February KODIAK News 2016
Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School
Dear Families,
It's incredible to think we are already halfway though the school year. February's arrival means it's time for parent conferences, and staff will be scheduling all individual conferences this year, please look for information to come home with your student. Our specialist staff will be available on Tuesday the 9th for an arena style meeting from 12:30-8:00pm. With time moving as quickly as it is, It is important for us all to keep our laser focus and momentum going. Students should continue to do the following:
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Read nightly
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Complete homework
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Be at school on time, all day, and each day
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Be prepared to learn
As you know parent support and involvement is crucial to your student's success! We look forward to seeing all of you soon!
Thanks for the support! Go Kodiaks!
Columba Jones
Principal
Student Happenings
4th Grade
The fourth grade was fortunate to have members of the Yakama Nation Confederated Tribe come to give a presentation. Students learned about the importance of salmon to local Native American cultures historically and currently. They looked at old photographs and got a demonstration of fishing techniques.
We have moved into a new math book, meaning that we've completed half of the new math curriculum! We've been working on multiplication, division and patterns so far this year. Now we'll move into three chapters on fractions, which will take up to Spring Break.
We're looking forward to visiting with you all during conferences next week!
5th Grade
During the month of February students will be reading fiction and nonfiction in the Journeys textbook. For the fiction story students will focus on character traits using evidence from the text. In the nonfiction text students will revisit main idea and details to solidify their understanding. Students will be selecting a biography and begin reading it in preparation for our Wax Museum in March. We have begun practicing Smarter Balanced released items and will continue with one per week this month. During social studies students will be delving more in depth with the 13 colonies and focusing on the settlement of Williamsburg to learn about the government, religion, and the various crafts made in that community.
6th Grade
We are excited to focus on forming excellent paragraphs for our next project, the "Me Picture Book". Students will learn about and use figurative language to write a paragraph about how each of the Cultural Universals we discuss in social studies relates to their life. We continue our exploration of ancient civilizations by examining the characteristics of their own cultural universals. Students will be asked to discuss how these characteristics developed to form each unique culture we study and compare them to our modern society today.
Science
After experimenting with foods and their fat content, then their sugar content, the next experiment is to test the acid in foods. Students are learning that acid in foods is healthy but in moderation.
For the end of the Food and Nutrition, students will be planning meals to infuse all the information they've learned in this unit.. It's important for them to make sensible choices in the foods they eat as well as read labels, making sure the foods they choose have the right amount of nutrients for them. The ultimate goal is for all to eat healthily to take care of their bodies and minds.
Math
We've finished Multiplication and Division of Fractions. This was a difficult content area for the sixth graders, conceptually, but many took on the challenge. Drawing models of fraction division and multiplication are part of the Washington State Standards. Math needs to 'make sense' to students in order for them to understand the concepts. Modeling is just one way of showing their understanding.
We move on to Integers and and Coordinate Plane next. A big emphasis for integers is to apply this concept in real world situations such as elevation and temperature. Students will also be learning to graph coordinates in four quadrants, which is exciting.
Parents, you and your son/daughter can visit the new math book's webpage: http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/login.do
Students have individual usernames/passwords in order to log on and take advantage of a variety of tools to support their learning in new math concepts.The tutorials are well done as they explain new sixth grade math content.
SKI AND SNOWBOARD CLUB
Ski and Snowboard Club General Information
Trip Dates for 2015-16. All trips are planned for Mt. Hood Meadows on Friday evenings.
January 15, 29
February 12, 26
March 11
We are excited to offer 5th and 6th grade students with the opportunity to join the ski and snowboard club this year!
General info:
Transportation
$12
Lift Tickets
$20 students and parents
Rental equipment (Alpine Ski or Snowboard)
$25 (Includes helmet)
Helmet
$10 / $5 Add on
Lesson
$44
Beginner Package – includes rental gear, 2 hour lesson & Buttercup, E-Z Rider lifts
$40
Office Reminders
Winter Weather
We remind parents/guardians to please dress your children appropriately for the weather with boots, mittens, hats and scarves. We have had some very cold weather recently and the extremities of children can get cold very quickly. Thank you for your cooperation.
Visitors and Volunteers
Please remember to stop in at the WPSIS office and pick up a visitor's badge when coming in.
Absences
Regular attendance has a direct correlation to a student's success at school. See the link below for some helpful tips!
Please keep in mind, if your student must be absent, the WPSIS office will need a note within 48hrs explaining the reason for their absence.
Upcoming Dates
FEBRUARY
- 2nd: WSV K-8 PTO meeting
- 3rd: CLC FAMILY NIGHT - Dinner Provided
- 6th: Band Booster's Cafe Music
- 8th-12: Conference Week 12:05 Release
- 15th: No-School President's Day
- 16th: No-School- Winter Break Day
- 17th: Regular Schedule No- Early Release
- 25th: WSVSD Board Meeting
Wallace & Priscilla Stevenson Intermediate School
Email: columba.jones@whitesalmonschools.org
Website: wsvis.wsvsd.org
Location: 480 NW Loop Rd, White Salmon, WA, United States
Phone: 509-493-4028