In Today's Newsletter



Upcoming Events:
 
Feb 15 - Teacher Work Day - No School
Feb 18 - President's Day - No School
Feb 19 - Parent/Teacher Conference Day - No School
Feb 28 - Re-Enrollment Begins

What We Are Learning:
 
Preschool is having fun exploring space.  God is amazing-He made it all!
PreK is learning about space. We made our own constellations, but God created the stars by speaking them into existence!
Kindergarten - We are just starting sentence school!  We are focused on literacy. 
1st grade - Sharks!
2nd grade - Double-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping!
3rd & 4th grades - Division!
5th grade - The I AM statements from the gospels; in History, the Revolutionary War
6th-8th grades:
Bible and History:
6th : Divided Kingdom of Israel
Ancient Rome
7th : Letters of Paul
Latin America 
8th : Christianity vs. other religions 
Progressive Reforms of the early 1900's
ELA is working on the 6 Traits:  Main Idea and Word Choice. As 8th grade is reading Pilgrim's Progress, the main character, Christian, progresses through his journey to the Celestial City. The language is beautiful and descriptive, helping the reader envision the journey and its purpose.  7th Grade is reading The Giver, a book portraying a futuristic civilization where there are no emotions and no freedom of choice until the one who holds memories of the past passes them to the receiver.  Jonas, the receiver, then wants everyone to know the truth. 6th grade is reading Christian biographies. All of these novels are great for discussions about culture, making choices, rewards and consequences, and wanting something more for themselves and the world.  
Science - activity learning about transverse waves and sound waves
Ukulele Class on Mondays is full and exciting. They are learning the chorus to "You Are My Sunshine."
WA DC Class for 5th & 6th grades- We learned about Dr. Martin Luther King - his childhood, his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Greensboro Sit-Ins, and Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott.



AUCTION DESSERT DASH
We need 25 desserts for the Dessert Dash portion of the auction. If you would like to donate a dessert (it can be homemade, procured, or purchased), please contact Becky Werkhoven at 509-595-5662 or [email protected]
Thank you!
SHOPPING IN SNOHOMISH?
Do you love to shop in Snohomish?  Earn service hours while using your love for shopping to request auction donations from local businesses.  Let businesses know that they have the opportunity to be a part of our auction as we celebrate the best of the Pacific Northwest!  Please contact Mindy Orcutt at 360-794-8200 or [email protected] for a list of businesses.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Conferences will be held on Tues., February 19, and appointment times will be sent home soon.  If you have a preference on time of day, please contact Laurie ([email protected]).  

Calendar Reminder:
  • Thursday, February 14 - SCHOOL IN SESSION (Preschool - 8th)
  • Friday, February 15 - No school (Accreditation Workday)
  • Monday, February 18 - No school (Presidents' Day)
  • Tuesday, February 19 - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE DAY (NO SCHOOL Preschool - 8th)
GOT TOOLS?
We need some shelving for our office cabinet.  The material would need to be picked up and cut to size.  If you can help, please contact Mindy in the office.  Thanks!
PIZZA DAY
This Friday, February 1st, is Pizza Day.

The cost is $4.00 for one slice of cheese or pepperoni plus Capri Sun and a treat or $6.00 for two slices.  Individual payments will go directly to the teacher. Please bring in-full payments to the office.  If you would like to pay in full for the remainder of the school year please refer to the following information:

10 pizza lunches (1 slice) - $40.00
10 pizza lunches (2 slices) - $60.00

BEGINNING OIL PAINTING FOR ALL AGES WITH JERRIE FROELICH
Parents and students are enjoying doing art together Wednesdays. 

The new Beginning Oil Painting class begins February 20th and lasts five Wednesdays from 3:30 - 5:30. Because we must order materials for the class, please register by January 31st. Click on the link to download the information and registration instructions.

LOVE AND LOGIC FEEDBACK FROM A PARENT
While we've been at MCS for five years now, it wasn't until recently that my interest piqued at what this "Love and Logic" thing was all about. I love reading the tips that are put in the newsletter, and I like the idea that our school and teachers are implementing this method into their teaching and the way they deal with the children.  However, it dawned on me one day, maybe I should read this book myself for our parenting at home. I realized I already had the book, it was just hiding under the other ten parenting books I have waiting to be read. This was a great start since it's already being put into their lives at school.
 
I couldn't put the book down! It was an easy read and I loved what it was saying. I loved how practical it was. I loved the idea of having kids who actually think for themselves and who will take ownership of their choices. I've always been scared of the future and how consequences are way more costly than if they learned the lesson today, AND THEY TALK ABOUT THAT IN THIS BOOK! I knew I had to get Joe on board, and we needed to start today! Joe and I are currently reading it together, and we are starting to implement giving the girls more control of their lives and then allowing natural consequences to happen to them so they can learn to think for themselves and learn at an inexpensive rate. It's not going to be easy and it's going to take hard work and lots of courage, but I'm so excited for how it's going to change our daughters' lives forever.
 
I could go on and on with what I love about this book and how we are starting to apply it, but I'll end with "just go get the book and see for yourself." Let's raise a new generation of responsible, loving, and confident children. 
LOVE AND LOGIC TIP
Have you ever ruined a good lesson with an "I told you so"? I know I have. Human nature just makes it difficult to resist "sharing our wisdom" at the wrong times.
 
Here are some thoughts on helping kids learn from their own mistakes:
  • Save the "I told you so!" for when you mess up (lecture yourself out loud about what you learned and how you aspire to do better next time. Do this within earshot of your kids). 
  • Pour on the empathy (mostly silent empathy) when kids make mistakes. 
  • This is not always easy to pull off, but kids tend to learn best from their own mistakes when we resist the urge to do a lot of explaining about what they should be learning.  It's amazing how human beings, once told what they should be learning, resist the lesson. 
  • The focus of the lesson can shift to a power struggle over whether they are going to learn what we want them to learn (or not). Let empathy and the results do most of the teaching.
- Jedd Hafer
FREE & EASY WAYS TO HELP OUR SCHOOL
Matching Employer Funds - Many larger employers offer matching funds when their employees donate to the school through their portals. Check with your employer to see what they may offer!

General Mills Box Tops For Education - Save Box Tops from all participating products. Please drop off accumulated Box Tops in the school office.

Fred Meyer Rewards - Go to www.fredmeyer.com, click on  "Rewards," choose Community Rewards from the drop-down menu and follow the instructions to link your card. If you have already designated MCS as your Community Reward, please take a minute and check if it is still active. (The community reward must be renewed yearly.) 

AmazonSmile - Go to Amazon Smile for more information and instructions to register. 

My Coke Rewards - Save the lids from bottles and the codes on the inside of 12 or 24 packs of Coke products. Bring the accumulated lids & codes to the school office.

Together for the Kingdom - Drop off clothing and reusable household items in our collection bin. For more information regarding the non-profit: www.togetherforthekingdom.com.