September
Week of : 09/15/25
Announcements:
After School Program: L3 ASP will start next week (Tuesday, Sept 23). We will run this program Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3:15pm - 4:10pm.
Chess Club: We are offering Chess Club again this year, starting Thursday, Sept. 18
Volunteers needed: to join us on the following Out & Abouts, especially for our trip to Nana Cardoon's farm this week (Kestrels) and next week (Merlins). Your presence helps us create smaller groups for students, giving them a more individualized experience. Thank you.
Nana Cardoon Farm: Join students at this sustainable homestead to craft a garden-based snack and investigate science and agriculture. Timing: 12-3pm. Be ready for a 1 mile walk each way, or meet us there!
Tuesday, September 16th: Kestrel Class
Tuesday, September 23rd: Merlin Class
Tuesday, October 7th: Fernhill Wetlands, 9:40-1:30. We'd like lots of parent support so that student groups can investigate the birds and other fall wildlife at Fernhill today!
Tuesday, October 14th: Portland Bird Alliance, 9:15-1:30. Join us on an ecosystems science program at this forest education center! Seeking volunteers that can drive or carpool to the Bird Alliance and are comfortable walking ~1 mile on uneven terrain.
Interested in volunteering? Yes, please! Complete the district background check and email Erin, e.morgan@fgcschool.org, to sign up!
Out & About:
Last week, we visited the garden to learn about photosynthesis and started science inquiry by brainstorming testable garden problems.
This week, the Kestrels will visit Nana Cardoons, while the Merlins continue developing their science inquiry skills.
Project:
This week in project, we continued studying systems by exploring different parts of an ecosystem, focusing on producers. On Friday, we brainstormed testable questions while creating a bean maze that we will observe over the next week.
Next week, we will learn about consumers in an ecosystem and their role.
Writing:
This week in writing, students collaborated to brainstorm meaningful ideas that will guide our classroom throughout the school year as part of our Classroom Compromise. We also continued practicing our writing routines and enjoyed short warm-up activities to strengthen our writing skills.
Next week, students will officially begin their poetry unit! They will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with a partner, getting to know each other better while creating a poem titled “The Important Thing About…”.
Reading:
This week in reading, our class began exploring the fundamentals of poetry by reading sample poems that showcase the many ways poets use words to express feelings and paint vivid pictures in the reader’s mind. We also began our formal reading assessments.
Next week, we will start reading our mentor text, Love That Dog—a book written in verse that gives students the chance to experience poetry from the perspective of a student their own age. We will kick off the week by setting a reading goal, learning more about the author, and making predictions about the story.
5th Grade Math
This week, 5th grade students have been practicing a variety of math routines, games, and sprints. They are also building the habit of bringing papers to and from school, an important step in establishing a consistent homework routine.
Next week, we will officially begin our Math books with Module 1: Place Value of Whole Numbers. Starting Monday, students will begin receiving daily math homework, which will be due the following day.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at m.ilquimiche@fgcschool.org if you have any questions or would like to connect.
6th Grade Math
In 6th grade math this week we did a lot of skill review to get our minds ready for our first module. We practiced setting up our notebooks which will be a useful tool to help students remember what we've learned and be available for reference on tests.
On Friday we began our first lesson on ratios. Starting on Monday, students can expect homework almost every night except for Friday. Students are expected to spend 20 minutes a night on math homework and parents need to initial the top page of their work each night. Homework is always due the following day.
Last week I mentioned sending out a math email...I haven't done it yet but I'll hopefully get it out very soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email me at h.sackett@fgcschool.org
Week of : 09/08/25
Welcome to our first weekly newsletter of the school year! Each week, we'll share highlights from our classrooms, upcoming focus areas, and important reminders for Out & Abouts, due dates, and more to keep you connected and informed. Looking forward to a wonderful year together.
Announcements:
We are looking for volunteers to join us on three upcoming outings:
Nana Cardoon Farm: Join students at this sustainable homestead to craft a garden-based snack and investigate science and agriculture. Timing: 12-3pm. Be ready for a 1 mile walk each way, or meet us there!
Tuesday, September 16th: Kestrel Class
Tuesday, September 23rd: Merlin Class
Tuesday, October 7th: Fernhill Wetlands, 9:40-1:30. We'd like lots of parent support so that student groups can investigate the birds and other fall wildlife at Fernhill today!
Tuesday, October 14th: Portland Bird Alliance, 9:15-1:30. Join us on an ecosystems science program at this forest education center! Seeking volunteers that can drive or carpool to the Bird Alliance and are comfortable walking ~1 mile on uneven terrain.
Interested in volunteering? Yes, please! Complete the district background check and email Erin, e.morgan@fgcschool.org, to sign up!
Out & About:
This week, we had an introduction to O&A adventures in L3 by Erin and had fun learning about systems and playing a few games to get us thinking about how systems work.
Next week, we will be in the garden starting to learn about science inquiry.
Project:
This week in project, we learned and practiced expectations and procedures in L3.
Next week, we will start our science unit about systems. In this unit, students will learn about ecosystems, science inquiry, and work on designing a sustainable system to address a situation that could be improved.
Writing:
This week in writing, students were introduced to what our writing block looks like and learned about the routines that will guide our work. We also added some fun “sparkle” to our writing time with games and activities designed to help us get to know one another.
Next week, students will collaborate to create our Classroom Compromise. This project will involve team discussions and a class agreement where students compile ideas to outline guidelines for making good choices, helping us build and maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive classroom community.
Reading:
This week in reading, our class was introduced to our first unit of study: poetry. We also spent time reviewing and practicing the routines that will guide us during reading class, helping students feel comfortable and confident with expectations as we begin this journey together.
Next week, we will begin exploring some of the basic ideas and concepts of poetry by reading sample poems that show the many ways poets use words to express feelings or paint pictures in the reader’s mind. We will also begin formal Reading Assessments, which will be conducted one-on-one. These assessments will give us valuable insight into each student’s reading strengths and areas for growth, so we can best support them throughout the year.
5th Grade Math
Our 5th grade math journey has started with lots of energy and enthusiasm! This week, students explored what it means to be a mathematician at this level. We took time to introduce the different activities we’ll be doing in math class and began practicing our routines through games, sprints, and “get-to-know-you” activities that all involved numbers.
Next week, we’ll launch into a couple of fun math projects designed to give me a glimpse of students’ understanding of place value concepts before we dive into our 5th grade math books.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me at m.ilquimiche@fgcschool.org if you have any questions or would like to connect.
6th Grade Math
Welcome to 6th grade math! It is going to be a great year. This week we got to know each other and talked about what it means to be a mathematician. Next week we will start working with numbers again as we get ready to dive into our first module which is all about ratios.
I will be sending an email home next week to share a bit more about 6th grade math. Please be on the lookout for it. If you have any questions, please email me at h.sackett@fgcschool.org