April 4, 2011 Knowing Jesus, Growing in Faith, Serving God’s Children
Dear Parents,
April is here! This is a fun time as we work hard using those new skills.
Coming up:
*This Thursday the New Horizons Band will perform at 9AM for the students and all of our wonderful volunteers! We’d love to have you, too!
*April 7-9th, PTL consignment sale – it’s not too late to get tags so you can sell some of your “too small or too young” children’s items!
*This Thursday is Spring Picture Day for Kindergarten. Dress springy and send back your choice sheet. No money needed at this time.
*Friday, April 15th, 7PM – Spring Concert for the upper grades (1st through 5th) I thought this included us, but since we are doing our circus musical we won’t be in this concert, but you’re welcome to come!
*April 21st, 22nd, and 25th – Easter Break
*Friday, May 6th – Kindergarten presents “The Circus” at 2:30 PM.
*Friday, May 13th – All Day Track Meet at the School of Mines Track
*Friday, May 25th – Kindergarten and Preschool Graduation after Chapel at 8:30AM, school out at 11:15PM – last day of school.
Our Bible lessons this week will be about Jesus’ resurrection. We continue to build our Resurrection eggs. Our Bible verse is I John3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ lay down his life for us.” Our offering this month will go to help the people of Japan. They have been on our hearts and minds so much lately and the children wanted a way to help. Our church body has several ways the money will be used to help the people of Northern Japan.
We are working with the short vowel “u” this week. They’re having fun looking for vowels in words, now that they know all words have vowels. They love searching the room for words that fit a rule. They are now editing some of their writing, especially looking for where their sentences stop so they can put in a period or exclamation point. We will now begin writing free verse poetry. Young children love using poetry to express themselves. We’ll make a book of our poetry as we write it.
We’ve begun a new unit in math on measuring and counting. The focus of this unit is on counting sets of up to 20 objects accurately. We will act out story problems and play games that involve either combining or separating sets (adding and subtracting). Keep finding fun ways to play with sets of things at home – it could be coins, silverware, buttons, legos, etc. Have them sort sets, and ask questions – which color has more or less, how many more or less, what if we added one more or took away one. Just have fun making them stretch their thinking! We’ll go back to our math binders this week, so get them in tomorrow, if they’re not here already. This week’s game is one we play here, modified, called “Turn the Beans.” The beans are white on one side and orange on the other. The bag has 10 in it. Use the game board with the dry erase marker. Choose a total and write that at the top. Then see if they can find all the ways using the two colors to make that total. Example: Put the number 6 at the top. Then use 6 beans to find all the ways to make 6 (6 + 0, 5 + 1, 4 + 2, etc.) Erase and choose a different total. Play many times. Work on totals from 4 or 5 to 10. Eventually they should begin to remember the different combinations. That is our goal!
We’ve begun working on our circus musical now. We will perform this little 10 to 15 minute musical on Friday, May 6th, at 2:30PM. Hopefully you can come, but feel free to invite grandparents or others, too, especially if you can’t leave work. I’ll have someone tape it, too, if someone’s willing!
We’ll be going to Reptile Gardens Monday, May 2nd, from 1PM to 3PM. Let me know if you can drive!
Encourage them to wear good running shoes every day as we will be practicing things for the track meet in May. They need to be able to run, jump and throw comfortably!
Book orders are in the folder or can be done online! Please get back by this Friday.
Blessings, Roxi