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.

18-22 de diciembre

  ¡Hola Familias! 

¡Feliz Navidad! We had such a fun week, between barn chores, a special chapel, our Christmas party, gift exchange, and celebrating today with a movie. As anticipation and excitement fill the air, let's try to pause and remember why we celebrate Christmas. Our Lord and Savior came down to earth, born in to a humble family, in a dirty manger, to live--and die--for us. May we all remember this, God's greatest gift, during this time--and throughout the year.

In the midst of all of our special activities, we've also been doing lots of learning! Here is a brief summary of our week:

Reading / Lectura: We have continued to learn about pattern books. We enjoyed reading and re-reading the book Oso parso, oso pardo, ¿qué ves ahí? (or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?). 

Writing / Escritura: We have been continuing our pattern books--this week, we focused on A mí me gusta (I like...). We practiced writing entire sentences using a pattern, using a capital letter at the beginning, a space in the middle, and a period at the end.

Math / Matemáticas: We completed our Unit 2 test this week, reviewing shapes (including exploring hexágonos), numbers from 1-10, and more! 

Biblia: We have been working on memorizing a section of Lucas 2, which tells about how the angels appeared to the shepherds to tell them of the good news of Christ's birth.

Desayuno con Maestra! Breakfast with the Teacher!

I know that January 2024 feels a long way away, but it will be here before we know it! On the morning of Friday, January 19th, I will invite the class to have breakfast... en mi casa! (Yes, at my house!) You will drop off your child at my house in the morning and we will take the bus to school after we finish. Just wanted to put this on your radar--I'll have more information coming soon!

Lunch Duty 2024

I just added to our signup for this coming semester's lunch duty. Would you consider volunteering in our classroom having lunch with our sweet class? Sign up HERE! 

Thank you! ¡Gracias!

My gratefulness for you goes beyond words. Thank you for each kind message, smile, gift, and treat. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to teach your child this year!

My prayer is that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas, a happy New Year, and that our learning in 2024 will continue to be as amazing as it has been so far! ¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

Have a wonderful and rest-filled Christmas vacation! I look forward to seeing your child back at school again in January 2024!