Things To KNow

1. You will be notified in August which teacher your child has for next school year. Please rest assured that I and the four fifth grade teachers for next year gave our utmost thought and care into balancing each class so each child will experience success and continue to grow.

2. Schoolwork & Homework tonight: There is a lot on the day planner due tomorrow. All of a sudden the end of the year crept up on us. I don't want any student to be stressed out tonight about finishing schoolwork. I had to make "Notable Oregonian" and "Oregon Business" due tomorrow simply because there's no more time. We've had some major work sessions the past two days and the students are at different states of doneness. If they only walk in the door tomorrow with three things done they should have their Word Wednesday, Letter to Dad, Farewell Letter to Class, and Book Club Packet (actually due Thursday). We'll have time tomorrow to finish some things we've started, but not all. Furthermore, we had talked about using Thursday as a partial work day to finish up some of these projects, but after giving it some thought we going to use Thursday for their last Book Club meeting, reading Farewell letters, cleaning, and putting some last things in their coffee table books.

3. Summer Work: The students should be coming home tomorrow with some summer work for those of you who have expressed interest. They will have volume 2 of their Math Journal with tons of stuff left to keep them busy. They will also have a math unit 8 worksheet packet, a pink math/reading packet, and three historical fiction reading packets related to our study of US western expansion.

4. Report Cards: These will be mailed out from school on Friday as opposed to going to home with the kids.

Sorry this was so longwinded, but I hope it clears some things up for you. Thanks for a wonderful year.

June Garden Harvest

Thanks again to those who donated and a special thanks to Dawn, Abeer, Grant, Echo, and Marion for planning and helping out today. It was great to see the kids enjoying themselves outside and able to take home the "fruits" of their labor. That's what it's all about.

Human Body Unit

Link to many useful websites.

Oregon Unit

Below is a short list of some Oregon businesses and some links to help you finish your Oregon unit of study.

Columbia Sportswear, LAIKA, Deep Sky Studio, Leatherman, Powell's Books, Pendleton Woolen Mill, Oregon Spice, Nike, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Oregon Log Home Company, Oregon Kite Company, Oregon Fruit Products Company, GreenWood Resources, Tillamook Cheese Company, Oregon Coast Jams, Stash Tea, and many more...

100 Best Oregon Green Businesses (click on business name for logo and info)

100 Best Oregon Non-Profit Businesses (same as above)

33 Best Large Companies (BE CAREFUL...not all are started in Oregon)

33 Best Medium (same as above)

33 Best Small Businesses

The Cherry Country (My friend's family microbusinees)

Notable Oregonians

Our Garden

We will be pulling, picking, and planting in our garden again next week. The day has yet to be determined, but it will either be Monday (6/13) or Wednesday (6/15). I will notify you later this week with the specific date and time and possible fruit, flower, and/or veggie donations if your family would like to help out in any way.

With this new round of planting our garden will require some summer TLC. We're hoping to find families who can tend and water the garden on a week-by-week basis throughout the summer. Below I have listed the weeks starting with June 20-26. Please take a look at your calendars and let me know if your family is interested. Families are welcome to sign up for more than one week if they desire.

June 20-26

June 27- July 3

July 4-10

July 11-17

July 18-24

July 25-31

August 1-7

August 8-14

August 15-21

August 22-28

August 29-Sept 4

Poetry Tea

What: The Poetry Tea

Who: Our Fourth Graders

When: Thursday, June 9th @ 2PM

Where: Our classroom

Why: To celebrate the end of a successful school by sharing our most personal and heartfelt writing, our poetry

A Wish: If you can come a little early to help set up, please let me know. If you can bring a sharp knife, please let me know (for cutting treats, of course...)

"She Flies with Her Own Wings"

Our next unit of study will be "Oregon!" We will trace Oregon's timeline from the very first settlers to present day (picking up where we left off in our study of "Westward Movement"). We will explore Oregon's geography and climate, studying each region's boundaries, formations and natural wonders. We will examine the structure of Oregon's government, the rights of citizens and the passage of laws. We will study Oregon's unique culture and create our own versions of "typical" Oregonians. We will memorize and understand the emblematic importance of the state symbols. We will choose an Oregon business as well as a notable Oregonian to explore in depth. And all of this, in the 20 or so days left of school! Please enjoy and explore the video and websites below (more to be added). Many of them will be used for research in class as well.

Oregon State Legislature

Notable Oregonians

Travel Oregon for Kids

Travel Portland

Oregon Facts

Oregon Geography

Enchanted Learning: Oregon

Crater Lake

Oregon Caves

John Day Fossil Beds

Pendleton Round-Up

Hells Canyon

Columbia River Gorge

Discover the Forest

Oregon Business

Sexton Mountain Elementary - Fireworks - April 2011

This is a video of our fourth grade students' rendition of Katy Perry's, "Firework"at our April PBIS assembly. Over the previous couple weeks we rehearsed in class and discussed the lyrics in great detail. We believe this is a song with a very powerful message: don't let others bring you down, believe in yourself and your uniqueness, and you'll be capable of amazing things.

I am so very proud of all our fourth graders' bravery in performing in front of the whole school and not being afraid to be themselves. You are all special, unique, and spectacular!

Earth Day - April 22

With the help of parent volunteers and some generous donations we were able to give back to the earth on Earth Day by tending, weeding, and planting in our garden. Our herbs and veggies are thriving. Our flowers are blooming bright. Spring is in the air. Or, is that our compost? Great job out there fourth graders!

Original Legends

These are examples of original legends the students wrote based on our study of Native American cultures, myths, and legends.

Novel Studies

These are some final product examples of the novel studies students completed about a month ago. They're hanging in the hallway outside the staff lounge.

Literacy Night - April 14 @ 6:30-7:30

As you know our school has been reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to promote reading at home through our One School, One Book program. This is our fourth year in a row doing this activity. Each year the program culminates in a celebration of the book and reading in general at the Sexton Mountain Literacy Night. Our literacy night this year is scheduled for next Thursday, April 14th from 6:30PM-8:30PM. The whole family is invited and encouraged to attend this event. Of course, it helps to have read the book either individually or with the family. There will be various literacy and art activities lead by teachers around the school.

Our fourth grade team will be leading an activity in Mrs. Tanksley's called "Pudding" Emotion into Poetry. In this activity students and parents will be able to recall the gambit of emotions portrayed in the book and then write an "emotion" poem using strong sensory words. They will then top it off by finger painting a rabbit to accompany their poem.

If you would like to donate to charity, our school is collecting NEW stuffed rabbits on literacy night to be donated. We will also be collecting the books if your family no longer has a use for it, so it can be reused by less fortunate schools in our district.

Lastly, we will have a "professional" life sized Edward Tulane at literacy night for pictures. So, bring your cameras if it strikes your fancy.

*Photos of recent student work will be posted on our blog shortly.

Puerto Vallarta & Sayulita, Mexico

Native American Myths & Legends Posters

Below are some examples of the Native American myths/legends posters the students completed last week as part of our integrated Native American history and culture unit. First, as a class we read and discussed the plot elements of a Native American legend called Rough Face Girl. We also discussed the various types of Native American legends - trickster, how and why, young heroes, creation, etc. Next, they were all given a Native American myth or legend to read and take notes on plot elements - exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Many of them had a moral for the students to decipher as well. As a final product the students were asked to make a teaching poster to share with their classmates. Lastly, the students used their newfound legend expertise as inspiration to write their own legends, which they're working on now. Their posters can be found displayed on the windows near the entrance to school. Click on image to enlarge it.

Here Is My Room Project

Below you can see just a few examples of the writing/art project the students did about their rooms. The writing focused on developing ideas & content, improving word choice, and using transition words to improve organization. The art aspect required the students to think about and draw their rooms from an aerial perspective. They did a wonderful job and all their finished projects are proudly displayed in the hall near the library for all to admire for about another week. Click on image to enlarge it.

Harper Pictures As Requested

Please feel free to read the post below this one for an update on what we're doing in the classroom if you haven't done so already.

Click here to view slideshow.

What We're Doing These Days

Here's an update on some things we've been and will be working on.

Social Studies: Just before winter break the students were divided up into five different Native American groups representing five different regions in North America for a research project. Each team is expected to research their tribe's location, food, clothing, shelter, transportation, arts, crafts, festivals, and the effect of their impact with Europeans. Each member of the group is responsible for one or more sections of the research. They have all been given Native American research folder for this unit and the inside cover has a project sheet with questions to help guide their research. Each group has a leader responsible for making sure their team meets the specified criteria on the project sheet. Then, they will be writing a group paper and giving a brief group presentation. Each member writes the section they researched and the group leader writes ties up any loose ends and writes the introduction and conclusion. They will also be filling in a classroom matrix on our wall with the information they find along the way and will give a brief presentation on their findings to the rest of the class for note-taking, comparisons, and discussion. There is a Language Arts component to this unit addressed below.

The kids have also been reading, note-taking, and doing packet work in the textbook on chapters 6-9. They will have a test for each chapter, which will be reflected on their spring report cards.

Writing: Before winter break the students were working on a piece about their rooms and specific "treasures" within their rooms. They turned in rough "final" copies the Ms. Kellom. This past week we've been working on revising them for content and organization. We'll be typing these final copies at school either Friday or Monday.

As I mentioned previously, their current social studies project has a writing component as well. The kids will continue to write to me in their personal journals as well. They will also be writing their next piece in their "10 Things You Need to Know About Me" installment.

Language Arts: The students will be reading, dissecting, and doing a mini report on a Native American myth or legend in the coming weeks.

We're going to suspend book clubs after tomorrow for a few weeks in favor of a whole class novel study on the book Thunder Rolling in the Mountains by Scott O'dell and Elizabeth Hall. This is an historical fiction book that sheds light on the forced removal of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce indians from their home in the Wallowa Range to a reservation by the American Army. It's told from the native perspective. The criteria sheet and work packet for this will be coming home Thursday or Friday.

Math: We will be taking the Unit 3 test this Friday and we'll be starting Unit 4, place value, next week. A letter explaining Unit 4 will be coming home on Friday.

Science: All three classes will be rotating in a few weeks. Our class will either be studying human body systems with Mrs. Krueger or erosion and the environment with Mrs. Quraishi Mian.

That's it for now. Oh, some folks have asked for updated photos of Harper, so I'll try and get some up in the next few days.

-Mr. Schwindt

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful holiday break. I'm looking forward to coming back to school, although I will miss being at home with baby Harper. Has it been 10 weeks already? I heard good things from Ms. Kellom.

Monday morning is just around the corner. Please remember to bring your Book Club books and packets, as I believe you're due to have your third and final meeting on Tuesday.

I'll see you bright and early with smiles on our faces.

-Mr. Schwindt