Carrie’s Chronicle May 1, 2015 This week at school… This was our last full week of regular school for the year. The fourth graders worked very hard to complete their M-STEP testing throughout the week. We have also started taking classroom assessments to wrap up the year. Next week, we will continue to finish up our reading and math assessments. We will also finish publishing persuasive essays. In addition, some students will complete their last literature circle of the year. In science this week, we studied food webs and food chains and looked for evidence of food webs at DeGraff Nature Center. We also learned about adaptations and discussed how important it is for animals to adapt to the environments where they live. We will conclude the biome unit next week. On Friday, the fifth graders presented their Wax Museum that they have been working so hard on over the past couple months. I was so impressed by all the hard work they put into this project! The fifth graders did a great job today with their costumes, props, and presentations. Thank you to all the parents who attended! Scholastic Book Orders I will be placing the Scholastic Book order tomorrow morning. If you are still interested in ordering, please submit your order online by Saturday, May 2nd. You may order online at https://orders.scholastic.com/JBR6N. Upcoming Dates         There are half days on Wednesday, May 6th – Friday, May 8th. Class is dismissed at 10:45 on these days. On May 8th, we will have a summer birthday celebration and Fun Friday! There is no school Monday, May 11th. Project Term begins Tuesday, May 12th. Fifth grade graduation is Thursday, May 14th at 6:00 pm. There is no school Monday, May 25th. Thursday, June 4th is the last day of Project Term. There is a Project Term Open House from 6:30-8:00 pm. Friday, June 5th is the last day of school. This is a half day. Summer Birthday Celebration Next week Friday we will take some time to celebrate students with birthdays over the summer or during project term. If your child has a birthday during this time, he or she is welcome to bring in a birthday treat for the class next week Friday, May 8th. 5th Grade Graduation The 5th Grade Graduation will take place on May 14th (Thursday) at 6:00pm in The Sanctuary at Christ Memorial Church. Please plan to arrive around 5:45 so that we can start promptly at 6:00pm. The students should dress in formal attire for this special occasion. This is a time for us to celebrate and honor the 5th graders for their many accomplishments in elementary school. Every student will receive an award, so it is important that they all attend this event. There will be treats and refreshments afterwards in The Forest at Christ Memorial. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! *COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES* Volunteer to spruce up the trails and help eliminate the invasive Garlic Mustard herb at DeGraaf Nature Center and Van Raalte Farm. Help us make the centers look great for spring visitors!! This is an opportunity for families to pitch-in and give back to our community, while students earn community service hours. TUESDAY, MAY 12th 3:30-5:30pm Van Raalte Farm WEDNESDAY, MAY 13th 3:30-5:30pm DeGraaf Nature Center Consider bringing gloves and pruning shears. Please contact Stacy Van Howe with questions at vanhowes@brpsk12.org or (616)405-0340. Summer Reading Link Program Watch for information about our summer reading program. We will still be sending a Summer Reading Log and some ideas of book choices your way. Students will be able to create a paper chain at home this summer- one link for every hour of reading. Students will receive information about the Summer Reading Link Program before the end of the school year along with the Reading Log and Reading Lists. Reading completed with a parent counts for all age levels. Read, read, read this summer and let’s see how far our chain will go. Buy First Green e-watt LED Lightbulbs Come support our The Black River/Holland robotics team fundraiser at "That Spring Thing" on Friday May 8th at Hope College. Selection: · Cree 3rd generation 60W - equivalent light bulbs at $7 each · Cree 3rd generation 100W – equivalent light bulbs at $18 each You can access additional information about the bulbs and buy them all year round at the following link: http://hollandchaos.com/sponsors/lightbulbs/ CALLING ALL GOLFERS! The First Annual BR Golf Outing is on the way! So come out, have some fun, play some golf, and eat some food all while supporting the BR Community. Monday June 8th is the big day. The 18 hole, 4 person scramble will be taking place at Macatawa Legends Golf Club. Space is limited, so sign up today! For event details and to register, visit the following link: http://www.birdeasepro.com/brgolf. Don’t play golf? You can still show your support by sponsoring a hole, donating a prize, or volunteering at the event. The proceeds from this year's outing will go towards the BR Capital Campaign Drive. That Spring Thing Join us as we celebrate the Girls' Varsity Soccer team as they take on Hopkins on Friday, May 8th, 2015 At the Hope College Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Pregame activities begin at 5:30 across from the soccer stadium. During the half time show the winner of the 50/50 raffle will be announced. 5:30 – Pregame activities - Face Painting - Games - Music 6:00 – Tailgate will start serving food 6:30 – Gates open 7:00 – Game Kick Off The event is sponsored by the BR Athletic Boosters. Please visit BRSports.org for more information! Are you short on Community Service Hours? If you would like to volunteer and have some fun, please contact: - Maria Carrizales-Alonzo at 616-405-4405 (mcarrizales@yahoo.com) - or sign up to volunteer on Shiftboard Admission: • Free for all Black River Students and kids 5 & under • General Admission is $3.00 or use this year’s Sports Pass. • Reserved Seating is an additional $3.00.