Sunday, March 6, 2011

Week of March 6, 2011

Dear Families,

Be sure to mark MARCH 24 on your calendars. That's the date for our Stage III Family Night event. The evening will begin at 6:30 in the gym of the CCB with a Stage III dance performance and a Stage III jumprope performance, too. Everyone will then move to the Steward Building for a tour around our rooms. The evening will end at 8:00.

Along with beginning sign up 5, we will focus this week on deciding , planning , and researching areas of ancient Mesopotamian interest by each child. This will then be incorporated into our family night evening. It looks as if the kids have decided to bring you to ancient Babylon. We will also be continuing our root word study and begin adding prefixes and suffixes. Be sure to ask each night what the spelling rule for the day was some will be new to many of us.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Staff Appreciation lunch and to everyone who volunteered. What a great place to be.

Please watch for a permission slip to come home tomorrow for our field trip to the DIA on March 16. It will be posted on the blogspot if you would rather just print and sign now.


 

Thanks and have a great week

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Week of Feb. 27


 

Thanks to everyone who sent food to the Blankenburgs this week. T

We are beginning to see signs of spring and the temperatures are definitely feeling a little bit more tolerable. With this change always comes a big night for Stage III in Back to School night. The next three weeks will be spent concentrating on Social Studies in preparation. We are in the middle of a civilization study during which the kids are working in their afternoon groups to create a model of an ancient civilization, concentrating on the needs of a civilization, including the arts and culture. We will finish the unit by concentrating on the daily life of men, women, and children. We hope to create an environment in the room which will allow the kids to learn experientially.

Word study or spelling will take on a new form for the next three weeks. The students will be creating journals with Spelling rules such as a "K" is usually followed by an I or an E plus many many more. Along with this they will study root words and the ways in which prefixes and suffixes can change the meaning. Stop by the room later in the week to check out their work.

The weather is wacky right now so prepare for everything, rain, snow, sun, cold or warm. Please be especially certain that extra clothes are in lockers, including SOCKS. Many kids used theirs last week and they most likely need to be replaced,

This week we will have Class Music on Thursday E day.

Please remember that there is an open house on Tuesday morning. Now is the time to send in all your friends and acquaintances that interested in Roeper. Thanks and have a great week.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Week of February 13, 2011

Tomorrow is Valentine 's Day. Be sure to remember and send in those valentines if you have not already done so. We will be celebrating with a small party around 10:45. We will pass out the valentines and enjoy opening and reading them before lunch. If your child decided not to make a mail box, as many did not come in on Friday, then please send in a paper bag for them to collect they cards in.

We will begin to talk about what makes a civilization. This will be the majority of our social studies this week. Many students are close to finishing their story books and we are hoping to wrap that up this week as well. We will have math and spelling as usual. Please watch for spelling words to come home on Monday.


 

Thanks


 

Monday – Valentine's Day

Tuesday - Vision Screening for Second Years/Dee's last day before extended leave

Wednesday Morning Music/Justin's half birthday

Friday - Library

Next Week Winter Break No School

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Week of February 6, 2011

Our study of Ancient Mesopotamia is well under way and we will continue this week to explore the city states that ruled during that time. The students have been researching different cities in their homeroom groups and creating PowerPoint slides to present to the class this Wednesday. Ask your children what they have learned so far. The information has been fascinating. Questions to ask: Where did they sleep? Why were the rivers important? What are the rivers? What does Fertile Crescent mean? What city are you learning about?

We will be focusing on finishing creative writing stories this week. If all goes well the students will have completed their edited copies and have a nice book to show for their efforts. We will follow this by beginning poetry soon.

Diversity day is Thursday. Many parents have mentioned that too many emails are coming home for this event. We assure you that it is in an effort to make this days as special as possible and we thank you for your support of this day. We will be visiting with middle school buddies in the morning and having some fun with special activities. After the big assembly we will enjoy lunch together and gather again to celebrate the new library. Special class offering will be held in the afternoon. The students were given the opportunity to choose from different classes and their selections will be sent home soon.

Friday, we will have our second installment of "See What's Hanging". This if you remember is a chance for the kids to respond to please for help from middle school students who participate in a Micro Worlds class. This is always a great group experience and much is gained from the exercise.

It appears that the lice has made a return. Please be diligent in checking your children before school.

Thank you

Monday – Spelling words come home

Tuesday – Music Morning

Thursday – Library and Diversity Day

Friday - See What's Hanging after our Spelling test

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Week of January 31st

Dear families,

We will begin this week by moving around campus and taking pictures for our auction project. If you have some pictures of your children from previous years please send them in this week. The project is a photo mosaic and will be amazing when finished. Also if you are around campus on Monday at 9:30 feel free to come to the room and walk around with a couple of students while they take their pictures.

The students have been putting together a skit this week and will be presenting it at a stage meeting on Tuesday during the Stage II to III Moving on Up event Tuesday morning. We will also be exploring the early cities of Mesopotamia, Ur, Urak, Babylonia and others by researching books and the internet. After researching the students will compile the information in PowerPoint to share with the class.

Our study of different cultures will continue this Thursday by looking at the Lunar New Year celebrations of TET and Chinese New Year. The morning will be facilitated by Eugenie Gedwill and Shelly Osborne with some interesting projects and yummy food. Eugenie's father will also be in to talk about life in Vietnam and the global awareness we should all be thinking about. Please remember if you would like to expose the students to part of your familie's cultures and traditions you are always welcome to come in a talk with us.

New spelling words will come home on Monday with a test on Friday. We continue as usual with Math, reading groups and afternoon homerooms.


 

Thanks,

Scott and Dee

Monday – Morning Music 8:40

Tuesday – Gabrielle's Half Birthday

Wednesday – Library

Thursday – Chinese New Year & TET

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Week of January 9, 2011

This will be a very busy week. In addition to math, spelling, and writing we will be preparing for our Muffin Morning on Friday. This preparation will include finishing inventions, preparing a short speech and getting ready to portray their inventor of choice. If they haven't already told you who they are portraying please ask them. Be sure to save the time if possible to spend 45 minutes to an hour with us on Friday morning. We will gather at 8:30 and begin presenting. Muffins and juice will be available for light snacks.

Singing practices will occur almost daily because we are getting ready both for the nursing home and for the Stage III presentation of "Lean on Me" on Monday evening during the MLK event. The children who are participating in this will need to come to the CCB on Monday, Jan. 17 at 5:30. We hope you realize that this is an event open to the entire community and helps remind us about the need for building a stronger, non-judgmental community. The event begins with soup, has a performance part and ends in the Big Dome with a candlelight walk. Please let us know for planning purposes if you intend to come that evening. We would love to see you all there.

The annual Stage III Can Drive for Gleaners began on Tuesday with a presentation from Sarah Blight of Gleaners. Her presentation was one that has moved many of us to take additional action on behalf of the hungry people in Oakland County. There are can collection boxes set up in the lobby of the Steward Building near the stairs leading to the upstairs floor. We are again sorting the food by color in an effort to donate a wider, more thoughtful range of foods. But, the need for rainbow foods also helps each of us think more carefully about the foods we eat. If you would go through your pantries and find foods that you would be willing to donate, Stage III and Gleaners would be most grateful.

Things to remember:

Is your permission slip in for Tuesday's singing trip?

Has your child told you who they are portraying?

Tuesday is late start morning, have you RSVP'd for morning care if you need it? Remember it is in the CCB and drop off starts at 7:30.

This week:

Monday – Music at 8:40; spelling words come home

Tuesday – Late Start – 9:00am; Woodward Hills field trip 10:15

Wednesday – Library 8:40am

Thursday – Spelling test

Friday – Muffin Morning


 

Mon, Jan 17 = NO SCHOOL/MLK Observance
Tues, Jan 18 & Wed, Jan 18 = NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS/Report Writing For Teachers
Fri, Jan 21= PAJAMA DAY!!
Tues, Jan 25 = Lower School Open House for Prospective Families/ 9:00a.m.-Steward Bldg
Mon, Feb 14 = Valentine's Day Party

Feb 21-Feb 25 = NO SCHOOL/February Break