Noticias 2D
Queridos Padres,

I trust that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! It is hard to believe that we are already counting down the days until Christmas. The next few weeks will fly by and be filled with excitement in our classroom. I pray that we’ll stay focused on Christ as the center of all of this holiday fun!

Huge thanks to Erin Bremmer, our amazing room-mom for preparing a great back to school with Pizza Party to celebrate that they won a letter, these guys are working amazing!

Finally, I am attaching the letter from our director of immersion with very important news about a new addalingua project-based assessment; please read carefully and please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for your continued prayers for unity throughout this year! 

Blessings,


Hilda Durán

This Week:
Bible Memory Verse: Luke 2 Due Date: December 18
Bible: This week we are beginning our Christmas unit. We will begin by learning about Zechariah, Elizabeth and John the Baptist. Then we will learn about Gabriel’s visit to Mary. Thank you for working on the long Luke 2 Bible memory verse at home!
Reading: This week we’ll learn about how to use resources such as dictionaries, other texts and friends to find out the meaning of new words as we read. In our shared literature selection we’ll work on making inferences about the text.
Writing: We will continue with our realistic fiction unit and will work on creating plots that are engaging yet realistic. This is always challenging. 
Math: This week we will identify 2D and 3D shapes
Science: This week students will start 2 Science Unit titled, What Does It

Matter? Answering questions by themselves and as a group discussing the best answer.

“Housekeeping” Items:
Christmas giving opportunity: Thanks for helping out with Beacon Ministries. I will send the hard copy letter tomorrow Monday. Also here is the link, https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1d4YRQ3HpiHbOvUrMVElyDGay-6vrDDz_
Please bring items in by Monday, Dec. 20 as I will be dropping them off then.
Secret Santa Cards: This Friday your child will bring home a half sheet of paper explaining a secret santa Christmas card exchange we will do at our Christmas party on Dec. 20. Your child will have almost 2 weeks to work on this, but please read it through as it should be completed at home. Thanks!
December 4-6 Hearing/Vision Screening - Hearing: K, 2nd, 4th                            December 10 Elementary Christmas Musical- 7:00 p.m. – Community RC 
December 13 No PM Busing
December 16, 18 Jingle Jogs
December 17 Middle School Christmas Concert 7:00 p.m. – ZCS Gym 
December 19 All School Chapel - 9:00 a.m.
Dec. 23 – Jan. 3 Christmas Vacation

Dear Spanish Immersion families~

I am excited to share with you some information about a new addalingua project-based assessment. The Cultural competency, Academic alignment & Spanish language Assessment (CASA) is designed to measure students’ progress toward the three goals of immersion education. We are excited at ZCS to be able to pilot this new project-based assessment program-wide.

While the format of the CASA is similar to the aalpa, these new assessments bring more attention to cultural competency goals and student reflection.

What’s similar to the aalpa:

• three tasks (interpretive, interpersonal, presentational)
• timeline for completion
• feedback loops to give students opportunities to set goals for themselves
• helps teachers see how students authentically use Spanish language skills

What’s different from the aalpa:

• deeper focus on cultural competency
• greater emphasis on student reflection
• topics tied to identity development and global empathy
• new, interactive online learning platform

Our Spanish immersion teachers have spent the past few weeks being trained in how to administer the assessment and are excited to be able to work through this project with their students in the time between December 2 and Christmas Break. addalingua will, in some cases, be observing and collecting feedback to inform future development. It is an honor for us to be able to speak into the development of these assessments, and it will result in a final product that is tailored to the needs of addalingua schools such as ZCS.

Because this assessment spans several days, and each day builds on the previous days, it is important that students be present as much as possible during the assessment periods. We know that sickness is unavoidable at times, but we do ask that if your child must leave for an appointment that you avoid the following times listed here by your child’s teacher.

•    Monday, December 3-16-2019

We value your partnership in the education of our students and are excited to be piloting yet another element that will improve the quality of immersion education here at ZCS!

Thank you,

Jodi Pierce and the immersion team

       Noticias 2D

Queridos Padres,

This newsletter will cover information for this full week and our short two day week before Thanksgiving break.

I love Thanksgiving because of how intentional everyone is about giving thanks. According to the psalms, coming to God with thanksgiving for everything should be more of a lifestyle than a holiday. My prayer is that we will be able to carry our thanksgivings far beyond this special day and that we’ll diligently practice giving thanks in all things. I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead and a great time with family and friends over the long weekend.  ¡Feliz Dia de Acción de Gracias!

THANKS !! A big shout out to all who have collaborated in the purchase of the shirts we have sold 32! Please help us meet our goal class of 40. Extra donations will be accepted as well. Feel free to spread the news on Social Media as well as by word or email to family & friends! If every 2nd-grade class sells 40 we will cover Ralph’s Christian School tuition for one whole year!

Here is the link!! Feel free to pass link along!
https://goodink.com/zcs-kid-created-19-4

Thanks for your continued prayers for unity throughout this year! 

Blessings,

Hilda Durán

This Week:
Bible Memory Verse: Mateo 5:43-44 Due Date: November 22
Bible: We will learn more about The Sermon which offers Jesus’ sayings as verbal icons through which we may see into God’s will and be empowered for the moral life.
Literature Selection : ¿Pavo para la Cena de Gracias? ¡No gracias!
Phonics: grammatical morphemes: los morfemas flexivos (según persona: infinitivos) Poem: Invitación
Reading: This week our reading focus will be fluency. We’ll talk about reading good-fit books, practicing high-frequency words and changing our reading speed depending on the text.
Writing: We will continue with our realistic fiction unit and will work on creating plots that are engaging yet realistic. This is always challenging!.

Math: They have gone to the market to buy fruits and vegetables and they have added and paid with the change that you have sent them! It has been a fun adventure. This week we will continue shopping and take the test.☺
Science: We had a lot of fun looking for the best solutions to avoid flooding on our local beaches. The students created models and talked with their group to find better ways to withstand the tests of rain and strong winds. Finally, they will create a poster to better explain their solutions. I can see future engineers in action in this group of students, very proud of all of them, tireless workers. After that, we will start a new Unit called What Does it Matter?

“Housekeeping” Items:
November 26:Thanksgiving food drive: In this time of giving, ZCS is going to bless His Harvest Stand, a local food pantry, with cereal and peanut butter. Encourage your child to choose a favorite box of cereal or jar of peanut butter at the store, and bring it to school by Tuesday, Nov. 26. A table will be set up in the front hallway for dropoff or have your child bring it to their classroom. Please help us fill the shelves of His Harvest Stand!
November 26: All School Chapel - 9:00 a.m 
November 27-29: Thanksgiving Vacation

      Noticias 2D
Queridos Padres, 

What a fun week we had last week with a publishing party, a field trip, and Día de los Deportes! For this reason, I want to thank everyone for making learning so much fun, but especially Lindsey Iverson for sending delicious sweets to our party. Also thanks to our chaperones Joe Helms, Andy Spears, Mike Zwagerman, Beth Vanderhyde, and Julie Phillips.

Our fundraiser for Ralph is up and running!! We will be selling t-shirts until November 22. They will be delivered to ZCS by Christmas so they will make great gifts! Adult shirts are $16 & kid shirts are $15. Extra donations will be accepted as well. Feel free to spread the news on Social Media as well as by word or email to family & friends! If every 2nd-grade class sells 40 we will cover Ralph’s Christian School tuition for one whole year!
Here is the link!! Feel free to pass link along!

https://goodink.com/zcs-kid-created-19-4

Thanks for your continued prayers for unity throughout this year!

Blessings, 

Hilda Durán

This Week:
Bible Memory Verse: Most of them did awesomely! Thanks for your help at home. Our next Verse is Mateo 5:43-44 Due Date: November 22
Bible: We will learn more about The Sermon which offers Jesus’ sayings as verbal icons through which we may see into God’s will and be empowered for the moral life.
Literature Selection: Alexander y el día terrible, horrible, espantoso, horroroso. (Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day)
Phonics: Grammatical morphemes: los pronombres enclíticos (con dos pronombres: dámelo
Poem: Teresa
Reading: This week we’ll learn about story sequencing and story mapping with our shared reading text. We will also revisit previous strategies such as making connections, predictions, and mental images.

Writing: Realistic Fiction Unit. We have started this new unit by making a list of real problems in the life of an 8-year-old kid.
Math: We are applying concepts and strategies to real-world situations, and solving 2 digit addition problems. Later this week we will add 3 digits using different strategies.
Science: During this week students will discuss how we could engineer ways to slow/prevent the changes we have been noticing on the Earth’s surface.

“Housekeeping” Items:
Math-coins: Could you please send some coins to make learning more real for children now that we start shopping at the salon market? 4 of 25cts, 10 of 10cts. 20 of 5cts. 20 of 1ct.
Report-card: Your child’s report card will be coming to you in printed version soon! You will notice a new format as we have been in the process of a “Report Card Overhaul!” If you have any questions please let me know! In the future, parents will view this new report card only online.

November 14: ZCS Legacy Event at Holland Civic Center @ 6:00pm
November 26:: Thanksgiving food drive: In this time of giving, ZCS is going to bless His Harvest Stand, a local food pantry, with cereal and peanut butter. Encourage your child to choose a favorite box of cereal or jar of peanut butter at the store, and bring it to school by Tuesday, Nov. 26. A table will be set up in the front hallway for dropoff or have your child bring it to their classroom. Please help us fill the shelves of His Harvest Stand! 

November 26: All School Chapel - 9:00 a.m

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Vacation

      Noticias 2D
Queridos Padres,

Grandparents’ Day was a major success! It was so fun meeting all the amazing grandparents and grand friends that I’ve heard and read stories about. What a beautiful thing to see faith shared from one generation to the next. Pictures are posted on Facebook.

Thanks for your continued prayers for unity throughout this year! 

Blessings,
Hilda Durán 

This Week:
Bible Memory Verse: The Lord’s Prayer Due Date: November 13
Bible: We spent more time on Jesus’ teachings than expected, so now we’ll start The Sermon on the Mount. It seems filled with stringent laws. The Sermon offers Jesus’ sayings as verbal icons through which we may see into God’s will and be empowered for the moral life.
Literature Selection: Alexander y el día terrible, horrible, espantoso, horroroso. (Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day)
Phonics: Grammatical morphemes: los pronombres enclíticos (con un pronombre: te, se, me, le, les, lo, los, la, las, nos) Ex. Voy a comprar una manzana. = Voy a comprarla.
Poem: Los amigos
Reading: This week we’ll learn about story sequencing and story mapping with our shared reading text. We will also revisit previous strategies such as making connections, predictions, and mental images.
Writing: After our Publishing Party on Wednesday, we will move to Realistic Fiction Unit. Good writers get ready to write by thinking about problems from their own lives and listing them.
Math: We are applying concepts and strategies to real-world situations, and solving 2 digit addition problems.

Science: During this week students will discuss how we could engineer ways to slow/prevent the changes we have been noticing on the Earth’s surface?

“Housekeeping” Items:

T-shirt Project for Ralph: After working hard as a class we have our

design. Yay!!

Stay tuned for order details! These would make perfect Christmas gifts!

November 4: Sporty Day! They won a letter! Time to celebrate their hard work.

November 6: Publishing Party #2

November 6: Water Plant Field Trip.

November 7: No PM Busing.

November 7: School Picture Retakes

November 8: No AM or PM Busing

November 14: ZCS Legacy Event at Holland Civic Center 6:oopm

November 26: All School Chapel - 9:00 a.m

November 27-29: Thanksgiving Vacation

Immersion 101 Parent Meeting

Join us to learn more about the ZCS approach to immersion education! We will meet in the media center on Tuesday, November 5 at 7:00pm. The focus of the meeting will appeal most to lower elementary parents but all are welcome. We encourage each Kindergarten family to have at least one adult attend this meeting.