Thank you to everyone for an excellent series of parent-teacher conferences! Though the news wasn’t always good, the honest conversations about your children will help them to become better students as we move forward. Make no mistake, however, that this is a great group of kids. Despite our over-crowded conditions, I am truly enjoying this year. If you missed your conference and would still like to meet, feel free to contact me. Of course, whether we conferenced or not, you’re always welcome to meet with me at any time the best interests of your student are at stake. You’re also welcome to visit the classroom…no appointment necessary (just sign in at the office).

With any luck, all our CPErs will be returning to class on Monday rested and re-charged, as we have a ton of excellent new tasks to undertake. In Language Arts, the fifth graders will be starting a bank of new classroom plays. Brer Rabbit and the Gingercakes features a whole forest-full of animals talking in southern dialect, a lovable trickster, and full cast singing. The Nose, a classic short story by Nikolai Gogol, tells the crazy story of a nose that escapes its master’s face and then goes running around the city pretending to be a diplomat. It provides kids a chance to try on a Russian accent. Finally, O’Henry’s A Retrieved Reformation focuses on reformed gangster Jimmy Valentine who must expose his hidden past to save his new family. All three plays are slated to become podcasts near the end of April or the first week of May. (If you haven’t listened to last month’s play podcasts, be sure to click on the tab at the top of the page.) Language Arts students also have a new group of vocabulary words, which can be found here. The test will be around the 12th or 13th. Finally, we’ll be starting new Book Clubs on approximately the 16th. Whether 4th or 5th graders, all students are expected to read for 30 minutes or more each night and to record what they read on their Assignment Calendars (if you need a blank Assignment Calendar, click on Basics and then Forms at the top of the page).

Fifth graders are also preparing for the OMSI trip to Portland on the 26th. If you haven’t yet turned in your permission slip and $25 contribution, please do so soon. Full packets with detailed information will be distributed soon, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact Mr. Lewis at mack.lewis@district6.org. We know that this exciting trip has many parents eager to participate as chaperones. However, because of the sensitive nature of an overnight activity, we attempt to use only School District personnel. If additional chaperones are necessary, we will be selectively inviting parents well known to school staff. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

In 4th grade math, we’re jumping right into fractions. Students already had a crash course in preparation for state testing, so the first week should go pretty smoothly. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, April 2; Tuesday, April 3; Wednesday, April 4; Thursday, April 5. Students are also undertaking their second round of state testing in math.

Lastly, The Josephine County Board of Commissioners recently honored the founder of the Jo County Tree Plant with a well-deserved certificate of appreciation. The Tree Plant has become an annual event for CPE kids. Grants Pass auto dealer Ross Roe started the event over twenty years ago and continues to be the driving force behind it today. It was he who contacted us to participate after hearing about our infamous “Billy Bob Thorton Tree Incident.” To view an informative news video about the Tree Plant and Mr. Roe, click here.