Home/Royal News/Lower/Lower School Blog, Week of March 16th

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS & DATES 

Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss:

  • March 17th:  6th Grade Grace Day
  • March 20th-24th:  Spring Break
  • March 28th:  K4-6th Grade Alternative Lunch Day
  • March 30th:  Lower School Open House for Prospective Families 8:15-9:45AM
  • March 31st:  Kindergarten Field Trip to Green Meadows Farm
  • March 31st:  1st-6th Grade Mother Son Boot Camp (Faith Hall)
  • April 3rd:  S.T.E.A.M. Family Expo 5:00-6:30PM (Gym)
  • April 4th:  Parent Association Meeting 8:15-9:45AM (Faith Hall 3rd Floor)
  • April 5th:  4th Grade Water Systems Field Trip
  • April 6th:  4th Grade Water Systems Field Trip
  • April 7th:  4th Grade Water Systems Field Trip
  • April 10th-13th:  K-8th Grade Standardized Testing
  • April 11th:  Rising 7th Grade Parent Meeting (Parents of Current 6th Grade Students)
  • April 14th:  Good Friday/No School
  • April 17th:  Easter Monday/No School
  • April 19th:  K4-4th Grade Alternative Lunch (Not including 5th and 6th)
  • April 25th:   3rd Grade Wax Museum 8:00-10:30AM (Gym)
  • April 26th:  K4-6th Grade Alternative Lunch
  • April 26th:  TK Field Trip to Lukas Buttterfly Nursery
  • April 27th:  Steel Drum Concert 6:30PM (Alumni Commons)

CHAPEL VENUES, DATES, & TIMES

The following is a list of upcoming chapel dates and times:

  • March 16th:  K4-5th Grade Chapel:  Mrs. Martin’s Class Presentation 8:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • March 16th:  6th/MS Grade Chapel:  9:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • March 30th:  K4-5th Grade Chapel:  Ms. Wall’s Class Presentation 8:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • March 30th:  6th/MS Grade Chapel:  9:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 6th:  K4-5th Grade Chapel:  Mrs. Makar’s Class Presentation 8:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 6th:  6th/MS Grade Chapel:  9:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 13th:  No Chapel Due to Standardized Testing
  • April 20th:  K4-5th Grade Chapel:  Miss Huckleberry’s/Miss Rowley’s Class Presentations 8:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 20th:  6th/MS Grade Chapel:  9:30-9:15AM (Faith Hall)
  • April 27th:  No Chapel

A NOTE FROM MRS. JACKSON

For the month of March, our character trait is Compassion.    We define compassion as “caring enough to do something about someone else’s needs.”    On Thursday morning, in Lower School Chapel, I spoke to the students about the two components you need to show compassion
  • Caring about another person and recognizing a need they have
  • Doing something to help meet that need.

My goal in sharing the two components is to help the students see practical steps they can take to show compassion for others.   We see lots of needs around us but do we take the next step to try and meet that need in a practical way?  That was my challenge to the students and teachers (and to those parents present).  I shared with everyone the story of the paralyzed man in Luke 2.  His friends saw his hurt and inability to walk.    They put him on a mat and took him to Jesus.  They were met with an obstacle when the crowd was so large, they could not get in the door.    Rather than turning around with the resolution that they tried, they dug a hole in the roof of the building and lowered their friend down through the ceiling.    They cared so much, they were willing to do what it took to get to Jesus and their friend was healed.  What a great example that is to all of us.

One of our Lower School moms shared the best resource with me that I wanted to pass along to our families.   I see how long the carline is both in the mornings and the afternoons and that does not always lead us to feel joy and appreciation for that time.
The Oh Amanda Blog lists prayers and scripture that you can pray over your children while you are waiting.   The actual prayer sheet is available below.  Check out this resource and print out a copy to put with your cartag.
Carpool Prayer Sheet

RECOGNITION

March Madnesss-Week 3 Winners

During week three, the competing teams combined to earn a total of 3,401.5 AR points (that’s an increase of more than 800 points from week 2)!!!!! Let’s see if we can get that number even higher this week!!!!

East Region (1st and 2nd Grades):

  • Makar’s St. Mary’s Gaels: 28.8
  • Fox’s Gonzaga Bulldogs: 55.2
  • Agan’s Kansas Jayhawks: 34.8
  • Williams’ Miami Hurricanes: 31.8
  • Wall’s Baylor Bears: 61.2
  • Smith’s Cincinnati Bearcats: 57.1

Bye week: Dowling’s Louisville Cardinals

West Region (3rd and 4th Grades):

  • Lamp’s Wichita State Shockers: 58.6
  • Schuessler’s SMU Mustangs: 65.1
  • Combs’ Xavier Musketeers: 251.9
  • Walton’s Maryland Terrapins: 265.0

Bye Week: Rowley’s UCLA Bruins

Midwest Region (5th and 6th Grades):

  • Bell’s FSU Seminoles: 156.9
  • Dvorak’s Oregon Ducks: 90.0
  • Fitzgerald’s Arizona Wildcats: 65.7
  • Brown’s Virginia Cavaliers: 108.9
  • Diehl’s Villanova Wildcats: 119.2
  • Parmer’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 111.5
  • Camblin’s UNC Tarheels: 56.4
  • Pastis’ Duke Blue Devils: 119.5

Mrs. Diehl’s 6th Grade Science Class

Our 6th graders have been studying weather.  Check out one of our classes working on murals illustrating the following weather concepts:   the water cycle, precipitation, and clouds.    We love to see learning with a creative twist!

6th graders drawing weather conceptsStudents drawing murals about weather concepts

 

NEW THIS WEEK

STEAM Machine Family Expo

It’s not too late to sign up for our 1st Annual STEAM Machine Family Expo.     Families will build a simple machine that performs a task at home.  We will bring our machines in on April 3rd and share them with one another.   You can put all of those recyclables to good use!   Sign up HERE.  Please contact Mrs. Diehl if you have any questions.

Mother/Son Boot Camp

It’s that time again.   Our 2nd Annual Mother/Son Boot Camp is scheduled for Friday, March 31st beginning at 6:00pm.   You don’t want to miss this fun social event.   Purchase your tickets HERE.

Boot Camp Invite

Catch a Dragon by the Tale Reading Incentive

The TFA library is excited to announce the beginning our 3rd quarter reading incentive program for K Prep, TK, and Kindergarten students. The Catch a Dragon by the Tale Reading Incentive Program will last from February 21st-April 7th.  Each week, students can fill out a Catch a Dragon by the Tale reading record form.  Extras are available on the library webpage at www.thefirstacademy.org/academics/library.  After you read a story with your child, or your child reads a book independently, fill out the reading record.  After ten books are read, please return the reading record to your child’s teacher. Students will then be able to choose a prize during their class library time. We’re excited to see how many books our youngest readers can read over the next several weeks!

Catch a Dragon by the Tale Reading Record

 4th Quarter AR Deadline

The 4th quarter AR deadline is Friday, May 19th.  Please note,  the last AR test day for students who hope to achieve the AR 200% Club award for the 2016-2017 school year is Monday, May 15th.

Any tests taken between May 16th and May 19th will still count toward the 4th quarter goal.  However, students hoping to achieve the AR 200% Club award for the 2016-2017 school year must take the AR test by Monday, May 15th.

TFA Summer Preschool Opportunity

TFA’s Preschool is so very excited to welcome children, 8 weeks- 3 years old, back to campus for summer fun! Please see the attached flyer for more information. We love welcoming familiar Preschool families and new families too! Please feel free to pass along to family and friends.  Click HERE for more information or to register.

Extended Library Hours

In an effort to better serve our TFA families, the Boyd-Moline Library will extend their afternoon hours beginning next week.  The library will be open until 4:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the remainder of the school year.  Students must still be accompanied by parents or guardians in the library after school.  Accelerated Reader testing will be available until 4:15pm and book checkout until 4:20pm.

REMINDERS

Morning Dropoff-7:30AM

This is just a friendly reminder that students may be dropped off beginning at 7:30AM.  If you arrive to school prior to that time, we request that students remain with their parents until 7:30AM.  The library and the gym are open at that time.  Student supervision does not begin until that time.

AR HomeConnect

Over the summer, we had an update to our Renaissance Learning program that we use for Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, and STAR Testing.  Many parents like to receive email updates when their children take Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math tests.  You can set your preferences using Renaissance Learning HomeConnect.  If you had this set up previously, you will need to complete the process again.

Library Hours

The Boyd Moline Library will be open until 4:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the remainder of the school year.  Students must still be accompanied by parents or guardians in the library after school.  Accelerated Reader testing will be available until 4:15pm and book checkout until 4:20pm.  It will close at 3:30pm on Friday and at 2:40pm on Wednesdays.

Calendar Link

The TFA Calendar is a wonderful way to find the dates of upcoming events. Access our web-based calendar anytime. We recommend that you subscribe to all relevant calendars so you can keep up with all of the events going on around the school.

Parent Volunteer Background Check

If you are a new parent and would like to volunteer in your child(ren)’s classroom(s) or chaperone on field trips please complete our free background check.  Please note that the background check site only works on Internet Explorer or Firefox on a desktop computer. Safari and Chrome are not supported by the site. Approvals take a few weeks so plan ahead! All parents must have a completed background check before volunteering of chaperoning on a field trip.