Almost Christmas

What's up?

• This is Miss Opperman's last week.
• WOW! It seems like she just started.
• She has learned a great deal.
• Miss Opperman will be a blessing to the children she teaches in the future.
• Christmas services this week, Wednesday, December 21.
• Two times - 1:30 and 6:30
• All school children will be in both services.
• It's a Christmas cantata…the Christmas Gospel in song.
• Thursday
• New London Public Schools are NOT in class.
• Our class days runs until 11:40.
• Buses will run like they did at Thanksgiving time.
• January, 2012
• New London Public School resumes on January 2.
• Emanuel resumes on January 3.
• There will probably not be a post until January.
• God Bless you and your family this Christmas.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

It's cold out!

It might be cold out, but Jesus, the live vine, keeps me, the branch, alive each and everyday. Without Him, I'd be dead and useless.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

 

John 15:5,8

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 

This week's upcoming to do list for the students:

1. Christmas service practice 
2. Some classes, some homework
3. More Christmas practice
4. Some classes, some homework
5. etc.  :)

Miss Opperman's time with us is nearly over. This is her last full week. Wow, the time has flown.

God Bless.

 

Happy December

Greetings from the teacher's desk!
     I actually get some time to sit at my desk. With Miss Opperman now doing the vast majority of the teaching, I have the chance to sit at my desk and observe the class from a different perspective. The students sometimes forget that they have two teachers, both of which are keeping track of what they are doing.
     It's a little less than three weeks until our Christmas service on December 21. ELS is doing a cantata this year. It has been MANY years since we proclaimed the Christmas Gospel entirely through song. Our class has gone through all of the songs. Each child has a set of words and has been asked to memorize them on their own time. It will only become memory work if they don't get it memorized on their own. Today they sounded pretty good during music class.
     Here's a picture of our class taken today. I've been trying to take a class photo for several weeks. Today is the first day since November 16 that all 24 students have been here.

God bless your week!

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Week of Thanksgiving

Things for which to be thankful…

• My Savior, Jesus!
• Eternal life with Him in heaven.
• Emanuel - the building and the congregation
• Faith, hope, love
• My Bible
• More earthly blessing than I can count!
• My dad turned 80 last week.

What would you put on your list?

Happy Thanksgiving!
(There probably won't be a post next weekend.)

Psalm 19:14

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Another week in God's Grace

We've been busy:

• Grade 4 worked on websites from the BBC to learn about "matter" in science class.
• Grade 5 also worked in the computer lab learning about "elements" for science class.
• Grade 4 finished their Ellis Island webquest with oral presentations on Thursday. I wasn't thinking, we should have waited to give the presentations until the grandparents (and some parents) visited on Friday. They did a wonderful job on their projects. Video on the Student Work link off of our classroom webpage. (Emanuel_Student Work Page)
• Grade 5 learned how to make rope. We started with raffia and finished with very strong cord. It took three people to make it. This past summer, I saw a woman in Jamestown that did the process all by herself. If we practiced A LOT, maybe we could do that, too! A SmileBox slideshow can be seen at the Student Work link from the classroom homepage. (Emanuel_Student Work Page)
• Both grades have been practicing for singing in church tomorrow.
• Both grades worked hard at memorizing a short song and two poems for Veterans' Day.
• I was happily surprised by the amount of visitors that came to our classroom on Friday. At one point we had about 26 extra adults in our room. 
• If I had been a bit more "with it", I'd have asked the students how many people might come. Then I would have had more chairs in the room. 

The upcoming week:

• Both grades will continue with, what I think is, the hardest chapter in the science books: Matter, atoms, mixtures, solutions, physical and chemical changes.
• Grade 5 will work on a web project for Plimoth Plantation.
• On Thursday we will all take an electronic field trip (EFT) entitled Harsh World, This World. It is part of the series from Colonial Williamsburg. The topic deals with slavery.
• When we watched the previous EFT this one was advertised. Many of the students wanted to know if we were going to watch. I think that they will enjoy this presentation and learn from it.

God Bless your week.

Colossians 1:9

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” 

Life in Room 216

I was just thinking about how quickly the week sped by…then realized that today was the end of the first quarter! Where did it go? WOW! One fourth of the school year is over. How can that be!?!

OK -- new subject.
Miss Opperman is taking over more classes each week. This past week she started teaching science. English will be the next class that she inherits. Next week she'll be half done with her student teacher experience.

The 4th graders have been studying the eastern region of the US. That includes the immigrant history of Ellis Island. We started a webquest, that is, a research project where the students pretend to be European immigrants that have come through Ellis Island. Some students are discovering that they have ancestors that came through Ellis Island.

The 5th graders are beginning the physics unit of the science book. This coming week they will do a webquest on elements. Today we spent time on a BBC site reviewing and learning new things about atoms.

We sing at 10AM on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, for Emanuel's Veterans' Day program.

THEN, we sing at the 9:00 AM worship service on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13.

God bless you and yours,

Ephesians 5:19-20

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy Reformation

What does it mean to be Lutheran?
That question was asked of the 4th & 5th graders last week. They responded with, "We believe like Luther did." True, but my heart tells me it's deeper than that.

• To me, being Lutheran means: 

• I know that I am saved by grace. (For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Eph. 2:8,9); 
• Jesus lived the perfect life that I could not. (We have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Heb. 4:15)
• Jesus lives eternally in heaven, and so shall I. (Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19); 
• No matter what happens, the Lord is at my side. (The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Ps. 121:8)
• Jesus has given me more promises than I can count. Some of my favorites come from Psalm 91.

God bless you this Reformation Day.

News, Notes, etc

As I sit at the computer this beautiful Saturday morning, I think about all that the Lord does to sustain each of us. The glorious sunny sky and the crisp fall temps are the things we see, and perhaps take for granted. But the Lord has provided so many blessings, that counting them would be impossible.

A short list however:

1. Miss Opperman got to New London safely.
2. My neighbor used his spare time to blow the leaves from my lawn to the curb.
3. The 4th and 5th graders have been very healthy this year.
4. On the whole, the class has been faithful in completing their assignments on time.
5. Four of the 5th graders are taking on the challenge of the annual 5th & 6th grade FVL Math Bowl.

Items to note:

1. Miss Opperman has started "taking" some of the subjects. She started with devotions, handwriting, spelling, and math. This week (all two days of it) she adds Christ Light for the 4th graders.
2. Parent teacher conferences are this Monday-Wednesday. If you've not signed up for a time, you can still call or email me. We can find a spot for you.
3. Thursday and Friday there is no school for Emanuel, as the teachers will be in Milwaukee for the annual WELS State Teachers' Convention. My favorite part is the opening service. Having about 1000 teachers singing is so cool. Sometime I just stop singing and listen. It brings me to tears. Tears of joy that I can sing with these people now and in eternity, praising God for all Jesus has done for us. 
4. And, yes, we're continuing with Speed Stacks…and getting faster each day!

God bless…

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

October 15

This past week:

1. On Thursday, we watched an Electronic Field Trip from Colonial Williamsburg, entitled A More Perfect Union. It was about the creation of the US Constitution. An electronic field trip means that we see the video via WPNE. 
1. There were three segments each consisting of ten to twelve minutes of the video, followed by live questions asked of the experts. The live questions come from children all over the nation that were watching the show. The man that portrayed Patrick Henry was very convincing!
2. On Friday, we started our Bucket Buddies Pond Water Investigation. 
1. First, the students made a hypothesis: Will pond water macroinvertebrates be the same all over North America?  
2. Then we looked for macroinvertebrates found in pond water. 
3. A BIG thanks to the parents that supplied the water. We had some of the most disgusting, smelly water found near New London. But that is exactly what I asked for. The more yucky the water, the better the chance of finding macroinvertebrates. 
4. We were so busy looking for and FINDING creatures, that I forgot to take pictures! We found about 300 of God's little creatures. 
5. We'll finish the investigation this coming week.
3. The first ever Emanuel Lutheran Speed Stacking Tournament ended with Logan being the 4th grade champ and Taya being the 5th grade champion. Then those two squared-off with Logan becoming the first ever grand champion! Congratulations!

Speed Stacking Via Animoto…
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

This coming week…

1. Miss Opperman starts on Monday.
2. We have a second Speed Stacking tourney set up. We will start that this week.
3. The 5th graders go to FVL for the play, A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas. Then they're headed to the Fox River Mall to eat lunch at the Food Court.

God Bless you and yours.

Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

News and "what-not" from room 216

I came across this Bible verse the other day:

Isaiah 48:17

This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

I'm sure that I don't always listen and/or pay attention as the LORD teaches me. I know that His direction is the one to follow; the path where the LORD teaches me is the way that I should go. But I get a bit stubborn…not a good idea! I need to keep praying about that.


Speed Stacking
The students are still enjoying Speed Stacking, as am I. Some of the students are getting really fast on what is called the cycle. Ask your child about it. We started a tournament this past week. The process isn't taking as long as I had thought. I think we'll finish this tourney within a few days. Then I think we'll start another one. We take the Speed Stacking Sport Pack to PE each class. We use the stacking cups in team relays, personal cardiovascular, and teamwork activities. 


The loaner pack of Speed Stacks goes back in about two weeks. That's OK. The one I was able to purchase with some classroom monies came today, Friday, October 7, after school. The "gear" that various students ordered should be in next week. 

Harvest Fest
For this weekend's Harvest Fest, the 4th and 5th graders made fall leaves using coffee filters. They traced various patterns, painted them with water colors, and then cut out numerous leaves. The filter paper allowed the colors to "run" into each other, creating beautiful fall leaves. We started to glue them onto twigs that I picked up from my lawn, but we ran out of time. Thanks to two nice ladies, all of the leaves got hot-glued to the twigs. Look for them on the tables for Harvest Fest.


God's blessings.

Whoa! It's October!

At lunch one day this past week the girls that I was sitting next to decided that the year was going by quickly. Indeed! September 30th was mid-quarter; that means 1/8 of the school year is already over. WOW!

Our schedule was a bit "messed up" because of the Terra Nova tests. Part of this coming week will also be slightly different from the regular schedule, since we're not quite down with the Terra Novas.

The Lord provided a lovely day to explore Mosquito Hill. The 4th graders saw many of God's creatures from numerous wooly bear caterpillars to snakes and eagles. The 5th graders may have come home and told their parents that they want a compass. The 5th graders didn't do true "orienteering" at Mosquito Hill, but they did learn the basics of using an orienteering compass.

I think that orienteering would be a really cool "enrichment" activity. So Friday night I did some research via Google. An orienteering kit for a class of 12 students is on sale for $194.00. A kit for 24 is on sale for $309.00. The kit I'd really like is on sale for $369.00. I don't think I'll be investing in that enrichment activity right now, at least not full-fledged. Individual compasses are about $13.00, so I might get a few and start to build my own "kit" for orienteering. How hard can it be? Get some books from the library, learn the basics, invest in a few compasses at a time…

God bless you and yours.

One of my all-time favorite passages…

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Happy Autumn

The highlight of the week was probably the trip to the Outagamie County Land Conservation Field Day. It is a yearly trip that ELS 5th graders have taken for years. I couldn't just take them and leave the 4th graders at school. We all enjoyed the day. Pretty memorable was the huge cow stomach. I don't know how they preserved it, but it was pretty cool to look at. The LORD provided a wonderful day that started with a few clouds, but ended with sunshine.

This coming Friday we're headed to Mosquito Hill Nature Center. It's the traditional fall trip for the 4th graders. The 5th graders are also going to the nature center, but since they were there last year, they'll be participating in a different program than the 4th graders. I chose orienteering for them, and they chose astronomy. Both programs sound like fun to me.

The rest of the week will have classes and Terra Nova testing sessions.

God Bless.

Romans 14:8

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Rejoice!

I usually end my weekly blog with a Bible passage. This time I'd rather start with one:

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 

There's is too much to rejoice about to let anything else worry or bother me tonight as I write this. I have food, clothes, a warm house, a job, and best of all, I have a Savior who forgives my sins. May I never forget.

Noteworthy items from this past week:

* The 5th graders worked really hard and produced well done Zooburst projects based on the story The Kid with the Red Jacket. During the week we viewed each project. I'd like to link those projects to our website, but, at the moment, I'm not sure how to do that.

* The 4th graders worked in groups to draw pictures that went with their reading story, Philippe and the Blue Parrot. That same group also wrote a "conversation" that could be part of the story. Those will be recorded on a 2.0 web tool called VoiceThread this coming Monday. I hope to get these linked to our webpage. I linked this site last year, so I know that I can figure it out again.

Notes for the upcoming week:

* Picture Day is this Wednesday, September 21.

* Thursday, September 22, we take an trip to the Outagamie County Conservation Field Day. I've never been there, but this is their 47th annual. 

 

God bless you and yours. And rejoice!

This past week…

We all did a bit more "settling" in this week. I called them 4th & 5th graders more often than I called them 3rd & 4th graders. They are all getting more used to the routine. Of course, then we threw in Friday, with a mission presentation. When we have a Friday morning mission presentation or All-School worship our subjects get switched around a bit. We will all get used to that, also.

Music is such a wonderful way to praise the LORD for His gifts to us! 

The 5th graders got to hear from Chuck Jahnke on Friday. He comes to New London from FVL to give band lessons to our grade school children. Students get to start band lessons in grade 5. I hope many of them take the opportunity to learn one of those instruments. As it stands, we already have 10 out of 24 taking piano or guitar lessons here at ELS. Last year my students (Miss Schmidt's, too) learned to play the chimes. This could be a very musical class! Now, I just need to get the 4th graders to sing as loudly and clearly as the 4th graders.

Praise the LORD!

2 Chronicles 7:6
The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.”

The First Week

Besides the fact that I called my 4th and 5th graders "3rd and 4th graders" more than once this week, I think that the week went pretty well. We put in four busy days. We got everything done that we were suppose to, although, maybe not within the timing that I had envisioned.

The 5th graders have been a great help "breaking in" the 4th graders. Besides tasks that I've asked the 5th graders to do, I've overheard them explaining classroom procedures to the 4th graders. Thanks!

One of the skills that I teach each year is the Scientific Method. I try to call the activities we do investigations, not experiments. Both grades worked on two investigations in science class this week. On Monday, the 4th graders planted seeds, and they've been checking on them each day. They were amazed at how the seed's size and hardness changed from Monday to Tuesday. I hope by next Tuesday that the seeds will have sprouted. 4th graders also studied gladiolas by drawing and counting the various flower parts such as the pistil, stamen, and petals. Their job was to discover what was the same and what was different about gladiolas.

The 5th graders each have a piece of bread on which they're growing mold. (The bags are sealed, so the mold spores are staying in the bag.) I would guess that by Tuesday, the bread should be pretty fuzzy. The other investigation was looking for signs of life. We had two jars. One with sand, sugar, and warm water. The other had dry yeast, sugar, and warm water. We put balloons on the top of each jar. They thought it was pretty cool that they could see the balloon on the yeast jar fill with air. When we came in from recess, the 5th graders noticed that the balloon was missing. There was enough gas created that it blew its top.

I wonder what next week will bring!

God's blessings,

Psalm 91:1

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Praise the Lord!

I still have a few things that need to be done before Monday. But done or not, the students will be here Monday morning. I'm looking forward to a new year, with new challenges, and a few new faces. No matter what happens I believe the Lord's promises. This was the daily Bible verse that I got in my email yesterday, Psalm 94: 18,19: "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." WOW! is all I can say. The LORD knew exactly what Bible verse I needed.

That's not the first time a Bible verse that I NEEDED showed up. I really don't like to travel, but earlier this summer when I was packing, this verse got stuck in my head, "The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:8)

What a wonderful God we have that wants to help us through every trouble. It gives me joy that I get to share my faith and what God has done for me with the students entrusted to me.

Now I get to go to Kohls's and pay my bill!

God's blessings

Still Gearing-Up

It's Saturday, August 20. That gives me a week to be prepared for the children that have been entrusted to me for the coming school year.

My goal for today is to spend a number of uninterrupted hours getting the classroom ready. There are a few yearly plans that I have yet to finish, but I plan to do that today. Our classroom library shelves are empty. I'd like to get those filled today, also. The laptop that I'm working on needs a few software updates…I think that I can do that while putting out the library books.

As I look across my desk and into the classroom I wonder what the school year will be like. It's not that I'm worried about the year.  Recently I read this somewhere: I am not worried about the future, because God is already there. The new Koine CD is playing while I write this. The song that just got done playing reminded me that Christ is in us. What a blessing! What a blessing that we have the privilege to share that awesome fact!

God's blessings…

Matthew 5:14,16

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Mid-August - Gearing up for school!

Everyday people ask me if I'm ready for school. I tell them, "Right now, no, I'm not ready. But I will be!"

Teachers start getting geared up for school long before most students. Lots of planning goes into being ready for each new school year: desk arrangement; name tags for desks and lockers; get out library and text books; planning subject matter; finding tech projects; blowing up the flat playground balls; labeling students' workbooks; handing out student books; arranging piano/guitar lessons; making home-visits; creating bulletin boards; and numerous other things. I keep a list from year to year of tasks that need to get accomplished before the students walk through the door on the first day of school.

I have confidence that it will all get done!

God's blessings

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Pics from Jamestown

Personalize your own digital slideshow

End of July

Wow!
I just spent an incredible week in Virginia at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute (CWTI). The week started at the very beginnings of "United States" history with a day at historic Jamestowne. And, yes, that's spelled correctly…at least that's how it was spelled in 1607. In grade school, my teachers always talked about Plymouth, Massachusetts. There's nothing wrong with learning about the Pilgrims, etc. But there's much more to our history than Plymouth.

Jamestowne was the first permanent English settlement in North America, yet there was very little ever taught about Jamestowne. I really don't know what's included in our 5th grade social studies textbooks, but my 5th graders will definitely learn about Jamestowne.

Miss Ladwig in the pillory!

After the day at Jamestowne, there were a few days spent in and around Colonial Williamsburg. We heard from every class of people that lived in Williamsburg; African slaves, indentured slaves, tradesmen, merchants, middling sort, and gentry. A great deal of time was devoted to government, along with Loyalist and Patriotic views of independence for the colonies.


The week ended at Yorktowne, at Surrender Field. At 2:00 PM on October 19, 1781, Cornwallis' forces marched down Hampton Road to this field and surrendered to American and French forces, ending the American Revolutionary War. (Although, fighting continued until the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.) Being at Surrender Field was very emotional. It gave me a greater appreciation for the sacrifices that were made to make the United States a free nation.

Slave clothing

The teachers had access to many primary source materials including merchants' ledgers, county records, and the journals of soldiers and citizens of Williamsburg. We heard from many well-known people, as well as ordinary citizens through live interpreters.

I look forward to translating much of what I encountered, into meaningful experiences for the students.

God Bless…

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

End of June

I had the privilege from June 23-26 to attend the Lutheran Women's Missionary Society Convention in Milwaukee. This was the 48th annual convention. I don't know how many people attended the first one, but there were over 1200 paid registrations for this one. That number does not include all of the missionaries, their families, and other guests. The opening service had 1573 people in attendance.

It's quite uplifting to hear from missionaries and their wives about the blessings (and challenges) in their mission field.

May God be with them in their ministries.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

June 16

The teachers have been creating projects…me, too.

Click the big arrow, then click on FULL SCREEN.



Here's "playing" number 2 :)
Dragging your cursor over the bottom of the story, you can either move from page to page or go to the full screen version.

I Won't Eat That! on Storybird

June Meetings

The teachers have spent time in meetings this past week or so. The rest of the time is spent straightening up and cleaning the classrooms so that they're ready to have the floors stripped and waxed.

Personally, I get to work on plans for the next school year. That's taking longer than I think it should. That's probably because I keep finding other tasks to do.

As I plan for the new year, I have two goals in my mind. The first is, "What improvements can be made in the classroom with the materials and techniques that were used?" The second is, "What can be added to inspire the students in the coming school year?"

God's blessings!

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

End of the Year Comments…

Thoughts that come to mind…

• On Friday, the class saw the photos that had been taken throughout the school year. The students all looked so much younger in September than they do now.
• Snow days…We had several. Enough that we didn't get as far into our math books and English books as I had planned last summer when I did the yearly planning.
• I was sick 5 days this school year. I don't remember the last time I missed that many days.
• While their 4th quarter math grades aren't as good as they could have been, the end of the year STAR test results showed that as a class, they know a lot more math than they did in September.
• This July I plan to go to Williamsburg. I will spend a week at the Williamsburg Colonial Teachers' Institute.  The week is intended to teach teachers about Colonial America. I've always enjoyed early American history, and since it appears that I'll be teaching 5th graders, this is perfect. 5th grade social studies centers on American history through the Civil War. I hope to learn a lot that I can use with the 5th graders.
• The school year passed so quickly. I think that was because we (students and teacher) were busy.
• Next year will be just as interesting!

God's blessings throughout the summer.

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Wow! The Last Week of School

I think it's a "sign" of a good year when I reach the last week of class and can't believe it! But here it is…the last week of class, and I can't believe it. I know we're at the end of most textbooks, and the lesson plan book doesn't have very many pages left. But I'm still thinking, "What happened to the year?"

It's been a delightful year. I'll be pleased to have these "guys" back as 5th graders, if that's what the School Committee decides to do.

God's blessings!

Romans 8:35,37

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

What to write about…

When I sit down to work on the weekly blog, I usually have a topic already in my head. Not so today. I'm not sure if that's because there's nothing to write about or because there are too many things running around in my head. Probably the "too many" category!

Things on my mind…

• Are these 4th graders ready for 5th grade?
• What projects, movies, subject matter haven't we covered, that I'd still like to do in the next two weeks?
• Will we have the K-4 track meet on Tuesday? Or will it be too cold and/or windy?
• There's only one more week to do lesson plans!
• In the middle of July I'm headed to Williamsburg, Virginia, for a week long colonial experience just for teachers. That should come in handy if I'm teaching 5th grade next school year, because 5th grade social studies is early American history.

God bless you and yours.

1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Praise the Lord!

5:35 this morning, I was wide awake. Being a Saturday, it would have been nice to sleep a little longer. However, I got up and went into my kitchen. The windows to the east were the most glorious shades of neon pink, orange, gold and blue. I don't think I have those colors in my crayon collection! Only the LORD has a paint brush that creates those colors. Maybe the LORD woke me up on purpose just so I could see His handiwork! I don't mind. The Earth is His…His fingerprints are all over it!

• We've been working on our choral reading for the K-5 Showcase Night.
• Compared to the length of the musicals that will surround the 4th grade performance, it's pretty short.
• I'm a bit biased. The 4th grade performance will be the best!
• There's an All-School sing which sort of "snuck up" on me. But after just one practice, the 4th graders sounded pretty good.
• I hope some of the children will be able to sing at St. Paul, Dale on May 22. We haven't decided what song we're going to sing, but my choice would be the same one that's being sung for the All-School sing.

God's blessings.

Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

May?

It's May? I know that God promised Noah, a very long time ago, that the seasons would never end. So I shouldn't be surprised that April is gone, and just May is left of the school year.

The kids did a pretty good job with their Human Body Webquest. The videos of the presentations will get posted sooner or later. :) Maybe today.

We have spelling this week. First time is quite some time.
We're working hard on our showcase poem (choral reading) for May 13.

God's blessings on your week.

Acts 4:10,12

...then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Happy Holy Week

Thanks be to Jesus, who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the way to His crucifixion on Good Friday. My mind can't help but ask, "Why?" There is only one answer. Jesus loves us.

What's up this week:
• We will walk to St. Joe's to sing in their Monday morning worship service (if it doesn't rain)!
• The 4th graders are working on a human body webquest. The groups will give their oral presentations the Wednesday after Easter.
• We will attend the FVL concert on Wednesday.


I hope to see many of my 4th grade families in worship for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

God Bless your Holy Week. May all of our actions reflect the love that our Redeemer showers on us.

Romans 5:6-8

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

As I sit at my desk…

As I sit at my desk on this Saturday, I can't help thinking that Satan keeps me really busy. I think he does that so that I don't have time for Jesus. But my Jesus is stronger than Satan. Jesus died that I might live. I can't say it any better than Isaiah did some 700 years before Jesus:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 Isaiah 53:5-6

Thank you, Jesus, that You are my Savior. Satan doesn't stand a chance against You. Keep me focused on You and on all that Your death and resurrection means for my salvation. Lead to me be grateful today for Your grace. In your holy name. Amen.

The Last Snowfall of the Year??? Or not?????

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Something a little different

Technology “happens” for both students and Miss Ladwig each day of the school year. If you glanced at my lesson plan book, you’d see “SB” written in frequently over the course of a week. The “SB” stands for SmartBoard™.

The SmartBoard™ is used nearly every morning before school for spelling games or geography activities. The only class that we haven’t used the SB for is Phy Ed! I’ve looked for “Jesus” pictures or ready-made SB religion lessons that will enhance Christ Light. There aren’t too many available for download.

We’ve used the SB in science to view physics experiments and in social studies to get a closer look at The Constitution. Interactive spelling activities are a normal part of many mornings from 7:45 to 8:00. It took a year, but every math lesson has a SmartBoard™ file. The lessons that were created last year get tweaked to be sure that everything still applies. English and reading lessons aren’t as interactive, but it still is nice to be able to visually present the lessons and assignments. That often helps “straighten out” potential problems. The SmartBoard™ isn’t the easiest way to show drawing techniques, but it’s better than just telling the children what they will be doing.

Another favorite use of technology is Google Earth™. Science and social studies have both benefitted from its use. We’ve taken looks at the oceans, national parks, foreign deserts, and rivers around the world. We’ve even used Google Earth™ to locate places closer to home, like Emanuel Lutheran School. If you haven’t checked out Google Earth™, try it sometime. You will probably enjoy it as much as the children.

This has been just a tiny snapshot of the use of technology in our classroom. Want to know more about technology in the 4^th grade room? Just ask. 

God's blessings!

Jeremiah 17:7-8

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
   whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
   that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
   its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
   and never fails to bear fruit.

What's up?

This past week:

• Alice in Dairyland 

• Several months ago 4th grade teachers (I assume all over the state of Wisconsin.) got an email from "Alice" inviting us to schedule a visit with her.
• Alice does about 300 appearances each year.
• As far as classrooms…she only visits 4th grade classrooms. That's because 4th graders study Wisconsin. We'll be starting our study of Wisconsin next week.
• Thursday morning Alice was in Waupaca. Thursday 12:30 she was here. After she left us she was headed to Rhinelander.
• The 4th graders seemed to enjoy her visit and willingly participated in her presentation.
• I've never had "Alice" contact me before. I hope the next "Alice" contacts me, too.
• This coming week:
• The 3rd and 4th graders sing for worship at the 3:15 Lenten service this Wednesday.
• We're starting a moon project because we're in the solar system chapter in our science book. 
• The blue social studies book that parents are used to seeing will be completed this week.
• The following Monday, the students will hand in that book and receive their Wisconsin text book. We'll be using that for the rest of the year. As we study our state, I usually "do away" with tests. There may be an occasional quiz, but no big tests.

God Bless

Isaiah 25:1

LORD, you are my God;
   I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
   you have done wonderful things,
   things planned long ago.

Lent Begins

March 7-11

• Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. We have the privilege of spending the next 7 weeks worshiping our LORD for His gift of forgiveness!
• This past week:

• The biggest surprise for the class??? Miss Pamperin was on spring break from MLC and decided to come and visit us.
• We practiced chimes with Mrs. Gielow again this week. We hope to play this song in church on Monday, April 10, when we sing in church with the third graders.
• The third set of Christ Light books were started this week. That means we're two-thirds of the way through the school year.
• Two FVL projects have been worked on over the past few days. One is the annual 4th grade poster contest. The other is a first. It's an essay contest. The topic for 4th graders is "What I Like about My School." Their first drafts were pretty good.

March 14-18

• FANG will be here on Monday…rescheduled from the "snow day". 
• Chimes practice will continue on Tuesday.
• Wednesday is a 1:35 dismissal.
• Alice in Dairyland will be here on Thursday.
• Friday is All-School worship.

God Bless

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

"Stuff" this past week…

Feb. 28 - Mar. 4

• World Math Day and World Spelling were fun. Ask your child about it.
• Last week we folded a few pieces of paper to create some origami creatures. This week we had a second lesson on origami. They did quite well. Jordyn brought in some patterns that we might use next time we do origami. Jared asked for a pattern of a "blow up" box. He and Taya figured it out. Good for them!
• One of the origami designs was a chop stick case. I told them that it was a pencil holder.
• The next day when I gave them all chop sticks, some of the 4th graders figured out that the "pencil holder" was really a chop stick holder. The plastic bag that the chop sticks came in was not meant for storage. James decided to put his in a zip lock bag. Jared made a new chop stick case to carry his chop sticks.
• I've taught chop stick use to 4th graders for the past several years. This class picked up the "how" very quickly. Many of the students have taken their chop sticks to lunch everyday since.
• We started by picking up erasers. Those work well because they aren't slippery. Then the students found other things to pick up that were more challenging.

• The chop sticks were washed before we headed to lunch! 
• More pictures are on the student work page of the classroom website.

Mar. 7 - 11

• March is FVL Schools month. As part of that recognition, the 4th graders in the FVL Federation have the honor of creating a promotional poster that will be used throughout the federation for the next school year. Each school is allowed ten submissions. One winner is chosen per school. All of the winning posters are then judged by FVL representatives. The grand prize winner gets prizes, and their poster becomes the FVL's official poster for the following school year.
• We will start our posters this week.
• A few years ago an Emanuel student won the grand prize. Cool!
• We are also taking part in a second FVL contest. It's a writing contest. The essay topic for 3rd and 4th graders is, "What I like most about my school…" This is the first time that FVL is running this contest. 
• There may be other surprises throughout the week…you never know!
• A thought for March14…Fang will be in our room for about 10 minutes. If the students have anything that they'd like Fang to sign, that's the day to have it here.

God's Blessings

1 John 4:10

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

All Praise to God

Quite the past week…

• Highlights:
• Monday---snow day!
• Spirit Week
• Mostly of the week was calm in 4th grade. I do think that the "spirit" of the week disrupted their thinking process.
• ie - Their math test. Things they know how to do (find a SUM, be able to ESTIMATE, know how to get a PRODUCT) seemed impossible on the test.

• Dressing up to match the day - they were pretty creative!
• Isabella won the PJ day and got our class some points.

• LOTS of pennies came in. Enough to fill an ice cream bucket!
• That was enough to get 1st place for the pre-grade 4 penny contest!!!

• Grade 4 tied with the 8th graders for the school spirit award for the week! WAY TO GO!

This coming 5 days…

• Nothing as exciting as spirit week.
• Time to get the brains back to thinking about learning.
• World Maths Day is Monday.
• World Spelling Day is Wednesday.
• We'll do some origami in art class.
• Mrs. Gielow will be here on Tuesdays for the next few weeks to teach and practice chimes. We hope to play in church.

May the Lord shower you with blessings this week

1 John 3:18

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

What's up?

February 14-18

• In science we started a chapter about what God used to "make up" the Earth.
• We discussed landforms, weathering, and erosion.
• We watched a few video clips from Discovery.com about making building and bridges "earthquake" proof. I was as fascinated as the 4th graders.

• We started practicing for World Maths Day and World Spelling Day.
• Both can be accessed via the internet on any computer.
• worldmathsday.com
• worldspellingday.com

• We made "centipedes" in PE. It was fun to watch.

February 21-25

• In science we will continue with learning about the planet God gave us.
• Some of the students have brought in rocks to show the class.
• That's a great idea -- but they have to know something about the rock.

• This is Spirit Week. But it still is a school week, complete with assignments.
• A representative will be here on Thursday to talk about Luther Prep School in Watertown.

God Bless

1 John 4:11-12

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Another Week of God's Grace

Last week:

• I finished reading, The Wizard of Oz to the class.
• There are 2 AR tests that the children could take on the book. The tests were worth a total of 14 points if passed with 100%.
• If you haven't read the book, but have only watched the movie… Read the book; it's a lot different. The kids enjoyed the book.

• We watched the movie, The Wizard of Oz for our 2nd quarter AR prize.
• We had a wonderful discussion about the differences between the book and the movie.

This week:

• Valentine party on Monday.
• It will be short.

• Otherwise, the week should be pretty much back to "normal"… At least that's what's planned!
• Wednesday is a 1:35 dismissal.

God bless your week.

Psalm 18:1-2

I love you, LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

What's going on?

This past week:

• The children finished typing their tall tales. The stories they chose were very entertaining. When I get a bit of extra time I'll publish some of their tales on the class website.
• We wrote letters and made Valentine cards that were sent to Miss Pamperin.
• In math we took on a few challenges:
• First, we multiplied 3 digits (2 x 5 x 9)
• Then, we moved on to multiplying identical numbers (4 x 4 x 4)
• Finally, we did the same multiplying, but wrote them as exponents.
• We'll be working on that challenge for weeks to come.

This coming week:

• Tuesday is a science test on weather and the tools we use to measure it.
• Perhaps this week, short as it is, would be a good time to watch our movie and have our snacks for the AR reward.
• The kids had a few ideas for which movie they'd like to see and what kind of snacks they want.
• But the final decision is mine.

God's blessings to you and your family.

Psalm 86:5

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Really Short

This is a really short blog, as time is quite limited and at a premium this weekend…

• I'd list the stuff I'm doing, but it would sound like I'm complaining.
• I'm not, it's just that these are projects no one else can really help with, and I'm not sure there's enough time to do them all. 
• Tomorrow's Sunday. Perhaps there's more time tomorrow afternoon than I anticipate!

* The kids had a very full week. A few tests, some art projects… I really don't know where the time went this week!

God bless you and yours.

Matthew 6:19-21

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What did we do this week?

Notes from this past week:

• When the week started the students needed a total of 844.4 points to reach the school-wide goal of 3500 points. I was pretty sure that they weren't going to make it.
• Any spare time that the 4th graders had was taken up by reading a book and/or taking an AR quiz.
• After school on Thursday night I checked the numbers. The school was only 196 points shy!
• By lunchtime on Friday, the Emanuel student body had surpassed the 3500 point plateau.
• The final report was run-off during the gr. 5-8 spelling bee.
• I had Mr. Aswege announce that the kids should stop taking tests. (I didn't want them to mess up their At-Risk percentage and not get their reward.)
• So in the next few weeks, each classroom will get a movie and snacks provided by the Accelerated Reader committee.
• I wonder what movie the 4th graders will see.

This week:

• We have 3 tests this week…Science, Spelling, Social Studies.
• We're making "people" in art class.
• Enrichment time will be spent learning about Japan.
• Friday morning at 8:15 we're having a mission presentation about where our mission offerings will be going for the 3rd quarter.
• 3rd quarter??? How can half of the year be over?

God bless you and yours this week.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me."

Comments…

• The school week was pretty normal.
• The biggest challenge of the week…division with remainders.
• The students have learned to recite number sequences for years. (counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, etc)
• Some of the 4th graders are finally realizing that those are the times tables.
• I've been telling them since September that they needed to know their multiplication facts.
• Division is really tough if you don't know your multiplication tables.
• I realize that the world is full of calculators and computers, but knowing basic math facts is still a necessity.


•This week…
• We'll be finishing up memorizing our church song for next weekend. They know it more or less; but they do need to sound more confident when they sing it.
• The song will fit the focus and reading for next Sunday.

May God Bless Your Week!

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Happy New Year

This was an interesting week:

• I was looking forward to a full five-day week with the fourth graders…
• Well, two days with a fever took care of that!
• Thanks to Mrs. Endter for subbing.
• She said that this is a good group of kids…I agree with her.

• While the fever was gone on Friday, it sure did wipe me out. Just ask the kids. I did things like take the elevator, while they had to walk up the stairs. 

What we're looking forward to this week:

• Studying lessons about our Lord Jesus
• Starting a science chapter about light and sound
• Learning about life in the middle west states (They were excited to finally get to the region of the US where they live.)
• Working on a new song for worship…We sing at the 10:30 service on Sunday, January 23.

Have a blessed week in the Lord.

John 14:1-3

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.