Class Update

                                                                                             

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The trimester officially ends this Thursday. Report cards and assessment scores will be sent home next week. There will be a final test in science on Thursday that will count for this trimester. The test is on molecules, compounds, and mixtures. All material on the test has been discussed and students have notes to study with. Please consider studying with them by asking questions off the notes and/or asking students to explain the concepts.

This week, students are presenting their final iMovie presentations on a character from Black Ships Before Troy. Feel free to check in before or after class someday to let your student show off his or her presentation - it's pretty neat!

The mechanical babies go home today. Students have been trained to respond to crying both at home and in class. When the babies are returned, there will be a computer print out of the care provided. Our family life unit has gone well overall and I hope that this final project can widen the conversation.

This Thursday, students will also celebrate with a Dojo party they earned through good choices and smart questions and answers. Feel free to send along snacks and PG movies.

Don't forget, we leave next week on the 5th for the REACH conference in Chico! Please make sure you have bedding/sleeping bag to send with your student next week. Last week, I requested a $25 donation to help cover the $150 fee per student and adult we pay to go to REACH for the three days. Please send the money in this week, if possible.

Thank you!

Maggie Orion

Class Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome back from your four-day weekend!

A couple of important announcements:

The trimester ends next week. Report cards will be sent home the week after.

Our two-night, three-day field trip to the REACH for the Future conference in Chico is fast approaching on March 5th - March 7th. A packing list will be sent home next week. In the meantime, we are requesting a donation of $25 to cover costs for this trip. Please send check or cash with your student. We will return on Saturday at approximately 7:30 pm. The video below was taken at the conference two years ago and if you look closely, you can catch some Camptonville faces.

7th/8th graders: Mechanical babies will be arriving the 23rd through the 26th. Be prepared for an extra little one in your home. I sent home notifications last week. If your family has become unable to complete the mechanical baby project, please contact me immediately for an alternative assignment.

8th graders only: The counselor from Nevada Union contacted me to schedule a meeting with incoming 8th grade students. Unfortunately, NU does not have the resources this year to send a counselor up to Camptonville as has been done in the past. The counselor has scheduled a meeting at NU on February 27th at 2:45 pm. Camptonville cannot provide transportation to this meeting so I urge 8th grade families to consider a carpool arrangement if you are interested in learning more about your student's transition to NU. Obviously, students may be picked up early to attend the meeting. If you have further questions or would like to contact the counselor, please see your student's paper copy of this handout.

8th graders only: The Yuba River Ranger District is offering a scholarship to graduating eighth graders who meet eligibility requirements and write a 1-2 page essay explaining your interests and goals relating to community service, natural resource work, forestry and/or wildland firefighting. Please see flyer that went home with your students. Interested applicants should write a first draft at home. After that, I'll be happy to help students workshop their writing for structure and grammar. Essays due May 20th, 2015.

Students in my math class have a test this week on our last module, A science quiz on molecules, compounds, mixture, and bonds will be next week.

Thank you for your support,

 Maggie Orion

Class Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

There are some exciting opportunities for students that you may want to follow up on:

1.     Little League sign ups for the North Yuba Little League are beginning. You may find more information at the following website: www.northyubalittleleague.com, by calling 749-0636 or request a flyer from our secretary, Pam, in the office. Registration ends soon.

2.     7^th and 8^th grade girls have been invited to play volleyball for the Grizzly Hill team by their coach. She has offered to pick students up from school and take them to practices which will begin next week. Practices will be Monday- Thursday for eight weeks. If this is interesting, I can give you the coach's number (it's published on the paper flyer but I don't want to publish online).

Please be reminded that we have Friday the 13th and Monday the 16th off of school for President’s day.

This Wednesday we have our awards assembly in the morning and a half-day for our staff meetings.

This last week students wrote an essay comparing and contrasting Sparta and Athens. We began our study on molecules, compounds, and mixtures. We finished reading Black Ships Before Troy , and this week students will begin working on a final presentation in which they will persuade their audience that one of the characters meets the definition for an epic hero. In my math class, we’ve been generalizing rules for addition, multiplication, and division.

The next two weeks we will have a project in social studies on Ancient Greece that will likely involve some work at home.

We will do spelling this week!

Thank you!

Maggie Orion

Class Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This Friday we have a Valentines Dance. Permission slips were sent home last Friday. Friends and siblings are welcome with pre-approval.

In science we are moving into molecules and compounds. In social studies, students wrote some beautiful formal outlines of their lessons. This week we will be comparing and contrasting life between Athens and Sparta and discussing which one is most appealing for students.

There was nearly a brawl last week as students debated Odysseus' ethics in Black Ships Before Troy but I calmed them down just in time. We will finish the book this week and start our final project next week on this reading unit.

Photo Source: Amazon

For many, spelling tests have been somewhat low. Encourage your student to study throughout the week or, better yet, give them some practice tests before Friday.

The trimester ends at the end of this month and we will be signing students up for new electives. If you or anyone you know are willing to teach an elective on Thursday afternoons for one hour for approximately ten weeks, please let me know. Students and staff are looking to find teachers for cooking, music, dance, debate, and any kind of sport, or art. Feel free to contact me with questions or interest.

Thank you and take care,

 Maggie Orion

ms.maggieorion@gmail.comOriginal Source for Photo