Spring Has Sprung at ECS

A very special thank you to all of my Grade 2/3 families who made it out to Parent/Teacher Conferences on April 18th and 19th.  It was nice talking with you about your child's growth and progress as well as share the neat things your child has done throughout the year.  It is a pleasure working with your child!

April is whizzing on by and we have been doing some exciting things! We have finished our Iditarod unit. Even though the week without school (due to the inclement weather) cut into our Iditarod studies, we still enjoyed learning about this special event and following our mushers. We ended our studies with a special guest presenter, Dr. Dean Bauman, honored Iditarod veterinarian, who came and presented to Grade 2/3.  He was accompanied by his wife, Mary, and dog, Keeper. 

Thank you for joining us, Doc, Mary, and Keeper!

April is Poetry Month -- we are learning about and writing different styles of poetry.  There will be a school-wide Poetry Slam on April 27th from 1:30-2:30 to share some of their works.

The 3rd graders have been State testing for Math and Reading.  The next (and final) round of testing will be May 1st-4th.  We have also been working on our State Writing Tests this past week for both 2nd and 3rd grade. 

We will be taking a field trip Monday, April 30th to the Newport Performing Arts Center.  Mrs. Dougherty's and Mr. Bedell's classes have been invited to attend a concert performed by the Salem Youth Symphony's Philharmonic Orchestra.  Reminder: please get those permission slips turned-in as soon as possible!

Music has begun and Grades K-5 are working hard, preparing for the Spring Fling concert on May 22nd.  Mark your calendars and join us for this special event.  Dinner will also be served.

Important Upcoming Dates to Remember:

There WILL BE school this Friday, April 27th.

May 18 -- No School (School Improvement Day)

May 22 -- Spring Fling

May 28 -- No School (Memorial Day)





WINTER PROGRAM TOMORROW!

The Eddyville Charter School Elementary Winter Program will be tomorrow, Tuesday, December 13th at 7:00 p.m.  We ask that all elementary students report to their classrooms by 6:45 p.m.  NO LATER!  The children have been working hard on some holiday tunes and are looking forward to performing for you.  The drummers will perform following the elementary program. 

Thursday, December 15th is Hobby Hour.  The elementary session is from 9:00-11:00 a.m.  Then following at 11:15, the children will be participating in singing some traditional and favorite christmas carols.  If you would like to volunteer to assist with this special event, please contact Debby Rariden. 

Later that afternoon on December 15th, we will have our classroom party.  The party will begin at 1:00.  Parents are welcome to join us, but please do not come until 1:00.  Our marble jar is FULL and it is time to celebrate!  Treat donations for this special celebration are welcome! 

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night! 

Dates to remember:
Winter Break Vacation:  December 19th-January 2nd
Return to school on January 3, 2012

Happy Holidays!

To All My Wonderful Parents/Guardians,

Holiday Greetings!  We have completed our Native American unit and it is once again time to celebrate the Christmas holiday season.  The month of December is filled with wonderful celebrations.  We will be highlighting and studying four of those celebrations -- Las Posadas, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.  If you celebrate a December holiday that you would like to have shared with the class, please let me know.  Guests are always welcome to come present, too!

This year, our class will be having a Christmas party on Thursday, December 15th at 1:00 p.m.  This party is to not only celebrate the holiday season but to reward our Grade 2/3 kids for finally filling up the Reward Jar, recognize their achievement, and to celebrate together.  We will be making some Christmas crafts and cards, play games and enjoy some special snacks.  If you would like to bring a snack to share please let me know.  Please provide enough for the 24 children in our class.  Parents are welcome to join us for the afternoon fun, too!

Our Annual ECS Hobby Hour will be on Thursday, December 15th.  If you are interested in helping out for a craft or volunteering your time, please contact Debby Rariden at debby.rariden@lincoln.k12.or.us. 

The students have been working hard to prepare for the Winter Music Program which will be held on Tuesday, December 13th at 7:00 p.m.  This special annual event is a joyful time to listen to the voices of our K-5 students sing some new and traditional holiday tunes.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Winter Break Vacation:  December 19th-January 2nd
Return to school on January 3, 2012

November Has Arrived... Along with Signs of Fall

Thank you to all parents/guardians for the wonderful conferences!  It is a pleasure working with your child and sharing their successes and growth.  If you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please email me at kathleen.dougherty@lincoln.k12.or.us or call the school at 541-875-2942 ext. 134. 

SCARECROWS AT ECS:

We have been discussing and studying the signs of Fall and symbolism of the Fall season.  We learned about the history of scarecrows through various readings and activities.  One fun activity was having each student make their own scarecrow.  This was a wonderful, creative activity with cooperative learning involved.  Special thanks to Copeland Lumber in Newport for donating the wood and Jerry Sabanskas for cutting up the wood into five and three foot long pieces. 

There are a few scarecrows left on Mrs. D.'s back porch waiting to go home.  Unfortunately, they are not allowed to go home on the bus.  If you want to keep your child's scarecrow, please make arrangements to pick them up by November 11th.  Otherwise, they will be recycled. 

ECS HOBBY HOUR December 15th... It's right around the corner and approaching fast!  This annual event is extra special and memorable for our kids, thanks to your support and volunteerism to make it all come together.  If you wish to donate items for a craft or help out, please let me know or contact Debby Rariden.  We would love to have you. 

Mrs. D.'s Wish List: 
Reams of white 8 1/2" x 11" copy paper
Classroom printer ink cartridges: HP #21 (black), HP #22 (color)
Ziploc plastic bags (gallon size)
Disinfecting/sanitizing wipes
Used ink cartridges (to recycle for supplies)
Kid friendly stickers
Books! (We are happy to add anything to our library that is Grade 2/3 appropriate)

Snack donations are always welcome and appreciated!

THANK YOU!

Important Dates to Remember:
November 11 -- No School (Veteran's Day)
November 21-25 -- No School (Thanksgiving Break)

Parent/Teacher Conferences Coming!

Next week is Parent/Teacher Conferences (October 26th and 27th) and the elementary teachers are arranging the schedules.  I have contacted most of you and will be sending out confirmation notices this week (a few received them on Friday.)  I look forward to meeting with you!

Our field trip to the pumpkin patch was a wonderful experience!  The folks at Airlie Hills Farms are so kind to us.  The kids each left with a pumpkin and a gourd they picked from the patch (we are still trying to locate some missing gourds.)  It was a wonderful day exploring the grounds, playing on the equipment, visiting the petting zoo, taking a hayride, and we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather.  Mr. Tuana and his wife even came to visit us -- did you see Mr. T. go down the tube slide? 

We have finished our Flu Fighter unit and the kids know what it takes to be a FLU FIGHTER!  Ask them some of the following questions:
1.  What is the flu?
2.  How is the flu spread?
3.  What can you do to prevent the spread of flu?
4.  If you are sick with the flu, what can you do?

This week is Sprit Week.  All K-12 students are invited to support our school by dressing up.  Each day has a different theme:
Monday:  Pajama Day
Tuesday: Color Day (2nd Grade: Lt. Blue, 3rd Grade: Yellow)
Wednesday: Nerd Day
Thursday: Orange and Black Day
Friday:  NO SCHOOL

If you need to reach me:
Email:  kathleen.dougherty@lincoln.k12.or.us
School phone: 541-875-2942 ext. 134

Important Dates:
October 21 -- No School (School Improvement Day)
October 26 -- Picture Retake Day
October 26 and 27 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 28 -- No School
November 11 -- No School (Veteran's Day)
November 21-25 -- No School (Thanksgiving Break)

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip This Week!

We will be taking an all day field trip to Airlie Hills Farms on Wednesday, October 12th.  Check out www.airliehills.com for some fun information about what's in store for our kids.  We are looking forward to this wonderful field experience!

Just a few reminders to make our field trip extra special:

• Please dress your children in warm, layered clothing.  The projected forecast is for mostly cloudy skies, chance of rain.
• Please have your child wear rubber boots or shoes that they can get dirty in.  They will be walking through a pumpkin patch and with the recent rains, you can bet it's going to be a little muddy.  Please let me know if you do not have shoes for your child and I can assist you. 
• If your child is bringing a lunch from home, please make sure everything in it is DISPOSABLE.  We will not be close to the bus so carrying around lunch boxes, thermoses, etc. will be inconvenient and difficult. 

A few parents have indicated that they would like to chaperone -- THANK YOU!    I will be making calls Monday night to fill you in on some of the details.  I appreciate your willingness to assist in making this an even more special field experience for our kids!

Remember some important dates.  The next few Fridays we have no school: 

October 14 -- No School (Statewide In-Service Day)
October 21 -- No School (School Improvement Day)
October 26 and 27 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 28 -- No School

Have a great week!

Thank You for Joining Us at Back to School Night!

Thank you for coming out to ECS for Back to School Night.  I provided an overview of your child's day in Grade 2/3 and offered some helpful homework hints to help your child succeed in school.  If you would like to know what you missed or would like to request a copy of the presentation, please let me know and I would be happy to provide one for you. 

As you know, your child has been coming home with daily math and reading homework.  Please check your child's work and don't forget to sign their Read and Respond form after they have read for 20 minutes and written a brief response. 

We are running low on snacks.  Any non-sugary snack items would be greatly appreciated. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at kathleen.dougherty@lincoln.k12.or.us or call the school at 541-875-2942. 

Have a great week!

Dates to remember:
October 14 -- No School (Statewide In-Service Day)
October 21 -- No School (School Improvement Day)
October 26 and 27 -- Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 28 -- No School