Newsletter 12: Week of December 3

Week Overview

It feels like a while since I wrote to you in this way! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I enjoyed break so much, but it was also really good to be with your children again! This time of year is busy at school and at home and I promise to do my best to communicate everything well. I pray that in all of the busyness, you are able to slow down and reflect on our best gift of all, Jesus Christ. I promise to give your children opportunities to do this at school too.


Important Dates

December 6: Book orders for author visit due.  These forms were sent home a couple of weeks ago. I have a few more if you are interested.

December 8: Author Visit-Glenys Nellist  You can read more about Glenys  here.

December 15: NO pm bus or hot lunch

December 22: Christmas Party in our classroom 10:30-11:45am

December 25-January 5: Christmas Vacation


Reminders

  • Nativity Scene Project: We continue to collect toilet paper tubes. Each child will need a total of 6 to complete the project. If you haven’t brought 6 in, please do so as soon as you’re able. We do have enough for everyone to get started with the first 2-3 characters. On Tuesday, December 19 each child will need an empty shoe box (with the top too.) This will be the stable. Please do me a favor and do not bring in a shoe box until December 18. It would be tricky to try to store that many shoe boxes for long! Thank you to everyone who donated or cut out fabric!
  • Recycled Christmas Cards: As a part of the writing portion of Daily 5 I would like to offer the kids the opportunity to write Christmas cards. If you have any blank Christmas cards will you please consider donating them? If you’re like me and recycle the cards after reading them and putting them on the fridge for a while, will you please cut off the pretty picture part before tossing them in the recycling? These make great “post cards” and kids often enjoy writing on the blank side on the back of the picture. Thank you!
  • SignUp Genius: There are still a few slots open to help with our nativity scene project. Please use this link to sign up for a slot if you’re able and interested! Thanks!

Curriculum

Bible: This week we finished our unit on Joseph. We learned the ways God took care of him and, in his great plan, led Joseph to take care of his family during the famine. This coming week I hope to assess the Bible verse below. Your kids are doing an awesome job! We’ll also begin our nativity projects and start learning about the Christmas story.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbios 3:5-6 Confía en el Señor con todo tu corazón y no en tu propia inteligencia. Reconócelo en todo tus caminos y Él enderezará tus veredas.

Literacy: Daily 5 was very exciting this week as we opened our last 2 stations, listen to a book and work with words! We’re using the app, RazKids, during listen to reading. Please look this week for some information about this app and how to use it at home if you want.

  • Reading strategy: Making connections
  • Read aloud: ¿Dónde Está Mi Osito?
  • Vocabulary Words:
    • de puntillas- standing tiptoe
    • el auxilio- help
    • mimar- pamper, indulge, spoil
    • el llanto/el rugido- cry, roar
    • el bosque- woods
    • atraparse (se atraparon)- trapped
    • encoger (encogido)- shrink
  • Word wall word: en (in)
  • Phrase of the week: Está soleado.  (It’s sunny.) Está nublado. (It’s cloudy.)
  • Letter of the week: Nn

Handwriting: We worked on our letter of the week- Nn.

Book of Friends: This went home this week! Thank you, Mrs. Lamer, for all of your help putting those books together!

Math: We are exploring addition! This week we drew pictures to represent addition problems.

Writing Workshop: We learned that writers use an alphabet to help them form the letters correctly. Now each child has an alphabet inside their writing folders as part of their system for organizing their writing.

Exploring God’s World: This week we talked about Earth materials- water, agua, sand, arena, soil, tierra, and rocks/pebbles, rocas/piedras. We went outside to collect these Earth materials. One student was “captain” of the bag while the kids worked in groups of 4-5 to collect the materials.

Up in Lights: Since our last newsletter Olivia was Up in Lights! She introduced us to her mom, dad, and younger sister. When she grows up she wants to have lots of kids! She’s going to get to be a big sister (again!) very soon! We’re sure she’ll do an awesome job! 🙂


From the Immersion Coordinator, Jodi Pierce

As a school, we are always looking for ways to increase the perceived value that Spanish and Mandarin have in our school. If the children see that the community around them appreciates the immersion language, their language acquisition will be enhanced. At school, we do this by including multiple languages in hallway decor, on signs, during chapels, in announcements, etc. Teachers of other languages try to learn or use a new phrase with immersion students. We employ bilingual individuals in various roles outside of the immersion classrooms. As immersion parents, you might want to consider how you can increase the perceived value of your child’s immersion language. Consider visiting community events that use the language, point out the language when you see it in the community, buy books in the language (Christmas gifts!), listen to a radio station or download music in the language. Christmas is a great time to enjoy the carols in Mandarin or Spanish; you might learn new songs or find translations of traditional English carols that you can enjoy from year to year.

 

 

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