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Mrs. Walters’ Blog News 

September 24-28, 2012

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 

He is my God, and I will praise him.

Exodus 15:2

Once again, I ask you to join me in praising God for the new week that lies ahead and for the reminder from scripture that HE is our strength and song.  I will praise him for who he is and how he continues to fashion us into his image, shaping and molding us, like clay, to become like him.  I am looking forward to an exciting week, where we can welcome Roman and Brandon Johnson to our School/Home Collaborative community!  I pray that they would be easily and quickly enfolded into the wonderful group of kids in our class!  Also, please introduce yourselves to their mom, Stacey too, as they have recently moved from Tennessee!

There continue to be many activities to look forward to.  Watch the ZCS Blue Note, as well as our blog closely for upcoming dates and info!

School Pictures:  Our class will be having pictures taken next week Monday, October 1.  Information and an order form will be coming home today. 

Field Trips:  Stay up to date with the Google calendar posted on the blog.

Upcoming Trips:

9/24- 2^nd Grade- Crane’s Orchard and picnic lunch- bring sack lunch (Monday)

9/26- 3^rd Grade- Van Raalte Farm- Plants on the Move (Wednesday)

10/3- 3^rd Grade- Outdoor Discovery Center- Native American Study (Wednesday)

10/12- 1^st Grade- Grand Rapids Children museum (Friday- AM)

When a field trip falls on a “school” day, please plan that your child will attend the event with the students in our class from their grade, as well as students in the traditional classes.  However, if a trip is planned and it falls on a “home” day, students and parents may choose whether or not to participate.  Teachers have asked to know if your child is attending the field trip at least one week prior to the trip for planning and driving purposes.  Please e-mail me if your child will be going on the trip so I can let that classroom teacher know and help arrange transportation.

Math Pentathlon is a fun, after school program (Tuesday, 2:45-3:45 for middle school students, and 3:45-4:45 for elementary)that begins October 9 and will run through mid-March. This is a program for students of all abilities who enjoy playing games and some friendly competition. Registration is from 9/19 through 9/28, and forms are available in the office, in classrooms and outside of the Resource Room, in the front hallway. Please contact Mrs. Patnott (ppatnott@zcs.org) with any questions.

V.I.P- Very Important Person! Payton Wirebaugh celebrated her birthday just a few days before school started!  She is our V.I.P. this week! 

This year, when your child celebrates his/her birthday, or half-birthday, we will be celebrating the Very Important Person that God has made by having a VIP week, and a special day during that week when your child may share birthday treats.  I will be sending home a note for each child with his/her selected VIP week and ideas for ways your child may want to share more about him/herself!

Online Social Studies website:  There have been a few changes made to the MC3 online Social Studies website for all teachers, as you, and many teachers have found.  It is still possible to access the online curriculum, but it requires a few extra “clicks”.  If you have already sent a flash drive to school, I have copied the curriculum for your child onto the flash drive.  Look for the flash drive in the red SHC folder on Monday.  You will also find directions for copying the flash drive info to your child’s desktop.  This will give you instant access to the lessons and supplemental materials (handouts) without having to download it.

Change of Date in March, 2013:   We will have off from school on Monday, March 4, for Parent/Teacher Conferences, not Tuesday, March 5. Please make this change on your calendars.

Upcoming Dates:

October 6- Pumpkin Parade

October 18-19- CEA Teachers Convention- No School

November 2- Grandparents Day- The SHC classes will meet on Nov. 2 (Fri) for an abbreviated morning schedule to celebrate Grandparents Day!

Please let me know if you have any questions throughout the week!

Blessings,

Mrs. Walters

9.17.12

-->Mrs. Walters’ Blog News for the week of September 17, 2012

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
(Psalm 9:1-2)

As we begin a new week, I am reminded of the gift of life that God has given us and praise God for the precious birth of Elise Hope, born last Monday on September 10 to Jeremy and Trisha Iford.  She weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long and Trish said she is doing well!   New big sisters Alaina and Addie in our class were so excited to tell us all about their new sister.  Brother Levi, is happy to now be a big brother too.  We are so excited for your family and we praise God for a strong and healthy baby girl!!  Please join me in praying that Addie and Alaina’s family will have a smooth transition to their growing family! 

I am also reminded this week of God’s plan for each of us, and the gift of life each day that we’ve been given.  Please be in prayer for the VerBeek family, as Lindy, a graduate of ZCS and mother of 3, died Friday morning at the age of 35 after battling cancer. She leaves behind a husband and three children, including twins in our preschool program. Even though they rejoice that she is now with her Lord and Savior, they also have many tough days and years ahead. Our class has been praying for the VerBeek family for the past few weeks.  Please join me, and the ZCS community, in praying for the family, asking God to cover them with his strength, love, and peace.

I pray that God would continue to guide and direct you throughout the week as  you seek to serve him and live a life of worship and praise!

Here are some other details to keep in mind this week:

Google Calendar: There are a few field trips coming up in the next couple of weeks for different grade levels.  I have included a link to a Google calendar on our blog that will enable you to view upcoming SHC field trips, parties, meetings, and other events.  I have added currently scheduled field trips and will continue to update it. 

Field Trips: 

Upcoming Trips:

9/21- 5^th Grade- Civil War Muster (“Home” day)

9/24- 2^nd Grade- Crane’s Orchard and picnic lunch- bring sack lunch

9/26- 3^rd Grade- Van Raalte Farm- Plants on the Move

10/3- 3^rd Grade- Outdoor Discovery Center- Native American Study

If your child is planning to attend one of the trips and it will take place on a home day, teachers have asked to know if your child is attending the field trip at least one week before the trip for planning or driving purposes.  Please e-mail me if your child will be going on the trip and I’ll let that classroom teacher know.  Also, if you haven’t turned in the grade level activity fee, please make a check out to ZCS as soon as possible. 

VIP- Very Important Person!  This year, when your child celebrates his/her birthday, or half-birthday, we will be celebrating the Very Important Person that God has made by having a VIP week, and a special day during that week when your child may share birthday treats.  I will be sending home a note for each child with his/her selected VIP week and ideas for ways your child may want to share more about him/herself!

Online Social Studies website:  There have been a few changes made to the MC3 online Social Studies website for all teachers, as you, and many teachers have found.  It is still possible to access the online curriculum, but it requires a few extra “clicks”.  If you have already sent a flash drive to school, I have copied the curriculum for your child onto the flash drive.  Look for the flash drive in the red SHC folder on Monday.  You will also find directions for copying the flash drive info to your child’s desktop.  This will give you instant access to the lessons and supplemental materials (handouts) without having to download it.

Volunteer Information:  Thank you for your wonderful support and willingness to volunteer in many ways, both at home and at school to help our classroom run efficiently!  I will be contacting you soon with volunteer opportunities and possible days or ways to serve!  You are a blessing!

Book Order: Book order forms for each grade level were sent home at the parent information meeting.  If you would like to place a book order, please send the completed order form (or forms for multiple booklets) with a check made out to Julie Walters (not Scholastic, or ZCS) by Wednesday.   An online order form will soon be available to choose as an option to place future orders, but for now, please send the order form and check/cash to school.

This week’s blog post/newsletter is full of important information.  Please let me know if you have any questions regarding any of the details!  My prayer this week is that we will continue to show the characteristic of  “Cheerfulness” in our classroom, as we have been talking about character qualities that Jesus modeled for us and that we want to develop through the work of the Holy Spirit living in us.  Our “Word of the Week” last week was “Cheerfulness” as we reflected on Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine”.  Each month throughout the year, we will reflect on different character qualities of Jesus and how we can model these both at home and in the classroom. 

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walters

September 10-14, 2012

September 10-14, 2012

Dear Parents,

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His mercy endures forever.”  I Chronicles 16:34

Thank you for attending the parent meeting last week Wednesday!  It was truly a blessing to be able to meet and talk together about your children in our classroom this year!  I especially appreciate your willingness to volunteer and assist in so many different ways!  Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we enter our first 5-day week of school, partnering together both at home and at school!  

Here are a few notes to remember this week!  

1. Your child was given a “Z-Pass” last week which should be attached to their backpack or bag.  Zeeland Public School wants all students to have a Z-Pass, even if they do not ride this bus to and from school.  All students need a pass who could potentially ride a bus, and that includes field trips, Tulip Time, and other events. So, all of our students need a Z-Pass attached to their backpacks so it’s with them all the time.  Thanks for your support in this new safety measure!

2.  Field Trips:  
Tuesday, September 11- 4th Grade to the Outdoor Discovery Center- 8:40a.m.-3:00p.m.
Friday, September 21- 5th Grade field trip- details TBA

Tuesday the 4th grade students are headed to the Outdoor Discovery Center, south of Holland. We will be leaving ZCS at 9:00 and returning around 3:00. The forecast looks perfect for a day of exploring God’s world with its many habitats and animals that live in them. Please be sure to send a sack lunch with your child that day.

3.  Reminder:  If you have not yet sent in your child’s activity fee, please do so this week.  Checks may be made out to Zeeland Christian School.
1st-$25
2nd-$20
3rd-$20
4th- $22
5th-$10

4.  During these days that can be quite hot yet, please send a water bottle to school with your child.  Also, if your child has PE on a “school” day, please send PE shoes to school.

5.  Paperwork- remember to send back any paperwork that needs to be returned- technology forms, volunteer forms, etc.

6.  Our Bible memory which will be due on September 20 is straight from our lessons from the book of James:

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone
should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow
to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring
about the righteous life that God desires.”

James 1:19-20

7. Please continue to be in prayer for God’s continued protection and His blessing on Zeeland Christian, the students and their families, as well as teachers and staff.

8. Please note a date change on the ZCS calendar:  Monday, March 4 will be a day off and Tuesday, March 5 we will be in session.

6. Dates to Remember:  

Sept. 10                Threeschool/preschool/young fives begin

Sept. 12                Middle school parent information meeting

Sept. 12                Parents of 7th/8th grade athletes meeting

Sept. 22               Craft show

Sept. 26-28          Seventh grade Discovery Camp

October 1-3, 5     School pictures

October 6            Pumpkin parade

Have a great week!

Blessings,

Mrs. Walters

Dear Parents,
     It was truly a joy to meet with you today at the parent meeting!  Thank you for your amazing commitment and dedication to working so diligently with your children!  I'm looking forward to seeing students again tomorrow!  The lesson plans have been added to the blog for Friday, September 7. 
Blessings, 

Mrs. Walters