General News
“Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Eph. 6:11
At the time of writing, I am in the midst of a Financial Literacy conference. JCCS is hosting the event in collaboration with the Reformed Curriculum Development Committee (RCDC), which serves the western provinces, and the Compass League of Reformed Schools (the League).
Forty educators from across the country have gathered in Smithville for this conference. We look forward to the fruit of this work as we continue teaching a biblical perspective on how we use God’s resource of money.
Sunday is Mother’s Day. We look forward to giving thanks for the wonderful task given to mothers as they seek to serve God in their daily work. We have a lot to be thankful for. Mrs. Boersema will also celebrate her birthday on it.
The School Concert practices are coming along nicely. We look forward to presenting our program on May 21 at 1:00 and May 22 at 7:00. Mark your calendars. If your child wants to participate in the pre-concert program, please fill in this form.
Please remember to fill out this form if you would like to chaperone on the year end trips. K-3 will go to the African Lion’s Safari and 4 – 7 will go to Canada’s Wonderland. The trips happen on June 16th.
A reminder to all of you to get your Hike for Hospice forms and money in, with the correct T-Shirt order by May 13th. We hope to surpass that $20,000 fundraising goal!
I believe that is all for the week!
JVI
Sun- Mrs. Boersema’s Birthday
Mon – Baseball after school
Tues – Ed Comm meeting
Thurs – Baseball after school
Friday – Deadline for Chaperone signups
Classroom News
Kindergarten
The weeks keep flying by in Kindergarten. We had a fun day dressing up as twins on Wednesday, everyone looked great. That afternoon, we played with the scooters and pool noodles in the gym which was a hit! We will be finishing up with our teen numbers next week in Math and will be working on some more sentence writing in LA. Next Wednesday, we are looking forward to our Teddy Bear Picnic. Please send your child dressed in pajamas and with a teddy for a fun filled day. If you have not yet sent in money that was raised for McNally House, please do so next week. During Bible, we will continue to hear about Daniel. Ask your child about the fun science experiment we started, they are excited to make their observations in the coming weeks. The children worked hard on getting their gifts ready for Mother’s Day. We wish you all the best day with your families! Have a wonderful weekend and blessed Sunday. MV/DV
Grade 1
This week in Church History, we learned about Guido de Brès and his important work as a writer during the Reformation in the Netherlands. The students were amazed to discover that they already own a copy of his once-contraband *Confession of Faith* in their very own Book of Praise! Next week, we look forward to finishing our unit by studying Martin Luther.
In Language Arts, we have been focusing on reading and writing two-syllable words. This skill is helping students confidently decode larger words, and they have especially enjoyed challenging themselves with some impressive four- and five-syllable words!
In Social Studies, we have continued our mapping unit by creating bird’s-eye-view maps of our classroom furniture. This has been a fun and practical way to strengthen their understanding of space and perspective.
We ended the week on a joyful note by celebrating Mrs. Boersema’s birthday! Both classes gathered together to enjoy treats and a relaxing afternoon of fellowship.
Grade 2
Grade 2 has had a very exciting week! Our trip to Ripley’s Aquarium on Tuesday was enjoyed by all. It was neat to experience and hear the students talk about these amazing animals and their habitats. Thank you so much to our bus driver and parent volunteers for joining us on this trip. On Wednesday they had fun planning and dressing as twins, triplets, quadruplets, ~ you get it. In Bible, we are continuing to learn about Paul and his missionary journeys. In Math, we are wrapping up our unit on larger number equations, and place values. Have a great weekend and a blessed Sunday!
Grade 3
Thank you for joining us last Friday. It was a beautiful day; the communion of saints was felt and experienced. May the Lord continue to bless our efforts at JCCS for His glory. We continue to practice the songs for our upcoming concert. Ask your child to sing some of them for you. A nice preview before the concert! Math is all about geometry. What are congruent figures? Continue to practice those multiplication tables, grade three! What are syllables? In phonics we are learning all about them. Who is Athanasius? We are hearing stories about this deacon who the LORD used to gather His Church in Nicea around 325.
See your child’s agenda for the spelling words.
Concert Song: O Church Arise
Grade 4
This is our Father’s world and to our listening ears all nature sings and round us rings! We are in the heat of practicing songs for the Ascension Concert but we are also enjoying a deeper exploration of God’s creation in our Science unit about living things and their homes. Speaking about living things and their homes we are also enjoying the wonderful novel study of Charlotte’s Web. This is an amazing story of friendship, loyalty, and life on a farm. In math, we are wrapping up a unit of fractions then we will be switching to measuring temperature and time. In art, we are testing our patience with making a mosaic. We look forward to sharing the final product in the hall in time. Thank you everyone who donated magazines for this project! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
— FR / JB
Grade 5
We had lots of fun with our twins/triplets/quadruplets/etc. on Wednesday! We’re also continuing to fine tune our knowledge of the concert songs, and we are excited for our upcoming concerts! 5A has begun Unit 10 in math, where they are learning how to multiply and divide fractions. 5B is working on adding and subtracting fractions. In music class, both classes are now doing bucket drumming. This will give an introduction to drumming, but also help with reading rhythms, sight reading, coordination, cooperation, and self-discipline! In PE, we’ve finished our unit on basketball and will be moving outside to practice some of the events for Play Day. We will be doing baseball later as well, so if your child is able to have a glove for that, that would be great.
Devotions for next week are as follows: 5A – Hailey (M), Reid (Tu), Avery (W), Lily (Th), Leah (F), and 5B – Elias (M), Phoenix (Tu), Hailey (W), Macy (Th), Kenzie (F).
Have a wonderful weekend! CDV/KV
Grade 6A
We have finished the unit on integers and are moving on to perimeter and area. In our novel study, Lost in the Barrens we are learning a lot about the different cultures and belief systems of the Indigenous tribes of northern Canada. This ties in nicely with our social studies unit on First Nations and Indigenous peoples. Have a blessed weekend! CVA MJ
Grade 6B
Bible/Church History: Our study of Isaac’s family is nearing completion, and we will soon turn to the life of Joseph.
Math: Students are positive that they love integers! Not a single negative thought has come into their minds when working through these numbers.
L.A.: Lost in the Barrens has officially caught our attention, and students are working hard to complete their “roles” to facilitate meaningful discussions with their peers.
Science/Social Studies: As we wrap up our short unit on space, we look forward to changing gears to a study of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Students, try to get outside to study the night sky this week!
Art: Students will be playing around with perspective as we create masks in the art style of Kimmy Cantrell!
Phys. Ed.: We’re going to the bullpen with baseball over the next few weeks. It’s sure to be a home run!
Enjoy your weekend!
BK
Grade 7A
In our study of natural resources, their use and sustainability, we will next week focus on flow resources. In our study of personal finance, we learned how debt is a monster that will destroy our financial plan. Next week we’ll move on to education, careers and entrepreneurship. We’re recording our times and distances as we practice our track and field events in preparation for the tournament in early June. After we discussed the author and the genre of fantasy, we began our novel study, “There and Back Again”. Enjoy your weekend.
Grade 7B
Thanks to all who visited us during the Open House! In our Personal Finance Unit, we have covered the topics of debt and credit. Next week, we will learn about education, careers, and entrepreneurship. This week is the last week for writing a biography, and next week we will start “The Hobbit”. Students have run the 100, 400, and 800m races in preparation for the upcoming track and field meet! More practice will happen in the upcoming week. Have a great week! RK
Grade 8
Another week comes and goes in Grade 8. Next week we look forward to a regular week with little extracurricular activities going on. Ottawa trip preparations continue as we inch closer and closer to the big week. A reminder that we are looking for a host family to host our graduation party. If you are willing/able, please contact myself or Rachel. Enjoy your weekend!