The Lumberjack Edge
Cedar Mill Elementary School
December 15, 2017
I want to take this opportunity to thank our entire Cedar Mill Community for their continued support. The new year will bring new learning experiences, fun, and excitement. I look forward to what lies ahead for us as a school community in 2018. Wishing everyone a wonderful two weeks to enjoy the rest, relaxation and enjoyment that comes with the break.
Amy Chamberlain
Principal
In This Issue
- Upcoming Events
- Winter Reading Challenge
- Helping with DreamBox at Home
- Book Fair Message from Scholastic
- Gift Giving to Staff
- Operation "Ace of Hearts"
- In the Event of Inclement Weather
- Gotcha Drawing Winners
- Community Flyers and Enrichment Classes
- Cedar Mill PTC
- Too Sick for School Guidelines
- Unexcused Absences
Upcoming Events
15th: Movie Night
18th: Coffee Chat with Principal @ 9am (rescheduled due to winter parties)
20th: Early Release @1:35
20th: School-wide Pajama Day
Winter Break: December 21st-January 3rd
January
4th: School Resumes
9th: PTC @6:45pm
10th: Early Release @1:35
15th: School Closed
17th: Early Release @1:35
18th: Gotcha Store
26th: Coffee Chat with Principal @9am
26th: Passport Club
31st: Early Release @1:35
Read for Goats Winter Reading Challenge
For the last few years, the Cedar Mill Library has provided a Winter Reading Challenge to encourage students to read over the winter break while benefiting others in need. If kids in the local area read 6,000 hours over winter break, a donor has pledged to donate a pair of goats through Mercy Corp for a family in need to help them improve their lives. Mercy Corps helps people in some of the poorest, most difficult parts of the world.
To launch the challenge for Cedar Mill students, teachers read a picture book, Beatrice's Goat, based on a true story of the positive impact a goat had on an African girl’s life. Two stuffed goats have also been making their way through classrooms as a reminder to participate.
Participation is voluntary but encouraged. Students may pick up and return recording sheets for participation at the Cedar Mill Community Library or at school. A fact sheet and the reading tracker are also attached at the bottom of this newsletter. The reading challenge runs from December 11-January 19.
All reading counts: independent reading, family reading and listening to reading. Happy Reading!
Helping with DreamBox at Home
DreamBox is an online, adaptive learning platform available to all BSD K-5 students. Different grade levels are at different implementation stages, however, we wanted to provide some helpful tips for parents if your child is accessing DreamBox from home.
Dreambox FAQs for Parents
How does Dreambox work?
More than 48,000 data points are collected during every hour a student uses DreamBox Learning Math. The technology tracks the strategies used to solve problems and the interactions he/she has in the program. It then immediately adjusts the lesson and the level of difficulty, sequencing, number of hints, and pacing to best match the learner. This allows students, whether struggling, at grade level, or advanced, to progress at a pace that best benefits them and deepen conceptual understanding.
Should you help your child?
While in Dreambox, the program is following a student's every move. Any help they get could move them beyond their understanding and lead to more difficult problems and therefore more frustration. The best way to help your child is to remind them about the help button. The help offered is different each time and the program keeps track of where help is needed and adjusts lessons accordingly. All of this is used to help determine the best way to move student learning forward.
What about using paper and pencil?
Dreambox is constantly assessing student answers but it also collects data on what process the student uses to solve the problem. How the student solved the problem and how long it took is all used in the programming. When students use paper and pencil there is no way of knowing what strategies were used and this affects the way student understanding is calculated. For this reason, it’s really important that your child uses ONLY the tools in the program while solving the Dreambox questions.
Encourage your students to develop these habits from the beginning:
Be okay with mistakes
Work independently
Only use the virtual manipulatives
Use the help/hint button when needed
Use headphones and have volume on
DreamBox is constantly assessing your students' answers to determine gaps in understanding. Helping may push the student beyond their optimal learning zone and lead to more frustration. For more information on the rationale behind limiting the amount of support you provide, click here.
Questions to Ask Students Instead of Helping
Have you clicked the help or hint button?
What are you supposed to do here?
Show me what you’re doing that isn’t working.
What have you tried already?
Have you learned something in other Dreambox lessons that could help here?
Book Fair Results Message from Scholastic
Thank you for your continued support and effort to make your Scholastic Book fair a success! Here at Scholastic Book Fairs we like to measure success not by dollars and cents but by books sold and reading minutes achieved. Your book fair is truly a one-of-a-kind literacy event. I would like to congratulate you and the families at Cedar Mill Elementary School on a very successful book fair. Your numbers show your community has dedication to building better readers!
Cedar Mill Elementary School
Fall 2017 book fair results:
Books Sold 2003
Reading Minutes 360534
Gift Giving to Staff
District employees are subject to Oregon ethics laws that govern the receipt by employees of gifts that may not exceed $50.00 from any individual giver on an annual basis. Employees must be aware of any gifts they are offered or received from any source.
Parents/guardians should refrain from giving gift cards or other items of significant value to our staff. Instead, we encourage you to write a note of thanks to the classroom teacher or staff member. We appreciate your understanding and as always, your ongoing support. Thank you.
Operation: Ace of Hearts
For the last few years, the Cedar Mill community has embraced "Ace of Hearts" by providing gift cards in any amount to local stores such as Fred Meyer, WINCO, Safeway, the Dollar Tree, or anywhere there is value for the dollar. These cards are then distributed to Cedar Mill School families in need during the holiday season. Please consider providing a gift card by Monday, December 18th, and we will ensure it will be used to support our families. Thank you.
In the Event of Inclement Weather
When the weather gets snowy or icy, school schedules may be affected. The District generally posts the announcement of delayed school opening or school closure by 5:15 a.m. All Portland Metro area media outlets announce the information on TV newscasts and online.
The District makes decisions based on the ability to operate school buses safely; the ability for students and parents to get to school safely, and the ability of employees to get to work safely and on time. The decision that is made will be for the entire District. As always, parents may choose to make different decisions based on their particular location.
The District will notify parents via SchoolMessenger with a Non-School Hours Emergency message. Please manage your communication preferences in SchoolMessenger InfoCenter.
Inclement weather may impact bus routes to and from school. Visit the following links for information on BSD Snow Route Procedures and Cedar Mill's Snow Routes.
Gotcha Winners!
Landon A. (Weber)
Junho S. (Yates)
Lucy L. (Weber)
Kiho S. (Yates)
Miraya A. (Weber)
Toby H. (Thacker)
Elliotte M. (Yates)
Emily N. (Joehnk)
Jackson H. (Thacker)
Community Flyers and Enrichment Classes
Cedar Mill PTC
Too Sick for School?
If your child has a fever greater than 100.5 F, he/she may return to school when fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
If your child has an episode of vomiting, he/she may return to school 24 hours after the last episode.
Unexcused Absences
Cedar Mill Elementary School
Email: amy_chamberlain@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/cedar-mill/
Location: 10265 NW Cornell Rd, Portland, OR, United States
Phone: 503.356.2050