Friday, November 30, 2012

November 30, 2012




Each year at Christmas, Zion students and families participate in a project to serve their neighbors near and far. In the past, my first graders have supported people who live across the world by raising money to buy milk for children in Indonesia. Other years, they have supported an organization closer to home- Youth in Need, and St. Louis Crisis Nursery.

This year, many classrooms have chosen to support one of our own Zion families- a former Parents Day Out family who have a newborn daughter and young son, Drew, who was diagnosed with cancer in August. We want to show them that "Zion is family" by providing them with baby items, cleaning supplies, food, gift cards, etc. 

Each class has signed up for items to provide. Our class will be collecting Walmart and Target gift cards for Drew's family. (Zion's Together We're Better program has gift cards in a variety of denominations, but you could also send in cash and I will buy combine the money to buy gift cards)

We will collect items until Dec. 20th.  Sara Kuhlmann, our Early Childhood Director will then deliver the items to Drew's family.

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This is from an email Drew's mom sent to Mrs. Kuhlmann:

Drew's mom said, "We talk about Zion nearly every day, from him asking to go to school to us dreaming of him being there."

She hasn't worked since his diagnosis, and Drew's dad has been working as he can. In addition to welcoming a  new baby, their treatment schedule has been pretty intense:

Currently: Drew just started his fifth round of chemo.
December 31: Surgery to remove the tumor 
February: Chemo
March: Bone marrow transplant
April: 30 days of radiation (Drew will be sedated each day.)
May: Begin immunotherapy (which requires a week-long stay in the hospital each month for 5 months). 

"After that, we hold our breath for 5 years and pray it leaves us alone."

 Drew is dealing with a lot of side effects, such as some hearing loss and knee braces. Please pray for healing for Drew and strength for his family. 
 
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS SERVICE PROJECT.
IN CLASS WE WILL BE MAKING CARDS AND A VIDEO FOR DREW.

A Look Ahead
Memory: The memory will be the two verses of "Joy to the World"  We have been working on them in class and most children should already have most of it memorized.   Please continue practicing the Advent part, loud, clear, and slow!  
Religion: Elisha and Jonah
Spelling: Lesson 14, long i with a silent e
Grammar:  Possessive nouns
Math: Fact Test on Tuesday, we will learn the adding 2 facts next week
Reading:  compare and contrast
Literacy Centers
     computer:tinyurl.com/timehour
     phonics: vowel o and u sort
     alphabet: silent e
     name: contractions
     writing:  writing a letter to Santa
     math: place value
     poetry: Candy Cane Poem
Christmas Around the World: England, Mexico, Germany,
Holland, and China
Art:  Christmas Gifts

ADVENT SERVICE: We will lead worship WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 19 at 7:00 we will also lead closing chapel on FRIDAY  DECEMBER 21 at 8:00. 

HEADS UP: On December 6, we will be learning about St. Nick.  You child may want to put his/her shoes outside    
to have St. Nick fill them with a treat.  We will learn that the treats are small like, candy. gum, a pencil, fruit or nuts.  Thought you may want to be prepared.

No Blue Bags in December:  I will not be sending blue bags home in the month of December.  Many bags are missing books and are out of order.  I will be tidying the bags for the new year.  If you find any books at home that you think came from a blue bag please send them back to school.

Send in boxes and cans:  I would like to set up a class store to practice using money.  
Please send in any small empty food boxes or cans.  Thanks!!
                                  
                                     Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
                                  the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son
                                          and will call him Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14

                          Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Immanuel Shall come to you O Israel!
                                   Come Lord Jesus, Immanuel, God with us!

I hope you carve some time out of the hustle and bustle of this season to have special Advent devotions with your family.   At Zion this weekend the Devotional Life Team will be handing out Advent Wreath kits and Advent devotions.  Please take advantage of this and pick them up after church.  Help prepare your hearts for Jesus this Advent.   Zion's Lessons and Carols is this Sunday it is another way to take sometime to focus on Jesus.  This service last about one hour and 15 minutes and focuses on Jesus coming into our dark world to bring light.  The services begins at 7:00 preservice music starts at 6:45.

In HIM,
Amy
Enjoy the pictures of us working and playing.
using  iPods 
working in our guided writing journals

writing what we want for Christmas

playing Uno

taking our spelling test

practicing our math facts with the wrap ups

more wrap up practice

working independently on our math



Friday, November 16, 2012

November 16, 2012


Give Thanks to the Lord for His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
2 Chronicles 20:21
 
What a blessing to be able to show God's love and put together 30 Thanksgiving food baskets with boxes of extra food all donated to the Lutheran Seminarians.
I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember to Thank Jesus for all of His blessings.  
Zion has a Thanksgiving church service on Wednesday night at 7:00pm and Thursday morning at 9:00am.  Please join us in thanking our gracious God!

A Look Ahead:
NO SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

A Look Ahead to the week of November 26th:
Memory: Advent Part top part of paper child's speaking part
Religion: Esther and Elijah
Grammar: is and are
Spelling: Lesson13
Math: FACT TEST MONDAY over -0,-1, -same number, and adding facts
Social Studies and Science- begin a unit on CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
Literacy:
phonics- build long a words
alphabet- sort long i and short i words
writing: Christmas lists
science: habitat sort
name: -ing and -ed endings
poetry: Hetty the Hen
computer: tinyurl.com/zioncoins

A BIG THANK YOU TO MRS. SMITH!!!  She did a wonderful job as our student teacher and we will miss her in our classroom.  We are thankful that we will still get to see her as she is now one of Zion's full day preschool teacher!

Please place your scholastic order by Friday night as I will process the online order on Saturday.


Please take a look at our week in pictures!

I am thankful for you!  God has blessed me with such a great class and group of parents.  I thank God for you, May you have a blessed Thanksgiving, may you enjoy time with family and friends, and may you keep Christ at the center of your celebrations.

In HIM,
Amy


Using the new MACBOOK AIR!

Group Learning about Habitats

I am the presenter!

I am the secretary.

We are the art directors and researchers. 
Working of our Jungle Habitat

This is an Ocean Habitat.

This is a Forest Habitat. 
Mrs. Smith teaching us during reading centers.

Reading the Pumpkin Poem

Writing Sentences with Verbs at Name Center

Sorting long e, short e, and silent e at Alphabet Center

Building Words with Blends and Chunks at Phonics

Creating a Shape Turkey at Math

Writing a Story 

We painted like Eric Carle.
We painted whole sheets and used different techniques to make texture.












We cut out our animals and habitat like Eric Carle.



Giving Thanksgiving Food


The whole school in chapel Preschool-8th Grade

We participated in World Cup Stacking Day









Waiting for our FIRST assembly

Gabriel represented our class in the relay race.
Great Soccer Kick Gabriel!

Mr. M got a hair cut!