16-19 de enero

 ¡Hola Familias!

It was definitely another crazy week, with snowy days and (for me) a surprise snow day! We have been working to get back into our routines this week, reviewing SER expectations for different places in the school. Today we had a GREAT time at mi casa--we enjoyed a delicious breakfast (thank you to everyone who helped out with this!), played games, and had lots of fun!

Here is more of what we've been up to this week:

Reading / Lectura: We continued learning the syllables za, ce, ci, zo, zu this week. We are also preparing to start new centers groups and activities next week.

Writing / Escritura: This week we started writing books based on the familiar title "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" (Oso pardo, oso pardo, ¿qué ves ahi?). We will continue this next week!

Math / Matemáticas: We have been practicing counting to 100, counting by 10s, recognizing shapes, and forming numbers 11-20 using manipulatives.

Social Studies / Estudios Sociales: This week we had a great opportunity to learn about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We watched a video of Dr. Seuss's book The Sneeches (read in Spanish of course) that talked about two groups of creatures that treated each other differently because of what they looked like. This led into a wonderful response where the kids were able to brainstorm and share what kind of sueño (dream) they can share with the world--to help others, to share Jesus' love, to treat everyone equally. As followers of Christ, this is even more important! It was a privilege for me to share this lesson with the kids.

Immersion Tip of the Week

We have been practicing simple addition and subtraction problems in math (mostly with numbers 1-5 and occasionally 1-10). This skill should easily transfer over into English. For fun, use a white board and write out a few problems. Ask your child how to do them--in either English or Spanish!

Reading Tip of the Week
When you are reading to your child this week, spice things up by reading with lots of expression. We have talked about some punctuation marks like puntos (.), signos de exclamación (!), signos de interrogación (?) and comas (,), so exaggerate them when you see them--or ask your child, "What does this symbol mean?"

Book Bags + Syllable Writing Activity

I know that it has been a while since I have given the kids new books for their book bags. I apologize for this! I am working on redoing literacy centers to maximize the time I have with each reading group, so the books will come next week! In the meantime, I am sending home a blue paper with a new activity that you can work on at home with your child, in which he/she writes words with 2 and eventually 3 syllables. HERE is the video that goes along with it. It is a great extension activity for your child to practice at home!

Report Cards

...went home today in envelopes with your child's name on the front. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Have a wonderful weekend! Here are more pictures from our week...

8-12 de enero

¡Hola Familias!

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Happy New Year! It was a short week this week with two snow days, but we have been busy getting back into the swing of learning! 

Here is what we've been up to this week:

SER Expectations: We have been hitting hard on our school-wide SER expectations this week. SER stands for Self Control, Engaged, and Respectful. We've been reviewing how we can make positive behavior choices in the classroom, at recess, and around the school building.

Reading / Lectura: This week we started learning about the syllables with z and the soft c sound: za, ce, ci, zo, zu (sounds like /s/). I have also been working on finishing initial reading assessments with each child. I will then be regrouping students for new reading centers, where we practice reading books at each student's level.

Writing / Escritura: As we reviewed SER behavior this week, we wrote mini-books describing how to behave in different parts of the school. Your child will bring this home next week when we finish them!

Math / Matemáticas: We are starting a new unit that focuses on parts of numbers (e.g. 3 and 4 are parts of 7), as well as the numbers 10-20. We are learning how to see teen numbers as a group of 10 plus more. We've also been working on counting to 100 and counting by 10s.

Bible / Biblia: We have returned back to the story of Moisés y los israelitas! We learned about how Moisés sent 12 spies into the promised land (la Tierra prometida) but how 10 of them were afraid to go in, even though God told them that He was with them. We also learned about how Rajab (Rehab) helped the spies get into the city of Jericó.

Reading Tip of the Week

Try introducing your child to a new book series. Some of our favorites over the years have been Hombre Perro (Dog Man), the Berenstain Bears (I know, old school!), and the Magic Tree House books. If you aren't sure where to start, visit the library and try out some different ones!

Immersion Tip of the Week

Do you have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or another streaming service? Does your child have a favorite show or series? Try changing the language to Spanish this week! Or, search for some videos in Spanish on YouTube. Peppa Pig en español, Pocoyo, or Daniel el Tigre is a great place to start.

Desayuno con Maestra / Breakfast at Maestra's House!

Next Friday, January 19th, the class is invited to mi casa for breakfast and fun! You will drop off your child at my house (357 Wildwood Dr., Holland 49423) at 8:30 (I live on the south side of Holland, about 10 minutes away from Rose Park). We will have breakfast, play games, have centers, and then take a bus back to Rose Park at 10:00 for morning recess. Would you like to help out by either volunteering or sending in food items? Check out our signup here!

Personal Device Reminder

To our best ability at Holland Christian (preschool-12th grade), we are committing to restricting personal devices during the school hours. These devices distract students from learning and impede personal relationships. We ask for your cooperation and partnership in this policy. 

Personal Technology: Personal Technology is not necessary in a school setting and disrupts the learning environment. Personal Technology includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Cell Phones

• Smartwatches

• Headphones or Earbuds

• Personal Laptops

• MP3-Players

• Etc. (i.e. Any non-school issued personal technology)

If parents need to communicate with their student, they can send their student an email or call the office and get a note from the office.  Personal Technology items are not allowed to be used or visible during the time a student enters school until the final bell rings. If a student needs to use their phone, they must receive direct permission from a staff person to do so.

Have a wonderful long weekend, and I look forward to seeing your child back at school on Tuesday! Enjoy a few more photos from our week below.