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Hawks Happenings October 2023 : Powell Butte Community Charter School

Our Mission: Powell Butte Community Charter School students will develop the ability to think critically, communicate effectively and excel academically. Through Place-Based Learning our students will become stewards of their environment and community.

PLACE-BASED LEARNING | 2023-24 | WATER

It's a WATER year here at PBCCS! Teachers are working hard to integrate science and social studies content into real-world learning that connects directly to Water here in our place. All classes will be working with local irrigation districts in some capacities during this school year. Here are a few highlights of exciting experiences to come this fall:

  • K-8 classes will connect to our local Powell Butte watershed which flows from the Deschutes.
  • All classes will see watershed systems in action.
  • K-2 classes will be learning about weather systems and travel to Terrebonne to learn about how irrigation supports local agriculture.
  • 3-5 classes will work with Central Oregon Irrigation District to track water in Powell Butte, learning about the stewardship of water and other resources in our community. In the winter, these classes will snowshoe on Mt. Bachelor, experiencing the winter watershed in action!
  • 6-8 classes will be testing and comparing waters from two different watersheds, the Deschutes and the Crook River, learning about healthy waters in Central Oregon. These river sites will be connection points for students to study throughout the seasons.

We need parent volunteers for this great field study work! Please start the Volunteer Process on our PBCCS website. Mrs. Foley will be in touch as you move through the steps. Hope to have you join us as we make a splash through this Water year at PBCCS!

Based upon our school attendance data, the number of students not maintaining adequate daily attendance has been increasing. Adequate daily attendance is defined as absences greater than one full day per week or more than eight one-half day absences (or the equivalent) in any four-week period school while school is in session.

Chronic absence (missing 10% or more of school) is an early warning sign that students are at risk of not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, struggling academically in middle school and dropping out of high school. We need our parent’s help to ensure our students are maintaining regular school attendance and are arriving at school on time.

Last school year, our School Board made some revisions to our school’s compulsory attendance policy (JEA). (https://powellbuttecharterschool.org/site-content/uploads/2023/05/JEA-AR-Compulsory-Attendance.docx.pdf)

Our school’s attendance committee will be monitoring student attendance and reaching out to parents to ensure we are working together on behalf of students. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Milner or Mrs. Foley and we will be happy to discuss this with you. Thanks for your support.

From Mrs. Bennett (School Counselor) : For counseling lessons in the month of October, we will be focusing on feelings and emotions (k-5). Students will learn how to recognize, name, and handle different kinds of emotions. We will also explore how our words and actions impact other people's feelings and how we can work together to make sure everyone has a good experience at school. Any counseling related questions can be directed to Mrs. Bennett at nbennett@powellbuttecharterschool.org, or call our school office at 541-548-1166.
October Parent Coffee- Friday, Oct. 6th at 8:00 AM. Monthly Topic will focus on Fall Conferences and what parents can expect that teachers will be sharing. This will include a preview of some of our new assessments that help individualize instruction for students. Conferences are set for Oct. 18-19th. (Note the time for this is 8:00 AM)

PBCCS has two amazing new staff members this year. We welcome Mrs. Hayes as our educational assistant and Mrs. Hohman as our third grade teacher. They are great additions to our school and we are fortunate to have them here and working with our students. Welcome Aboard!

Parents of Powell Butte Charter School Meeting: Monday, October 2nd at 2:40 in the Cafeteria.

Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences Are Coming Soon (October 18-19). Please Look For an Email on 10/9 From Your Child's Teacher About Setting Up an Appointment

We are doing some overhauling of our "core" curriculum in middle school math and piloting EdGems. EdGems is a curriculum designed by a local math publishing company, SMC Publishers. We are piloting the curriculum and will reach out to parents and students later in the year to hear what you think.
Here is what's Coming Up in October!
Book Fair is Coming! Shopping Dates: October 18 & 19 during Conferences Book Fair Coordinators Needed! Contact Mrs. Foley. Watch for the Book Fair Volunteers Sign-Up in early October!
Planning Ahead- On Thursday, November 9th, PBCCS will be hosting a lunch for family members who are Veterans. We will have students introduce their family member during the lunch period. Our lunch times are 11:00 for K-2; 11:30 for grades 3-5; and 12:00 for grades 6-8. To help us plan ahead, please contact our school office (541-548-1166) to let us know if a Veteran will be attending.