Knowing Jesus, Growing in Faith, Serving God’s Children
Dear Parents,

We are off to a great beginning! I am pleased with how well the children are making friends and learning the routines and rules. They have very different “personalities!” God has blessed each child with many talents that are emerging. They love to sing! We have an opportunity to share this talent next Sunday, Sept. 12th, for Rally Sunday when the school children will sing “The Bee Song.”

Today we began “Writer’s Workshop.” From the very beginning we expect them to put their stories down on paper, even if this is just with a drawing right now. You will be amazed how quickly many will begin labeling and even writing their stories down. Help make them think of themselves as writers, even if they just put down random letters or squiggles. This is a beginning! Last year children who began with wavy lines for print ended up writing full three page stories with many sentences you could read! Find ways at home to get them to write, like letters to grandma, lists, or thank yous.

This week we will really work on writing our names with lower case letters. Have them practice at home on the paper in the take home folder. Send this back when finished so I can put a stamp or sticker on it! Most letters begin at the top and work down. I put a paper in the folder so you can see how we’ll be making each letter. Notice how they hold their pencil, and gently correct finger position if needed. Next week we’ll begin with the letter “Aa”, but this week we’ll emphasize that words are made up of letters put together. We’re using each other’s names to learn many things about letters, noticing which letters are tall, which short, and which letters go “in the basement” (below the stop line, like g and y).

I am assessing everyone these first 2 to 3 weeks to see where each is and where we will begin with guided reading. We’ll begin soon. Right now it is important to learn routines and such so that we can make a good transition into group work. Just like the writing experience they pick it up quickly and feel success. I know how much they want to read and write!

We will also work on writing numbers. This week we’ll concentrate on 1 and 2 and 3. Though many can count well, writing numerals is more difficult, since they’re easy to reverse. We have a rhyme for each number to help us write it correctly. These rhymes are in the folder also. Making and seeing patterns is a very important part of math. We will be making them many ways in the weeks to come- with rhythm sticks; by clapping; with hands-on materials such as buttons and blocks; etc. This week we are still working on becoming familiar with math manipulatives that we will be using all year. We’re also learning math vocabulary. Vocabulary you can use often to support our math activities includes many, none, few, more, and less. When setting the table this week your child could count plates, silverware, etc. Encourage problem solving, too by asking questions: “If grandma and grandpa came to dinner tonight how many more plates would we need? How many in all?”

Our Bible lessons this week continue with God’s creation of the world. Later in the week have them sing “God Created” for you. We’re making a little booklet to go with the song and will send it home soon. Our memory verse this week is Genesis 1:31 - “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” We will spend more time on Genesis 1:1, also. Thanks for using the Bible verses with your children at home, too. Many need some practice at home each night to really learn them. We often review them, and we use our verse as the weekly one for the whole school to recite along with the pledges in the morning. An offering envelope is in
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the folder. You can use this for chapel Wed. if you would like. This month our offerings will go to “Mainstreet Living,” a radio program our South Dakota district has on the weekends, with a service, children’s time and music, to share our Lord with everyone. The children will sit with new chapel buddies this week, but we love having you join us any time for chapel!

We are now making books about ourselves. We are also learning about our senses this month, with many fun activities and videos to help us learn about how people use the senses God has given them. This week we emphasize our gift of sight. They love the memory game, trying to remember all the things on a tray, trying to decide what has been removed. You could play this at home, too.

During the last activity of the day, Afternoon Wrap Up, you have probably heard of “Mr. Nose!” He “knows” all the things we’ve done during the day and helps the children remember them so they can tell you! Often they will still forget! Don’t worry, though. As you go about your evening most everything will eventually come out!

Book orders are in the folder this week. If you wish to order just fill out the backs and return with payment in an envelope labeled “book order.” Get any orders back by this Friday. Make any checks out to Scholastic Book Clubs. If you order from both you only need to write one check. If you would rather use a credit card you can now order online! Go to: www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. Use the user name: MrsWitheesClass and the password: books. There are some good, inexpensive choices.

Please send the folder back tomorrow. Inside put your lunch choices for the next week. The lunches and milks you have left were as of last Friday.

We’ll begin using the library this Wednesday. Each book has a barcode on the back. Notice that the barcode says “Zion Lutheran School” so it will help you keep them separate from any public library books you have! They keep them for a week and return them on Tuesdays so there is time to return them to the shelves. We will also choose book buddies this Friday. These they keep for a week, too, and return on Fridays.

Thank you for labeling lunch boxes. We had no problems last week finding our boxes. Lunchtime is a learning process with so many little ones. We’re learning how to use more time eating then visiting, how to clean up after ourselves, and how to use good manners when eating and when being served. They did very well. If you want your children to get milk to go with their lunch be sure to talk about it so they know they can. We’re learning not to put left over drinks in our lunch boxes, too! We had a great Hanzel and Gretel trail down the hall!

God’s blessings on your week,

Roxi Withee