News and Classwork

Information
- Final first quarter grades were uploaded yesterday along with second quarter grades. (Some students' late work may have raised their grade which wasn't reflected on the written report card.)

- Attention Moms: Join us any time from 7:00-7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6 for Muffins for Moms in the church basement. You are also invited to stay for chapel at 8:10.


  Repeats
- Red Ribbon Week is October 28-November 1.
Monday: "Your Future is 2 Bright 4 Drugs" (Wear sunglasses.)
Tuesday: "I Mustache You a Question... Are You Drug Free?" (Wear a mustache- available for $.50 on Monday.)
Wednesday: "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Drugs Aren't 4 You" (Wear a green shirt.)
Thursday: "Tip Your Hat to a Drug-free Life (Wear a hat.)
Friday: "The Hero in me is Drug-free" (Dress like a super hero.)

- October Reading Calendars: Students are expected to read an average of 10 minutes per night for a total of 310 minutes this month. At the end of the month, the calendar should be returned for a required reading grade.

Class Work
Memory
Tuesday: See what kind of love the Father has give to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. I John 3:1

Friday: For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26

Religion
We will continue learning about Martin Luther as we remember that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are free gifts God gives through Christ.

Spelling
Spelling Patterns: 
"unk" (like sunk), 
"ill" (like fill), 
"est" (like nest)

Challenge: female, painter, crater, antelope, telephone 

Grammar
We will focus on singular nouns, which identify one person, place, or thing and plural nouns, which identify more than one person, place, or thing (and end in -s, -es, or -ies).

Math
We will focus on hundreds place value, expanded form, line segments, "Multiplying by 0 and 1" facts, and adding 2-digit numbers mentally. 

Science
We will take the Chapter 3 test on Tuesday, October 29. Then, we will begin Chapter 4- Ecosystems in Balance.

Social Studies
We will begin Chapter 4- Immigration- by playing an immigration simulation game to learn what it's like for people to leave their home countries.


Zion Lutheran School's Vision: Ministering to families in Jesus' love while embracing and enhancing each child's gifts.

Harvest Party

Thank you to Mrs. Brickner and Mrs. Roos for organizing snacks, crafts, and games for the Harvest Party! Thank you to the parents (and grandparent) who helped run everything today!

Math Fact Practice

We have reviewed nearly all of the addition fact families. Since these facts were introduced in first grade and reviewed in second grade, I expect students to have them memorized for quick recall. We will begin adding two-digit numbers soon, and students will be most successful if they have all the basic facts memorized. Below are some FUN ways your child can practice their addition facts.

War
Split a deck of cards between two players. Simultaneously, players flip their top two cards and add them aloud. Whoever has the higher sum gets to keep all four cards. The person with all the cards (or the most after a certain period of time) wins.
- Face cards are worth 10 (or you could remove them from the deck). 
- If both players flip the same sum, then you have a war. Each player flips two more cards and adds them aloud. The player with the higher sum gets to keep all 8 cards.

       

 I win after laying two kings (10+10=20)!

Board Games
Any game that uses dice or requires players to move a number of spaces can be made into a math review. Players could roll the dice (or spin a spinner) and be required to add a sum before they can moved their game piece. 

For example, if a student struggles with "Adding 9" facts, when he rolls a 7, he would have to say, "Seven plus nine equals sixteen," before he could move 7 spaces.

Math Apps
There are tons of free apps that focus on math facts. If your family has an ipod or ipad, you could require 5 minutes of math fact practice before your child can play with a different app.

Zion's ipods have a $0.99 app called "Math Fact Master," which allows you to choose which numbers you want to add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

5 Tips for Great Readers

Choose Appropriate Books

At Zion, we teach the "five finger rule." When searching for a book, students should open to any page and start to read. As they come across words they don't know, they hold up a finger. By the end of the page, if students have five or more fingers up (5+ words they don't know), they should realize the book is too difficult. If they have no fingers up, that book might be too easy.

Accelerated Reader 

Did you know that most Berenstain Bears books are written at a 3rd grade reading level? It's often hard for us, as adults, to judge the difficulty of a children's book. Accelerated Reader is a program that organizes books by readability. You could refer to this website as starting point to help your child choose appropriate books. (A book level (BL) of 3.7 indicates the average 3rd grader in the 7th month of school should be able to read it.)

Listen to a Parent  

Children can listen at a higher level than they can read to themselves, which means they are never too old to be read to! I notice many children wanting to read difficult books that have been made into movies or are popular among their older siblings. Choose a book that is 2-3 grade levels above your child's reading level.

Books on Tape

Most libraries let you borrow books on tape, and I would also recommend checking out the actual book, itself. Then, your child can follow along as they listen to the story. Books on tape provide great exposure to vocal expression and fluid, well-paced reading.

Closed Captioning

Why not make the most of screen time? If you turn on the closed captioning during TV shows and movies, your child can't help but read the words as they appear on the screen. (According to The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, The Cosby Show script was written at a 3rd-4th grade reading level.)

News and Classwork

Information
- Picture re-takes are scheduled for Thursday, October 17. Please return the original order if your child is having a new picture taken.

- Red Ribbon Week is October 28-November 1.
Monday (10/28): "Your Future is 2 Bright 4 Drugs" (Wear sunglasses.)
Tuesday (10/29): "I Mustache You a Question... Are You Drug Free?" (Wear a mustache- available for $.50 on Monday.)
Wednesday (10/30): "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Drugs Aren't 4 You" (Wear a green shirt.)
Thursday (10/31): "Tip Your Hat to a Drug-free Life (Wear a hat.)
Friday (11/01): "The Hero in me is Drug-free" (Dress like a super hero.)

  Repeats
- Today marks the end of the first quarter. Report cards will be distributed at Parent-Teacher Conferences.

-October Reading Calendars: Students are expected to read an average of 10 minutes per night for a total of 310 minutes this month. At the end of the month, the calendar should be returned for a required reading grade.

- Please consider attending or volunteering at Zion's "5K/1K Bobcat Shuffle," on Saturday, October 19.

Class Work
Memory
Tuesday: For by grace you have been saved through faith... It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Friday: none

Tuesday (10/22): Love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful. Psalm 31:23

Religion
We will continue learning about Martin Luther as we remember that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are free gifts God gives through Christ.

Spelling
Spelling Patterns: 
"_aw" (like jaw), 
"_ust" (like dust), 
"_ick" (like pick)

Challenge: survive, realize, lemonade, braided, railroad.

Grammar
We will focus on nouns, words that identify any person, place, or thing and proper nouns, words that name a special person, place, or thing and begin with a capital letter.

Math
We will focus on counting quarters, finding half of a set, telling time, "Adding 7 and 8" facts, and adding three or more single-digit numbers. Our next test will be on Tuesday, October 22. 

Science
We will be looking at food chains and food webs as we continue Chapter 3- Relationships Among Living Things.

Social Studies
We will make travel brochures for St. Louis, highlighting the physical geography, natural resources, and climate. We will review and take the Chapter 3 test on Tuesday, October 22.



Zion Lutheran School's Vision: Ministering to families in Jesus' love while embracing and enhancing each child's gifts.

News and Classwork

Information
- Included in Friday folders today is a note with parent-teacher conference information. Please confirm your scheduled time by returning the bottom portion of the note.

- Friday, October 11 is the end of the first quarter. Students should turn in any missing work or test corrections by then.

  Repeats
-October Reading Calendars: Students are expected to read an average of 10 minutes per night for a total of 310 minutes this month. At the end of the month, the calendar should be returned for a required reading grade.

- Please fill out the online Parent Survey by October 11 to help with Zion's accreditation process.

- Mark your calendars! Trunk or Treat is scheduled for Friday, October 11.

- Please consider attending or volunteering at Zion's "5K/1K Bobcat Shuffle," on Saturday, October 19.

Class Work
Memory
Tuesday: The Lord has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Friday: He saved us, not because of works done by us... but according to His own mercy. Titus 3:5

Religion
We will begin learning about Martin Luther as we remember that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are free gifts God gives through Christ.

Spelling
Spelling Patterns: 
"_end" (like trend), 
"_ay" (like bay), 
"_oa_" (like toad)

Challenge: agree, reason, decide, entirely, revise.

Grammar
We will practice combining two complete sentences into a compound sentence.

Math
We will focus on estimating, measuring in centimeters, adding multiples of ten, "Adding 5 and 6" facts, and ordering 3-digit numbers. Our next test will be on Friday, October 11.

Science
We will begin Chapter 3- Relationships Among Living Things.

Social Studies
We will make travel brochures for different communities that we have studied, highlighting their physical geography, natural resources, and climate. 


Zion Lutheran School's Vision: Ministering to families in Jesus' love while embracing and enhancing each child's gifts.

Busch Wildlife Field Trip

What a beautiful day for a field trip! We started with a nature hike with one of Busch Wildlife's naturalists as we learned to study a plot of land. 

After our hike, we participated in the "Who's for Lunch" program. We learned about different owls in Missouri and dissected a sterilized owl pellet. We had a chart to lay out the bones and check if the owl had a balanced meal. ("You're welcome" for the rodent bones that came home after the field trip!)

All in all, a memorable experience! Thank you to the parents who drove!