Newsletter #19

We had a shorter 4 day week, but continue to take on more independence as kindergarteners now that we are halfway through Kindergarten! I continue to encourage them to take on more challenges and they are so excited when I say – are you guys ready to try another challenge?! 🙂 The weather has been interesting so thank you for sending your children with all the winter gears they need to stay warm and dry!

What did we learn and What will we learn?

Mandarin/Language Arts: We continue to practice recognizing words, making meaning as well as practicing reading strategy as we read together in class. There are some things in framework that I used to guide them through as they work, that I am starting to have the children try working on by themselves 🙂 We are transitioning towards more independence in Mandarin tasks as well! We will be reviewing how Daily 5 goes and starting to make our own choices of Daily 5 each day!

Bible:  We started talking about how Holy Spirit (that stays in our heart) helps us to make good choices and to remember not to sin. This week as we tell the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus and Jesus with the Samarithan Woman, we focus on talking about how as we trust in Jesus, He saves us from our sin and we are a changed man. It is a harder concept for Kindergarteners to grasp (and in their second language as well) but the children are learning about how much God loves them!

Memory Verse/Fruit of the Spirit: These are always a little harder to understand so when you practice at home with your child, feel free to expand and help them make more connections too.

We are talking about our January Fruit of Spirit: Kindness. We will be reviewing how we can be kind and safe with our looks, words, actions and gestures. We started talking about our January Memory Verse and talk about why Jesus says we have to be like little children as we enter heaven. We are also practicing the Lord’s Prayer, you can find the recording of bible memory verses on our blog for practice at home.

Math: We practiced our numbers (1-10) the school way and started practicing writing teen numbers as well. If you notice your child writing their numbers backwards, or the wrong way, try asking them, does that look right? Giving them the reminder to flip their numbers. We have started talking about teen numbers, exploring them as 10+more, as well as started talking about partners group for our numbers. (5 and 1 are partners that adds up to 6, and so is 3 and 3, 2 and 4… and so on) We will be talking more about teen numbers, partner groups as well as addition and subtraction next week.

Exploring God’s World (Sci/SocStu): We are learning about Motion in Science! It is an exciting unit with a lot of movements involved. This week we focus on talking about motions with balls (how does size/weight affect speed, how does push/pull work, and how…) We are also reviewing concepts of Self-Discipline, Responsibility and Fairness, it ties in with coming back and the children knows more about their responsibilities at this time of the year.

Writing: This week we tried to write sequential stories looking at pictures as a class. Next week we will launch into trying to write stories with words! It could be overwhelming for the Kindergarteners to think about writing stories with Mandarin characters but I am positive that they will do great!

Play: One of my most memorable moments during play this week is seeing the children playing school with animals. It was so great to witness, hear and see the children interacting with each other and taking different roles to play school!

Things to Note:

Report Cards: Please read the report card note that was send home – you would need to set up an account so you can view the report card online. I am excited to share the children’s progress with you – let me know if you have any questions 🙂

BOOK IT: Book it February went home on Friday. Keep reading!

Box Top: Feel free to send in box top anytime, and when you do, please label S.Sulayman on the bag and write down the total amount of box top collected. Thank you!

Field Trip: Our next field trip will be to the For the Kidz Gym on February 10th. Please make sure you complete the waiver online here https://www.easyclassonline.com/7dkidz/familysearchform44.php, so that your child can participate in this field trip.

Valentine Quarters: We will raise money for our sponsor child in the Philippines this month. The Valentine Quarters package/letter was send home this week. The heart sheet attached is the sheet your child will be turning in at the end of February. For each “task/job” they completed, you are welcome to tape a quarter (or more) on the heart sheet, or collect it in a bag and cross the heart out. We will learn to love the others during this time of the year, as we earn money to support our friend Wayne at Philippines. 

Classroom Valentines: We are also going to show our love to our neighbors by having classroom valentines. We will make a small basket for each children where they can exchange valentines. It is optional – if your child is thinking of sending valentines please make sure it is peanut/tree-nut free, also coconut (and coconut oil) free!

Mandarin Homework&Flashcard: Homework and Flashcard this coming week are from U3W5. Please continue to help me in keeping your children accountable for following stroke order and word proportion on Homework, and recognizing characters for Flashcard. Thank you for all you do at home!

From the Immersion Program Coordinator – On Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 pm we will host an informational meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the Spanish or Mandarin immersion programs at ZCS. We will present an overview of what immersion looks like at Zeeland Christian, hear from an immersion parent, and open it up for a question and answer time. This meeting will be geared towards potential families but will also address many questions that existing families might have, so spread the word to parents of young children and consider joining us yourself. Grandparents who want to understand immersion education better are also invited!

What’s Coming Up?

谢谢！

－ 黎老师

Newsletter #18

We started the week with a meaningful day of remembering Martin Luther King Jr. as well as talking about community and cooperation. We also make the connection to our fruit of spirit this month which is kindness. We talk about how we can show kindness in our daily life.

I sent home the homework and flashcard on Friday for the coming week because we don’t have school this coming Monday. We introduced the word wall words/high frequency words already for next week, and we will be working on framework U3W4 from Tuesday-Friday and assessment will be on Friday like usual.

What did we learn and What will we learn?

Mandarin/Language Arts: We enjoyed “Inferring” together as a class as we read the book 我的后面是谁呢. We tried to guess and predict what he next animal will be (while reviewing our animals in Mandarin and constantly practice our positional words)! We reviewed how Daily 5 goes and starting to make our own choices of Daily 5 each day! First week of official assessments of the word wall words and high frequency characters also went great 🙂

Bible: We started our Jesus’ Ministries stories – this week we focus on the story of Jesus and the children, Jesus teaching us to pray through the Lord’s Prayer, as well as the encounter of Jesus and Nicodemus. We started talking about how Holy Spirit (that stays in our heart) helps us to make good choices and to remember not to sin. Next week we will be learning about Jesus and Zacchaeus, Jesus and the Samarithan woman, and possibly Jesus visiting Mary and Martha.

Memory Verse/Fruit of the Spirit: These are always a little harder to understand so when you practice at home with your child, feel free to expand and help them make more connections too.

We are talking about our January Fruit of Spirit: Kindness. We will be reviewing how we can be kind and safe with our looks, words, actions and gestures. We started talking about our January Memory Verse and talk about why Jesus says we have to be like little children as we enter heaven. We are also practicing the Lord’s Prayer, you can find the recording of bible memory verses on our blog for practice at home 🙂

Math: We practiced our numbers (1-10) the school and writing numbers in Mandarin as well. If you notice your child writing their numbers backwards, or the wrong way, try asking them, does that look right? Giving them the reminder to flip their numbers. We have wrapped up unit 2 and is starting unit 3 where we are focusing on teen numbers, more addition and subtraction, as well as other concepts. Our first 4 lessons next week will teach us links between math and the real world, explore the concept of 10-groups within teen numbers, find partners of numbers 2-6 and tell addition and subtraction stories.

Exploring God’s World (Sci/SocStu): We are learning about Motion in Science! It is an exciting unit with a lot of movements involved. This week we focus on talking about gravity, and did some experiment to see if things remain on top, or will naturally? We are also reviewing concepts of Self-Discipline, Responsibility and Fairness, it ties in with coming back and the children knows more about their responsibilities at this time of the year.

Writing: This week I modeled writing another story with pictures and words, we wrote stories together as a class. We will start trying to write our stories with not only pictures, but also words now.

Play: We are enjoying cooking and serving food to each other. We also enjoy playing house with each other 🙂 The children are practicing their Mandarin while playing!

Things to Note:

Towels and Water Bottle: Towels and water bottle were send home to clean, please send them back on Monday.

Guided Reading: I hope you are enjoying reading with your children at home! Please read the post about it before and ask me if you have any questions! Book bags go home on weekends and come back to school at start of week (mostly Mondays) 🙂

Report Cards: By January 27th I will complete a report card for each child. They will be available to view online shortly after that so please watch for details on how to view it. I’m excited to see all of the progress that your children are making!

Field Trip: Our next field trip will be to the For the Kidz Gym on February 10th. Please complete the waiver online (sent through email last week), so that your child can participate in this field trip.

Valentine Quarters: Looking ahead – We will raise money for our sponsor child in the Philippines this month. The Valentine Quarters package/letter will be send home this coming week. The heart sheet attached is the sheet your child will be turning in at the end of February. For each “task/job” they completed, you are welcome to tape a quarter (or more) or the heart sheet ? We will learn to love the others during this time of the year, as we earn money to support our friend Wayne at Philippines. 

Classroom Valentines: Looking ahead – We are also going to show our love to our neighbors by having classroom valentines. We will make a small basket for each children where they can exchange valentines. It is optional – if your child is thinking of sending valentines, there are 10 kids in the class and please make sure it is peanut/tree-nut free!

100 Day Snack Challenge: Looking ahead – We will also have 100 Day 100 Snacks Challenge! I will be sending home a detailed note about this challenge – it is optional! If you are participating PLEASE help me make sure that all the snacks are PEANUT/TREE NUT FREE.

Needs/Wants: Thank you for your willingness to donate materials for our parables unit! We have volunteers for each thing on our list already 🙂 If you have signed up to donate an item, you can send it any day before February 10th!

Mandarin Homework&Flashcard: Homework and Flashcard this coming week are from U3W4. Please continue to help me in keeping your children accountable for following stroke order and word proportion on Homework, and recognizing characters for Flashcard. Thank you for all you do at home. When I assess on Fridays I have them listen for the words in the sentences I make, write it out, and also recognize words and fill in the blanks (verbally) for the sentences – it tells me if the children knows how to write the word wall words, recognizes high frequency characters, and knows what the word means/how to use it!

From the Immersion Program Coordinator – On Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 pm we will host an informational meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the Spanish or Mandarin immersion programs at ZCS. We will present an overview of what immersion looks like at Zeeland Christian, hear from an immersion parent, and open it up for a question and answer time. This meeting will be geared towards potential families but will also address many questions that existing families might have, so spread the word to parents of young children and consider joining us yourself. Grandparents who want to understand immersion education better are also invited!

What’s Coming Up?

谢谢！

－ 黎老师

Newsletter #17

We had a wonderful week coming back to school! I have missed your children and I think your children missed each other and miss being at school as well. Because of that, the children were able to transition back to learning right away. Monday was tiring for many of our friends, but they are back at it on Tuesday! It was a good week of sharing what we did over the break, quick reviews as well as learning new things. Earlier this week I tried to ask them if they have forgotten all their Mandarin over break, they looked at me silly and tell me – how is that possible! The progress your children have made with their language is so exciting for me to see 🙂

I look forward to meeting many of you for our CNY Event tomorrow! Special thanks to Mandarin moms Carrie, Dana and Kristi for putting the event together 🙂

What did we learn and What will we learn?

Mandarin/Language Arts: We continue to practice our Reading Strategies – so far we have introduced and practice Making Connections and Asking Questions, and we will continue to learn about Inferring. I also tried to let the kindergarteners choose what they would like to do for Daily 5 that day (Depending on what the choices are for the day), we will review each Daily 5 is and how to transition from one to the next in the coming weeks independently. I have also prepped the children that I will start officially assessing their word wall words and high frequency characters this coming week.

Bible: We reviewed the We started our Jesus’ Ministries stories – we talked about how Jesus was baptized by John, and talked about how God says he loves His son, Jesus so much, but He send Jesus to die for us in order to free us from sins. We also talked about Jesus and his twelve disciples. We will continue to learn how Jesus lived His life or earth and what wonderful teachings He taught us. Next week we will focus on The Lord’s Prayer, and Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus.

Memory Verse/Fruit of the Spirit: These are always a little harder to understand so when you practice at home with your child, feel free to expand and help them make more connections too.

We are starting to learn about our January Fruit of Spirit: Kindness. We will be reviewing how we can be kind and safe with our looks, words, actions and gestures. We started talking about our January Memory Verse and talk about why Jesus says we have to be like little children as we enter heaven.

Math: We practiced our numbers (1-10) the school and writing numbers in Mandarin as well. We also review the concept of finding groups of 5 in numbers. We will continue to explore addition and subtraction (and the +1, -1 pattern). We will be wrapping up unit 2 soon, and take our test before moving on to unit 3. If you notice your child writing their numbers backwards, or the wrong way, try asking them, does that look right? Giving them the reminder to flip their numbers.

Exploring God’s World (Sci/SocStu): We will come back to visit our Needs and Wants Social Studies Unit later in the Spring, but for now we will pause on that and move towards learning about Motion in Science! It is an exciting unit with a lot of movements involved. We are also reviewing concepts of Self-Discipline, Responsibility and Fairness, it ties in with coming back and the children knows more about their responsibilities at this time of the year. Along with the concepts we will be talking about the 5 themes of citizenship — honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility, and courage.

Writing: This week I modeled writing my story (with full sentences). We talked about how now that we are used to sharing news/stories verbally, also through our pictures and labeling, we will start moving into writing stories in full sentences slowly but steadily. We will practice writing stories together next week before the children start to try writing their own stories in full sentences!

Play: This week, we tried to stay in Mandarin while we play. It gives me joy to see the children trying to recall words and teaching each other what words they can use. The children enjoy role playing a lot (doctors, teachers, moms and dads, pets and kids, etc.) It’s always fun to see them try to take different roles and expanding their language.

Things to Note:

Guided Reading: Book bags will be coming home for all kiddos this week! Please read the post about Guided Reading if you haven’t already. (it will give you a better idea of goals of guided reading as well as ways to support your child with the limited resources you have at home.)

Report Cards: By January 27th I will complete a report card for each child. They will be available to view online shortly after that so please watch for details on how to view it. I’m excited to see all of the progress that your children are making!

Field Trip: Our next field trip will be to the For the Kidz Gym on February 10th. You will soon receive information about the field trip and the link of waiver to sign so that your child can participate in this field trip! Our Volunteer Sign Up is full. If you didn’t get the chance to volunteer for this one, we have two more field trips coming up. Thank you for volunteering and you will hear from me soon.

Needs/Wants: If you have old baking pans *see pic below* that you are not using anymore or looking to recycle our class would love to have it! We will use it to practice Mandarin Characters with baking soda and shaving cream 🙂 Your donations will be appreciated and put into good use!

Mandarin Homework&Flashcard: Homework and Flashcard this coming week are words/phrases from U3W3. There are more words for flashcard this week, and they are all positional words. We are going to explore them the next couple of weeks with our Motions unit. Please continue to help me in keeping your children accountable for following stroke order and word proportion on Homework, and recognizing characters for Flashcard. Thank you for all you do at home!

From the Immersion Program Coordinator – On Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 pm we will host an informational meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the Spanish or Mandarin immersion programs at ZCS. We will present an overview of what immersion looks like at Zeeland Christian, hear from an immersion parent, and open it up for a question and answer time. This meeting will be geared towards potential families but will also address many questions that existing families might have, so spread the word to parents of young children and consider joining us yourself. Grandparents who want to understand immersion education better are also invited!

What’s Coming Up?

谢谢！

－ 黎老师