Final/End of Year News June 1, 2010

Dear Parents, June 1, 2010

It is so hard to believe that this school year is gone. How bittersweet this is to me. Your children have grown so amazingly this year in so many ways. Their academic progress has exceeded what I thought was possible or hoped for, they have learned to work together and encourage one another as a class rather than 20 individuals and have shown a genuine desire to grow and learn during our Bible times. I am so thankful to the Lord AND to you as parents for entrusting them into my care this past year. It has indeed been a privilege and joy to call them to excellence in all they do and to open up Scripture and Jesus Christ with them, emphasizing the importance of knowing Him as the Light of the world and then encouraging them to one day become children of the Light, as He alone is worthy of our affections and attention. I know that He will continue to work in each of their hearts as they go on to second grade. Below you will find some last minute reminders for this week, and also some suggestions for “keeping in shape” over the summer.

Wednesday:

International Day

Your child may wear jeans and a T-shirt representing their country (or any other international T-shirt). If you have signed up for food, please drop it by our room sometime during the morning. OR, you are welcome to come at 11:20 and help set up and serve the students. The children will be presenting their country reports to each other in the afternoon.

Thursday: Our Manhattan Beach day. We want leave quite quickly, so please be sure your child is on time to school. Also, please encourage your child to keep their T-shirt on all day to protect their skin from the sun. We will be applying sunscreen to them frequently, so please be sure to send some along. Also, they should have a clean T-shirt to wear home in the car. All lunches/snacks should be bagged and marked with their name. See attached sheet for further suggestions.

Friday: Chapel in the morning. School will be dismissed at noon.




SUMMER SUGGESTIONS:

ü Encourage your child to do LOTS of reading, especially oral reading. Strengthening their reading skills will benefit them in every area of academics, as well as equipping them to better read their Bible.
ü Math fact review as well as reviewing other math concepts we worked on would be helpful. If you saved any of the papers throughout the year, work on any of those types of concepts.
ü It is fun for the children to journal throughout the summer (a spiral notebook is perfect). You can assign them a topic, or let them choose their own. Help them remember that their sentences must have at least 5 words. The sentences will also need to have a capital letter at the beginning and the appropriate punctuation at the end. Finally, remember that it is their ability to express thoughts in writing that is more important than actually spelling words correctly.
ü Please remember that I am available by e-mail all summer for any questions or special prayer needs.
shirleymollica@verizon.net Or smollica@gracechurch.org

I will miss each of the children this summer but will be praying for a time of renewal, refreshment, rest and safety for each of your families. After finishing up a busy school year I think we all need that! Finally, it is my prayer that a deep love for Christ has been instilled in the heart of your child and that they would continue to desire to learn more of Him and His written Word and one day embrace Him as their personal Lord and Savior. PLEASE feel free to contact me this summer with any questions or concerns.

With His Love for each of you,
Shirley Mollica
”For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” II Corinthian s 4:6

Other Parent Information for week of May 24

Below please find the schedule for next week:
MONDAY: No school due to the Memorial Day holiday.

TUESDAY: The children may bring something to share and/or their favorite story book from home. We will spend part of the day sharing and reading favorite stories.

WEDNESDAY: International Day!
Your child may wear jeans/country T-shirt or a country dress. If you signed up for food, please drop it off in the morning, or bring it at 11:15 and join us. If you do plan to stay, please let me know. We will be sharing our reports after lunch.

THURSDAY: Manhattan Beach all day. Please return permission slip and money if you have not already done so. Also, if you are planning to come and haven’t already let me know, please do so.

FRIDAY: Last day of school. Noon dismissal.


· INTERNATIONAL DAY: Please be sure your child’s sloppy copy country report has been returned. We will do the final copies together on Thursday as well as an art project to go with it.


Next week I will send home a letter with suggestions for the summer to help keep your child “in shape”. I will also be available ALL summer for anything you need.


Please let me know if you have any questions concerning the above schedule for next week. We are excited about our activities for the last week of school. AND, as ever, it is my joy to pray for you. Please let me know if you have any special needs.
By His grace and for His glory,
Mrs. Shirley Mollica

Homework for Week of May 24

· READING: Homework will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week. This is our last week of reading. Please be sure their book is returned Friday morning, as well as any other readers I might have loaned you this year.
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· MATH: We will complete our final chapter this week. On Friday we will take Chapter 12 test and also an end of the year test. Homework will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday..

· SPELLING: We are on list 30this week. This is our last week of spelling. The practice test will come home on Thursday, to be returned on Friday..

May 25 news not in parent letter

Dear Parents,
Our class will be reciting the May GCS Scripture passage in chapel this Friday, May 28. Chapel begins at 8:30 and will be held in the Worship Center this week. I hope you can join us and support us as we give God His Word back together for the last time as first graders!

Bible for week of May 24

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
John 15:8


This week will walk quickly with the Apostle Paul through his life. We will complete our FINAL GCS Scripture passage by memorizing Matthew 5:16. Your child should be ready to say it for me by this Friday.



Matthew 5:16
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Other Parent Information for week of May 17

Our trip to the zoo was wonderful. Thank you SO much to all of you parents who sacrificed your time to drive and make our day so special.


Please see enclosed fliers concerning our final trip of the year to the beach.


Dress for International Day: jeans and a T-shirt from another country. You DO NOT need to buy a new shirt—a uniform polo is just fine. Also, if your child has a dress from another country that is OK as long as it is comfortable to be at school in for the whole day (recesses, etc.) Please let me know if you have any questions.


International Day: June 2
You may sign up for any ethnic food, even if it is not the same as the report country. Just let me know! Thanks!


· INTERNATIONAL DAY: Country “sloppy copies” are due no later than May 24. We will rewrite them together in class.
· BEAR BAG: Jacob Burroughs will take our Bear Bag home this week. This will be Baxter’s last visit home for the school year. We have had fun sharing the Bear Bag.



This week and next week are our last 2 weeks of academics. Our schedule for the last week of school will be different. I will send that schedule home next Monday. I will also help with ideas for helping your children over the summer. This year has gone SO fast! I am not ready to let go of your children. I have so enjoyed them. Let me know how I can be praying for you this week.
By His grace and for His glory,
Mrs. Shirley Mollica

Bible for week of May 17

“that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Philippians 2:15



This week will complete our study of Acts, including the growth of the early church and the persecution of the apostles and other early Christians. Our memory verse for the week is Matthew 5:14, 15. Your child should be ready to say it for me by this Friday.


Matthew 5:14, 15
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”