items are located near the main student entrance. Please stop by to see if anything looks familiar. Any items not claimed by Fri., March 20 will be donated to a clothes closet for foster children.
- A Roots & Shoots group has begun meeting in Charlie's room at 3:30 p.m. Thursdays. The group is open to students in Levels 2, 3 and 4; Level 1 students are welcome with a parent or other adult supervisor. Roots & Shoots engages students in meaningful projects to help animals, the environment and the human community. For more information, contact Charlie Graham at c.graham@fgcschool.org.
- Enrollment for 2009-10: We are accepting applications for new students through April 1st. We are asking parents of all currently enrolled students to let us know by Fri., March 20 whether their students will return next year. Please fill out the Returning Student Form on the Documents page of the web site at http://www.fgcschool.org/documents/index.php and email it to Karen at k.torry@fgcschool.org.

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!
Box Tops & Labels Fundraiser: So far this year, thanks to your efforts, we have earned $115 from boxtops and added 1,259 points to our labels total. I would like to thank Levi, Yasmine and Lily for their help with the laborious process of clipping and counting these small but valuable bits of paper. Please do keep remembering to check your product packaging for both the General Mills boxtops "stamp" or the Campbell's Label coupon (it is no longer necessary to save the entire label - only the yellow or red UPC code square). Send them to school in a baggie with your child and have them place it in our collection bin located inside near the covered side entrance to the school. Thank you - Sebra Oden, Box tops/labels coordinator

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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Celebrations of Learning Tomorrow

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Please join us 5-6:30 p.m. tomorrow for our Celebrations of Learning Open House. Bring your own mug - we'll serve coffee and other beverages - and a snack or sweet treat to share.

This event is open to the community, so feel free to invite friends and family members. If you know someone who might be interested in enrolling at FGCS, please encourage them to visit and learn more about our program. There will be slideshows and displays about place-based learning, Roots & Shoots, the Out & About program, student projects and sustainable practices. We hope to see you tomorrow!

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Other News & Upcoming Events
A FGCS Roots & Shoots group is now meeting Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. in Charlie's classroom. Roots & Shoots is an international organization founded by Jane Goodall to engage young people in work to support animals, the environment and the human community. The group is planning activities for the Oregon Roots & Shoots Summit on April 25 at the Oregon Zoo. Roots & Shoots is open to students in Levels 2-4; younger students may attend with a parent or other supervising adult. For more information, contact Charlie at c.graham@fgcschool.org.

New student enrollment is open through April 1st. Forms are available in the school office or on the documents page of the web site at www.fgcschool.org. Parents of current students are asked to submit a Returning Student Form by Fri., March 20 letting us know whether their students will return next year. The form is also available on the Documents page or in the school office. If you have questions about enrollment, please contact Karen at k.torry@fgcschool.org or 503-359-4600.

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Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Open House/Reminders

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Please join us 5-6:30 p.m. Weds., March 4th for our Celebrations of
Learning open house. Beverages will be served - please bring your own
mug and, if you wish, cookies or another snack to share. This month's
open house will highlight our school's sustainability efforts, art
projects with a 'green' theme, student projects and a slideshow about
our place-based program. The open house is a great time for
prospective students and their families to visit the school - please
invite anyone you think may be interested in learning more about us.
FYI, our open house coincides with downtown Forest Grove's First
Wednesday. The theme this month is 'Going Green,' so this is also a
good evening to visit downtown businesses and learn about local
sustainability efforts.

-------------
REMINDERS
Fri., March 6th is a regular school day with dismissal at 1:05
p.m. This is a make-up day for days lost in December because of bad
weather.

Enrollment for 2009-10: Please let us know by March 20th whether
your students will be returning to FGCS next year by completing the
Returning Student Form on the Documents page of our web site at
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ForestGroveCommunity/8c19e86a0b/0bd00b73e6/0638743b10.
Please email the form to Karen at k.torry@fgcschool.org or turn in to
the school office.

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!
Many thanks to those of you who have come forward in recent weeks
to volunteer your time at school -- helping in classrooms with math
and literacy, giving teachers a break at lunch and recess, chaperoning
Out & Abouts, walking students to PE class at Pacific University,
working in the office and much, much more. Your involvement serves as
a wonderful example of the active citizenship we want our students to
develop and helps make FGCS a caring, vibrant community. Thank you!

Forest Grove Community School
1914 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-4600;503-359-4622(fax)
www.fgcschool.org

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy:
http://www.verticalresponse.com/content/pm_policy.html

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Monday, March 16, 2009

Friday, March 13, 2009

Monday, March 9, 2009

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Sunday, March 1, 2009

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