Hola padres,
Welcome back to our weekend blog from the wonderful world of first grade!
This week was filled with excitement as we embarked on a special journey of sharing our theater reading experiences with our friends from different grades. It was a memorable occasion that left us buzzing with joy and pride!
Also we had the privilege of welcoming some special guests – Mrs. Coop and our Immersion Director, Mrs. Pierce, they joined us in the heartwarming task of watching our beloved theater readers.
I am bursting with pride for this great class. Their exceptional performance not only showcased their reading fluency but also highlighted their development in responsibility, cooperation, and group work. This activity has undoubtedly contributed significantly to their growth, both academically and socially.
As we look ahead, I am filled with optimism about the future of our tether reading presentations. The success of this endeavor has solidified our commitment to continue this tradition, fostering a love for reading and a sense of camaraderie among our peers. I am excited to see where it takes us next. Thank you for all your support at home.
But our journey didn’t end there! In addition to our tether reading presentations, we had the wonderful opportunity to share our own writings with Teacher Izenbaard’s class. These personal narratives, capturing small moments from our lives, allowed us to showcase our creativity and storytelling skills. It was a joyous occasion filled with laughter, shared experiences, and newfound friendships.
Here I attached videos and many photos to enjoy.
In Chris!
Maestra Gonzalez.
Announcements:
- March is Reading Month, 2024
Our theme is Clue Book Game and we have planned some fun activities for each week to celebrate this theme. All Month – Students will need to guess what book did their friends choose.
Book Fair- March 1st
From your own classroom library, each student will choose a book secretly that they will have for the entire month… Students will choose a book without telling others what the book is about.About the Author – Mar. 8 God gave different talents to all of us, and writing is an amazing one! For this reason we will study more about the person who wrote the book each student chooses. Take time to investigate more about the author. Younger grades, look at the ‘About the Author” at the back of the book to learn more. Older grades may want to look online to learn more about the author. Keep the CLUE mindset and have students write a short summary, and share it as a circle…. For example, “My author writes _______ genre, or lives in a big city, or writes about animals…” (The higher levels make a summary or write about this author to share between them.)Giving Clues part 1 – Mar. 15Everyone needs someone who they can share this big secret with. Enjoy visiting another class and choose one person with whom you can read your book in between the two of them. You will travel to your partner teacher’s class. Please contact your partner teacher and plan a time on March 8 for you to visit your partner’s classroom to read a book of your choice to them. (Suggested time – 15-20 minutes)Giving Clues part 2 – Mar. 22Make students bring an object or part of what their character uses for them to give a clue to others of what the book is about. Give them some minutes to try to guess. Book Character Dress-Up Day: Thursday, Mar. 28,2024
Plan and prepare your costume to resemble the character as closely as possible.
On the designated day, dress up as your chosen book character and share with your friends about your book character.
Have fun and enjoy embodying your favorite literary character!
- Author Visits:
- Bradley Slagh: Bradley Slagh reached out to our school asking if he could read to our 1st graders. He will be coming Monday, March 4.
- Emilie DeYoung: If you are interested in purchasing a book by Emilie DeYoung, clinical director of Winning at Home and author of Peanut Butter Pie, Just click here and follow the steps to start saving right away! Email Jennifer Schafer at jschafer@zcs.org for more information or with any questions . Emilie will be visiting our school on March 8. Her book, Peanut Butter Pie is full of practical steps for challenging worries.
- From the Immersion Director:
How can I help my child with reading in Spanish or Mandarin if I do not speak the language?
Watching your child learn to read and write in a different language can feel a little strange at times. However, you are not alone! The vast majority of our parents do not speak the language in which their child is learning to read, and yet, they are still able to support the growing literacy abilities. Many strategies to help your child become a reader are the same regardless of the language shift. As mentioned before, have books available in either Spanish or Mandarin for your child to read at home. Set aside time for your child to enjoy a book with you or on his/her own. Model good reading habits by letting your children see you read. Show interest in any books that your child brings home from school. Even if you cannot understand a word of your child’s classroom language, ask him/her to read aloud to you. Get cozy and make it a special time for both of you. Ask your child to do the best s/he can and assure him/her that it doesn’t need to be perfect. Be an active listener by leaning in, asking questions, and giving genuine thoughts based on pictures or details your child shares. Once again, do not ask your child to translate what was just read; this is unnatural for children and can cause the child to feel like s/he “doesn’t understand” the text. Instead of asking “What did that just say?”, you could ask, “Do you think that character made a good decision?” or “If you were the author, what would you have happen on the next page?” These questions get at the meaning without requiring translation. If your child is stuck at a word or phrase, assure him/her that it’s okay to not know it right now, but encourage him/her to ask the teacher tomorrow and then come back home the next day to teach it to you. As a side note, if you really want to understand the text, there are apps that can read the text and translate it for you; just save this for your own information rather than giving your child access to it! Happy reading!!
- This year, along with the 1st, 2nd, 5th Grade Worship Service at Community Reformed Church in Zeeland, the 1st, 2nd, & 5th grade artists will be displaying their artwork connected to this year’s theme at ZCS: Restored. At the conclusion of the service, students are invited to show family & friends their artwork, and take their artwork home. 1st graders will be displaying their Butterfly Symmetry projects, 2nd graders will be displaying their Clay Fish projects, and 5th graders will be displaying their Paper Folding Relief Projects. Please see Miss Stilwell’s WAAG to learn more about these projects & when your student will be creating them in art class.
Miss Stilwell appreciates volunteers during the day on March 12 to help make this art show possible. Please reach out to her (jstilwell@zcs.org) if you are available to help for a portion of the day. No past art experience required!
Upcoming Elementary Events: (ZCS Calendar)
• Mar. 12: Spring Elementary Performance – 1st, 2nd, 5th grades; 6:30pm
• Mar. 15: End of Marking Period; School in Session
• Mar. 18: Reading running record benchmarks due – K-5th
• Mar. 21: All School Chapel (9:10)- NO Family Groups
• Mar. 22: Author Visit – 9:00-9:30 for Y5-2nd, 9:45-10:15 for 3rd-5th
• Mar. 22: Half Day of School, Teacher Grading PM (No PD)
• Mar. 28: Elementary Worship; 2:50-3:10
• Mar. 29-April 5: No School – Spring Break
Tether Reading Videos.
Theater Reading Pictures.
Sharing writings with Teacher Izenbaard’s class,
Watching the middle school and elementary Unified basketball games!