Nov. 16, 2009

General

·         Parent –Teacher Conferences are scheduled for later this month (Nov. 30 & Dec. 1)  Please complete the form on the school web-site by Friday, Nov. 20 to indicate your time preferences.

·         Credo Aid is planning a hot lunch for our students for Friday, Nov. 20.  They hope to serve soup and cheese buns and milk. The children should bring a soup bowl/ mug and a spoon.

·         Congratulations to Deb. Huttema on the occasion of her birthday Tuesday, Nov. 17.

·         The grades 4-7 students are scheduled to be at the Orpheum at 12 noon for a Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presentation on Monday, Nov. 23.  We will be using two buses, leaving the school at approximately 10:00 a.m. The presentation is about one hour in length, which should give us just enough time to be back at the school by 3:00 p.m. 

·         The grade 3 class is collecting tin cans that have lids.  Coffee tins are best. We will be using them for music. If you have any, can you please send them into the grade 3 classroom? Thanks!

Kindergarten

·         Thank you so much for making my birthday special. I am very blessed to teach in a Christian school with such supportive parents and amazing children! I love the scarf!

·         Kindergarten this Friday for Group 2(Tuesday group).

·         Please return the library card form, either filled in if you want a library card for your child or blank if you do not. I need them back by THIS WEDNESDAY. Thanks.

·         Letter: Ee is for elephant, Ll is for lamp.

·         Bible: Jacob

Grade One

·         Memory work for this week Friday is Psalm 81:1 (bk of p).

·         Bible stories this week: Jacob and Esau.

·         Science: we will be finished our Daily and Seasonal Changes unit by the end of this week.

·         Math: number relationships from 1-50.

·         Language Arts:  ch, sh, th, wh, ck, ow

Grade Two

·         I would like to say a huge thank you to the parents who have given their volunteer service in our classroom so far this year!  Your help is greatly appreciated by both the teacher as well as the students.  If their are any other parents who would like to help out in the classroom we would love to have you!  Just let me know when you would like to come in.

·         Our classroom has become quite colourful in recent days due to the addition of the children's "100s Project" which are now displayed on our classroom wall.  They look wonderful; each are very unique and creative.  We are still waiting for a few more projects to make our class set of 2500 objects complete!

·         We are still working on "furnishing" our box houses, so if anyone has little boxes we could use, please send them along with your child.

·         Spelling words for Nov. 20: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve

·         Memory work for Nov. 23:  Bible text, Ps. 9:1,2

·         Otherwise, hoping you will have an enjoyable week!

Grade Three

·         Memory Work: On Tuesday students will sing Psalm 117:1. The new song will be Psalm 84:6. Please continue to practice this month’s text as well - Hebrews 11:1,2,8.

·         Bible: We will be finishing up our unit this week. Students will be given a quiz on Friday.

·         Math: Students have been learning how to do 3 digit addition and subtraction and have grasped the concept well. By Thursday the students will have completed a quiz on this unit and then we will move onto our multiplication unit. Please keep an eye open for a letter regarding this unit this week in your child’s agenda.

·         LA: We are in the midst of two things. In reading we have started Guided Reading. Guided Reading will happen twice a week from now on. We are also working on a unit about non-fiction books and how to use them properly. In writing we will start a unit on poems which will have the 6+1 trait focus of word choice and ideas. Students will also work on drafting and editing.

·         Science: I am in the process of planning a field trip to a local park to search for natural and man-made structures. Stay tuned for a letter home. In the meantime, the students will be working on their straw tower challenge.

·         Reminders/Requests: If you have tin cans with lids (coffee cans are best) you can continue to send them into school! Also, for art this week each student will each need 2 medium or large potatoes. For the activity we are doing, the larger the potato the better. Please have them brought in on Thursday.

Grade Four

·         Memory Work: Ps. 44:1 (G.P.) 

·         Spelling Units 7,8,9

·         Bible test Tuesday.  Students have a review sheet in their agendas.

·         Science test Wednesday

·         Math test next week Wednesday.  As requested, students have been coming home with a review booklet.  Please return the review booklets to school each day.  Students should study the Quick Review box, and then they should try to do the questions that were not completed in class.  The questions go simple to more complex, so it can be that they get stuck on the final few.  It is important that students try to do the questions so that we can identify where they are going wrong and what needs reteaching.  The Stretch Your Thinking are challenge questions for students that really feel like they get the concepts.  The most important thing is to study the Quick Review box.  We will review the next day any questions they get stuck on before we go on with the rest of the review.

·         Science: Test on Pond Communities is on Wednesday.  I've noticed during our review blocks that some students are having a hard time with the terms.  Please help them be prepared for this.  Thanks!  R. Vanderhorst

Grade Five

·         Bible History:  Feeding of the 5000; learning about the Gospel according to Mark

·         Church History: William Tyndale

·         Math: finishing division of two digit numbers; review for test on Thursday

·         Writers Workshop:  using direct quotation marks

·         Reading:  We have finally finished reading Gentle Ben.  The students all agree that it is a great book . . . one of the best.  I think the next book we will be reading is even better.  We will be discussing themes and character development on Wednesday and having a test on Friday.

·         Science:  The Circulatory System - On Wednesday the students will be writing an in-class assignment on how the heart works.  Students need to know the 4 chambers of the heart and where the blood goes to pick up the oxygen and get rid of the carbon dioxide.

·         French:  The students are doing a wonderful job writing sentences in French.  We will be doing some more of this as well as counting to 31

·         Art:  Some students need to finish their Banyan Trees while others will be doing an extra project.

·         I've asked the students to have their interviews completed by next week Tuesday; again, if your son/daughter is having difficulty finding a person, please let me know.  In addition, they have a quiz on Tuesay.  It's a small one, but they should still be sure to study the info listed on the review sheet.  Thanks!  R. Vanderhorst

Grade Six

·         Memory Work:  Ps. 91: 5

·         Church history: Mission work in Africa     -  Quiz on Friday

·         Math: Optical  illusions  review basic geometry – Test on Thursday.

·         Language Arts:  Writing – Finish writing story extension of “The Cay”; Reading – This week we plan to spend two afternoons silent reading children’s classics.  Each student will have hi/her own classic to read.  (Yes, silent reading.  Wonderful eh!)

·         Science:  Electricity and atoms  -  protons, neutrons, electrons

·         Socials: Finally finish independent study of a country.  Begin a unit about Japan

Grade Seven

·         Bible: We're working on a small assignment based on one of themes from the unit.  This is due on Thursday.

·         Math: Begin unit on Integers. 

·         Language Arts: poetry - writing different types of poems.  We will have one more block to type up the 2 paragraphs; after that, the students will have to finish them at home.

·         Science: ecosystems test on Wednesday.  Students should study on both Monday and Tuesday!

·         Socials: Ancient Egypt - geography, physical environment, daily life

·         Art: geometric line design

·          

Library

·         Notices have been sent home with students who have overdue books.  Please check with your child and return overdue books as soon as possible.

School Birthdays

Ben Yu                                    Grade  4          Monday                       Nov.    16

Ann Clement                                       2          Thursday                     19

Robyn VanderVen                               3          Saturday                     21

Chelsey Leyenhorst                            3                                              21       

Nov. 9, 2009

General

·         Thank you Mr. Scholtens and the grade 6 class for the informative and entertaining    assembly presented this morning.

·         Included with this issue is a H1N1 Symptoms Chart.  For further details, check our  website and links to the H1N1 flu.

·         A hearty welcome is extended to Ms Tessa Heetebrij.  Tessa will be ‘shadowing’ Ms   Allison Vandeburgt for the next two weeks at which time Ms Vandeburgt will begin her maternity leave.

·         Please be reminded that Wednesday, Nov. 11 is a school holiday to remember those who sacrifices their lives for our freedom.  We urge you to attend the Remembrance Day services being held at various centennials or memorial parks.   

·         I loaned out a pair of “teaching scissors” last year and I need them back. If you have them, they are red and have 4 finger holes instead of the usual 2. Please return them to the kindergarten. Thanks!  Mrs. Onderwater.

·         Grade 2 is making shoebox houses.  We would love to have any tiny boxes or containers to use for furniture.  Jewelry boxes would be ideal.  Thank you.   Mrs. Vanderboom.

Kindergarten

·         Kindergarten this Friday for Group 1(Monday group). There is no Kindergarten on Wednesday due to Remembrance Day and no Kindergarten on Thursday, also due to Remembrance Day and keeping the days “even”.

·         We will have library on Tuesday & Friday this week.

·         Some lovely stamp pads arrived on my desk but no student can tell me where they are from. Are they for me? Do you want them back? Let me know. Thanks.

·         I am sending home a form for our upcoming public library field trip (date still to be finalized). Please complete if you wish your child to have their own library card. Please return the form even if you already have a library card or do not wish to get one.

·         Letter: Ff is for feather, Ee is for elephant.

·         Bible: Isaac, Jacob & Esau.

·         Any more Scholastic orders?

Grade One

·         Memory work for this week Friday is Psalm 100:4,5 (bible).  It is rather long so just do the best you can. 

·         Bible stories this week: Isaac and Jacob.

·         Math: number relationships from 1-50.

·         Language Arts:  ch, sh, th, wh, ck, ow

Grade Two

·         Spelling words for November 13: run, pie, note, biking, today, hiding, many, school, moon, bring, strong, cry, red, making, stood

·         Memory work for November 16: Psalm 86:4 (Book of Praise).

·         Enjoy your Remembrance Day on Wednesday!

·         Grade 2 is making shoebox houses.  We would love to have any tiny boxes or containers to use for furniture.  Jewelry boxes would be ideal.  Thank you.

Grade Three

·         Memory Work: On Tuesday students will sing Psalm 70:2. The new song will be Psalm 117:1. This month’s text is Hebrews 11:1,2,8 (which is due on November 24). I have noticed over the past couple weeks that the number of students who don’t know their memory work well has grown. Please practice the song at home! We sing it twice a day at school as well.

·         Bible: We continue with the stories of Isaac; his birth, Abraham’s testing, and his marriage to Rebekah.

·         Math: PLEASE practice the addition and subtraction facts at home with your child! There are some great websites that you can print practice sheets off of for free. Here are some links: http://www.math-drills.com/; http://www.tlsbooks.com/timedmathdrillworksheets.htm; http://mathcompanion.com/ .  The better they know the facts, the easier math will become for them. We will continue to work on 2 digit addition and subtraction and move to 3 digit addition and subtraction.

·         LA: We are done Sarah, Plain and Tall. We start a new unit on the characteristics of non-fiction books and how to use them properly. Mixed into this unit we will begin to set up Guided Reading Stations. In writing students will finish up their ‘changed stories’.

·         Science: We continue our structures unit with learning about the strength of different materials and different types of strength.

·         Reminders/Requests: Scholastic Orders are due on November 19, I will send in the orders that day as well. We could also use more newspaper, so you can keep bringing it in! Also, we are going to need coffee cans in the near future. If you have any size of these, could you send them to the grade 3 classroom? Thanks!

Grade Four

·         Memory Work: 1 Sam. 15:22 

·         Spelling Units 6-8

·         Bible test next week Tuesday.  To aid in studying for the test, look at the unit summary on the front page of the booklet.  Choose a lesson, and ask your child to tell you everything s/he remembers about that lesson.  Turn to that lesson in the booklet and that part of the bible to review if your child seems to not remember very much.  We also review in class, so please ensure the booklets are returned to school daily.

·         Math test coming soon (Tuesday, Nov. 24).  Students have been coming home this year with review booklets to provide students and their parents with material to aid in studying for these tests.  They should study the Quick Review box, and then they should try to do the questions not completed in class.  The questions go simple to more complex, so it can be that they get stuck on the final few.  It is important that students try to do the questions so that we can identify where they are going wrong and what needs reteaching.  Students may choose to challenge themselves and attempt the Stretch Your Thinking, or they may not.  Either way is fine.  The most important thing is to study the Quick Review box.  Please ensure the review booklet returns to school daily.  We will review in class any questions students got stuck on before we go on with the rest of the review.

·         Please join me in welcoming Tessa Heetebrij to our class and school community.  May God bless our time working together with His covenant children.

·         Science: The class has a test coming up on Pond Communities (Wed., Nov. 18).  They will have a packet with a review sheet that details exactly what they need to know for the test.  Please help them be prepared for this.  Thanks!  R. Vanderhorst

Grade Five

·         Reading:  We hope to finish the Novel Gentle Ben on Friday, since Wednesday is a Day off to remember those who fought for our freedom.

·         Science:  The Circulatory System - The Heart

·         Art:  The Banyan Tree - Negative and Positive Space, blending and reflection

·         French:  Numbers 1 -20 and sentence

·         Congratulations to Luke Vanbostelen, Albany VanVliet and Joshua Vandeburgt for reading to a touchdown!  Keep up the great work!  

·         Memory Work: Ps. 18:1 (BoP)

·         Bible:  Beginning a study of Jesus’ Ministry; comparing the 4 gospels

·         Church: Test tomorrow on Martin Luther; starting unit on William Tyndale.

·         Writers Workshop: Book report to be handed in on Thursday.

·         Socials: As part of our unit on Canadian Immigration, I've asked the students to carry out an interview with a Canadian immigrant.  This should be done in the next couple of weeks.  If there is difficulty finding someone to interview, please let me know.  Thanks!  R. Vanderhorst

Grade Six

·         Memory: Ps. 91: 9-11

·         Church History:  Early church of Jerusalem – Quiz Friday

·         Math: Geometry – reproducing drawings to scale, optical illusions

·         Language Arts: Writing-    Using “Ideas” to create an interesting story.  Using a story map

·         Socials: Complete our independent country study                             

·         Science: Begin a new unit – Electricity

·         P.E.  We plan to go swimming tomorrow

·         Parents: I’ve noticed some of the students are having difficulty completing assignments on time.  Please do monitor time spent on homework.  My suggestion is about 40 minutes a day.   Much  more than that is too stressful. Less than that, homework is probably not done as well as it could be.

Grade Seven

·         Bible: Test on Tuesday; please make sure the students use their review sheet to study on Monday

·         Math: Test on Friday on Number Operations

·         Language Arts: typing paragraphs focused around ideas and organization; beginning poetry unit

·         Science: energy flow through ecosystems; the carbon cycle

·         Socials: intro to Ancient Egypt

·         Art: geometric line design

·         Just a reminder: swimming is on Tuesday!

Library

·         Notices have been sent home with students who have overdue books.  Please check with your child and return overdue books as soon as possible.