Winter Wonderland

We finally have our Michigan winter! What you see below has been one of my favorite sights this week. The kids are working on building a hotel in the playground. It's not uncommon to see just a couple of boots sticking out of a hole as the owner is far below digging out a new igloo. At recess time, I usually break a sweat trying to quickly get together all the zippers, tuck the mittens into the sleeves so we don't get cold wrists and make sure that boots are on the right feet. Suddenly the frenzy is over and the empty hallway is quiet. I like watching them play for a few minutes as I cool off at the door :) 

All of this beautiful, white snow is God's poignant reminder of his pure love for us. What was once covered in sin is now as white as freshly fallen snow. It makes me happy to see our children diving head first into this fluffly, new-fallen love from above.

Reading on pajama day...so cozy!

After our blitz of assessments, it's been nice to get back to the routine of learning again.

Thank you to Mrs. VanIngen for coming to read with us on Friday morning and leading a special snowflake craft!

In Bible this week we listened to the story about the Israelites finally being allowed, after years of preparation, to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. We talked about how God's timing is perfect, though not always what we might have in mind. 

It's all things weather in Science. This week lent itself to a relevant experience with wind chill. Next week (hopefully a full week this time!) we'll talk more about temperature, freezing points and cloud cover. 

We'll have our next writing celebration this Wednesday morning. I'm thrilled with the progress the students are showing in their stories. You can look forward to reading a electronic copy of your child's story sent later this week. We've put a special focus this month on how great authors begin their stories. You might want to ask your child why he or she chose to craft his story starter the way he did. Please remember, in order to access the story, you may have to use Chrome or Firefox as a browser. 

We're wrapping up our study of three-dimensional shapes this week in math. Next week we'll dive into projects and experiences with fractions. 

I can hardly talk about our latest SPARK project without a lump forming in my throat. Today, the children wrote a supportive letter to their brother or sister in Christ who just happens to be living at the Mission right now. We packaged dozens of little snack bags with goodies for our friends as well. We ended our week by holding our hands over the handwritten notes and covering our unknown friends in prayer. I told my students a story from the last time I was a teacher. I had a student who lived at the Mission. He had no means to get to school so I used to pick him up each day and we drove together to and from school. One day, we were told that he needed to move to a new location in Chicago. The last time I dropped him off before his move, he sobbed. So did I. We prayed together at the front door. Then, in an effort to give him a tangible reminder of someone who loved him, I took off my watch and put it on him (every 10-year-old boy wants a lady's watch from Target, right?) Many children face such difficulties and they are just as tender and needy as your or my child. It is good for our children to learn that there are many in our community who need more love than they are receiving. THANK YOU for helping your child brighten the face and life, even if only for a day, of one of God's special children in need. Truly, our SPARK program is a gift. God asks us to reach out to the hurting, to hold those in pain and give to those in need. Endeavors like these, at such a tender age, teach children what it means to be a child of God. It's so much more than just talking the talk. Thank you for helping your child walk the walk. 

Upcoming Information:

Your child's report card should have come home today. Please sign and return the empty envelope this report came in so that I can send the next report home in a few months.  

If your child is reading 15 minutes for 5 nights each week, please sign and return the blue reading incentive form on Monday. 

Wednesday, January 30 will be HAT DAY! We'll have a little wacky fun and stay warm at the same time :)

And now for the strange request....our next unit in writing involves the children writing a "how to" paper. Karen VanMeeteren and I would like to attempt to make an ice castle with the students. This means we need buckets...A LOT of buckets! Our pipe dream is that each student might bring a bucket or two or three to school, labeled with their name. We'll fill the buckets with water and place them outdoors to freeze. Once frozen, we'll bring them back into school for a few moments so the outer edge of the ice block thaws just enough to allow the block to slide out of the bucket. Then we'll bring them all back outside and build a castle with our ice blocks and beautiful, white snow. After all of this, students will write a "how to" paper, using transitional words, describing the proper method for making an ice sculpture. If you can spare a bucket or three this week, we'll love to put it to good use. I apologize if I'm asking for too much, but, the bigger the better. Thank you for your support!