March 22 and 29
Muskrat News
Events for the weeks of March 22 and 29:
March 22-26 Spring Break
Monday, March 22 Library Thank You Event, 11:00 am
Tuesday, March 30 Community Education Event on Fire Risks
Thursday, April 1 ICP Board Meeting, 7 pm
Friday, April 2 Room 4 Expedition to the Coast
Upcoming events:
Tuesday, April 6 5th Grade Digital Story Workshop, 6 pm
Tuesday, April 6 Room 2 Expedition to Beaver Creek
Wednesday, April 7 PTO Meeting, 6 pm
Tuesday, April 13 Room 2 Expedition to the Wings of Wonder Butterfly House, Independence
Wednesday, April 14 Grading Day, No School
April 15 and 16 Parent-Teacher Conferences, No School
From our Executive Director:
I am really enjoying being here at our school. It is taking quite a bit of time to catch up, but I am getting there.
I want you to know of an effort I am making to create a safer, more responsible and respectful environment. Most of the schools I work with while supervising student teachers have three basic school rules. They
are:
BE SAFE
BE RESPONSIBLE
BE RESPECTFUL
I have found these schools to be warm and inviting. The idea behind these three rules is that anyone, anywhere can remember and use them to talk to children. When you are here at school again, you will see signs around the building with the three rules. This is my first way to try to make a difference.
One of my first observations here is that Muddy Creek Charter School has a group of very dedicated staff willing to work longer and harder to make this school the best that we can make it. I have also met some
really fine parents. I count myself to be most fortunate. ~ Dan
Survey. The ICP Board would like to get your opinion on the possibility of adding a 6th grade to MCCS. To participate, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/85W68BF or pick up a survey form in front of the school mailboxes. Please complete and return by April 1st. (The Survey Monkey site is completely secure and anonymous. The results are received only by the MCCS office. A great way to collect info without using a lot of paper!)
Library Thank You. To thank the Benton County Public Library for donating books to get our library started, parents and kids are invited to meet at the downtown Corvallis library branch on Monroe Ave at 11:00 am, Monday, March 22. The students will be presenting a Thank You quilt that was made by the Muddy Creek students and constructed by parents. This is during the Spring Break. but we don’t want to put the Thank You off any longer, so if you are in town, come on down! Bring a sack lunch and we can have a picnic in the park afterwards.
Kindergarten News. This week the Kindergarten class started learning their parts to a play that will be performed sometime in April. It is a Native American legend titled, The Sky Is Too Low. The leaders from seven tribes come together to discuss and solve their problems. The play is humorous and as with most legends, it has a life lesson that is timeless. We hope to have several performances which will be announced. Hope you can attend.
1/2/3 News. Second and third graders in both classes brainstormed ideas about what we could present at the Wildlife Stewards Conference. This is our first year as a 4-H Wildlife Stewards school, and we have the chance to share some of our projects connected to wildlife and our restoration area outside. The conference will be April 22 at Hoover School. In other news, Ms. Gorman’s class is building, building, building and figuring out how to hook up lights and batteries to finish our plant growth chambers. Ms. Bridget’s class is working hard on finishing up their Olympics projects.
3 more Muskrats run 5 miles! That’s right, Kinder Althea Rolfe and 1st Graders Emma Kenton and Hailey Dasenko finished their first 5 mile cards – way to go ladies! The sunshine and their determination were inspiring. For more inspiration, I am issuing a Muskrat Spring Break Challenge: get out and move it with your Muskrat during break! Whether it’s a walk around the block, a hike in the forest, or a race in the park – let’s hear how you moved it (and we’ll add those miles to your card)!
ICP Board Meeting. The next ICP Board Meeting will be on Thursday, April 1 at 7 pm in the Community Room. All are welcome to attend and participate.
Openings on the Board. Effective April 29, 2010, Christine Horning is retiring from the ICP Board after four years of service and one charter grant under her belt. “I have gotten so much from my involvement with Muddy Creek, which has been one of the most significant experiences of my life, but the demands of family, career, and farm have dictated this decision at this time. I look forward to the day my 3-year-old is in Miss Jenny’s class!”
Ideally, the Board would like to get back to its five-member configuration as we steer the school through the charter renewal process. The Board meets twice a month in the evenings and works closely with the Executive Director to keep the school aligned with its mission. Please see Policy 7 on the MCCS website for information on the process to become a member and consider whether this opportunity is a good fit for you.
Before School Care Volunteer Needed. We will need a new before school care volunteer for Mondays starting just after spring break. Please contact me if you would be able to provide before school supervision between 7:45 and 8:15 on Mondays for the rest of the school year. This is an important service that we offer our families and is a fun way to connect with other families at the school. Thanks! Kathy Brewer (kathy.dabnet@gmail.com , 758-0732).
School Picture Re-orders. Jim Carroll Photography is ready to post student photos online for re-orders. If you would like your photos posted for orders, please let Gretchen in the Muddy Creek office know by April 1st. We will then email participating families with the log in and password information when the photos are posted.
Scholastic Book Club. Spring book club catalogs are out – they’ve got great selections at an affordable price for PreK – Grade 6. They make great gifts and earn our classrooms new books! Pick up a Spring catalog on the table inside the foyer by the mailboxes. Submit your Scholastic book orders by Sunday, April 4. Simply go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and enter our school sign-in information (see below). Plus, every time you order online, Scholastic will give an extra FREE Book to our school! Questions? Contact Elisa Fairbanks at elisasmile@mac.com or 990-3733.
Go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and go to Parent Sign In. Enter our sign-in information to order:
Class User Name: muddycreek
Password: books
Donations Request. The Muddy Creek library is in need of bookends. We are looking for the metal library style not the home decorative style. Keep your eyes open at garage sales and other used outlets. They are expensive new and we need lots so we are looking for recycled.
Protect Your Home from Fire: Community Education Event. Scott and Elisa Fairbanks have agreed that their house fire can be used as a rallying call for all of us to learn more about minimizing fire risks in Benton County. On Tuesday, March 30 a community education event about fire risks will be presented by Philomath Fire and Rescue, the Benton County Planning Department, and Oregon State University Extension Service. It will take place from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the Muddy Creek Charter School Gymnasium. There will be lots of great information, dialogue, and even refreshments. See you there, and spread the word. Anyone in Benton County is invited. Questions? Contact Philomath Fire and Rescue @ 541-929-3002.