This is the rubric and directions for making a venn diagram with an analysis of two characters.

Directions for Character Analysis CharacterAnalysisEssayRubric1

Dear Parents,

Every parent teacher conference, whether in person or other form of communication (email, phone), is evidence of the great community we have at FCS. I look forward to this vital partnership throughout the rest of the school year.

This Week’s Spelling List

1. report
2. climate
3. valid
4. vital
5. retail
6. future
7. robot
8. humane
9. tiger
10. laser
11. lemon
12. limit
13. linen
14. major
15. minor

Challenge Words

1. sequel
2. serum
3. memento
4. dilute
5. odorous

This Week’s Memory Verse

Students will be graded on writing the verse accurately, including correct wording, spelling, punctuation, grammar and scripture reference.

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 

Titus 3:5

Testing

Friday will be testing day. Every week students will be tested in spelling/vocabulary, memory verse, reading comprehension, and social studies.

Students are working on character analysis as our response to literature. I will be sending instructions on a take home assignment this Friday. It will be due on Friday, October 10.

Special Note: Normally a student may retake a test if he/she scores a C or less for the max score of a B. When it is apparent, as in the case of our test on Addition and Subtraction of Whole Numbers and Decimals that the majority of the class had a misconception, I allow the entire class to do a retake for a max score of an A.

Dates to Remember

 Happy Birthday, Skylar Higginbotham September 25!

Grandparents Day: October 3, 9:30-12:30

Choir Fall Concert: October 6, 7:00 P.M.

Elementary Picture Retakes: October 7

End of First Quarter: October 10

Joni and Friends Event: October 24

Homecoming: October 31

NO SCHOOL Veterans’s Day: November 11

NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break: November 26-28

End of First Semester: December 5

Elementary Drama “A Bag Full of Fables”: December 5

K-6 Christmas Program: December 12

NO SCHOOL Christmas Break: December 15-January 2

School Resumes: January 5

My posting on September 8 said parents should check Mrs. Vanderkooi’s newsletter this week for the spelling list as well as the memory verse (since I was out Friday through Wednesday). Anyway, this is the memory verse:

SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE:

Students will memorize scripture weekly and take a written test each Friday. The memory verse for this week is John 1:12 and the test will be this Friday, September 19. Students will be graded on writing the verse accurately, including correct wording, spelling, punctuation, grammar and scripture reference.

Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

Dear Parents,

I will be out this Friday, September 12 and Monday through Wednesday next week. Mr. Lyons will be here in my place. Please be sure to check Mrs. Vanderkooi’s newsletter on Monday, September 15 for next week’s spelling list and memory verse .

Math

Students will take a test this Friday. Topics covered are simplifying an expression and completing a function table.

Social Studies

The next test will be this Friday. Topics covered are the Olmec, Maya, and Mound Builders civilizations. This test will be open book. Future tests will not be open book.

Reading

Students are reading books in a literature group. These groups are dynamic. Any student can be moved to another group as my observations deem it beneficial to do so. The goal of every group is to analyze characters as well as identify themes and author’s purpose. Students share opinions while needing to support these by reference to the text.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE:

Students will memorize scripture weekly and take a written test each Friday. The memory verse for this week is John 3:16 and the test will be this Friday, September 12. Students will be graded on writing the verse accurately, including correct wording, spelling, punctuation, grammar and scripture reference.

For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son,  that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

John 3:16

SPELLING:

Lesson 5 words will be tested this Friday, September 12.

Lesson 5: Words with consonant -le

1. dangle
2. mangle
3. feeble
4. crinkle
5. wobble
6. castle
7. obstacle
8. tickle
9. muffle
10. bridle
11. jumble
12. kindle
13. dwindle
14. swindle
15. nestle

Challenge Words

1. assemble
2. hustle
3. principle
4. constable
5. cuticle

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Elementary Pictures: September 9
• Parent/Teacher Conferences: September 15-19 (DISMISSAL at 12 NOON)
• Elementary Picture Retakes: October 7
• NO SCHOOL Veterans’s Day: November 11

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a relaxing long weekend with your families. Now it’s time to look ahead to parent conferences. Your child will bring home a conference sheet on Tuesday, September 2, listing the day and time of your conference with me. Please contact Kerry Roberts in the office to reschedule if the time allotted to you is inconvenient. Please note I will be out for my wedding/honeymoon September 12-17.

FUNDRAISER:

Your fundraising money AND order forms must be turned in on September 11th. Packets must be given to your teacher ASAP that morning. The PST Board will be counting as soon as the packets have been collected from each class. Delivery for items will be Thursday, October 9th behind Building 5.

SPIRIT WEAR:

Fresno Christian Schools Spirit Days are here! Starting this Friday and every Friday after, wear your FCS Spirit Wear. At the end of each month, the K-6 class with the highest percentage of Spirit Wear worn will be the keeper of the FCS Eagle Trophy for a month! So wear your Fresno Christian Spirit Wear with pride. Go Eagles!!!

MOMS IN PRAYER:

Any woman desiring to pray for our children and Fresno Christian Schools is invited to join us for a powerful time of prayer!

Fridays from 8:00 – 9:00 A.M.

Peoples Church, Room 204

Contact: Janet Moore 448-0947 or rjdamoore@att.net

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES:

 Grades K-6 will be dismissed at 12 noon, Monday-Friday, September 15 – 19, 2014.

Please note I will be out for my wedding/honeymoon September 12-17. This means I will schedule conferences for the 18^th and 19^th as well as the following week if necessary.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION:

This year we will again be participating in the Box Tops for Education fundraiser. Each Box Top collected is worth cash for our school. As an incentive, we will be having a class contest. The class bringing in the most Box Tops at the end of this promotion will receive a “prize.” We will post class totals monthly in the Elementary Office window.

Please hand in your trimmed Box Tops in a Ziploc bag or envelope, labeled with your child’s/teacher’s name and the amount of Box Tops to your teacher. Every Friday, the student bringing in the most for the week from each class will get to choose something from the Treasure Box in the Elementary Office.

You can find a list of Box Tops online at: www.boxtops4education.com.

SEPTEMBER READING: 

Students will independently read a book from a different genre each month. Class time will be given every day for silent reading and students are expected to read a minimum  of 10 pages a day. If they are unable to complete this in class, then reading becomes homework. The genre for the month of September is mystery. Students should show their selected mystery book to me for approval. Students will write a “Response to Literature” for this book, due at the end of September. Students should wait to write the “Response to Literature” until after I have finished teaching it in class. At that time, a grading rubric will be sent home and students may begin to work on the response.

WRITING:

This week students will continue to practice writing summaries and personal opinions of stories in preparation for the 1st Quarter writing assessment, Response to Literature.

MATH:

Currently we are adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals. Regrouping is sometimes necessary. Some problems have zero(s) in the regrouping process.

Social Science: 

This week we continue our study of the Olmec and Mayan Indians. Students will learn the meaning of the following words:

civilization, government, custom, tradition, hieroglyph, class, pueblo

We will have an open book test this Friday.

BIBLE:

This week we continue our study of the Pentateuch.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE: Next week our verse will be the same as Mrs. Vanderkooi’s class.

Students will memorize scripture weekly and take a written test each Friday.

The test will be this Friday, September 5. Students will be graded on writing the verse accurately, including correct wording, spelling, punctuation, grammar and scripture reference.

       Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son    Romans 1:1-3a

SPELLING:

Lesson 4 words will be tested this Friday, September 5. The definitions test is matching words with their definitions.

Lesson 4

1. decorate
2. apply
3. delay
4. employ
5. study
6. suppose
7. exciting
8. married
9. envy
10. sturdy
11. frighten
12. panic
13. relay
14. prepare
15. reply

Challenge Words

1. paralyzing
2. memorizing
3. concentrating
4. preferred
5. quarreled

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Elementary Pictures: September 9
• Parent/Teacher Conferences: September 15-19 (DISMISSAL at 12 NOON)
• Elementary Picture Retakes: October 7
• NO SCHOOL Veterans’s Day: November 11

Dear Parents,

We had some technical difficulties with our Newsletter site. All my previous posts are lost.

So, this will be the new “first post.” When I get a chance, I will try to repost the past newsletters and date them accordingly. In the meantime, here is some current information.

Math

Our next math test will be Friday. Those students that will be out this Friday can do a make up on Tuesday afternoon with Mrs. Dooley.

We took a math test today that I plan to have scored by tomorrow and share with students.

We will start lesson 12 on negative integers tomorrow followed by adding/subtracting whole numbers and decimals. Emphasis with larger numbers is regrouping.

Grammar test on Tuesday.

Students need to identify the subject and predicate in a sentence. They should be able to identify as well as correctly use linking verbs.

Spelling Vocabulary homework goes out today. It is due tomorrow.

This Friday we will test spelling words AND definitions.

Verse for this week is

Week 3:

     42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people

were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to

keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good

news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I

was sent.”

Luke 4:42-43

PLEASE NOTE THAT STUDENTS CAN TAKE A PICTURE OF THE TEXTBOOK PAGES ASSIGNED FOR HOMEWORK OR STUDY WITH THEIR IPAD OR IPHONE. TEXTBOOKS TAKEN HOME MUST BE RETURNED THE NEXT DAY.

We Are One: Growing in Christ

Dear Parents and Students,

I want to express my gratitude for the love and support from all of you this school year. It is the partnership between home and school that promoted a successful academic year! Our class has demonstrated hearts of one and Growing in Christ this

Please plan on joining us for our awards assembly on Thursday, May 22 at 10:30 A.M. Character trait awards will be handed out in the classroom after the assembly. ALL PARENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND BOTH EVENTS.

NO SPELLING OR BIBLE VERSE THIS WEEK.

VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by C.S. Lewis One of our literature study groups read the novel Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  We will be viewing the movie in class this week. You can check out the movie’s content on the website, Plugged-In. If you do not want your child to watch the movie, please e-mail or send a written note on Monday.

Science:  We will complete the week with our study of the planets.

Reading:  Students will set goals to finish reading the remaining pages of their novels.

Math:  We will continue to convert Metric measurements. No assessment.

SWIM PARTY ON FRIDAY! PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO AND FROM THE PARTY. IT BEGINS AT 9 AM AND ENDS AT 12 PM. LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED. TWO LIFE GUARDS WILL BE ON DUTY. IT WILL BE HELD AT THE COPPER RIVER COUNTY CLUB. A special Thank You to Mrs. Webb for planning the year end party at the Copper River County Club!

Students must be in dress code at the party.

6th Grade Students are invited to attend a promotion party at the home of the Jone’s Family. A flyer with all of the information went home last week.

CALENDAR:

Thursday 10:30 AM-5/6 Awards Ceremony

Thursday and Friday-Half Days

Friday-Swim Party at Copper River Country Club

We had a fantastic night at our FCS Open House Fine Arts festival. The classrooms were filled with projects and art work from grades K-6. The band and choir performed with expertise. Thank you to all who attended our special school night.

ACADEMICS:

It’s hard to believe that we have only two weeks of school left. This week students will have tests in the following:

1.  Science and Weather-Essay question will be given on Thursday. Students should use their lesson activites 1-5 to prepare. It is not open book but recollection of the terms and processes.

2.  Math-converting customary and metric units of length measurements test on Wednesday

3. Bible-students are choosing a personal verse to study this week. I’m approving on Monday and will test their verse on Friday.

Spelling-review of words

1. transportation
2. compartment
3. adequate
4. exceptional
5. sufficient
6. barbecue
7. assignment
8. monument
9. appetite
10. arithmetic
11. appreciate
12. experience
13. evaporate
14. condensation
15. precipitation
16. apology
17. astronomy
18. universe
19. fortress
20. surround

Vocabulary-sed, sid, sess=to sit, settle

• assessor
• president
• reside
• residence
• sedan
• sedate
• sedative
• sedentary
• sedimentary
• sediment
• session

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Elementary Fine Arts Open House, Tuesday, May 6, 6:30 – 9:00 P.M.
• Half Day: Wednesday, May 7 – Dismissal at 12:00 noon
• Chapel: Tuesday, May 13, 8-8:45 A.M.
• Elementary Drama “The Bible in 30 Minutes or Less,” Friday, May 16, 7:00 P.M.
• Grades 1-4 Awards Assembly: Wednesday, May 21 at 12:30 P.M.
• Grades 5-6 Awards Assembly: Thursday, May 22, 10:30 A.M. – Dismissal at 12:00 noon
• High School Graduation: Thursday, May 22, 7:00 P.M.
• Last Day of School/Year End Swim Party: Friday, May 23, COPPER RIVER COUNTY CLUB 9-12

5 de Mayo-Senora Foth has invited elementary students to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at 1:15 in the school courtyard. Students are encouraged to bring their Mexican attire for the celebration.

FINE ARTS FESTIVAL AND CLASSROOM OPEN HOUSE

Come and join us for a fabulous evening of Fine Arts, Music, and Open House on Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30 P.M-9:00 PM.   We will begin in our classroom and then head out to the Chapel of People’s Church for the Fine Arts Festival. Our FCS students are looking forward to sharing their learning experiences with you!

HALF DAY THIS WEDNESDAY FOR TEACHER INSERVICE-12 PM dismissal

ACADEMICS:

It’s hard to believe that we have only three weeks of school left. We will focus the majority of our learning of new skills and knowledge over the next two weeks and utilize the final week for year end assessments.

Spelling-four syllable words

1. invitation

2.  population

3.  necessary

4.  evaporate

5.  patriotic

6.  arithmetic

7.  gymnasium

8.  necessity

9.  material

10.  scientific

11.  petroleum

12.  naturally

13.  imitation

14.  variety

15.  aviator

16.  hibernation

17.  machinery

18.  appreciate

19.  conversation

20.  experience

Vocabulary:

• apposition-a word or phrase placed next to another word
• compose-to put ideas into writing, to create, such as a musical
• depose-to remove from power
• deposit-to put money into an account
• expose-to put something out for others to see
• imposition-something that is a burden to someone else
• juxtapose-to place side by side to compare
• post-to put something on a board
• proposal-a plan or offer put down in writing
• transpose-to put into a different order

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Elementary Fine Arts Open House, Tuesday, May 6, 6:30 – 9:00 P.M.
• Half Day: Wednesday, May 7 – Dismissal at 12:00 noon
• Chapel: Tuesday, May 13, 8-8:45 A.M.
• Elementary Drama “The Bible in 30 Minutes or Less,” Friday, May 16, 7:00 P.M.
• Grades 1-4 Awards Assembly: Wednesday, May 21 at 12:30 P.M.
• Grades 5-6 Awards Assembly: Thursday, May 22, 10:30 A.M. – Dismissal at 12:00 noon
• High School Graduation: Thursday, May 22, 7:00 P.M.
• Last Day of School/Year End Swim Party: Friday, May 23, COPPER RIVER COUNTY CLUB 9-12

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  APRIL 29, COLBY AND APRIL 30 CALIEGH!

END OF YEAR CONVOCATION– As the year draws to a close we would like to gather as a family to celebrate all that God has done for us. Thursday, May 1st is the National Day of Prayer. Lets gather as a body of one! The service begins at 8:00 am and will end by 8:30. All students K-12 are to report directly to the sanctuary by 7:55 AM. Every class will be designated with a sign and balloons, making it easy to locate your child’s class.It is exactly the same as our opening convocation seating arrangement. You are welcome to sit with your student in their designated area or if you have more than one student attending Fresno Christian, choose where you would like to sit.I look forward to seeing all of you at this closing event as we end our year acknowledging God’s hand upon us through prayer, worship, and heartfelt celebration.