November 1, 2010

Today we begin the second quarter. For the kids, it's like a clean slate, a chance to start over. If the first quarter did not go well, we get another chance. If it DID go well, perhaps it's time to dig in and challenge ourselves to work above and beyond what is expected.

There will be a spelling test this week Thursday, but there will be no spelling next week, just as there was none last week. You can plan on NOT having spelling whenever there is a 3-day week.

We begin a new science unit this week, all about the human body, health, and nutrition. Because a lot of this is also part of the PEP grant, even after we finish this unit, we will continue to be stressing healthy eating and exercise.

The Pizza Hut Book It program began October 1, but I did not get any information out to you, for which I apologize. Because it was my fault, I am sending home a coupon with each child in this week's Tuesday folder. I am going to count the reading they did for forensics as having earned their pizza. Earning a coupon for November will not be so easy. They need to read an actual book, on their own time, not in SSR. It can be of any genre, but they must show it to me first so that I can see that it is challenging enough. After they finish the book, they should ask me for a little form to fill out, and then they will receive their next coupon.

The blog word this week is not going to be written here. You must think of a word that kind of goes with Halloween, but will also be part of the human body unit, and was also part of the animal unit. It has 8 letters. You have until Friday to figure it out. Write it in your assignment notebook Friday's page.

October 27

We started keyboarding today, and the kids seemed to catch on rather quickly.

Since I was not here to help review for the science test today, I made it rather simple, and I also allowed them to use their books.

Check the school newsletter for information about a special mission collection for kids going to St. Lucia. We will be collecting for this next week Monday and Tuesday so as not to get it mixed up with our regular mission offerings.

Today is the end of the third quarter, and I am hoping to use the weekend to get caught up with grades on Power School. If your child has been absent recently, they may need to use the beginning of next week to finish up a few things.

Please call if you have any questions, because it is taking me a little time to get back into the swing of things.

10/10/10

I wanted to do this yesterday so I could type this cool date. I didn't make it, but I used the date anyway.

Thank you to all the parents who made the effort to get the kids to sing for the mission festival program in the gym yesterday. The kids sang well and hopefully they learned something about mission work in Hong Kong.

For those of you who are going along to the museum, look for a note in your Tuesday folder. We decided that we are also going to see the IMAX film "Bugs!"

This is a reminder that there is an at-home activity for science that is due a week from today. It involves being outside, so be sure to do it while the weather is still nice.

Keep track of the link from the Sept. 13 blog. It goes to our science book and the online activities.
The same link works for the whole year, but you need to go to the correct chapter.

The blog word for this week is animals, but I don't want you to write that word in your assignment book. I want you to use some of the letters of the word to make the name of an inverterbrate, and THAT is the word you should put in your assignment notebook. I will be checking on Friday this week, not Thursday. Be sure you have an invertebrate and that it is spelled correctly. You may NOT ADD letters, and you do not need to use all of them.

October 5

This blog is also coming home in the Tuesday folder.

Those of you who wish to go on the museum trip on October 25 to see the Frogs exhibit and more need to pay $8.00 no later than THIS Friday, October 8. If you signed up and no longer wish to go, just let me know and don't pay the money. Whether you already signed up or not, if you DO wish to go, just let me know and pay the money by Friday. It's an all day field trip, leaving St. Jacobi about 8:30 a.m. and returning about 2:30 p.m. Talk to Mrs. Johnson if you have any other questions.

We began a new unit in science today, about animals. There is only one at-home activity, and it should be in today's homework folder. It involves walking around the yard or the neighborhood looking for animals, enough to fill the chart. Please do not use any pets. We will finish up this unit with a test on October 27. The at-home activity needs to be completed by Monday, October 18. I strongly recommend doing it this week if possible because the weather is predicted to be so beautiful. We will be doing some worksheets for this unit, mostly in class, and also studying some vocabulary words.

The kids seem to be excited about working in groups. We made new ones on Friday, and some of them already have names for their group! The class as a whole seems to work well together. We thank God for this blessing.

There is no blog word this week since this is also coming home as a note. Book orders are due on Friday. Check the previous blog if you are not sure what to do.