Room 9- Meridy

Hello Room 9 Families!

Here we are in the last weeks of March and right before spring break. I’m sending this email out early for a couple of reasons.

First is a reminder for 6th Grade Families that tonight at 7 pm is the Outdoor School Zoom Info Session. Hope to see you there. Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87409129360?pwd=SGxFWHVVZ0ZlMVdoL1BJT0VlcFFUdz09

The second, coming this Friday, March 24th is another installment of PFFRGD.  Except, it will be more like FFFRGD Since Friday is Fancy Day for spirit week.

Fancy Fort Feast Reading Game Day. Remember! Students may bring one stuffy, one blanket, and one pillow. If you are able to send something for the feast, it must be store bought. Students may also bring an appropriate game to play.

In the past two weeks, we have investigated a mummy, (it turns out she was a female around 35 years old who we believe died from a parasitic infection), written messages in hieroglyphics, and completed research on an Egyptian topic of the student's choice. As our study of Ancient Egypt comes to a close, we will meet in small groups to share what we have learned.  

For science, we asked the question, “Why do birds have so many different types of beaks? We put this to the test by using tweezers, forks, binder clips, and clothes pins. Some were better than others at picking up beans, rubberbands, toothpicks, and beads. This led to a discussion of habitat and niche. Students then chose an organism to research and designed their “business card.” How does their organism contribute to its ecosystem? Some examples were “Charlie the Chipmunk, Seed Spreader” and “Buzz E. Mosquito, Disease Distribution.” The creativity of your students never ceases to amaze me. 

We will continue delving into science, math, and history after spring break, but you may want to ask your student what they wrote their persuasive essay about. There are some strong opinions about uniforms and candy out there! :)

I hope everyone enjoys their Spring Break. We’ll see you back here in Room 9 on Tuesday, April 4th. Reminder, that is the same day that Student Market Place proposals are due. 

Happy Spring!

Meridy and Adriene

Hello Room 9 and hello winter weather!

If you are a skier or sledder, it will be a great weekend on the mountain! Even though it was a short week with a delayed start thrown in, it was a great week in the classroom.

In ecology, we finished our study of trophic levels with an owl pellet dissection. (See some pics here). Now we are looking at symbiotic relationships. Some of these relationships between organisms have been developing for millions of years. Bees and Flowers, seahorses and corals, barnacles and whales. We started watching Soul of the Ocean from Nature to practice recognizing these relationships. Scientists are still learning about symbiotic relationships and realize that some are as black and white as first thought.

Students are deep in their studies of Mesopotamia. Some are studying government, and some are studying daily life. Other groups include technology/arts, the natural land, and beliefs. I am excited to see what the groups put together for their final projects!

Jon, our counselor, has introduced a new communication system for the Wellness Center. The students can fill out a quick form to let Jon and Jenine know they would like to talk. Students check whether their problem is a small, medium, or big problem, and Jon and Jenine will respond accordingly. It’s a great system. If you hear your student talking about an issue at home, encourage them to fill out a form.

Fundraiser Alert! Wednesday, March 1st at MOD Pizza is donating a portion of its proceeds to Ridgeline. See the attached flyer for more details.

Student Marketplace is coming Saturday, April 29th. Students or families can fill out the form here. Check out the eNEWS for more information. You can also contact Heather if you have any questions or need help getting

ting supplies.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Meridy and Adriene 

News from around the community:

University of Oregon Department of Mathematics: The Eugene Youth Math Festival returns, Saturday, Feb. 25! We invite elementary and middle-school students who are passionate about strategy games, solving problems, or enjoy hands-on math activities and crafts, to come to the fourth Eugene Youth Math Festival. With generous support from the UO Department of Mathematics and from the National Science Foundation admission is free and no registration is needed. Come and explore! See the attached poster for more information.

Oregon State University Girls’ Empowerment, Engineering, and Outreach (GEEO): This winter, we are starting a new outreach project: GEEO STEM-inars. STEM-inars is a virtual session that your students can join and perform a science experiment with OSU STEM students. Our first STEM-inar will be held March 2, from 6-6:45 PM. This lesson will be best suited for your 6th through 8th grade students. See the attached flier with all the information and registration. Please feel free to email Elle Winn with any questions or concerns.

Hello wonderful adults of Room 9!

Talent Show tonight! Looking for something fun to do Friday night!?! Join us in the gym at 6 pm for the Talent Show viewing party. The emcees will entertain as well as T.R.U.E. performing live. If you want to view it from home the YouTube link will be posted tomorrow at 6 pm. 

Ancient Mesopotamia. Where was it? Who lived there? How did they survive? What did their art and writing look like?  What were their accomplishments? These are the questions we will be studying over the next couple of weeks.

How are coyotes, rabbits, and grass interconnected? What do owl pellets have to do with it? In our study of ecology, we are taking a closer look at trophic pyramids and why there are more producers than consumers.  

In every letter, I’m going to try to catch you up on what we are learning about in SEL. This week, we started with some meditation. Students (and myself) thought about a time when someone was kind and focused on the feeling we got when we thought of that time. When students practice in situations where they are already calm, it becomes easier to recreate when they are feeling stressed or upset. Thanks Jon, for leading us in that meditation!

The orders for Ridgeline apparel are up and running! Please enter your information on the website, https://ridgelinemontessorigear.bigcartel.com/ and place your order before February 16, 2023. We will be processing the order mid February. All apparel should arrive by early March!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Meridy and Adriene

I am always so proud, when I put a challenge out there and the students of Room 9 step up and perform. For example, the cycles dioramas. Every single one looked amazing! I could see the effort, attention to detail, and pride of every single kid as they stepped in the door holding their finished diorama.

All year, we have been working our way through the history of humans. This week we looked at how civilization changed over time. How do we see the different aspects of ancient civilizations in today's world? Students are working together to prepare presentations for next week. 

A virtual Middle School Information Session is scheduled for Monday, February 6, from 6:00-6:45 pm. This session is targeted for families of 5th and 6th graders who would like to know more about Ridgeline’s middle school program. Next week we will send out the webinar registration link so that families can sign-up. Participants will be able to hear from each teacher about their program and then time will be provided for questions and answers. The webinar format has been chosen so that we can record the session and make it available on our website for those who can not make the February date, while still protecting the anonymity of the participants.

The orders for Ridgeline apparel are up and running! Please enter your information in the website, https://ridgelinemontessorigear.bigcartel.com/ and place your order before February 2, 2023. We will be processing the order in the beginning of February. All apparel should arrive by early March!

A reminder- the talent show is Friday, Feb 10th. The submission date for videos is Feb 6th. Please send any videos and questions to Kate at  wobblykate@hotmail.com.

Laurie, our lunch coordinator and snack extraordinaire has let me know that the school's snack supply is becoming very low. If you are able to help, please bring a box of single-serving snacks to the office. Anything you are able to contribute would be greatly appreciated!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! We will see you Monday, but remember that the next two weeks are four day weeks! No school on Friday 2/3 or Monday 2/6.

Meridy and Adriene

Hello again Room 9! 

I feel like it’s been a while since we last talked and, well, it’s a new year! I hope everyone had a lovely break. These past two school weeks, I have seen students go from super excited to see their friends again to remembering how to be students. We have had some amazing focus around here and many kiddos are proud of what they have accomplished.

In history, we compared why animals migrate to why humans might migrate. Students were given the opportunity to draw representations of different migration patterns. Some chose to paint and others draw. All turned out great and are fun.

In science, we move from the larger study of biomes to smaller ecosystems. First, we focused on the abiotic aspect of ecosystems and this week, specifically how carbon cycles. The students participated in a game and when we tallied all the data, we found that carbon doesn’t move through the cycle at a consistent rate. Where does it spend the most time? Ask your student! As a follow-up, students have the option to make a diorama portraying the cycle, or make a mobile. They could also choose to model any of the other abiotic cycles: nitrogen, water, or rock. If they need a box or other resources, we have pretty much everything here at school. Please reach out if you need anything. I have attached the information on the project as well.

Talent Show date change to Friday, February 10, 2023 @ 6 PM This year, the talent show will be a hybrid model. We are still asking students to submit a video clip of their talent to wobblykate@hotmail.com, but we are thankful to have the opportunity to come together on February 10rd in the school Gym to watch the video together on a big screen! Talent Show Acts must be 3 minutes or less. Kids are welcome to provide a solo act and/or a group act. If your child is interested in being a classroom MC and introducing their peers, please email wobblykate@hotmail.com. We will accept the first 2 applicants from each class on a first-come-first-picked basis. MCs may also submit a talent act, but do not have to submit an act for the talent show. Submission date is February 6, 2023

Call for Muddy Puddle Clothing Donations! Ridgeline students spend time outdoors, rain or shine, and that means we sometimes need to lend them clean clothes when theirs get soiled! 

We are in need of:

• rain pants in all sizes, youth size 5 through adult small/medium

• versatile pants (especially leggings and athletic pants in gender-neutral colors) in all sizes, youth size 5 through adult small/medium. 

Please note: we are especially in need of clothes in junior/adult sizes. Your clean clothing donations are appreciated! 

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember, there is no school on Monday as we observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

Hello and Happy December!

I'm sure many of you already heard, but we voted to move our PFFRGD to accommodate electives. Our new PFFRGD date is Thursday December 15th.  Students may 

P-wear pajamas

F-bring a blanket for a fort (and a stuffie)

F-bring a healthy snack to share

R-bring a book to read (also provided in the classroom)

G-bring a game (also provided in the classroom)

We will still have P.E. that Thursday, so help your student remember to keep their pajamas and shoes P.E. friendly.

Biome projects are being presented tomorrow and I am so excited! We have everything from trading cards to posters, trifolds to dioramas. It'll be a worldwide learning extravaganza!  (I'll share pictures after the event). Your student should be bringing their project home so they can share it with you.

Have a wonderful break! We'll see you next year. Wednesday, January 4th.

Hello Room 9!

As I'm sure you heard, I have been out for a couple of weeks, but I'm back and feelin' great. I wanted to update you on a couple of happenings in our classroom.

Biome Projects Even though I should have stayed home, I came in last Tuesday and got the kiddos started on their Biome projects. I hope you have heard about it! Projects in Room 9 consist of two aspects: 1) written research and 2) visual/artistic. The students should have plenty of time to finish this in class, but please check in with them. What biome did they choose and what is their final project going to be?

PFFRGD is Back! A Room 9 tradition is finally back in full force. Our first PFFRGD aka Pajama Fort Feast Reading Game Day will be Friday, December 16th. Students can wear pajamas, bring a blanket and a stuffie, bring a food item to share (healthy please) a book, and a game if they so please. (Books and games will also be provided.) It's a fun way to celebrate the hard work your students have put in so far this year. Oh, and it is pronounced exactly as it's spelled :)

As always, please let me know if you have any questions

Thanks,

Meridy and Adriene

Hello Room 9 Adults!

Thank you to everyone who made it to a conference last week. I always enjoy chatting with y’all about your students and answering questions. If you still have a burning question, please reach out! I’m happy to respond over email or if you would like to meet again, we can schedule a time.

Stone Soup is back… at least for students. Vegetable slicing day is Tuesday, Nov 22. We request that you send only one vegetable. Remember to send your student with a bowl and spoon on Wednesday, Nov 23. This year we are also providing gluten-free bread! Please let me know by Monday if your student requires gluten-free bread.  

We lucked out with the weather for Bike Safety this week  It may have been cold, but it was sunny and beautiful. Help your student keep those new bike riding skills by taking them out for practice. Let them lead the way to practice using their turn signals, shoulder checking, and making safe decisions.

TONIGHT -  Book Fair! Another fun tradition has returned. Thank you for letting me know if your student will attend, it really helps with planning and gathering everyone once we are there. Our performance is at 6:20. Please have your student there by 6:10 so we can gather and be prepared for our turn.

Last but not least, you may have heard that Adriene has been back in the classroom in the afternoons. Next week, she will be back with us full time! Don’t worry though, students will still be able to see and hang out with Jacob at recess. We will miss Jacob and welcome Adriene at the same time.

Friday, Nov 18 - Book Fair 5 pm-7 pm (Room 9 performs at 6:20)

Monday, Nov 21 - Gluten Free Bread request deadline

Tuesday, Nov 22 - Bring a vegetable to school

Wednesday, Nov 23 - Send a bowl and spoon

Thursday and Friday, Nov 24-25 NO SCHOOL

Have a wonderful holiday.  Hopefully the long weekend is full of family

 Happy November!

Is it just me or did November sneak up on you too?

The Fun Run was a success! Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to help make a wonderful experience for our kiddos! Now is the hard part, collecting the donations. Please help students remember to return their envelopes by Monday, November 14th. Or have their sponsors pay online at www.ridgeline.org/support/2022-fun-run 

Conference time! Next week, you will only send students to school Monday and Tuesday because Wednesday and Thursday are reserved for conferences (and Friday is Veterans Day). I encourage you to bring your student to the conference, they often have a lot to say about their education! If you haven’t already signed up for a conference time, you can do so here. You can choose to come in person or we can conference over Zoom. To join the Zoom meeting, please use the link below:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87091879997?pwd=QlJqbE4rTkc4Vm03T2Z2bkJPeE1nQT09. I look forward to chatting with each of you! 

Bike Safety Returns! We were smoked out in October and had to cancel our last week of bike safety. Now that the rains have come bike safety can safely return on Nov 14-18.  If your student had brought a personal helmet please remember to bring it again. It will most likely be rainy so please send students with a rain jacket or extra clothes to change into after their ride. These riding days will include our community rides, so if you are available to volunteer, please join us! Room 9’s classes are 1:05-1:45 Monday - Thursday and on Friday will ride from 9:45-10:30.  If you are interested in helping with more than our class, please email me and we can chat.

Book Fair Returns! Mark your calendars for November 18th, 5-7 pm at Whirled Pies located at 199 W. 8th Ave. in downtown Eugene. More information to come!

In History, we are studying early humans and have discovered that information changes really fast! What we thought to be true last year is now being challenged by new discoveries, new connections, and new research. To finish off this study, we will be analyzing the movie The Croods. (It's still a secret so don't tell your kiddos!) What early hominids are being portrayed in it? Did they get the characteristics correct? 

In Science, we are focusing on the Biosphere and looking at some different ways it interacts with the other spheres. Other spheres, you ask? Why, yes! There are four spheres that interact to help our world function. Ask your student what the other three spheres are and how they interact with the biosphere.  

Finally, I am sure you have heard, but we have started the transition of Jacob moving over to Room 10 and Adriene joining us again. We will miss Jacob, but am excited to have our Adriene back again!

I hope you enjoy the windy stormy weathered weekend,

Meridy and Jacob and Adriene :)

Happy Rain! (Finally :)

I’m sure you’ve been feeling the cooped-up energy from smoky days, so let’s celebrate the clear air! 

First off, we can celebrate by running in the rain. The Ridgeline Fun Run is this coming Friday, October 28. Envelopes for donation collecting went out last Thursday. If you didn’t get one, please let me know as I do have extras. People can also donate here.

Another way to celebrate is Spirit Week! Here is the Lineup:  

-Monday: Patterns Day. Wear as many patterns as possible! You can blend in with camo or mix stripes and plaids.

-Tuesday: Art & Artists Day. Dress up as your favorite artists (visual, literary, music, performance) or pieces of art!

-Wednesday: Crayon Day. Become your favorite crayon color by dressing in it, head to toe!

-Thursday: Decade Day. Is there a decade that speaks to you? The 80s? The 90s? The 2000s? Dress like your decade!

-Friday: Rainbow Day (also Fun Run Day). Wear as many colors as possible! It's also the day of the Fun Run, so be ready to move your body.

In class, we have been studying the fundamental needs of humans. Today, students displayed their understanding in a variety of ways. We saw plays, stories, collages, and games galore. Ask your student about their presentation. (Pictures included below!) In science, we looked at the different ecological levels and how we can organize living things together in order to study them. Lots of options for follow up here.  What did your student do? (Or what do they plan to do?)

I hope you all enjoy the rainy days ahead.  I look forward to all the fun outfits for spirit week next week!

Meridy and Jacob

(Pronouns: she/her and they/them)

Happy Almost Weekend!

This week, we started feeling like a “normalized" classroom. Students were working away as I gave math lessons.  They are starting to write useful reflections about their work period and coming up with their own solutions to make the next better if needed. Go Room 9!  

In history, we started with an archaeological dig… of the classroom 2,000 years from now!  Students found weird objects and had to determine how it was utilized back in the day. Did you know Dominoes are really fortune tablets? The high Priestess will throw them every morning and people would travel from all around to hear the fortune told. But beware, if a one and a nine touch each other misfortune will befall the entire continent! 

Have you heard the rumor?  Carrie, the middle school teacher is a zombie!  We are using our science lesson, the eight characteristics of life, to determine whether or not the rumors are true. 

Bike Safety is going really well! If you or your child want more riding practice, or maybe you would like someone besides yourself to teach them, join the Safe Routes To School Program this Friday, October 7th for a free All Ages Learn How To Ride event. Check out this site for more information.

By the way, as I write this update during an indoor recess, I am looking out over the kiddos and it is warming my heart. I have seen one student drop Bananagrams and three jump up to help her clean up the letters. I  saw another student walk up to two who didn’t know how to play Unstable Unicorns and say, “Oh! You don’t know how to play? I can teach you!” And I saw a student who was playing by themselves muster up the courage to ask a group playing a different game if he could join them. (Of course, they said yes). Such a good group of kiddos you sent me. Thank you.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Meridy and Jacob

(She/Her) and (They/Them)

Happy second full week of school!

We are off and running in our Room 9 community. Students have chosen the words and agreed that they want to have a Focused, Respectful, Safe, Kind, Honest, Diverse, Inclusive, Collaborative, and of course, FUN classroom. Next week we will work on crafting our classroom commitment and signing it. It’s going to be a great year!

The week started with the First Great Lesson: The Coming of the Universe. Students reimagined it and spent the week preparing for their presentation on Friday. Did you hear what experiment they presented? What part of the story did they retell?  

Next week we will dive into History with the question: How do we know what we know about the past? We will also begin our year of Ecology, one of my favorite subjects as it was my undergrad major.  

Bike Safety Volunteers Needed!  October 3-13 our upper el students will learn about Bike Safety. The River House Outdoor Center will be sending us an instructor, but volunteers are needed to help as students learn how to navigate riding their bikes on the streets. If you enjoy riding bikes and are available between 12:25 and 2:25 October 3-13 please come join us!  We especially need helpers on non-P.E. days (Monday Wednesday and Friday (Friday times TBD).  

Picture day is coming! Friday, September, 30.  We are sending home the flyer tomorrow (Friday, Sept 23), so keep an eye open for it!   

And Finally, I received this email from the University of Oregon and thought you may be interested: 

You and your students/families are cordially invited to the annual SPICE Science Fall Open House at the University of Oregon. 

The purpose of the event is to help connect community families and educators to science outreach programs on campus and in the community.  All activities are completely free and open to the public.  There will be something fun for children of all ages.

Hands-on activities and demonstrations will include the Microwave Madness, the Egg Drop, and much more.  Attendees can also sign up for the Science Pentathlon where they will complete five activities in the core science disciplines (biology, chemistry, and physics).

Attached you will find flyers in English and Spanish. You are welcome to reprint the attached documents as well. We will also be featuring tables from on-campus outreach programs like the UO Geology Club, ChemDemos, the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, and Team Duckling. Off-campus outreach programs have also partnered with us such as the Eugene Science Center, Nearby Nature, Code Ninjas, and others.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the event coordinator, Jorjie Arden at 541-346-4528, or the director of SPICE, Brandy Todd at 541-346-4313 or email us at spicescience@uoregon.edu

Have a great weekend! 

Meridy and Jacob

(She/Her) and (They/Them)