September 28th Chang’s Newsletter

Hello Parents/Guardians (Please see the backside, as well:

Brain Pop (an interactive, engaging, and educational resource) has already been enhancing our lessons.  The funds raised from McTeacher's night mostly paid for this membership.  Also, the first few weeks have been a whirlwind of adjustment:  Being organized, ready, and prompt have been key in both work and play.  That is, resting or relaxing can be truly restful, knowing that one has worked hard.  My motto shared in class is “pay now and play later” and not “play now and pay later.”  This work ethic, coupled with essential work habits, lay the foundation for each grade level!  Their hard work is evidently paying off: almost all scored an A or A+ in homework and tests (Passport, Spelling, Bible and Vocabulary)!  WOW!

What we have been learning in class:

Bible lesson 2 reveals the sovereign, loving God establishing a covenant through Abram the patriarch.

Math lessons 1-5 will be tested today. Word problems, number lines, repeated addition, and adding/subtracting dollars and cents will be our focus. To avoid falling behind and becoming confused, maintaining an understanding of each daily lesson is essential as new lessons build on the previous ones.

History We continue our learning of Asia’s Fertile Crescent, which is where the beginning of humanity with Adam and Eve began.

Science The layers, surface, and minerals and rocks of the earth will be further examined. 

Health We dug deeper in seeing the value each component of blood plays and will, now, turn our attention toward the heart.

Reading Our progress has been steady and strong, only a third of the class novel remains. Keep independently reading age-appropriate novels; the reading logs are due next Tuesday.

Spelling and Vocabulary Our new spelling and vocabulary (Worldly Wise) lists, given last Wednesday, are due this Wednesday.  Spelling will be tested on Thursday.

Homework Assignment and Assessment Due Dates:

Monday 28th	Tuesday 29th	Wednesday 30th	Thursday 1st	Friday 2nd
20 Minutes (Read)	20 Minutes (Read)	20 Minutes (Read)	20 Minutes (Read)	20 Minutes (Read)
Passport (Study)	Passport (Study)	Passport (Study)	Passport (Study)	Passport (Study)
Math Test (L1~L5)	Math L13 odds	Math L14 evens	Math L15 odds	Math L16 evens
	Write Source pp.9-12	Spelling L3 & Cursive Wordly Wise L2ABC	Spelling L3 Test	Bible Verse Test—Romans 15:4

Important Dates:

Sept. 28-Oct. 13: Cookie Dough & Magazine Sale

Oct. 1: School Picture Day

Oct. 8: Spirit Day-Cultural/International

Oct. 13: Cookie orders & payments due

Oct. 14: 1/2 Day Dismissal at 12p

Oct. 15 & 16: ACSI Convention—NO SCHOOL, child care is available

Romans 15:4 (ESV): For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Spelling Challenge Words:

arrangement, yearning

This information has been refined and most are a repeat; adjustments have been made (shaded) and may continue to be made for facilitating the students’ needs.

                 

Assignment/Assessing Break Down by days: (Quizzes/Tests are underlined.)

Weekdays:

·         Independent Reading 20 minutes of an age-appropriate novel; log due each following month (Tue.)

·         History Study for monthly Passport test; geography component

Mondays: Math quiz or test over five lessons, beginning after lesson 10

Tuesdays: Language Arts (Mechanics, Usage, Grammar—M.U.G) Write Source Workbook Pages (6 pages)

Wednesdays

·         Spelling lesson sheet and list words written out three times in cursive (for a cursive grade, also).

·         Vocabulary Wordly Wise lesson sections A,B, and C due one week and D and E the following week

Thursdays:

·         Spelling Test weekly of twenty-five list words; challenge words given weekly from class novels

·         Vocabulary (Wordly Wise) Test bi-weekly, upon completion of sections D-E; Section E test (quarterly)

·         Science or History Test quarterly, one to two tests per each subject

·         History/Geography Passport Test monthly, levels 1-5, typically, the final Thursday

Fridays:

·         Bible Memory Verse in cursive (for a cursive grade, also)

·         Health Quiz or Handout

Quarterly Projects: (i.e. Paper Bag Book Project, My Country Project, My Poetry Book Project, and Science Fair Project).  These projects are primarily to be completed in class (with the exception of the experiment for the Science Fair Project) to encourage their creativity and ownership of the project.

Working/Storage Space

Binder: “Homework Completed” pocket (inside, front cover of binder), newsletters, school policies, syllabus, planner, make-shift whiteboard, pocket-divider tabs for each subject (Bible, Science, History, Math, English), extra lined paper, Monday Folders (houses graded work or news/forms from the office or teacher).

Desks: Textbooks (including Bible), class reading novel, binder, writing/correcting utensils, ruler, expo marker, old sock

Cubby: Workbooks, extra empty binder, lined paper, art/craft supplies (markers, pencil crayons, glue, scissors)

Lockers: Backpack, gym shoes, lunch box, extra school supplies (if any)

Home: Accordion folder (“house” or file away graded work sent home in “Monday Folders” for safekeeping in the labeled—by subject—accordion folder) and “Family Link” (website of students’ grades) 

Evaluation/Assessment Set-Up

Every assignment is valued at 100 points.

Homework is due at 8:00 a.m. or upon arrival (if after 8 a.m.).  Most (with the exception of one Wordly Wise section from A-D) homework is graded as completion to allow practice without fear of point deduction. Once familiar with the lessons, understanding will be assessed through quizzes, tests, and/or projects.

For each homework assignment, students receive 10 points of participation. For each day an assignment is late, twenty-five percent will be deducted.  An extended absence or extenuating circumstance may thwart them from completing their homework on time, so send me a note or email and I will take it into consideration.

Understanding of M.U.G. (mechanics, usage and grammar) learned from our weekly Language Arts homework packet is looked for in their personal writing (excluding journal writing).  For example, when answering questions from Wordly Wise (section E), Bible History, Science/Health, Reading, etc., the answers need to be in complete sentences (using a subject and predicate).  By doing so, they are applying what they have learned from this week’s homework.