Newsletter #5
We had our first field trip this week and it was so wonderful to see the children learning and interacting outside of our usual school setting!
The children also had a week of learning components of framework and practicing writing characters! Mandarin characters is such an essential part of the language and we are working hard to develop good characters writing habit early. Framework learning starts on Mondays as we introduce new radicals/word wall words/high frequency characters each week, different discover, explore and practice activities Tuesday-Thursday, and (soon) assessments on Friday.
We ended our week with K-5 worship and it’s so wonderful to see the children praising God! On weeks when we don’t have K-5 worship we have Kindergarten worship along with our friends from other Kindergarten classes 🙂
What did we learn and What will we learn?
Mandarin: We continue to practice strokes, and it was a big week of learning with the framework! There are many different elements in framework, which includes, Radicals, word wall words, high frequency words, grammar and writing, as well as culture and language. We have poems, interactive read aloud and shared reading that goes along with the framework. The homework I send home weekly consist of our word wall words (that have the same radicals – we work on one/two radicals each week). The flashcard consist of our high frequency characters (and or phrases that we use a lot in Mandarin on daily communication). We start our U1W1 framework this week and though it’s overwhelming, the children will pick up the pattern really quick and start to understand all these different components that they are learning and growing in Mandarin!
Math: We learned to count up to thirty this week! We are also practicing our numbers in Mandarin – we continue to learn counting with our fingers, through visual representations, and drawing scenes. We continue to explore the concept of addition and subtraction – looked at how numbers become “more” when we add, and how it become “less” when we subtract. We played a little game of hi and goodbye with our friends to show how when more friends come it’s addition, and when friends leave it’s subtraction. We also explored circles (along with size and colors) as you have seen from the paper that was send home this week.
Bible: We told the story of Isaac and Rebecca – we talked about how God has a plan for Isaac and God has a plan for all of us! We talked about how God created us, and knows us since we are young and will continue to know us as we grow up. I have introduced Esau and Jacob and we will be talking about their story next week.
We continue to practice our bible memory verse and talk about how we show “love” through our actions and words. I wanted to let you know that I will start assessing their September Bible Memory Verse nearing end of next week (or the following week).
Exploring God’s World (Sci/SocStu): We reviewed our five senses and what each of them help us do as we explore God’s world. Our first field trip helped us apply our knowledge in real world! The students experience the nature and animals and Degraaf nature Center and had so much fun!
Play: The children continue to play creatively and learn to share and problem solve when they run into conflicts during play. They love to make tall buildings, fly planes, construct houses and play house. Art has also been a big hit! If you have any art materials you would like to donate we would LOVE to take them! (They don’t have to be new :))
Things to Note:
Ready for Fall: The weather has been quite cloudy and rainy at days. Please make sure the children have layers and are properly dressed for the weather 🙂 If they brought rain boots for the day, I always tell them to put it on when they head outside. When they get back in the building they will change to their PE/indoor shoes. This is a new routine we are practicing now that a new season is here!
Mandarin Homework: Mandarin Homework this coming week is on our word wall words for U1W1 and U1W2. Please continue to watch and guide your child through their Mandarin Homework by helping them follow the stroke order (you will be able to see it on the paper, and it starts left to right most of the time) and word proportion. Let me know if you have any questions about this! We started practicing writing in class too and since we are trying to create good habits for the long run, there are times when I would have the children erase strokes or characters that are written far from how it’s suppose to look like. We do talk about how more practicing will help making the characters look better, and what’s important is to follow the stroke/proportions and try our best and not rush!
Flashcard: Flashcard will also be coming home. Please make sure that you keep the flashcards that I send home each week (in the ziplock bag that I gave last week) so children can keep practicing! The goal is for the children to recognize the characters! Please take a couple of minutes to review it with them – the more exposure they get the more they will be able to remember.
You can check our Resource Page for the audio recordings of the flash card each week.
I will be CHECKING their Mandarin Homework on Fridays, Please make sure your child’s name is on it (English name is fine).
School Pictures: Our class is scheduled to have our school picture taken on Tuesday, October 4th. If you plan to order individual pictures for your child please be sure to fill out the information correctly on the form, and feel free to return it to me on Monday too (I’ll help keep it safe until we need it on Tuesday).
- School Picture Make-Up/Retake Day – If your child is sick or gone on the original date OR you are not happy with the original pictures, your child may return on this date (Thursday, November 10) for a retake.
- Ordering Options:
- Portrait Packages: You may order online with credit card OR via paper order form with cash/check.
- ONLINE Orders:Please have your online order placed before or by your child’s original scheduled date and time.
- Please still have your child come to school with the paper order form filled out with name, grade, and teacher and write at the very top ONLINE ORDER in bold letters. You do NOT have to fill in the order portion of the form.
- PAPER ORDER FORM:You may send a check or cash with the paper order form completely filled out with your child the day of his/her scheduled photo.
- Yearbook Orders:
- At this point in time you are NOT be able to order yearbooks online. The paper order form is the only option right now.
- Please check box #14 on the paper order form if you would like to order a yearbook.
We will do a picture exchange in November for Thanksgiving, but you do not necessarily have to order pictures from this to participate. You may use pictures printed from home or any other source. More information about picture exchange will come home soon.
Bookworm orders: The book order from Baker Book House is due Oct 6, Wednesday.
What’s coming up?
Specials: Monday – Spanish, Art, Tuesday – Music, Spanish, Wednesday – Library, Thursday – Spanish, PE.
Mandarin Framework Learning: We have had a week of exploring/learning what the different components of our Mandarin framework are, and we will start diving right in!
Book It: Starting in October! An information sheet and the first book it opportunity was sent home on Friday 🙂 I encourage you to read!
Picture Day: October 4, Tuesday.
NO Hot Lunch or PM Bussing: October 7, Friday.
NO School (CEA Convention for Teachers): October 20-21.
Grandparent’s Day (start passing the date on!): November 4, Friday.
Prayer Requests:
Please continue to pray for our class and the children as we adjust to school, how to do school, and adjust to learning everything in Mandarin. I am so proud of the children and know that they work really hard each and every day, and I am aware and not surprised that they are exhausted after school certainly. I would like to assure you that this is a phase that the children go through as well! The children will continue to adjust to it and they are great on taking challenges! Please continue to pray for peace for the children that has a harder time during drop off.
Many of you have heard about the Witte family and have personal connections to them as well. Please keep the Witte family and friends in your prayers (including HCS and ZCS, as well as the community) as we go through the grieving period.
谢谢！
-黎老师