12/7-12/11

This week was busy, busy, busy! We began practicing for our Advent service next Wednesday. We also wrote a persuasive letter from the perspective of an elf looking to be hired for a job at the North Pole. In Reading, we began reading The True Gift, a really sweet Christmastime novel about a brother and sister who find out the meaning of a true gift. Then, in Social Studies, we learned about how goods are made and brought to us. We started our unit through a factory simulation in our classroom. Half of the class worked in an assembly line to produce bags of snack mix, four kids worked by themselves to produce bags of snack mix, and the other students acted as the factory inspectors, truck drivers, and store owners. We quickly learned that an assembly line is much more efficient that someone working by themselves! The unit was finished with a project where the kids were to design a factory to produce a product. They did a great job!

Building our vocabulary with words from The True Gift!

One individual doing all the work in a factory doesn't work too well

The successful assembly line!

Lots of Snack Mix was made

Looking Ahead to Next Week
Due to our crazy schedule next week with advent, polar express day, and a half day on Friday, our usual school routine will be a little different. We will have a math test on Wednesday. We will not have memory or spelling next week. In reading, we will finish up reading The True Gift, and we will hopefully (if time allows) participate in a Reader's Theatre. In social studies we will learn about Christmas Traditions around the world.

Important News and Information
-Advent: For the morning service your child should just wear the school uniform, no 'fancy' clothes please. For the evening service please have your child in the church basement at 6:50.  Please keep your child's coat.  Please don't drop your child off early.  There will be no adult supervision till 6:50.

For the evening service your child may wear a Christmas outfit, other Church clothes, or school uniform.  Please no jeans. After the service your child will be waiting for you in the Welcome Center.

We have been working hard on this service.  We each have our individual part and our songs ready.  We are excited to share the message of Jesus' birth.

-Polar Express Day will take place on Thursday. Polar Express Day is a fun filled day--students may wear their pajamas and bring a stuffed animal to school. We will spend the day doing various polar express themed activities, and will even get to have some North Pole Treats such as donuts and hot chocolate!
-Next Friday is a half day beginning with an Advent Service led by 8th grade, and ending with our class Christmas party. Our class Christmas Party will provide a Little Caesar's Pizza Lunch. School will resume on Monday, Jan. 4th.