

Karlsen News (Trekkers Grades 3-5)
Weekly News for January 21 - 24, 2025
End of First Semester!
We almost made it through first semester! Way to go! At your convenience, please bring in your student's chomebook to be updated and "power washed" by our computer tech, Julie Mehr. Her office is located in the River HomeLink school building. She would like this done by March 15. Thank you!
Participation Folder in Accelerate Education Courses: I want to give some instruction for the participation folder in every Accelerate Education course: There are two parts to the Participation folder. One is an End of Course 20 question survey. Students have the option of completing this feedback survey for Accelerate Education (not BGVA) or simply "marking complete" by clicking the button shown in that section. In the submission part of this folder, students need to write one or two sentences about how they did in that course, click the submit button and they are finished!
BG DISTRICT MATH CHALLENGE, Saturday, March 22, 9:00am - 1:00pm. 4th and 5th graders are invited to participate! Please let me know if you would like more information about joining a Math Challenge team. We need four students total and I would practice with them both in person and through Google Meet. Here is the Math Challenge website, in case you want to look it over before committing. https://sites.google.com/a/battlegroundps.org/sw-wa-math-challenge/home UPDATE: So far, we have one interested student! Anyone else?
Does your 4th grader love to cook or bake? Sign them up for the Discovery Kitchen Cook-off, happening March 20 at Battle Ground High school! Students interested in participating must submit a recipe to enter by Friday, Feb. 21. A total of 10 students will be selected by a panel of judges to take part in the competition. All ingredients will be provided by Chartwells, the district’s food services provider. You can download entry forms from the district website: https://www.battlegroundps.org/article/1962971
Important Dates and Reminders
- January 6 - February 7: iReady assessments for students in grades 3-8. This will mostly be taken at home.
- Tuesday, January 21, 2025: No in person Trekker Time for grades K-8 due to high school testing in all areas of campus. All students should join the virtual homeroom on Thursday from 9:00 - 10:00 for this week.
- January 21: workbooks are ready to be picked up during this week! Here is the process: I will plan an open drop in time on Wednesday, January 22 from 11:00-12:00 or 1:00-3:00. I will send workbooks home with our in person students. If you need to pick up workbooks and novel study books at another time, please email so we are available.
January 21 - January 28: workbooks are ready to be picked up during this week! Here is the process: I will plan an open drop in time on Wednesday, January 22 from 11:00-12:00 or 1:00-3:00.
I will send workbooks home with our in person students (on January 28). If you need to pick up workbooks and novel study books at another time, please email so we are available.
Tuesday, January 21, 2025: No in person Trekker Time for grades K-8 due to high school testing in all areas of campus. All students should join the virtual homeroom on Thursday, January 23, from 9:00 - 10:00 for this week’s required weekly contact.
January 23, 2025: Please have all work in Accelerate Education completed. End of Semester 1.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025: In person Trekker Time will meet back on the BGVA campus at the normal time, 10:00 - 12:00.
January - March 15, 2025: Students, please bring in Chromebooks to be updated and power washed to Julie Mehr in our Tech Department at River HomeLink.
Saturday, March 15: BG district Math Challenge. 4th /5th graders: please inform me if interested. We need a team of four to participate. Here is more information: https://sites.google.com/a/battlegroundps.org/sw-wa-math-challenge/
Information about School Data Platform (copied from BGVA newsletter)
The following information was copied from the weekly BGVA newsletter.
Recently, we informed you through our weekly newsletter and a specific dedicated email of our new School Data platform. The new School Data platform is a robust tool that parents can use to stay fully connected with their students' academic progress. Check your email for a short video demonstrating the process of creating your account and getting connected with your students' learning.
Click here for the link to begin the login process with our new School Data platform.
(Repeat and Updated info) Semester 2: Comprehensive Sexual Health (CSH) info (gr. 5) and Novel study books (gr. 4 and 5)
Comprehensive Sexual Health (CSH) curriculum: In the BG school district, students in grade 5 have some lessons as part of the CSH. Usually, at BGVA, this comes in the form of parents receiving ten magazines from the Great Body Shop curriculum with lots of health topics. I have the magazines in the classroom if you want to look through them. I don't give kids access to them, though. Parents can opt their students out of instruction. They do this by going into Skyward and filling out the form. The instructions for how to do this are listed here: How to Opt Out of Comp Sex Ed - parent hand out. The opt out form opens up again at the start of second semester.
4th Grade Novel Study. During second semester, 4th graders will have a novel study to complete which is very similar to the novel study during first semester. They will start reading their book at the beginning of Module 19. The Study Guide will be due at the end of Module 27. The book choices are:
Wringer, by Jerry Spinelli
Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
If you wish to choose a different novel, please let me know.
5th Grade Novel Study. 5th graders will also read a novel, which will be incorporated into their Module 9 second semester work. Their choices are:
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell,
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry,Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse,
The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood,
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Finally, please return the Semester 1 book if you borrowed one when you pick up your second semester workbooks.
Mrs. Karlsen’s Ongoing Reminders:
- Weekly Schedule Reminders click link for weekly reminders
- Fifth Grade BGVA Accelerate Education Module Schedule First Semester, 2024-2025
- Fourth Grade BGVA Accelerate Education Module Schedule First Semester, 2024-2025
- Third Grade BGVA Accelerate Education Module Schedule First Semester, 2024-2025
To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/ods-vbup-dmv
Rachel Karlsen BGVA 3rd, 4th, 5th grade teacher
Classroom phone number: 360-334-8270