Happy weekend!

We have a busy week ahead as we finish our last week of 2016!  Thank you so much for all your support throughout the year so far.  We’ll be running the Jingle Jog, a Christmas chapel, finishing up a couple of units, and celebrating on Friday with a Christmas party.  Thanks to Elaine Page for her organization of the party, and to all the parents who are helping out and sending in materials.

It is my sincere prayer that all of you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  As we have counted our material goods over the past weeks, as a class we have agreed that our most valuable and important gift is Jesus.  Praise God for His love to come to Earth and save us!  A real reason to celebrate!

In Him,
Emily

• Please send in two stamped envelopes for a Writing project (see Writing Curriculum for more details) by Thursday.  Students may bring in more stamped envelopes if they want to write to more authors.  If you don’t have stamps, send 47¢ per envelope to school on Monday and I will buy some extras when I get stamps for my Christmas cards.  🙂
• “Bring in the Box Tops” has begun! Students from all classrooms can turn in box tops to earn money for ZCS. This year’s goal is to collect 50,000 box tops, which is $5000 in cash!!
• Our class will run the Jingle Jog at 9:30-10:00 on Wed, Dec 21, with Mrs. Feenstra’s class.  There was more information sent from Mrs. Miller this past week.
• We’re getting ready for the 2nd-4th Musical. Please send in tshirt form soon, and payment for CD if interested.
• From the immersion coordinator:
  Spread the word…We will be hosting an information meeting in the media center on Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 pm for anyone interested in learning more about the Mandarin and Spanish immersion programs. This meeting will be geared towards new families who are considering entering the immersion program, but current families wanting more information about our program are also welcome to attend.

Happy snowy weekend!

I continue to be impressed by students’ enthusiasm for learning (even as we get closer to vacation) and for life in general.  How exciting to enjoy our first day on the Snow Hill on Friday!!  The classroom was abuzz all day.  🙂

Students have a new technology-based opportunity to read in Spanish at home and at school: KidsA-Z.com accounts.  These allow students to read, listen, and complete comprehension quizzes online — ALL in Spanish!  This is a great resource for families who want kids to read at home but have limited Spanish books.  Go to kidsa-z.com (or Kids A-Z app): teacher name is esloterbeek, select student’s login and two secret pictures, and find books in the Reading Room.  This could be a great Christmas Break activity.  First responses from students have been very positive!

In Him,
Emily

• This week Friday we’ll have our second Día de Usted, to practice using formal conversation.  Students will be able to bring one “fancy” item instead of a full-out dress-up day.  🙂
• “Bring in the Box Tops” has begun! Students from all classrooms can turn in box tops to earn money for ZCS. This year’s goal is to collect 50,000 box tops, which is $5000 in cash!!
• If you’re interested in last-minute book gifts, please submit your order for Scholastic by Monday so the shipment can be guaranteed before Christmas.
• Our class will run the Jingle Jog at 9:30-10:00 on Wed, Dec 21, with Mrs. Feenstra’s class.  You should get more information from Mrs. Miller this week.
• We’re getting ready for the 2nd-4th Musical. Please send in tshirt form soon, and payment for CD if interested.
• From the immersion coordinator:
  What is an enfoque lingüístico? Each immersion classroom from preschool through 8th grade in both Spanish and Mandarin should have a grammar and/or linguistic goal posted on the wall in a prominent area. During the week (or two weeks for preschool), the teacher and students will learn about, hunt for, and attempt to use the goal throughout all the subject areas. In this way, students are encouraged to grow and strengthen their use of the new language while studying content material.
• Advance Calendar:
  • Christmas chapel on Dec 22 at 9:15am.  You are invited!
  • No am/pm bus or hot lunch on Dec 23.

Happy weekend!

Have you had a chance to check our “Gratitude Wall”?  During November, we wrote out many things that we are thankful for — your name might be up there!  Ask your child to show you this week, as I will need to take it down soon.

This month, in December, we are enjoying counting and talking about the many blessings that God has given us.  It was such a joy to put our gratitude into action by going to the Mission Daycare and invest into our friendship with the children there.  It is fun to watch the third graders become more confident and comfortable with our “amiguitos”.  Check Facebook for some pics that capture the fun we had.  Students also gave a mini-concert to our friends of songs in Spanish, English, and Mandarin.  Thanks to the moms who came along!

In Him,
Emily

• No hot lunch or afternoon bussing on Friday, Dec 9.
• Author Glenys Nellist will be visiting us again this year to talk to us about her new book Christmas Love Letters from God and about the writing/publishing process.  Order forms for personalized, autographed books went home this week.  They can be handed in to me by Dec 7.
• “Bring in the Box Tops” has begun! Students from all classrooms can turn in box tops to earn money for ZCS. This year’s goal is to collect 50,000 box tops, which is $5000 in cash!!
• From the immersion coordinator:
  Have you noticed extra talking in your child’s immersion classroom? If you have sensed more noise, chatter, or interaction in your child’s classroom, you should be encouraged! Learning a new language means using the language. Immersion teachers are continually stopping to allow their students to produce language, to interact with each other, and to experiment with the new vocabulary and grammar. This results in classrooms that might seem louder and more interactive than we remember as children, but it also results in more learning and more student engagement. Next time you walk down the hallway and hear the students in an immersion room, you can know they are growing in their new language.
• Advance Calendar:
  • Christmas chapel on Dec 22 at 9:15am.
  • No am/pm bus or hot lunch on Dec 23.