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

Join Us for Back to School Night!

Wow!  We have completed the second week of school and I am pleased that the children are already working hard and developing their 2nd and 3rd grade organization and study skills!  Please review your child's homework each night (for accuracy, completeness and understanding) and remind them to put it back into their homework folder to return to school.  It would also be a good idea to help your child get organized and ready to go for the morning by putting the homework folder in their backpack the night before. 

The children and I have been getting to know each other and learning how to problem solve social situations.  We have been reviewing classroom expectations and routines that will be in place all year.  We have also established classroom rules for the year (come see them at Back to School Night!) and they are working hard to be responsible, respectful, safe, good students. 

Eddyville Charter School's Back to School Night will be held on Tuesday, September 20th from 5:30-7:00 p.m.  There will be a presentation on "Helpful Homework Hints" for Grade 2/3 parents in Mrs. D.'s room from 6:30-6:45 p.m. 

School pictures will be held on Wednesday, September 21st.  Please remember to pack your child's picture form in his/her homework folder on this day to bring to school.

Snacks are a big part of our day and help us get through the morning until lunch.  Snack donations are greatly appreciated.  Some examples of snacks include crackers, pretzels, or other non-sugary items.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could assist your child in eating some "brain food" (breakfast) in the morning.  If there isn't time at home, please encourage your child to eat breakfast at school when they get off the bus.  It's a great way to start the day!

Have a great week!

Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year!

Welcome to Mrs. Dougherty's Grade 2/3 Blog!  I am thrilled to be working with you and your child this school year.  This is my 5th year of teaching at Eddyville Charter School and I find each year to be more exciting.  I am committed to keeping in contact with you throughout the year because you are the most important people in your child's life.  The blog is a great way to inform you about the happenings in our classroom, upcoming dates and events, and classroom needs.  Please feel free to contact me by email at kathleen.dougherty@lincoln.k12.or.us or call the school at 541-875-2942. 

Upcoming dates:
September 20 -- Back to School Night (5:30 - 7:00 p.m.)
September 21 -- School Pictures
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

Spectacular Spring Science Investigations!

We have been busy the last two weeks learning about land and marine invertebrates.  We couldn't cover them all so we picked a few to study...

We learned about spiders, their anatomy, form and function and a few spiders in Oregon that are poisonous. 

The sunshine had finally arrived so it was time to head outside.  What could be better than to go on a spider hunt!  In order to study spider behavior we first had to find them.  We drew sketches of what we saw, analyzed the types of webs, caught bugs and studied spider behavior when bugs got into their webs.  The kids discovered that certain bugs that were black and gave off an "odor" (millipedes and beetles) seemed to be left alone.  The spiders just weren't interested!  Eventually, they worked themselves free from the web.  Sometimes science doesn't always show us the results we expect to see.  Hey, THAT'S SCIENCE!

 

Another scientific investigation involved the study of Purple Shore Crabs brought into the classroom.  There were a lot of things we knew about crabs and some things we wondered about.  We came up with one question to test: do big Purple Shore Crab move faster for cover than little Purple Shore Crab?  It was time to investigate!  Stay tuned for the results...

Each student was assigned a Purple Shore Crab to observe.  They named their crab, measured it's size, drew sketches of it and watched it's behavior.  They were shown proper techniques for handling and holding their little friend.  A few crab sat and blew bubbles...  They also learned about a common seaweed found along the Pacific Coast called Bladderwrack. 

On May 16th, our class went on an all-day field experience to the Newport Bayfront.  Our first stop was to the Abbey Street Pier where the students tested their crabbing luck.  But what bait would be the best to use to catch the most crab?  We had to do another test!  We had four different kinds of bait: mink, chicken, shad, and black rockfish.  We put one kind of bait into each crab ring and dropped them into Yaquina Bay.  We let them soak as we continued our Bayfront experience. 

Our next stop was Port Dock 1 where our Bayfront Quest began.  There we talked about our bachelor group of California Sea Lions.  Mrs. D. had a hard time giving information and directions over the loud barking from the sea lions!

Midway through the Quest, we stopped at Port Dock 5.  There we put on our lifejackets and talked about the importance of wearing lifejackets around the water.  Next, we headed down the docks to visit Kinder the commercial fisherman.  We met him on his boat "Last Baron" and he shared what he does as a commercial crabber, the gear he uses, and some large, beautiful Dungeness Crab he caught.  That day, he was switching over his gear for black cod fishing.  Thank you, and good luck fishing, Kinder!

The Quest was a wonderful experience!  It took us along Newport's Historic Bayfront, along the Fishermen's Memorial Walk and ending at Port Dock 7.  I was wondering how our crab rings were doing...

When we arrived back at the Abbey Street Pier, our bus driver, Lloyd, informed us that when he was checking the pots one was completely EMPTY!  The shad bait was gone!  Best guess... a hungry California Sea Lion worked it free and ate it.  So when we were on our Quest, he rebaited it with some leftover black rockfish. 

Time to have lunch on the Abbey Street Pier.  Then pull the crab rings... HEAVE HO!

The crab ring with the most crab was... the MINK BAIT!

We talked about the crab we caught (sorry, no "keepers"), packed up the crab rings and headed down to the Embarcadero.  Time to put our lifejackets on again and head down to the docks.  On "D" dock, we met Captain Julia Miller of the conservation and education sailing vessel "Rowena."  She is sailing on a 6,500 mile teaching and research expedition from Seattle, Washington to the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.  In Newport for a short period of time, she was happy to meet with our group and talk about how she reuses and recycles materials and encouraged everyone to practice doing this to reduce waste.  She also gave us a tour of her beautiful vessel.  Thank you, Capt. Julia, and may you have calm, safe seas on your journey!  You can follow Capt. Julia's journey on "Rowena" at www.liveocean.org. 

As we headed up the dock, we saw Captain Jack Craven on the "Crackerjack" and stopped over for a short visit.  Capt. Jack is the owner of Yaquina Bay Charters and runs the "Crackerjack."  If you are looking for a great fishing trip, see Capt. Jack.  He will take care of you!

What a WONDERFUL day!  And what a special field experience it was!

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Randy Druba at Harry's Bait and Tackle: donated the use of 4 crab rings and additional crabbing gear

Tracy Crews at Hatfield Marine Science Center:  the use of 9 lifejackets

Newport Marina and Charters:  the use of 5 lifejackets

Herb Smith:  the use of 3 lifejackets
Spring Howard:  for letting me use her camera when mine broke early in the field trip! 

AND THANK YOU CHAPERONES FOR MAKING THIS A GREAT, MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FOR THE KIDS!

_____________________________

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 26th -- Spring Fling 5:30 p.m.

May 30th -- No School (Memorial Day)

June 10th -- Last Day of School

State Testing This Week

The 3rd graders will be State testing this week in Reading and Math.  Here are some helpful test-taking tips:

• Please make sure your child starts out each day eating a good breakfast.
• Have a positive attitude!  Tell yourself, "I will do my best on this test."
• Get up early enough to avoid russhing to get ready for school.
• Get a good night's sleep.

Poetry Month is over and we have completed our poetry unit.  We will be putting together our poetry books this week.  For Poetry Month I check out many poetry books from our local public library.  OH NO!  Two books are missing!  It would be GREATLY APPRECIATED if you would look around for them at home.  If you find them, please return to Mrs. D. as soon as possible.  They include:

"Oh, That's Ridiculous! Poems" and

"Omnibeasts: Animal Poems and Paintings" by Douglas Florian

On Monday, May 16th we will be taking an all-day field trip to the Newport Bayfront.  Chaperones would be greatly appreciated to make this experience extra special and one to remember!  Easy to moderate walking will be involved.  Here's a field trip hint...

We have been discussing the effects of marine debris on the environment and how it ends up in the ocean.  We also discussed how some marine debris gets from places like Japan and ends up on our local beaches.  The kids looked at various examples of marine debris and we discussed how some types will just never go away!  We had fun going through Mrs. D.'s Marvelous Marine Debris and making masks with the "stuff".  Here are some pictures of our "Masks of the Sea" project:   

Dates to remember:

May 26th -- Spring Fling 5:30 p.m.

May 30th -- No School (Memorial Day)

June 10th -- Last Day of School

Poetry Continues Throughout April

The students have continued to learn about poetry.  We worked on limericks this week and continued reading various works of poetry from a variety of authors. 

We had our annual all-school Poetry Slam on Friday and our class recited "Boa Constrictor" by Shel Silverstein.  This was the poem of choice to do together as a class.  The kids did a wonderful job as they each memorized a line from the poem, and added wonderful expression!  We have been working on our public speaking skills and presenting to an audience.  Add to that passing along a hand-made boa constrictor.  Nice job putting that together 3rd graders!

On Tuesday, April 26th, we had a special guest presenter come into our classroom.  Dr. Dean Bauman, his wife Mary, and chocolate lab, Keeper, spent an hour with Mrs. D.'s kids and Lisa Renfrow's reading class.  Dr. Bauman is an honored veterinarian who volunteers his time working at the Iditarod each year and shared his experiences from this year's event with us.  It was a wonderful presentation and we were all excited to have him.  Dr. Bauman and Mary commented on how impressed they were about the knowledge the kids had about the Iditarod and the mushers.  The Bauman's own Mobile Veterinary Service in Newport.

An important school schedule reminder...
Eddyville Charter School will be in session every Monday in May.  The next day off from school will be Monday, May 30th (Memorial Day Holiday). 

Snacks would be greatly appreciated!  We are running low...

Have a wonderful week!

What's Up for the Week of April 25th

April is Poetry Month and we are having fun learning and writing about different forms of poetry.  We have been learning about acrostics, cinquains and haikus.  The students are writing some wonderful works of poetry!  There will be a poetry assembly this Friday.  We are looking forward to sharing various works, either personally written or from their favorite poet. 

Last week was Earth Week and we learned about some ways to take care of the Earth.  We are currently working on our "Masks from the Sea" project and learning about marine debris.

Music has started and Mrs. Cook is working hard with the elementary students getting them ready for Spring Fling.  La-la-la-laaa!  Mark your calendars!  Spring Fling will be on May 26th at 5:30 p.m.

On Friday, April 22nd (Earth Day), we released our Winter Steelhead.  We were involved in a classroom incubation project with the assistance of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and watched our "little friends" grow from eggs into fry.  It was exciting watching the changes taking place.  The kids helped release the steelhead in a safe stream location across the street.  Special thanks to Mrs. LaRoche's Service Learning class for assisting us!  What a beautiful day and experience for the kids!

Releasing the Winter Steelhead.  Good luck little friends!

SPELLING REMINDER:  Each Monday, a new spelling list is given.  This week our words involve prefixes (un-, pre-, re- and dis-).  Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning of a root word.  Prefixes can change the meaning of a word. 

Please assist your child in learning these words for the week.  A spelling test will be given each Friday.  I promised a pizza party if everyone gets 100%!  We got close one time.  They are still trying to reach this goal! 

Also, we are still collecting empty Capri Sun pouches.  We receive two cents per pouch; it may not seem like much but they sure do add up!  Thank you for your support!

Have a great week!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Welcome to Mrs. Dougherty's blog!

Every week my blog will be updated with new information about the happenings and fun things going on in Grade 2/3.  Feel free to leave comments and check back as often as you like!

Mrs. Dougherty got Blogged!

Special thanks to Miss Debby and Mitch Dollinger for setting up Mrs. D. with her very own blog!