Amboy Newsletter
May 2018
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
Ms. Blahnik's Bulletin
The last box top contest of the year is from May 1st through May 18! Please make sure that box tops aren't expired.
May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month. We will be having a toy drive for the children of OHSU and St. Jude's Hospital. Wear gray on Friday, May 25th, to show your support!
Our Scholastic Book Fair will run from May 29 through June 8. You can check it out at school or online following the link below.
5TH GRADE FOCUS
Math: Students are beginning to learn about polygons, triangles, and quadrilaterals in Geometry. Volume and Data will also be explored before the Smarter Balance math testing on Tuesday, May 29, and Friday, June 1.
Reading: In reading students are continuing to work with the Storyworks magazines, and many of the stories have a Spring theme. Students are building upon their reading skills to prepare for the Smarter Balance reading testing on Tuesday, May 15, and Thursday, May 17.
Social Studies: Students are learning about the Revolutionary War. Within this unit students learn about how our nation was created and about some of the found fathers.
HEALTH ROOM HAPPENINGS
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENT FOR 6TH GRADE
2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR
Washington State law requires that all children attending 6th grade for the 2018-19 school year must show proof of immunization for:
*Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap)
A letter and Certificate of Immunization Status will be sent home with every 5th grade student by the end of this school year. A completed CIS form, or a note from your student's health care provider, with the date immunization was given and a parent's signature, must be given to the office the first day of the 2018-19 school year. Students who do not meet this requirement can, and will be, excluded from school until this requirement is met.
Questions can be directed to Denise, School Health Assistant, at 360-885-6063, or Nurse Wendy at 360-885-6053.
MEDICATION PICK UP
Please make arrangements to PICK UP any medication(s) your student may have at school before the end of the school year. ALL MEDICATIONS MUST BE PICKED UP BY AN ADULT. Any medication left after the last day of school will be destroyed.
6TH GRADE SUMMARY
- Supplies - Many students are running short on the following supplies: Pencils, paper, and erasers. Please talk with your student to see if he/she is in need of any of these or other supplies! **As testing approaches, please make sure that your student has a pair of headphones/earbuds that he/she will need to use for testing.
- Attendance and Testing - As we come closer to state testing (May 22nd, 24th, 30th, and 31st), please encourage your student to get enough rest during those days as they will be testing for a couple of hours each day. Also, a healthy breakfast and snack to bring to school are other choices we would recommend. This is a crucial time for students to be reflecting on what they have learned. It is important to attend as many days at school as possible since most of what we will be doing in class will not translate to a "worksheet/assignment" to do independently at home but will be work/discussions done in class for students to check understanding of the concepts learned.
- Calendar/planners should be coming home every night. Please make sure to sign your student's calendar at least once a week. This is great way to communicate with your student about what is going on each day at school as well we to communicate with your student's teacher.
- Absences - If your student is gone or you are planning on keeping them out of school for any length of time, please send a note to your student's homeroom teacher as soon as possible so that the teacher has enough time to prepare work for your student to complete at home.
- Annual Kickball Tournament will be starting soon! As a grade level, at the end of the year we host a kickball tournament for ALL 6th grade students to participate in throughout the last few weeks of the school year. In order to participate, each student must have all assignments completed and turned in. Please encourage your students to keep up with work in and out of class so that your student will be able to participate in this fun and rewarding event!
7TH GRADE SCOOP
Medieval times is the theme for May. In History we will continue to explore the world of chivalry, knights, and Feudalism in school while the students plan and build catapults at home. ELA will be full of adventure and quests as well, with the reading of "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" and class preparation for reading and writing goals. May all quests be completed!
Mrs. E's History - Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution: biography boxes
ELA - Argumentative and review for testing
Science - Once students finish up the Human Body presentations we will learn about the structure and function of DNA. There will be another take-home project - a model of DNA. Students will also extract DNA from a strawberry in one of our class labs.
Math - Students just started a Probability Map project. After our probability test we will learn about ways to display data in tables and graphs.
At the end of the month of May we'll be SBA testing. We are encouraging students to be well rested, prepared to focus, charge up their Chromebooks, and be equipped with a comfortable set of ear buds.
8TH GRADE UPDATE
Our eighth graders are just finished with Forecasting, their first step into preparing for high school. The students are not thinking of learning but enjoying the freedom of summer. We need to be cautious at this time; grades still count. If a student wants to participate in certain activities in high school (examples are ROTC, marching band, sports, etc.), the student cannot have any failing grades during the second semester from their middle school year. Please explain to your child that we still have to complete assignments, and the best way to do that is to come to school prepared and still willing to learn.
Watershed Congress
Do you have the time? Our science teachers, Mrs. Snow and Mrs. Steward, would really appreciate some help taking the students to Watershed Congress. Twenty-seven students will be participating at Washington State University-Vancouver with other students around the county. These students present live information about Clark County's streams and rivers to local facilitators and county officials. The students have been working on the data since the beginning of school. The date will be May 18, 2018. If interested, please call Mrs. Snow or Mrs. Steward.
Recognition
Just around the corner is the Recognition Ceremony. All 8th grade students will be sent off in a beautiful affair. Our 8th grade Leadership bunch has been planning decorations. Please take time to put this important date in your calendar: June 18 from 8:30 to 10:15. NOTE: There is a time change for this year.
Important dates for 8th Graders:
May 18, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM - Watershed Congress (WSU Vancouver)
June 18, 8:30 AM to 10:15 AM - Recognition Ceremony
MR. BONG'S BAND BEATS
Parade season has begun! Seventh and Eighth grade band members are preparing music and reviewing marching techniques for the Hazel Dell Parade on May 19th. Evelynne Samwel will be the drum major for this parade. In addition, several Fifth and Sixth grade members will be handling the banner and flag teams. Eighth graders Lacie Holper and Cierra Sexton will be leading those groups.
After parade season, the bands will be preparing for the final concert season with the end-of-school performances at Amboy and Yacolt.
As always, the marching band will be performing at the annual Territorial Days Parade on Saturday, July 14th. For this parade we combine present band members with former band students to march in the parade. If you are a former band member and are interested in "Joining the parade" please contact Gary Bong, Band Director, for details at 360-885-6050 extension 3407 or bong.gary@battlegroundps.org.