Yes, There is School Tomorrow!

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A reminder that FGCS will be in session tomorrow (Fri., Dec. 18) with our usual Friday dismissal time of 1:05 p.m. All other schools in the Forest Grove School District are closed as a budget-cutting measure. Thanks to all of you who have supported families in need this winter by donating through the FGCS Giving Tree. If you'd still like to donate food or a gift for a family, please bring those items in by the end of the school day tomorrow. They will be delivered to the Family Resource Center. Have a safe and happy winter break! See you on Mon., Jan. 4th.

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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.

News & Reminders

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	FGCS GIVING TREE FGCS has 'adopted' two local families in need. Please help us make their holiday season a little brighter by donating a gift or non-perishable food. You can find tags listing the families' gift wishes in the main hallway. Please bring food donations or wrapped gifts to school by Friday so we can deliver them before winter break. PENNIES FOR PEACE The Tree Swallows (Rachel/Level 1) and the Kestrels (Charlie/Level 2) are delighted to announce that they are leading a 'Pennies for Peace' campaign through Feb. 28, 2010. Pennies for Peace is a service-learning program designed to broaden our students' cultural horizons while teaching them about their capacities as philanthropists - one penny at a time. Pennies for Peace is a program of the non-profit Central Asia Institute, founded by Greg Mortensen, author of the bestselling book 'Three Cups of Tea.' CAI promotes literacy and education programs in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan; to date, CAI has built more than 100 schools serving more than 28,000 students, including more than 14,000 girls who previously may have had no opportunity to be educated. How can a penny bring peace? It doesn't buy much in the U.S., but, in the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan, a penny can buy a pencil, start an education and transform a life. Our goal at FGCS is to encourage future leaders - our students - to learn the value of giving to others and to highlight the transformation that small change can inspire. Look for penny collection jars at school. How many pennies can your child recover at home? Our students are eagerly looking forward to making 'Pennies for Peace' a success. If you have questions, please contact Charlie Graham at c.graham@fgcschool.org or Rachel Weil at r.weil@fgcschool.org YEAR-END GIVING TO FGCS By now, you have received a letter from us asking you to make a donation to FGCS to support our Out & About program and other community-based learning activities. These programs are at the heart of our place-based approach to learning, so we hope you'll consider giving whatever you can to help us keep these opportunities available for our students. FGCS is a tax-exempt 501c3 organization, so your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. And please know that every dollar you donate to FGCS goes directly to support educational programs that benefit your children. You may mail or bring checks in to the school office at the address listed below. Sorry, we are not yet able to accept donations by credit card or PayPal. Thank you for your support of our Community School! REMINDER - There IS school on Friday! FGCS is in session this Fri., Dec. 18. Other District schools are closed because of budget cuts. HAVE A WONDERFUL WINTER BREAK - See you on Jan. 4, 2010! click here If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe

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.

Thank You, PTO!

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Thank you so much to our PTO for a wonderful Night of Traditions at school this evening. We had a great turnout of students, parents, grandparents and other family members. It's so exciting to see our school full of so much energy and good cheer. Special thanks to PTO President Jasmine Gravley and book fair queen Misty Lewis, and to the teachers, staff and volunteers (parents and students) who helped clean, decorate, plan and lead activities. Your energy, dedication and support make our school community a very special place. REMINDER - PARENTS' NIGHT OUT TOMORROW Parents, if you are worn out by the excitement of Night of Traditions, consider giving yourself a night off tomorrow. Level 3 students will be sponsoring another Parents' Night Out from 6-9 p.m. tomorrow (Fri., Dec. 11) in the Level 3 building. You can drop off children ages 2-10; students and teacher Shannon Perry will provide babysitting, activities, snacks and a movie for only $10 per child ($8 for each additional child in the same family). Proceeds benefit the Level 3 spring trip. Flyers with details and registration forms are available in the office, or email Shannon at s.perry@fgcschool.org.

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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.

Night of Traditions/Giving Tree

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	Please join us 6-7:30 p.m this evening for a Night of Traditions at FGCS. Classrooms will celebrate winter traditions, including solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, with activities and treats. There will be storytelling, popcorn popping, card making and more. The book fair will be open with free gift wrapping available for any purchase. This is a festive time of year but, as we all know, many families in our community are facing very hard times. Please lend a hand by participating in the FGCS Giving Tree. We are collecting gifts for two families as well as non-perishable food and winter coats. You may leave gifts under the fir tree (a donation from an FGCS family) in the main hallway. We will be taking donations through Thurs., Dec. 17. Thank you for helping make this season brighter for others. click here

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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.

Parents' Night Out Friday

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Help our Level 3 students raise money for a spring trip while giving yourself an evening away from kids this Friday, Dec. 11 from 6-9 p.m. at Parents' Night Out. Babysitting with games, storytime, a movie and snacks will be provided by Level 3 students and teachers in the Level 3 building. Cost is $10 for the first child, $8 for each additional child, payable at the door. Registration forms are available in the school office. For more information, contact Chris Stanton at c.stanton@fgcschool.org or Shannon Perry at s.perry@fgcschool.org. We hope to see you and your children on Friday! NOTE: Snacks will be provided, but children should eat dinner before they arrive. Please also bring anything special your child will need during the evening; however, we cannot dispense any medications.

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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.

Exciting Week at FGCS!

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	It's an exciting week at FGCS! We hope you can join us for some or all of these events: SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - All week before and after school. The book fair is a great place to purchase holiday gifts while supporting our school. FGCS receives a portion of all sales to help purchase books for classrooms. LEVEL 3 BAKE SALE - 3:05-4 p.m. Weds., Dec. 9 Homemade cookies, brownies, muffins and more will be for sale on the 3rd floor near the book fair room. Proceeds will benefit the Level 3 spring trip to eastern Oregon. 4-H VOLUNTEER TRAINING 7-8:30 p.m. Weds., Dec. 9 This is a training for all adults interested in leading or helping with 4-H classes at FGCS. After-school classes will begin after winter break but this training will prepare adult volunteers to make those classes fun and engaging for our students. Contact Donna Van Dyke at d.vandyke@fgcschool.org or 503-359-4600 for more information. NIGHT OF TRADITIONS 6-7:30 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 10 - FGCS classrooms will come alive with the traditions of the winter season, including solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Activities include interactive storytelling with hot cocoa and jingle bells, card making, games, cookie decorating and popcorn popping (with the corn we grew in our own play yard!). The Scholastics Book Fair will be open with free gift wrapping provided by FGCS students, just in time for holiday gift giving. NOTE: Lost & found items will be laid out in the foyer; please stop by to look for missing coats, gloves, hats and more. FGCS GIVING TREE - FGCS and Forest Grove Roots & Shoots are collecting gifts and food for needy families for the holidays. An FGCS family has donated a 'giving tree' on which you will find paper tags listing gifts requested by our families. If you wish to purchase a gift, please take the tag with you and tape it to the gift before you bring it back to school. Donations of non-perishable food are also welcome. Questions? Contact Vickie Jares at v.jares@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.

Progress Reports

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Dear FGCS Parents & Guardians - By now, you should have received your child's progress report in the mail. These mid-semester reports are a brief summary of the progress your child is making toward achieving his or her learning goals - those goals established in the student's Personal Learning Plan and in the class curriculum. There are five times during the school year when we formally communicate with you about your child's progress in school: fall conferences, fall progress reports, January report cards, spring conferences, and June report cards. In addition to these formal benchmarks, teachers communicate with parents and guardians through newsletters, email messages, and conversations in person or by phone. We know that family involvement is critical to children's success in school, and regular communication between school and home is an important part of that. Parents and guardians also play a key role in the development of students' PLPs. At this time in the year, it's helpful to reflect on what you and your child committed to in the PLP and take stock of the progress you are making in supporting your child. Are you holding up your end of the bargain? If not, don't feel guilty. It's common for PLPs to be revised; that's what makes them living documents. If you haven't referred to it lately, it may be time to review it with your child, celebrate successes and talk about whether parts of the plan should be revised. Did you promise to take your child to the library but find that your work schedule makes that hard? Don't just chalk this up as a failure - that may unintentionally communicate to your child that commitments aren't important. Rather, talk with your child about how you can adjust the plan in a way that meets both of your needs. Maybe you could borrow books from the classroom library or a neighbor. Keeping the PLP alive as a guiding document of your child's education will show your child that learning is an active process that we participate in together, not something that is 'done' to students. If you have not received your child's progress report in the mail, please let us know by phone or email. If you have questions about the report - or have other questions or concerns - please contact your child's teacher. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your students. I look forward to watching and hearing about their progress throughout the year. Sincerely, Vanessa Gray, Principal

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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.