SGS Weekly Parent Update
Growing ALL Kids: Academics, Attitude, and Attendance
October 8, 2017
It is Officially October!
Welcome to the amazing month of October where we are starting each morning with a nice chill in the air and ending the day with warm sunlight. We love the fall months at Sandy Grade as we dive into learning.
Check out the important announcements and upcoming events here in the building.
Did You See This Sandy Post Article?
Check out the Sandy Post article below to get the scoop.
Student Drop Off Before School and Parking-Starts on Monday
Our before school drop off is getting a makeover starting on October 9th.
Starting on Monday, October 9th, we will have a drop off lane in front of the school (where buses park in the afternoon). We have had multiple near misses with both vehicles and people as folks are coming and going. To help keep vehicles and people safe, cars will enter into the drop off lane near the Cedar Ridge side of our school on Pleasant Street. Kids will be dropped off near the flagpole where an adult is stationed. Once the kids have been dropped off, the vehicles will leave the drop off lane near the intersection by Strauss Ave.
If parents would like to walk their child into the building or need to take care of something with the office, they will need to park across the street from Sandy Grade, in the Cedar Ridge parking lot, or down the road on the street.
In terms of parking options, we have had some questions about where to park when visiting Sandy Grade. While we know parking is a little tight and some creativity is needed when coming to visit our downtown site, we would encourage you to park along the street or in the parking lot near the pool / Cedar Ridge. Please make sure you don’t park in the red fire lane along the side of the building near the pool or in the LaBamba Restaurant parking lot.
Your help with this is greatly appreciated.
Fire Prevention Week (Monday-Friday)
It is Fire Prevention Week here at Sandy Grade School. The local fire department will be here in the building throughout the week to talk to kids about fire safety and how to respond in an emergency. Make sure to stay tuned for more information.
It's Jog A Thon Week!
The big week is finally here...Jog A Thon Week! That is right, the big day is this Wednesday, October 11th. Grades 3, 4, and 5 will run first at 8 am with Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grade running at 9 am.
Our school wide goal is $4,000 with money going to supporting our assembly and field trip costs, PAWS Store items, and classroom technology. If we meet our school wide goal, Mrs. George will dress up like a Minion for one entire day. Students can also earn a running necklace with a running foot charm for every ten dollars brought in. Students can collect as many charms as they bring in money for. As always we will also be celebrating classes and students that bring in the most money and run the most laps.
If you are interested in helping volunteer with the Jog A Thon, please sign up in the front office.
All pledge sheets and money needs to be returned by the 18th of October.
No School-October 13th
Little Steps-October 19th
Have or know anyone with children not yet in kindergarten? Sandy Grade will be hosting a Little Steps meeting on October 19th at 6:30 pm. Little Steps helps promote early childhood education and support for families as their child approaches kindergarten. Come check it out!
This Really Happened!
Weekly Attendance Winners
Celebrate Monday
Positive Office Referrals
We are working hard to celebrate students at Sandy Grade. One way that we do this is through our Positive Office Referrals. Our goal is to celebrate students that are going above and beyond with our school expectations by sending them to the office…for a good reason. Our process for a Positive Office Referrals is:
When the student gets to the office, they are celebrated with a high five, impromptu dancing and excitement by administrators or the office staff. Students then call parents or someone special to them about why they are in the office.
We give a positive shout out to each student in Morning Assembly and our students earn a special treat.
Students get a copy of their Positive Office Referral hung up on our Brag Bulletin Board outside of the gym. The original copy of the Positive Referral is sent home with the student on the day the phone call is made.
PBIS Bobcat Field Trips
PBIS Bobcat Field Trips-Sandy Grade is a PBIS school, focusing on positive reinforcement and teaching expectations. All students and staff will follow basic expectations for the school: Be safe, Be responsible, Be respectful, and Be kind. Not only can parents support us by reinforcing our PBIS guidelines at home, you can also support us in making sure your child is eligible for PBIS reward activity, known as a Bobcat Field Trip. In order for students to meet eligibility requirements they must accomplish the following:
1. Students must maintain a 92% attendance average.
2. Students must be in good standing at the library. Ms. Janet will check for lost or overdue books.
3. Students must not have any office referrals for the quarter.
4. Students may only have one YIKES for the quarter.
5. Students must have all their reading logs turned in for the quarter with a minimum of five nights of recorded reading per week.
6. Students must not have any bus citations for the quarter.
7. Students must not have any missing work.
After each field trip, the eligibility requirements will be reset allowing all students to work towards earning the next reward activity.
Snack at SGS
Battle of the Books-A Letter from Mr. Moll
To the Parents/Guardians of Sandy Grade School Students,
I am pleased to announce that this year Sandy Grade School will be participating in the Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB). OBOB is a voluntary reading competition in which teams of up to four students and one alternate compete against each other to answer trivia questions about a select list of books. Oregon schools have been competing in OBOB since 2007. The competition is free for students to enter.
OBOB is separated into three divisions. Sandy Grade School will be participating in the 3-5 division. Teams will be formed at grade level, but teams will compete across grade levels. The Sandy Grade School Library will carry copies of each of the books and they will be available at the Sandy Public Library as well.
Students who choose to participate will form teams with other students at their grade level. Over the course of the fall, they will determine a team strategy and begin reading books. Some teams choose to have all members read all the books, while other teams choose to have members read different books to become book experts. During the fall months, I will meet with teams periodically during recess to talk about the books and to begin having mock battles in preparation for the school battle, which is likely to occur in January. The winner of the school battle will then proceed to the regional battle. Should that team win the regional battle they would then proceed to the state battle, which is scheduled to take place in April of 2018.
Students are strongly encouraged to participate. However, students and guardians/parents should understand that participating in the Oregon Battle of the Books is a significant time commitment and that class time will not be available for meeting with teams to prepare for battles. For those students who are interested, permission slips will be sent home in October. However, students should begin reading the books on the OBOB list as soon as possible. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Moll
Sandy Grade School Library Media Specialist
503-517-4432 Ext. 5215
List of Books
Blast-Off! by Nate Ball
The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett
Dash by Kirby Lawson
The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
EllRay Jakes the Recess King! by Sally Warner
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 by Lauren Tarshis
Masterpiece by Elise Broach
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells
Poppy by Avi
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
We the Children by Andrew Clements
Wild Life by Cynthia DeFelice
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis
Homework at Sandy Grade
We need your help with homework! At Sandy Grade, we believe that homework is important because it helps students make the most of their experience in school. When homework is sent home, it is reinforcing what has been learned in class, extends and generalizes concepts, provides practice time, teaches responsibility, and helps students develop positive study habits. While attending Sandy Grade, students are expected to read each night and work on math facts at a minimum. If you would like additional clarification on homework expectations for students, please contact your classroom teacher.
Tardy
Box Tops
Calling all Box Tops! Do you have any at home that you can send in to school? Sandy Grade School is collecting Box Tops again this year and last year the money raised by them went to help pay for recess equipment for students. Let’s get them rolling in!
Lunch Paperwork-Reminder
Remember to complete a new Free / Reduced application by the early part of October 2017, if you were receiving meals at no or low cost last school year. All families must re-apply each year or benefits will discontinue in October. The form is easily accessible online or hard copies can be picked up at the front office. If you need help with the paperwork, we will gladly assist.
Lost and Found
Field Trips
This is just a friendly reminder that we have a variety of classroom field trips that will be occurring over the next few months. These classroom field trips are directly tied into the curriculum and learning that goes on in the building so all students participate in these trips. Please make sure that you check the school calendar on the Sandy Grade website to stay up to date for what is scheduled for your child’s class. If you would like to volunteer as a chaperone on the trip, please make sure your volunteer application has been completed and approved.
Finally, it is a pleasure working with your child. We are happy to have them here and we are excited about their academic growth! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or e-mail us.
Warmly,
Dr. Rachael George
Principal