Camping Details from Mr.s Tompkins

Hi Parents,
The 8th Grade Camping trip is right around the corner and I am finalizing details.  I need RSVPs ASAP!!!  As soon as I know the number of people I can complete the food list and split firewood cost.  The cost of the rental was covered by the $ the 8th grade raised at the beginning of the year.  Food, firewood and our own transportation is all that will need to be covered.

Here are the details:  Check in 4pm Sunday June 9th, Check out Tues June 11th @11am.  We will meet at the school parking lot at 3pm on Sunday to go over food purchases and carpool if possible.  The Old Ranch at Silver Falls State Park.  It is a huge old barn with a giant fire pit in the center and a kitchen.  Balcony all the way around inside with bunk beds and indoor bathrooms.  We will split sides for ladies and gents.  For $100 we get bottomless firewood.  Private hike behind barn and huge open grass field in front.

Each 8th grader needs an adult responsible for them.  If you cannot attend you need to find another willing parent.  No siblings please.

One of the reasons this location was picked by the students was proximity.  Please feel free to come and go as needed.  Stay one night, or both. Stay for the day ect.

What to bring:
Sleeping bag and mat, pillow (bunk beds have no padding at all)
Toiletries, including sunscreen and bug spray
Swimsuit- modest ladies please!!!
Good hiking shoes
Flashlight for tag 

Rain jacket

Optional:

glow sticks

Nerf guns and bullets

Games for field and indoors

Indoor crafts (jewery making ect.)

 

Thanks, Mandi

bradymandi@msn.com

503.957.9768 call or text

Hooray, Another Survey!!

Hi, families--as we look at what went well this year, and what we could continue to improve on at CHPCS, we are considering an overhaul of field trips, but we did not want to make a decision without hearing from all of the stakeholders.

Currently--and historically--field trips have almost entirely happened on Field Trip Fridays once a month.  We are considering other ways of formatting our students' learning experiences that might relieve some of the stressors we felt this year.  Please take a moment to connect with Mr. Currey's blog, in order so that you can answer the ONE survey question, to ensure we hear from you what you think about field trips.

Thank you!  We look forward to your feedback.


http://chpcs2nd.blogspot.com/2013/05/one-more-survey.html

End of the Year Events

Following you will find two very important announcements!

The first is about our 8th Grade Graduation.  As advertised in our School Planners, it will be held on Friday, June 7th, at 7:00pm, in the CHPCS Gym.  Following the ceremony will be a potluck dessert celebration in the Cafeteria (or outside, if the weather is favorable).  My expectation is that students dress nicely.  Mrs. Denman is checking each of the dresses worn by students that evening, so please bring it in to her if you plan on wearing one.  The minimum standard should be a school uniform, but many will be getting dressier than that.  Please plan on the event lasting approximately 90 minutes, including cleanup at the end of the evening.

The second bit of vital information is regarding an optional, after-school campout in Silver Falls State Park.  This event will begin on Sunday, June 9th, and end on Tuesday, June 11th.  Mrs. Tompkins has reserved a large cabin that sleeps 75 people, so all adults are very welcome to attend.  Some students are hoping to stay the entire time, and others will only be coming down for parts of this fun experience.  If your student is going to attend, he/she will have to be under the care of a parent, be it either you or another in our group.  As this is an after-school-is-out event, neither Mr. Harvey nor CHPCS will be in charge, nor responsible.

For more information on the details of either graduation or the campout, please email Mrs. Tompkins.  She will certainly need quite a bit of help with each event, so please consider helping to set up the gym, organize desserting, or prepare for cleanup on the night of Graduation.  Meals will also have to be purchased and prepared for the camping trip, and car groups will be a great help, too.

Here is her email:  bradymandi@msn.com

Have a great week!

Parent Perception Survey

Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey.  The office is hoping for 100% participation.  They are asking that every parent, step-parent and guardian complete one.  Please, please, please!!!


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OR_EFF_PAR_NCSD_CascadeHghts

May Field Trip

Our May Field Trip is right around the corner.  During the morning hours of Friday, May 10th, we will be going roller skating in Oaks Park.  This is part end-of-the-year celebration and part PE lesson, because we will be receiving skating lessons prior to getting out there ourselves!  After that, we will need to travel downtown so that we may experience Chinatown with Teacher Wenny.  Beginning this week, 8th graders will be reading The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, as well as studying the growth of China over the 10th Century. Downtown, we will be dining in a Chinese food restaurant, where students from our Chinese class will be ordering food for us.  Then we will be traveling over to the Lan Su Chinese Gardens for a guided tour of their beautiful grounds.  This one is not to be missed! 

If you are available to be a driving chaperone, please email me at your earliest convenience.

Random Tidbits of Learning

Here are a few things that I have found related to the learning that has been happening over the last few weeks in the 8th grade.  Please take them for what they are worth, but consider sharing some time with your student over one or more of them!

This is an interesting anti-war comic book created by a Congressman from Georgia.  Students may remember him from a documentary we watched about the importance of music during the Civil Rights Movement called "Songs for a Revolution".
http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Exhibits/Bond/Bond.html
(It should be noted here that many perspectives on the Vietnam War have been presented in our classroom.  Please do not think that the only narrative in school has been one that is against the US involvement in Vietnam.)

This is another Vietnam-related site that I have not yet had time to look at.  My hope is that it covers the inequity of the War, with regards to race and social class of the draftees during that time.
http://aavw.org/

This is a nice timeline of the events of the Cold War from a website that offers a great deal about history.
http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/events-timelines/03-cold-war-timeline.htm

After speaking about McCarthyism today in class, I would love for students to watch the excellent film entitled "Good Night and Good Luck".  It beautifully presents some of the issues surrounding the fear and extremism of the accusations of the time, has an amazing cast, and an even better soundtrack!!!  If you are looking to have a movie night w/ your student (I don't think that you'll find anything other than a bit of language in it), this may lead to an interesting discussion afterward.  Edward Murrow is one of my favorites, as is this film!!  I'm tempted to show a clip or two in class, but all anyone is welcome to borrow my dvd copy of it.

May Lunch Menu

Please click on the link below to access the Lunch Menu for the month of May!

http://chpcscafe.webnode.com/menus-/may-menu/