Information and Reminders:
Christmas Offering – ZCS decided (a few years ago) to forego the traditional gift exchange between students in the classroom. Instead, we are asked to find someone/something local to contribute to this Christmas. All kindergarten money will go to help a ZCS family in need of some basic items this Christmas. Please consider sending $2 to help with this cause. If you choose to donate just send an envelope labeled “Christmas Offering” on the front. Thanks for helping your child be a blessing this Christmas.
Jingle Jog and PJ Day – Each year ZCS students run for 12 minutes around a gym to raise money for our sister school in the Philippines. Our class will run on Wednesday, Dec 20th at 9:30-10:00am. This is an event that many parents love to come watch as their will be lights and music and running kiddos! We have a kindergarten tradition to run the jingle jog in our pajamas! So please send your child to school in their cozy clothes (but remember they will be running for 12 minutes!) and slippers. We will use our gym shoes while running, but your child may wear slippers in the classroom. Questions? Please ask!
Christmas Party: Our Christmas party is on Friday, Dec.22 from 1:00-2:00pm.
Up in Lights: Chelsea Pyle Jan.8-12 Ethan Shafer Jan.15-19
Please finish and send your child’s package the week before your child’s special week. During your child’s special week, it is a wonderful opportunity to have lunch with your child, bring in pets, and or share special talents your family members may have been blessed with. Just inform me ahead of time what is your plan.
January Birthday Celebration:
Alina Wickstra Thursday, Jan. 18
Gymnastic Fieldtrip: Friday, Jan. 26 10:00-11:00am We will leave school at 9:20am and come back to school around 11:30. Thank you to Kristi Van Dyk, Dana Moeller, Cara Wickstra and Betsy Shafer for driving this field trip. We are all set for drivers. This field trip ties to our science curriculum—Kindergarten in Motion.
From the immersion coordinator
Did you know…?
ZCS employs teachers from 9 different countries. Of our bilingual staff 16 are native speakers of the language they teach, 3 are heritage speakers, and 11 are non-native speakers. You will find bilingual individuals employed as teachers, aides, support services teachers (for literacy and math), and as an administrative assistant. It certainly takes a village to raise a child, and this is an incredible team to work with!
Curriculum
Language Arts
Reading Strategies: using the pictures to help us decode. When we encounter a new word, we check the picture to see if it gives us clues.
Writers’ Workshop:
We will learn about adding details to our pictures so that readers can understand.
Math
We will start a new unit about teen numbers as tens and ones. This week we will learn about groups of 10.
Science
We will continue exploring gravity.
Bible
We will learn about Christmas stories: Shepherds; the wise men
We will learn about the fruits of the sprit throughout the year. For the month of December, we will learn about the fruit of patience.
Social Studies
We will focus on science for the next couple months.