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September 2016 Page 1 of 7
Heritage Days Field Trip The first Helping Hands field trip is a historical
experience at Heritage Days in Sacagawea State
Park, at 2503 Sacajawea Park Road, Pasco, WA.
On September 23rd, from 2:00 – 5:00 pm, walk
through history at the site where the
Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery
camped over 200 years ago.
Heritage Days is fun, no matter what
time period you are studying. There
are interesting booths
demonstrating life during
exploration of the frontier, including
Native American lodging and
artifacts. You can also take some
time and look through the interpretive center in
the park. There are several displays, including one
of a Wanapum shelter, and some interesting
books in the gift shop.
To sign up for this field trip, please follow
this link to Eventbrite.com:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heritage-
days-tickets-27292728285
Please wear comfy shoes as you will be
doing some walking, and please bring
water bottles and a snack. If you have any
questions, please email
[email protected] and put
“Field Trip” in the subject line.
T-shirts The new MCP t-shirts have the new rocket logo! T-shirts are available to order through
September 15th. Order forms are available in your mail folder or in the MCP Family
Room. Please turn in your order form to the folder on the Helping Hands bulletin
board. Please turn in your payment with your form, or please email
[email protected] and set up a time to meet if you would like to use a
credit or debit card to pay. There is a fee of $0.50 per shirt for this convenience.
Survey Results
Parent Surveys
Thank you to everyone who filled out our surveys
at Back to School Night. We still need more
surveys from parents. You can find one in your
mail folder. Please turn it in in the MCP Family
Room, to the envelope on the Helping Hands
bulletin board.
We will look through your responses and will use
them to help us plan for this school year.
Student Surveys
Thank you to all the students who filled out a
survey! We learned you love art, PE, ballet, karate,
and science. Our students love MCP and most
would not change a thing. Several would like a
new building and a playground. Time with friends,
field trips, parties, sports, and recess/lunchtime
topped the list of fun things they would like to do.
MCP Newsletter September 2016
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MCP Newsletter
September 2016 Page 2 of 7
I’m New to MCP
The Family Room
We hope
you come in
and spend
some time
in the MCP
Family Room. This space is for
families and has many uses.
Library
The MCP Family Room
contains the library.
Curriculum in the library can be
checked out for a year, and
can be renewed after that.
Please make sure your items
are checked out, so the online
library is accurate. The library
is a great first place to look for
curriculum.
There are also 3-ring binders
with curriculum in the library.
These binders can be sent to
Print Shop to have copies
made, and sometimes contain
extra consumable copies for
you to take. If you take a
copy, please take the whole
thing, so other families are not
left with a partial copy. Please
ask Miss Mel, Miss Cheri, or a
parent library helper if you
would like help with the
binders. They will walk you
through how to use them.
Please only have printed what
you know you will use for your
child this year. Typically,
copies from the binders are
available in about a week.
You can help in the library by
helping keep curriculum
organized by subject. If you
are unsure where to put
something, please put it on
the “Recently Returned” shelf,
and a library helper will return
it to the proper place on the
shelf. During testing, if your
student has been waiting in
the MCP Family Room, please
check that any books they
have been reading are
properly returned to the shelf,
or placed on the top shelf.
Computer
There is a computer available
in the MCP Family Room for
parents to use. It can be used
for printing online curriculum,
access to WINGS or other
internet sites, and use of word
processing and other
software. This computer is
often used by Miss Mel, and by
library helpers for the MCP
Library. This computer is not
intended for children to use.
Toys
Toys are available for children
to play with. These toys have
been provided by donations
and Helping Hands. We love
that children enjoy playing
with them. It is important to
help pick them up when
finished, and keep them
sorted in the labeled bins. If
other families are in the MCP
Family Room and children are
still playing, please clean up a
few that your children were
playing with, and check with
the other families if it is okay
to leave toys out.
Also, during testing, please
check that the toys are picked
up if your child has been
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MCP Newsletter
September 2016 Page 3 of 7
waiting in the MCP Family
Room. Many older students
still play with the toys and
leave things out.
If you would like to donate
toys, please let Helping Hands
know. Other toys left in the
MCP Family Room can be
found in the Lost and Found.
Families
The MCP Family Room is for
families. Sometimes it is quiet,
and sometimes it is busy and
noisy. Many interesting
conversations take place, and
this is a good place to find an
experienced parent if you have
questions.
Some families use this room to
have students work on school
work. Some students can
concentrate in this
environment, but this room is
not often a quiet study area.
Some families use this room to
wait for a student in a class.
For families that live a distance
from MCP, it can be easier to
wait for a student during their
class.
The MCP Family Room is
sometimes used for
Consultant meetings if a
classroom is not available.
The first Tuesday of the
month, Helping Hands uses
the MCP Family Room for their
meetings. Our next meeting is
October 4th at 9:00 am.
Everyone is welcome, so feel
free to join us!
Mail Baskets
Have a curriculum purchase
request to turn in? The
consultant mail baskets are on
the shelf above the counter. If
you consultant does not have
a basket, the staff mailboxes
are in the next room. Also, on
the far right side is the Helping
Hands mail basket.
Bulletin Boards
There are several bulletin
boards with information in this
room. Next to the door is
“What’s Happening” where
events and opportunities are
posted. On the wall by the
white board is the “Helping
Hands” bulletin board. This
will have Helping Hands
information, and envelopes for
turning in forms for things like
fun lunch, purchases, and field
trips.
Collection Containers
Box Tops and Labels for
Education have envelopes on
the bulletin board, and ink
cartridges have a collection
container on the shelf. Turn
these items in to the
containers to help us raise
funds to support MCP.
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September 2016 Page 4 of 7
Curriculum SpotlightThe focus this month is on
mathematics. There are
many approaches to math,
and here is a sample of
some of the choices.
Saxon
Saxon math is a spiral approach to math, which
cycles through concepts for K-12th. Lessons are in
black and white, with few pictures. In the
younger grades there is a “meeting time” and use
of manipulatives. In the older grades, some
students are able to read the lessons and teach
themselves, with parent guidance.
Teaching Textbooks This 3rd – 12th grade math program comes on a CD
to use on the computer, and teaches the student
with interactive presentations. Students can
complete problems on the computer, and a
workbook is available for students to use to show
their work. Teaching Textbooks uses a traditional
approach to teach math.
Math-U-See
Math-U-See is a K-12th grade mastery program,
with a systematic review. Each level focuses on a
specific concept, like division, or fractions. All
concepts are covered, but the student does not
move on until mastery of a concept is achieved.
Hands-on manipulatives help to present math
concepts and help students understand how math
works.
Singapore
This is an Asian based program for K-6th, adopted
from Singapore. It includes short textbook
lessons and workbook problems. There are
several editions, but the U.S. Edition is most
commonly used at MCP. Mental math is strongly
emphasized.
Right Start
RightStart is a K-6th program with a great amount
of interaction between the student and instructor.
Games are emphasized, along with visualization
using an abacus. There are fewer worksheets in
the earlier levels, and more activities. Asian math
is integrated with traditional U.S. math concepts.
McRuffy Math
This is a fun, colorful, manipulative-based
curriculum for K-3rd. It is a five day a week program,
with guidance for a beginning homeschooler.
Hands-on activities are emphasized, and lessons
move toward written work as the grades increase.
Kahn Academy
Kahn Academy is a free website with math and
more. You can create a login for each child and
have them complete problems at their grade
level. Students progress through different areas,
and can demonstrate mastery of problems to
move faster.
Thinkwell
Thinkwell is an online math program for 6th-12th.
Students watch short videos for the lesson,
complete practice exercises on the computer, and
complete a written worksheet. Tests are on the
computer, and mostly multiple choice. It is
written by one of the authors of the Holt textbook
used by the Kennewick School District, and
follows the content closely.
ALEKS
ALEKS is online and has math available for 3rd-12th.
Students complete an assessment and then
navigate learning paths as they are ready to learn
them. ALEKS adapts to the student and avoids
multiple choice questions.
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Insights and Ideas
What can I do on a bad day?
Let’s face it, sometimes we have good days, and
sometimes we have bad days. On good days, we
get a lot accomplished, things go smoothly, and
kids say things like, “Oh, I get it!” On bad days, we
don’t get much done, and everyone can get
frustrated. We don’t always want to admit these
happen, but they do. There are many ways to
help reset those bad days.
Take a break
One easy way to help a bad day is to take a break.
You may be thinking, “We are behind, and don’t
have time to take a break.” Well, we have found
that even a 15 min. break can help, more than
trying to push
through. Read a book,
take a walk, dance to
music, get a snack, or
just take recess.
Re-evaluate
Sometimes we need to re-evaluate how much
work we are doing. Does this curriculum really fit
my child and me? What could we be doing
differently? How could we learn this, and get
something out of it that would be more fun or
interesting? Sometimes this means you change
how you use the curriculum. Other times, it can
mean a complete change to a different
curriculum.
Watch a movie
Is there a movie on
the topic you are
studying? Youtube,
Netflix, Amazon
Video, or the Library
are great places to
find educational films. Even math problems can
be explained on sites like Kahn Academy. This
gives you a short break from being the source of
information, and gives you a change of pace.
Change your location
You can take your children to another place to
learn about your topic, like a pet store to learn
about animals. Is there another place you can go
to study? Sometimes a different room in the
house works. The park or the library are often
good options. Is there a museum you can visit?
Remember, you can do math at the grocery store.
Take a nap
Sometimes a bad day just needs everyone to take
a rest. Maybe you have been
sick, or someone did not sleep
well last night. Get a little down
time, rest, and try again.
Resources
Thanks to these websites for ideas:
http://www.livinglifeandlearning.com/how-to-
reset-a-bad-homeschool-day.html
http://themultitaskinmom.com/5-ways-to-reset-a-
bad-homeschooling-day/
We want your ideas and insights
Have an insight or idea you would like to share?
We want you! Write it up, and send it to
[email protected]
with “Newsletter” as the subject,
and you might see your insights
and ideas here in the
newsletter!
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Fun Lunch On a typical day at MCP, students pack a lunch to
eat in the MCP lunchroom. To make it different
and fun, Helping Hands organizes a fun lunch. We
purchase food from a restaurant and bring it in to
the lunchroom, ready for students to pick up and
eat. We have had hamburgers, pizza, Chinese,
and sub sandwiches.
Our first lunch is October 17th – 20th. We will
have pizza from Papa John’s. Order forms will be
in your mail folder, and available on the Facebook
group.
We order all the food a week before the lunch,
and buy the additional items in bulk for the whole
week. To help us know how much to order and
purchase, order forms must be turned in the week
before the lunch. Order forms are due by
Thursday, October 13th by 3:00 pm.
Q & A Helping Hands wants to help you by answering
YOUR questions. Ask your question by emailing
[email protected] and put “Newsletter
Q&A” in the subject line.
How do I get information at MCP?
News and Notes
News and Notes is the awesome newsletter from
the MCP office. It contains important information
and events. It is typically emailed once a week.
WINGS
www.wingsnw.com/wings/mcp/
WINGS is the source for information about
classes, schedules, allocation, library items, and
more. To see information about a specific
student, “Choose a Student” and select your
student’s “ID.” You can also choose one of the
options under “Family” and explore.
Mail Folders
The mail folders are file folders in a rolling cart,
stored in the office, but often found outside at the
beginning and end of the day. Printed
information can be found in these, like forms,
announcements, and completed art projects.
MCP Rockets Website
mcp.ksd.org
The MCP website contains important information
including the staff list, learning plan templates,
MCP handbook, school supply list, and more.
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/midcolumbiapartnership/
The MCP facebook page is a maintained by the
school. School events and information are posted
here. It is a great place for families interested in
MCP to learn about the school.
Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MCPRockets/
The MCP facebook group is maintained by Helping
Hands. We post events, field trips, photos, ideas,
and more. It is a great place to ask questions of
other parents. If you have a question for MCP
Staff, please call the office or email them directly.
Helping Hands Newsletter
This newsletter is written by the Helping Hands
Secretary and we hope you are enjoying reading
it. It is published once a month and sent out by
email. A print copy is available to read in the MCP
Family Room.
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Capri Suns, Ink Cartridges and Labels Helping Hands needs you! We are
collecting Ink Cartridges, and
Labels for Education, in addition
to Box Tops. All of
these can be turned in to collection
containers in the MCP Family Room.
The Labels for Education program is
ending in 2017, so if you have them, turn them in
so we can get our points!
We reviewed how much we were
earning from the Capri Suns and
decided it was not worth the effort.
We will no longer be collecting them.
Thanks for all your help!
Box Tops Helping Hands collects Box Tops for
Education. We need your help! For
every box top you turn in, we receive
10 cents. Right now, we have $144.80
earned from this past spring. We will
receive a check in December for
everything turned in by November 1st.
Can you make that number larger? Everyone who turns in Box
Tops by September 15th will receive a coupon for a sweet treat.
Box tops can come from things you purchase, friends,
neighbors, coworkers, etc. Log in to the website for coupons,
offers, sweepstakes, and more information at btfe.com.
Water Bottles Water bottles are available for $0.25 in the office and
lunch room refrigerators. Please recycle empty water
bottles in the plastic container by the MCP office.
MCP Decals Show your school spirit! Helping Hands
has colorful decals available for your
vehicle. They are available for $3 each.
Order forms are available in the MCP
Family Room on the Helping Hands
bulletin board. Please place your order
form and payment in the envelope, or
email [email protected] to
set up a time to use square.
Helping Hands [email protected]
President Aftyn McDonald 509-628-7213
[email protected]
Vice-President Daria Chappel 509-205-8284 [email protected]
Treasurer Maria Bultena 509-430-7473
[email protected]
Secretary Dayna Faultersack 509-582-5256
[email protected]
Field Trips Dannette Haroldsen 509-987-3633
[email protected]
Events Brooklyn Lewis 509-987-6830
[email protected]
Box Tops/Labels for Education Melody Sorensen 253-221-1215
[email protected]
Next Meeting: October 4th, 9:00 am
MCP Family Room
