December and More!

Hello Parents!


As this year draws to a close, we would like to take a moment to tell you how far everyone has come. It is truly amazing to see the progress each student has taken, and we are so proud to be a part of it! We recently sent home a note about this week, in case some of you may have not gotten it, I will post it here.

"We have two special events happening this week at school. Thursday, December 16th is our Book Exchange. So far, we only have books from 9 students!!! Please bring a BOOK MY THURSDAY MORNING. Friday, December 17th we are going to have a
"VIP" party for the Kangaroos and Sharks. This will be a pajama party for all students who EARN THE PRIVILEGE of attending with their behavior at school. We ask that you pack your student their pajamas only - please no pillows, stuffed animals, etc. We will change into our pajamas after lunch, and back into school uniforms after our party. As a reminder, December 17th is our last day of school. We will resume our curriculum on Monday, January 3rd, 2011. We hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday!"

Taking a look ahead, here are some dates to look forward to in January.

January 3rd: school resumes
January 4th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ethan Woo!
January 7th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sudish Rajesh and Avni Sharma!
January 11th: Ice Skating begins (See Below)
January 14th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Danya Kolisetti!
January 15th: Maintenance Day 9:30am - 1:00pm
January 17th: MLK Jr. Day SCHOOL IN SESSION
January 26th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sophia Nilsson!
January 29th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Abbi Basley-Oard!
January 31st: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sol Green!


ICE SKATING

This year, the Kangaroo and Shark classes will be ice skating on Tuesday's beginning January 11th for 6 weeks. Ice Skating will last until February 15th. Please refer to page 4 of the handbook (just above the month of December) for Ice Skating basics. We would like to emphasize a few details from this page. LABEL ALL CLOTHING. Ice skating is a long day for the students, so please make sure to pack a nutritious lunch - they will need the energy! The Kangaroos will travel with the Road Runners for the first lesson, followed by the Sharks, Dragons, and Vikings. The Sharks will be arriving back at school around 3pm on ice skating days. Don't worry if you forget, we will remind you again soon :)

We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday, we are looking forward to seeing you in the new year!!!

November Happenings

Hello Parents!

First off, we would like to thank all of the parents who helped with our Diwali celebration last Friday. All of the students had a fantastic time - be looking for some of the crafts they made coming home this week!

November is here, time is flying by this year! This Thursday 11/11 there is NO SCHOOL, we will be observing Veteran's Day. There will be school on Friday 11/12. The third week of November on Friday 11/19 we will be making butter - just like the pioneers did. We would appreciate some crackers or bread to enjoy our hand made treat! If you would like to contribute, please leave items with Mr. Clark, Ms. Robinson, or Mr. Dougherty. The Thanksgiving holiday begins Thursday 11/25, with school resuming Monday, 11/29.

You will be getting a copy of your student's assessment just before the holiday. This is similar to a report card, a way for us to let you know specifically where your student is excelling, and where they could use extra practice. It will cover all subjects, as well as a section covering their behavior at school. Take some time to look it over during the break. The assessments are a great tool for us at school. We will be able to adjust our curriculum according to how our students are doing, and it will show us where we can improve as teachers. All of the students have been making excellent progress, so be ready for positive results!

Hello Parents!

The much anticipated week is here - pumpkin hunts, field trips, Halloween! Thursday 10/28 will be our pumpkin hunt. We have been working in our math classes to identify specific characteristics of our pumpkins so we can find them when the names are taken off for the hunt!

We are also getting ready for our field trip on Friday 10/29 to the Children's Museum. Thank you in advance to our chaperones Katrina South, Alimah Hall, Nandita Kolisetti, Cyndi Jerde, Jeff Oard, and Kavita Kolluri. We will be LEAVING SCHOOL AT 8:35 am this means we need to be ready to go! PLEASE GET YOUR STUDENT TO SCHOOL EARLY! Field trip reminders can be found in your calendar, but for clarification....

• No lunch warm-ups.


• Please send your student's lunch in a plastic bag, so everything can be thrown out.


• Field trip clothes: Red track pants, 'Property of CLASS Academy shirt'


• Send your student with a sweater and a red rain jacket with a hood


• Be on time!

Thank you for taking the time to prepare your student for our field trips, it really helps us a lot!

One last note... Please remember, Halloween costumes and candy stay AT HOME. We hope everyone has a safe evening on Sunday - happy trick-or-treating!

THANK YOU!

We wanted to say THANK YOU to all of our amazing parents who came to visit with us for Back to School Night - we appreciate you taking the time to learn more about what we do at CLASS Academy. Your Rock!

As October continues, the excitement about the upcoming festivities increase by the day. On our calendar, we have a pumpkin hunt scheduled for Thursday October 28th, AND a field trip to the Children's Museum on Friday October 29th. Yahoo! We have begun an official countdown toward our end of the month fun - everyone is excited. Please remember to review field trip protocol in your CLASS calendar.

This Saturday, October 23rd is a Maintenance day. This is another opportunity for you to complete your CAPA hours, and it is EXTREMELY helpful for our school. Maintenance day starts at 9am, and will continue until approximately 1pm.

Thanks again for your continued support toward your student's education, we couldn't do it without you!

Apples and Pumpkins

Welcome Fall!

As a new season approaches the Pacific Northwest, we would like to send you a few reminders:

1) Please send weather appropriate clothing with your student. A rain jacket and/or sweater should come to school every day - we never know what to expect, so be ready!

2) Please send your student with both an APPLE and Pumpkin. Both items need to be LABELED with your student's name on a piece of tape. We will be using these items in math, writing, and science. They can start arriving on October 10th.

3) There are great opportunities this month to fulfill your CAPA hours! The Carnival and Field Trip to the Children's Museum both need volunteers. There are also opportunities during our lunch time from 12:00 - 12:30 every day.

We also have a schedule change! From 2:30 - 3:00pm every day, we will have a 'homework table' time. Please let us know if you want your student to complete their homework during this time, or if you want them to do it at home. We fully support you working with your student; at the same time, we understand that some nights (or all) can get late fast! You can find us at school, or email us to let us know your preference.

We are all looking forward to seeing you on October 13th for Back to School :)

Hello October!

Congratulations on making it through the first month of school!

We know there have been a lot of changes from summer school, but everyone has done a great job transitioning into our academic school year. We have tried to talk to all of you when we see you at school, and so far we are getting good reports from the home front. It is very helpful for us to hear from you about what you see at home - behavior, homework, etc. Feel free to chat with us when you come to school! If you ever feel the need to sit down for a longer period, we are available for meetings before or after school. We are also happy to reply to emails :)

Homework has been going well so far this year. It has been a step-up from last years work load, but the students seem to be enjoying it! (lets hope this attitude stays with them for quite some time!!!) Here are a few notes about homework:

1) Please take the time to sit down with your student. Let them be the "teacher" and you can be the student. Have them explain what they are doing to you - this shows a mastery level of learning.

2)Feel free to help them with difficult concepts, or with reading if they are getting tripped up. Let them know that "mistakes are OK!" - as long as they try their best.

3) "Teachable moments" - when we as adults can assist our children or students in a learning process, academic or otherwise. Homework is just one small portion of these ever occurring moments in time. The next time you see your child struggling with something (holding their backpack, zipping their jacket, or putting on their shoes) DO NOT DO IT FOR THEM!!! In order to teach Independence, we need to coach them through these times.

4) We have arranged homework so you have the entire week starting on Wednesday. If you know you will be busy one night, please plan ahead. If your student's homework folder does not come to school, please let us know - write a note, email, or talk to us. We are trying to establish a sense of responsibility, so we need to model these behaviors as well.

We have had a great September, and we are looking forward to October - here are some important dates:

October 3 - Faris's Birthday
October 5 - Sevyn's Birthday
October 5 - Mr. Dougherty's Birthday
October 10 - Cole's Birthday and
Pumpkins can begin arriving for math activities. Please label them with your student's name on a piece of tape
October 13 - "back to school"
October 16 - School Carnival!
October 23 - Maintenance Day
October 29 - Field Trip to the Children's Museum

Hello from the Kangaroo and Shark classes!

We have been having another great week at CLASS Academy. Picture day was a big hit, everyone showed off their teeth (or what is left of them!) and we are looking forward to seeing them. Re-take day is not scheduled yet, hopefully they will not be needed, but we will get you the information soon.

This week in Science, Mr. Dougherty has been exploring Volcanoes - all of the students have been making their own model they will be taking home soon. Ms. Robinson's writing class has been exciting, she has been using the "me" bags (see photo's below) for a writing theme, and to get to know something new about our students. Mr. Clark has been having a fun time in gym, especially with our new and improved "obstacle course". He was also very excited to see a Seattle Seahawk's jersey show up in a "me" bag!!!

We hope the first week of homework went well, please let us know if there are any questions that come up during the week.

Have a great week!

Homework Time!

Wednesday, September 15th will be the first week of homework for the Kangaroo Class. Each class will need to return their folder with completed work DAILY. We will be correcting homework during our first rotation 8:30 - 9:00am. The homework is a review of what we are working on in class. Encourage your student to "teach" you - as learners, we retain 90% of what we can teach others! If there are ANY questions, feel free to contact Ms. Robinson or Mr. Clark at any time.

brushing off our fossils. . .carefully!

making carnivore teeth!

Building a wooden train car.

mousetrap vehicles!!!!!!!

Goodbye Summer!

Time to say goodbye to summer, and hello to a fun and exciting school year. The Kangaroos and Sharks will be shifting gears starting September 8th. We have a new schedule, curriculum, and new materials to take the next step in our education adventure! Reminders about the school year: Uniform change, no shorts or skirts - jumpers and pants only. Please also send your studnet to school with a sweater or jacket for the cooler fall days. Homework will start the second week of school. Our new homework folders need to be returned DAILY - we will be using the materials in class. This also means your student needs to bring their backpack EVERY DAY. One more friendly reminder: please have your student at school, belongings away, ready to go BY 8:30 am. We are very excited to continue working with all of the students, and with all of you, to have a successful year!

Mr. Clark, Ms. Robinson, and Mr. Dougherty

Welcome to Summer!

Hello Parents!

We are all excited to be settling into our new class rotations and classrooms! Summer is upon us, now all we need is the weather to participate and we will be ready to go. The Kangaroo and Shark classes are two different groups; however we will be rotating for our science, music, and writing classes. Mr. Clark will be teaching music, incorporating fine motor practice, story time, and practicing a few small plays. Ms. Robinson will be teaching writing, concentrating on sentence structure and handwriting skills. Mr. Dougherty, the newest member of our team, will be teaching science.

A few reminders about summer. Please dress appropriately! During our morning snack time, it can still be a bit chilly due to the shade provided by the building - please make sure to provide a warm layer such as a sweatshirt or sweater. On the flip side, the playground can be VERY warm in the afternoon, so please do not double layer - it can make your student too hot to play. We will be providing sunscreen for all students, thanks to all of your help with school supplies! Please consult your handbook - the opposing pages of your school calendar for other summer reminders :)

If you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time! Our emails are located underneath our pictures on the blog.

Sincerely,

Mr. Clark, Mr. Dougherty, and Ms. Robinson

The New Kangaroos!

Our last day as Kangaroos!

Madeline at the NW Childrens Theater

Greetings Parents!

The Sharks and Kangaroos classes went to the NW Childrens Theater today to see "Madeline and the Gypsies." It was a great show and we had a fantastic time!

As the end of the regular school year approaches, so also does our Spring Performance. Your students are working assiduously on their songs, which are coming along quite well. The Sharks and Kangaroos are eagerly looking forward to the big show. Also, this week's homework will be the last of the year.

Until next time...

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

The Kangaroo Mariachi Band!

El Chocolate

Uno, Dos, Tres, Cho-

Uno, Dos, Tres, Co-

Uno, Dos, Tres, La-

Uno, Dos, Tres, Te-

Chocolate, Chocolate

Bate, Bate, Chocolate!

We made made tortilla chip maracas, las guitarras, and los sombreros!

The Kangaroos had a great Cinco de Mayo celebration! The Kangaroo Mariachi Band learned the song El Chocolate, we used our maracas, and wore our sombreros everywhere we went!

another horse with no name

Diorama pictures for you to enjoy.

Quadraphonic

Hello Parents,

The Kangaroos and Sharks will be having their swim lessons later this month. The lessons take place at the Matt Dishman Rec. Center in NE Portland.

We will be eating lunch at 11:00 and leave for swimming around 11:30. Since we eat lunch so early, it might be a good idea to have a little extra something for your student to eat when they get back from swimming. We will of course have a graham cracker or apple for them as well.

We will arrive back to school around 3:15, depending on the bus arrivals and depature times.

Make sure that you student has a red bathing suit, a plastic bag with a towel and swim shoes/sandals and googles if they need them.

If you have any questions about swimming just come and ask.

Have a good Day,

Flash Gordon

Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away

Whoops,

It looks like the Kangaroos did not receive the diorama letter in a timely manner. I thought that the letters were put in the homework folders, but they were not. Due to this, the Kangaroo dioramas are not due until the 15th.

Over the next several weeks I will be visiting with the Roadrunners in the morning. I am doing this because I will be following the Sharks upstairs when they become Roadrunners. Also, Mr. Butler is working with the Tiger Sharks so that he can get to know both the students and their academic level better.

I hope that you all are having a great week.

Signing off,

Maverick and Goose

Comin' Into Los Angeles

Click "View All" to see skating pictures! :)

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Get your own

View all

Get your own

Dance the Night Away

Hello Parents,

Quick reminder:

Tomorrow is the egg hunt! remember to bring your student's eggs.

I hope that everyone had a great spring break! I went fishing for most of the week. I also caught a new show airing on the Discovery channel called Life. It is on Sunday evenings. I be live that it starts at around 7:00 pm. It is a great show that explores life around the planet. It is narrated by Oprah Winfrey, but don't let that turn you off. It is a fantastic show, and fits in nicely with our habitat science lessons.

In your students science folder you will receive a letter. This letter tells you about the next science project that you get to do with your kids! You and your student are to build a diorama of an animal habitat. The letter will give more details. Be on the look out!


Dr. Joshua Lucas XII, ESQ

The Final Countdown

Hello,

Well the Science Fair seemed to be a great success! Thank you for all of your hard work you put in with your student on the science boards. I hope that you and your student found the experience enjoyable. I encourage you to continue to do experiments at home with your student, using the scientific process. There are many resources for experiment ideas. You can find them on the Internet, local library or local CLASS teacher.

In science the class will start to learn about animal habitats. One of the activities that the class will do is make an animal habitat diorama. I will contact you with more details as the time approaches.

A quick math note. When studying math at home, be sure that you include math problems in story formats. An examples is as follows:

Joshua has 48 fish in his fish tank. 35 of them have stripes. How many do not have stripes? How many eyes are there altogether?

Story problems can really show how well your student knows his/her math skills. Just knowing how to solve equations is just the first step.

Assessments will be sent out next week. You should receive them by the Thursday or Friday. They will be located in a container on the office shelf.

Hope you are all doing well,

Dr. Doom

A horse with no name

Dear Parents,

Skating was a great success and fun was had by all. I encourage you all to take your students skating. This way all of the skills that they have picked up throughout the last weeks will not be lost. I will have pictures up from skating as soon as I figure out how to do that! ( I usually have Mr. Walker do that!)

Science Class:

In science we have been plugging away with our experiments. This week we are going to explore the strength of eggs. I will set up a board with about a dozen eggs under it. Then I will have the students stand up on the board one at a time. The strength of the eggs will be able to support them, I hope. It should be fun either way!

Remember to include a title of the experiment with your student's science board and a short speech. The speech should be about one minute in length and highlight the major points of their experiment.

I hope that you all are doing well,

Mr. Wizard

President's Day Holiday

Hello Parents,

We wanted to remind you that school is closed Monday, February 15 for President's Day. We hope you have a good long weekend!

Be well,
Sharks and Kangaroos

Career Day and Ice Skating

Hello Parents,

Just before the break we had our career day for the Kangaroos and Sharks. What a success! Each of your students did a very good job bringing items that helped explain their career of choice and wonderfully described them to the class. Great work! Below you will find some pictures from their presentations.

We have begun ice skating lessons this week and would appreciate any help from parent volunteers with escorting the kids to the ice rink and tying laces. Even the smallest of contributions helps quite a bit. If you are interested in helping out please see or email Mr. Lucas, Ms. Pranke, or Mr. Walker for details. And, of course, any time you volunteer will count towards your annual volunteer hours here at school.

Be well,

Mr. Walker, Ms. Pranke & Mr. Lucas