Holy Land Experience

We had a great time at the Holy Land Experience and here are a few pictures to demonstrate the beautiful moments. 




 Please remember that two weeks of Reading Plus are due during the Christmas break.  Thank you to the students who have been working on their assignments.  

I hope that you have had a wonderful vacation and I look forward to seeing you next year!!!

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”
― William Arthur Ward

Celebrating Christ's Birth

Thank you Kristen for a beautiful picture of the angels singing praises to our heavenly Lord!

Well, we took our end-of-semester quizzes.  The students did a great job!  

Tomorrow is the HolyLand Experience.  Make sure to bring enough food for the day or money to buy food.  Our class will not be coming back till around 7:00pm.

Your student is being sent home with a note to bring a food item for our pancake breakfast on Friday.  We would love it if you could join us!

Our quote for today is from Charles Schulz, "“Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.”

End of Second Quarter

Congratulations to the students for a tremendous job this past Saturday!!! The Christmas program was beautiful and a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas season.

We have one more day of exams and projects to end the second quarter.  This week AND during the break they will still have ReadingPlus assignments.  

Tomorrow they will have a science test, capitalization test, reading test and they will be finishing up their writing projects.  WHEW!  They are working hard and doing a great job!  

Parents don't forget to bring a wrapped ornament appropriate for a boy or girl by tomorrow.  HolyLand is on Thursday and our awards program and pancake breakfast on Friday.

Our quote for today is from Janice Maeditere, "Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts."

Getting Ready for Christmas

Thank you Josue for the awesome job on this coloring page for Christmas.  What a priceless gift our Creator gave us when He came to this earth as a baby.  Mind boggling!!!

Fifth graders will be re-taking their math tests tomorrow.  We will also have spelling tests and memory verse tests.  

Today we did a diagram of a flowering plant.  Next week, the students will have a quiz on this information. 

Please remember to have your student bring back their permission slips for the Holy Land Experience.  Mrs. Best also needs to know by tomorrow if any parents, siblings or family member will also be attending.

Remember to have a wrapped ornament brought in by next Wednesday.

Our quote for today is from George F. McDougall, "Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God."

Practice Makes Perfect

 The students practiced very hard today for the Christmas Program.  Mrs. Kreiter has prepared a wonderful, uplifting cantata.  

Tomorrow the 4th graders are going to retake their math test and the 5th graders will have theirs.  Math facts tests, which are a large portion of their grade, is on Monday.

Today we started on a writing project that the students are very excited about!  We are also learning about point of view and the rules of capitalization. In science we are learning about germination.

Our quote for today is from John F. Kennedy, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

Giving is Better Than Receiving

Today Mrs. Velbis' classroom visited the John Knox Nursing Home to sing Christmas songs.  The residents really enjoyed the performance and were even heard singing and clapping along.  Afterwards the students mingled with the residents to give some personal greetings.  Both the students and residents received a blessing - reminding us all that Christmas is about sharing God's love.  

Today we also watched a presentation of the book "Christmas From Heaven" recited by Tom Brokaw about the life of Gail Halverson.  Here is the interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmJ0cmxoOcE

Our Bible verse this week is found in Philippians 4:11b-13, "I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Please remember to sign and bring back Holy Land Experience permission slips.  Remember that the students are free.  If parents, family members or siblings will be attending please let Mrs. Best know.

I sent home a note today with the students about an ornament exchange that we will be having.  Please have your child bring in a wrapped ornament that would be appropriate for a boy or girl.  Please do not spend more than $3 and bring it in by December 18th.

Next week will end the 2nd quarter.  We will be having quizzes and assignments due that will go on this grading card.  Please make sure that your student is completing assignments and studying for tests.

On Thursday the 5th graders will be having a math test.  All grades will have a math facts quiz on Monday.

Our quote for today is from Nelson Mandela, "A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of."

Chapel

Even though we had some technical difficulties I thought our class did a great job with chapel today.  Samantha and Isabelle did special music pieces, Collin read a scripture, the whole class led song service and did a Christmas reader's theater and Patrick ended with prayer.

Please make a note that the field trip next week to the nursing home is on December 10, from 10:30 to 11:30am.  There were some typos on the release form.  We will actually be leaving around 10:15am.

Next week the students will also be practicing a lot for the music program for Saturday the 14th.  Please make sure to look at the DAS newsletter for apparel details.


 





Our quote for today is from Nelson Mandela, "“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Science Night and Quizzes

Congratulations to all of the students who worked diligently on their science projects.  It was really fun to see all of them on display at the DAS Science Night.  Great job everyone!!!

We have such a short time between now and Christmas break.  Please be aware that we will be having many quizzes.  Today the students had a science quiz and tomorrow they will have a Bible, spelling and comma quiz.  Also all internet assignments will be due tomorrow morning along with spelling definitions and Bible verses.

Today your child will be giving you a release form for a short field trip to the John Knox Village nursing home on December 15th.  We will be singing Christmas songs to help spread God's love during this season that can actually be so difficult for some.  We will be leaving the school at 10:15am. Drivers would be appreciated.  Please also note that the DAS Christmas program is on December 14th and that all of DAS is going to HolyLand on December 19th.

Our quote for today is from Maya Angelou, “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

Attitude of Gratitude

Well, our first day back from break went well.  We want to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving alive by having "Attitudes of Gratitude!"  Our Bible verse this week is:"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Don't forget tonight is the DAS Science Night.  Your child's work will be displayed.  It will start at 6:30pm and light refreshments will be served.  Come support our budding scientists!

On Thursday the 3rd Graders will have a math test and on Thursday all students will have a science test.  Please continue to monitor that your child is completing their weekly assignments.  Mid-term grades will be emailed out today.

This Friday the Velbis classroom will be in charge of chapel.  Our students will be responsible for prayer, scripture reading, song service, special music and a reader's theater.  Your presence there would be greatly appreciated!

Our quote for today is from Joel Osteen, "Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life."

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.
Joel Osteen
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/grateful.html#7HzlhDcGX4Ctu4Et.99