Expedition Express

Fire and Ice

Over the next week or two we will be wrapping up our Fire and Ice Expedition on Truckee history.  The crew now has a good understanding of Truckee’s foundational industries and how Truckee came to be.  Students have been working hard to publish a newspaper from the late 1800s, showcasing their newfound knowledge. They will soon be bringing home a copy to share with their families.

 Anoto-ME

Following Ski-Skate Week, both 2/3 crews will launch a new and exciting science expedition that will carry us through the rest of the year.  The Anato-ME expedition takes a close look at the human body and the 6 main systems:  circulatory, respiratory, muscular, skeletal, nervous and digestive. Students will investigate how these systems interact with each other and the importance of maintaining a healthy body for a healthy lifestyle.

Crew News

Valentine’s Day/Empathy and Caring Month

Our Design Principle for February is Empathy and Caring.  As a reminder, we encourage students to show they care for each other by using kind words when communicating with their peers.  In an effort to practice our writing skills and show our crew mates how much we care about them, we will have students write individual notes to each member of our crew.  We will exchange these notes Friday, February 13at the end of the day.

Please encourage your child to create a homemade message for each member of our crew with a thoughtful note about that individual person.  Avoid generic comments like, “You’re nice.”  It is important for each student to take the time to mention something specific about each crew member.  Examples may include, “I really like when you invite me to eat lunch with you.  It makes me feel happy inside.”  Or “You make me smile everyday when you come to school and share your funny stories.”

If your child needs any help with ideas or paper supplies, please encourage him or her to ask us for help.  We love getting crafty!  Be sure to get a head start and don’t wait until the last minute!

Themed Book Bags:

In the next few weeks, the Welch Crew will be introducing Themed Book Bags as an addition to our weekly homework. These bags are courtesy of an Excellence in Education grant that was awarded to our class. Each week, your child will be assigned a specific Themed Book Bag with a collection of books enclosed. The purpose of this new program is to encourage your child to read a variety of genres in both fiction and non-fiction print. As the time draws closer, I will send home more information regarding the procedures for these book bags. We are all very excited to get started with the new program.

Spring Fieldwork:

We have been working hard to nail down our Spring Fieldwork dates for our new Expedition and Adventure program. We still have some dates to be determined but I will get these dates to you as soon as possible. So far, this is what we have planned.

  • No Cross Country skiing, unless the snow begins to fly and our ground is covered in white stuff.
  • March 9: Welch Crew: Winter Survival at Donner Trail School at the Summit
  • May 28-29: (tentative) Meeks Bay Overnight Adventure
  • TBD: Grossology (In April)
  • TBD: Swimming Lessons at Truckee High School

 Be on the lookout for a Google.Doc sign-up sheet from Erica Stein in the next couple of weeks. We appreciate you taking the time to share these great fieldwork experiences with your child. We couldn’t do it without you!

SELS News

Progress Report Cards

Progress Report cards are scheduled to come home Friday, February 6th. The format has changed from what you have seen in the past. Marks of “T” or on target to meet grade level standards, have been changed to 3s, which represent meeting grade level standards. Marks of 3 are a big celebration! We hope you take time with your child to look through the report card, read the comments, and have a discussion about accomplishments and areas of improvement or potential goals to focus on moving forward.