2/26/11 Newsletter

Kindergarten Voicethread Photos

 Here are a few of the posted illustrations that will go into the Kindergarten Voicethread "book".  We have quite a dramatic flair running through Zion!

Flexibility

One thing both teachers and students had to practice this week was FLEXIBILITY.  What a blessing that God allows us situations that could be downright frustrating, but He helps us turn them into opportunities:  opportunities for patience, creativity, fun, learning, and witness.  Whether it was an extra hour on the drive on Wednesday and starting the school day with 3 students, wonderful PREZI's that each contributed to our learning, computer/printer glitches,  Kindergarten friends, or a surprise baby shower - it has been an unforgetable week. 

A few notes as we wrap up the quarter next Friday:

1) Science Cells Due MONDAY.  Plan to bring them home again Tuesday.

2)  Tests:  SS - Monday
               PreALG Math - Tuesday
               T- Math - Wednesday

3) AR deadline moved to TUESDAY 2/1 to allow for absent students to take tests.

4)  QUARTER ENDS FRIDAY MARCH 4 - Absent students need to stay in touch with each teacher about completing work/make up tests before the end of the week.

**6R has had 20 absences in just the last 3 weeks.  We pray for recovery and continued good health!

5)  I am behind in entering scores online.  I will do an update on grades early this week and you will be able to check for outstanding assignments after 8:00 a.m. Wednesday.  The next update will be the actual report cards, issued Friday, March 11.   Thanks for your understanding!

Grandparents Day - March 11

Invitations for grandparents to join us for this special day came home with  your child Friday.  Also, a special dismissal consent form is in your child's papers to sign and return THIS WEEK so I know who will pick him/her up that day.  Thanks for your prompt action on this.

Baby Shower

 What a great surprise Friday when the 6R Spanish class held a baby shower for me.  I had to laugh as I snuck out to use the bathroom (once again) while they were supposedly taking a pop quiz and then they shouted, "Sorpresa!"  My husband and the twins came, too, as part of the surprise. We had lots of fun eating snacks and playing games.  Thank you for your generous gifts. Your children are such a blessing to me!  Our daughter will consider Zion her second family too. 

More photos to come....

Doctor says I can keep working until this little one decides to arrive!  I am in good health and feeling well. 

Auction News

Dear Parents,

The 14th annual Zion Lutheran School Auction.  “Lights, Camera, Auction!” will be held on Friday, April 8, 2011.  Invitations will be mailed home in the next week or so. I hope that many of you have marked this special event on your calendar and plan to attend.

If you already know who you plan to sit with at  the auction - EXCELLENT. If you haven't thought that far ahead, and the thought of trying to get a table together  is overwelming and may result in you not attending, please let me help you out.  I wish to help coordinate table groupings and extend an invite to anyone to sit with my husband, Joe and I. If we have enough interest, we can get a few tables together.  Let's have parent support and attendance from 6th grade be OUTSTANDING! and way to show our BOBCAT SPIRIT!

Remember our school theme this year "ACT - LOVE -WALK".  and prayerfully consider attending the school auction.


Your sister in Christ,

Susan Dobrinic
Shepherding Classroom Parent - 6G/6R

2/18/11 Newsletter

ACT * LOVE * WALK

 In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we learned how to live in the "Spirit of the Law," serving our Lord through our thoughts and actions.  Our attitudes toward our classmates, our offerings, our church attendance, our "enemies,"  should reflect the love God first gave to us and be a joyful response.

Our students have been working to put this into practice.  We began with R.A.K.s - Random Acts of Kindness.  Students are looking for small things to do each day for those around them: picking up a dropped book, holding a door open, unloading the dishwasher, and so on.  This week, we met with Miss Limback's kindergarten class to help them with a special Reading/Voice Thread project.  We are helping the young students decide how to make a book about LOVE come to life in their own acted photographs.  This week we will help create the photos and record the dialogue. 

Our next special projects are during Lutheran Schools Week.  We are preparing a devotion to share with Mrs. Masa's preschool classes.  In addition, we are practicing a special entertainment based on old time radio drama for Grandparents' Day. 

My hope is for students to see that serving our Lord occurs in both the day-to-day activities of life as well as making special efforts to serve others in the Christian life.

RESEARCH PREZIS
Students have been working hard all week on the presentation portion of their research projects.  We are excited to celebrate this accomplishment next week by combining classes for the presentations.  All projects are due on Tuesday, Feb. 22, though your child may have signed up for a date later in the week to present.  Please take time to be an audience for your child to practice their presentation out loud.  Thank you for all of your encouragement to your child during this research project.  This is a wonderful experience for many future projects in their schooling and possible careers.


AR Deadline - Friday, February 25
Students have needed to be independent in pacing their AR reading this quarter.  I highly encouraged students to read their first book by the original midquarter date (Feb. 4) and to take advantage of their snow days for reading time, but I know we will have many tests to get in this week.  Remind them to bring their green slips home for signatures!!

2/11/11 Newsletter

Field Trip Thursday

Just a quick reminder that our field trip to the Symphony and Art Museum is Thursday.  I have posted the permission form on our website in case it got misplaced.  We will depart by bus at 9:45 and return by 2:30.  Cold lunches are needed and plan to wear our red ZION shirts.

Prezi Begins

The presentation design for our research projects began in English and computer lab today.  If your child experiences technical difficulties at home, email the problem to Mrs. Gilmore and then plan to work on one of the following steps that don't require using Prezi:

*Organize notecards - plan your "frames" for the Prezi
*Begin planning your speech to go with each frame.  Remember an introduction and conclusion sentence for each topic
*Locate any pictures you plan to use and have them already downloaded on your flashdrive.  Remember citation information.

We discovered some difficulty with Prezi on older computers .  Students will be working each day in English class on the Prezi design on our updated laptops and, if their ideas are organized, will be able to complete all the technical steps at school.

2/8/11 TUESDAY Newsletter

Ski Trip
We had an wonderful time on Friday on our ski trip!  I was so pleased to see every student try skiing and push themselves to learn something new.  There was lots of encouraging and helpfulness among the students - what a great witness!  One of the ski instructors made a point to catch me during the day and let me know how cooperative and great our kids were.  Check out the following link to view more photos.  If you have photos from the day, please send them my way to add to our gallery.

2011 Ski Trip

Quick Notes

As I missed a Friday newsletter - I just want to update you on a few quick things midweek.

1) Field Trip Thurs. 2/17 - Symphony/Art museum

Information will come home Wednesday.  We are looking for parents to help chaperone (this is a bus trip).  Mrs. Joy Schenck will be my sub this day.  This will help her get to know the kids prior to my maternity leave.

2)  Coming home today (Tuesday).  * Yearbook orders (due 2/18)
                                                         *Winter Sport Picture Orders (due Thursday)
                                                         *Six Flags Reading Promotional (optional)

3)  Auction Round Up has begun!!  Bring in items this week and next week.  We want to vote
for our favorite teachers/staff for the Sumo Wrestling during Lutheran Schools Week.

4)  Bring Chapel offerings for the Thrive Medical Van (baby bottle project) tomorrow.

5)  Book orders - were delayed because of the snow days.  We added the March Book order to the online ordering. Orders now need to be placed by Saturday, Feb. 12.

6)  Valentine's Day - Monday we will have an extended break/snack time to celebrate V-day provided by our room parents.  If you wish to bring valentines to share, please bring them for the entire class.  You will find our class list in the Buzz Book (Zion phone book).

1/31/10 Update

Research Paper -  A note from Mrs. Gilmore

(My apologies.  Mrs. Gilmore sent me this to post on 1/31.  It got lost in my "in box" -  Mrs. R.) 

We are off to a great start with our research projects!!  The topics have been chosen and most of our resources have been found.  The next step in the process is writing notes down on their notecards.  It is vital that your the students stay on top of each step of the project because it is very easy to get behind.  Each step of the research project is worth valuable HW points.  Here is how I would like students to be writing their notecards (they received a copy of this on Friday).


Taking Notes for Research

• Use index cards for taking notes.
• Write one idea on each card.

Include:

1. Topic of notes in upper left hand corner
2. Author and title or bibliography card number in upper right corner
3. Page numbers on which information was found in lower right corner

Kinds of notes:

1. Summary: To record the general idea of a long paragraph, several paragraphs, or a chapter summarize in your own words.
2. Paraphrase: Restate particular ideas or pieces of information from a small section in your own words.
3. Quotation: For a passage that is particularly significant or well-stated, you may quote it word for word. Be sure to use quotation marks.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email or have your child use Edmodo to contact me. 

Thanks! Happy note taking