May 2021

 Dear First Grade Families,                                                                             

It is hard to believe that we are now in our last full month of school!  It doesn’t seem like very long ago when my classroom was full of brand-new first grade students, ready for an exciting new year.  I have enjoyed watching those eager students grow and learn over the past months. 

Friday, May 7 is our Fine Arts Gala. The event will begin at 6:00 pm. Our music lesson students will be providing entertainment and there will be art pieces for showcase on this exciting evening. 

Thursday, May 13 is a Pajama Day for first grade. We have filled another class sticker chart and earned a treat. The students voted for Pajama Day. Students may wear pajamas and bring slippers to wear in the classroom. Please do send sneakers as we will still be going outside for recess.

The Bulldog Run will be held on Friday, May 14.  All students will be participating and families are invited to come and cheer for the children as they run (or even run with them!).  Children are to report to the classroom by 8:20 am and we will be heading to the soccer field for announcements at 8:30. First grade will be running from 8:40-9:40 am. You are encouraged to sign your child out after the first graders run (on the soccer field) and spend the day with them. I am trying to get an accurate picture of how the day will work, so I am asking each of you to please let me know if you do or do not plan to attend the race day with your child.

There will be no school on Tuesday, May 18, due to the election on that day.

Just a reminder that there will be  no school on Monday, May 31,  Memorial Day.

Our next Bible memory work for the year is as follows:

Ruth 1:16

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.”

 

This will be due on Friday, May 21.

On Thursday, June 10, we will have Pet Day in our classroom. I will be sending a Sign-Up Genius link for 10-minute time slots to bring pets for a visit. Small, non-furry pets who live in cages or bowls (hermit crabs, lizards, fish...snakes!) may be brought for the day, but furry pets may only come for 10 minute visits. If you show any signs of being ill, please do not come for Pet Day. Also, you will need to sign in at the office when you arrive and you will need to sanitize your hands when you enter the classroom. If your child has a rabbit for a pet, please send a picture only. I am very allergic to rabbits and even 10 minutes in the classroom would cause a reaction for me. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Pet Day, please don't hesitate to contact me.

On Friday, June 11, we will have our end of the year picnic at Nottingham Park. Mr. Fry has requested that parents bring their students to the park in the morning. We will meet at Nottingham Park, Pavilion 6, at 9:00 AM. The address is:
150 Park Road

Nottingham, PA

Students (and family members joining them) should bring a packed lunch with a drink. We will have a playground near our pavilion. You will be able to sign your child out from the park and go home from there. 

We are celebrating two birthdays this month:

Landon has a birthday on May 13.
Frankie has a birthday on May 30.

Happy birthday, friends!

Here is a list of important dates to remember in May:

~Friday, May 7 - Fine Arts Gala and Open House, 6:00 PM

~Thursday, May 13 - Pajama Day

~Friday, May 14 - Bulldog Run

~Tuesday, May 18 - No School

~Friday, May 21 - Ruth 1:16 due

~Monday, May 31- No School, Memorial Day

Looking Ahead

~Tuesday, June 8- Field Day and Run Club Awards

~Thursday, June 10 - Pet Day

~Friday, June 11 - Last Day of School; 1/2 Day of School

                                    Picnic at Nottingham Park (150 Park Road, Nottingham, PA; Pavilion 6)

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, and a beautiful month of May.

In Him,

Jackie McClure        

April 2021

 

Dear First Grade Families,        

I cannot believe that we are almost finished with the third quarter!  Report cards will be sent on Friday, April 30. This year has gone so quickly. We've had a great time in first grade, but there is still much to learn and much to do!

In Bible, we will be talking about how Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land.  We will then begin talking about the book of Judges.

Our new memory verse is Joshua 24:15:
“Choose this day whom ye will serve…..But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

This will be due on Friday, April 16.

Your child will be taking the IOWA Assessments the week of April 26-30. Please be sure that your child gets plenty of rest each night before school and eats a healthy breakfast. Please do not feel the need to prepare your child for testing in any way; the less we talk about the test ahead of time, the more calm the students will be. In first grade, I do my best to make this a non-stressful event and fill our time with fun activities when we are not testing. 

April begins a busy time here at Bethany Christian School.  Here is a list of dates to remember:

            April 16 - Joshua 24:15 due

    April 26-30 - IOWA Assessment Week

    April 30 - Report Cards

A Look Ahead:

Friday, May 14 – We will be having the annual Bulldog Run.  All students will be participating and families are invited and encouraged to come and cheer for the children as they run. There will also be a live auction of the class baskets. Please plan to join us for this fun family day!  Please remember to send in your items for our Disney basket.

If you are attending the race, please plan to sign out your child early in the day and keep him/her with you at all times prior to our race in order to allow him/her to experience all of the fun and exciting activities of the day.

On Friday, June 11, which is our last day of school, I would like to have a picnic to celebrate our year together. In the past, we have gone to Nottingham Park for our picnic and have had a great time. I need 2-3 parents who are willing to take charge of planning the picnic for us. This would not involve planning food; due to Covid restrictions, we will have each child pack a bag lunch for the picnic. If you are interested in helping, please let me know. Thanks!

As the weather begins to warm up, it is important that your child brings a water bottle to school each day.   First graders are able to keep water bottles at their desks throughout the day so that we may keep our bodies hydrated.  Please be sure that your child has a water bottle every day.  Thanks!

Please continue to work with your children at home on flashcards, spelling words, and reading.  It really does help them to have that extra few minutes of practice.  All students should still be reading at home for 20 minutes at least 3-4 days each week. It is okay if the reading is somewhat challenging; allow your child to work on sounding out the words that may be difficult. April reading calendars will be due on Monday, May 3.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that may arise.  Thank you for your active participation in our classroom.

In Him,

Jackie McClure

March 2021

Dear Parents,                                                                                                   

In just a few short weeks spring will officially arrive, and with it, the glory of God’s creation as it begins to blossom.  If you’ve never taken the time to fully appreciate the signs of spring, I hope you do this year.  Each one is a gift that God has sent for us to enjoy, and to remind us that He makes all things new.

I received so many lovely Valentines and would like to thank each and every child for being an important part of our class.  You are loved and appreciated so much more than you know!

Our first Bible memory verse for March is Joshua 1:9.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

This is due on Friday, March 5.

Our second Bible memory work for March will be Matthew 28:6.

“He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.”

This verse will be due on Friday, March 26.

Please remember to send in your child's Bible memory verse on the due dates so that we can place the new verse into the book.

We will be having Pajama Day on Monday, March 8, to celebrate filling in another class sticker chart this year! Students are invited to wear pajamas and bring slippers to wear in the classroom. Please be sure to also send sneakers and coats for outdoor recess.

Box Top collection day is March 19. Send in those Box Tops! Also, remember to download the Box Tops for Education app and scan your grocery receipts for digital Box Tops.

We will celebrate one birthday in March.

Lillian will turn 7 on March 14.

Happy birthday, Lillian!

As our year continues to progress, I must emphasize the importance of working with your child at home to reinforce what he or she is learning.  Good study habits begin at an early age.  Take some time each evening to practice spelling words, sight words, math flashcards, and the Bible memory verse.  Even just a few minutes for each area can make a huge difference.  Thank you for your continued faithfulness in supporting your child’s education.

           

Important Dates to Remember:

~Friday, March 5 - Joshua 1:9 Due

        ~Monday, March 8 - Pajama Day!

        ~Friday, March 19 - Box Top Collection Day

~Friday, March 26 - Matthew 28:6 Due

~Wednesday, March 31-Monday, April 5 - No School. Easter Break.

~Tuesday, April 6 - School Resumes

Feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns regarding your child.

            Email:  jmcclure@bethanychristian.org

            You may also send a note to school with your child.

In Him,

Jackie McClure

February 2021

 February is one of my favorite months of the year!  It is a good time to reflect on God’s amazing love.  I pray that you all have experienced His great love in your own lives.

We are participating in the Spread the Love Campaign once again this year. We are collecting jars of peanut butter and jelly (no glass jars, please!) until February 16. Our class goal is 50 jars. We will have a special class celebration if we reach our goal!

Tuesday, February 2, was to be an all-school Spirit Day; we will have a Crazy Hair and Clash Day! Students may choose to wear a silly hairstyle and wild, mismatched clothes on that day. We will let you know when a date is chosen to reschedule this special day.

Our Valentine card exchange will be held on Thursday, February 11, in the afternoon.  Valentines for the class may be sent on or before February 3th.  You should have received a copy of our class list last week, along with some reminders on having your wash his/her hands with soap and warm water before filling out Valentine cards for the class.  If your child would like to hand out Valentines to his/her classmates, please be sure to include everyone listed, so that no one gets hurt feelings!  If you are interested in providing a salty snack or drinks (juice pouches or boxes) for our class, please contact me. We have a sweet treat taken care of already. Please remember that ALL food that is sent for the class MUST be individually factory-wrapped. Thanks!

There will be no school on Friday, February 12 (Teacher In-Service Day) and Monday, February 15, in honor of Presidents' Day.

Our 100th Day is scheduled for Thursday, February 25. If we have any more snow days, this will affect the date of our 100th Day celebration.  We have two birthdays in our class this month: Allie - February 19 Tessa - February 27 Happy birthday, Friends!

February Dates to Remember:

***February 1-16 - Spread the Love Peanut Butter & Jelly collection

***Wednesday, February 3 - Valentine Cards due

***Tuesday, February 9 - Crazy Hair Day/Clash Day **Postponed - new date TBA**

***Thursday, February 11 - Valentine Card Exchange

***Friday, February 12 - No School (Teacher In-Service Day)

***Monday, February 15 - No School (President’s Day)       

***Thursday, February 25 - 100th Day! (any snow days before this date WILL change the day of our celebration)                             

Blessings!

Jackie McClure

January 2021

 Welcome back!  I pray that everyone had an enjoyable and restful Christmas.  

Please remember to fill out and return the reading calendars for reading homework each month. I will be accepting December calendars until the end of next week, January 15. January calendars were sent home on Thursday, January 7. I apologize for not getting them sent before the break; my mind was consumed with Christmas activities. 

Picture retake day is Tuesday, January 12. If you are not happy with your child’s pictures, please return them to school on January 12 to have retakes done. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Tabor (mtabor@bethanychristian.org).

On Monday, January 18, there will be no school, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 

In Bible, we will begin looking at the life of Moses.

          Our next Bible memory work will be the first 4 of the Ten Commandments. This will be sent home Tuesday, January 12 in the white envelope.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

This will be due on Tuesday, January 19.

On Monday, January 18, there will be no school, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 

We are celebrating one birthday in our class this month!

                   Chelsie has a birthday on January 9.

      Happy birthday, Chelsie!

We will also be celebrating some half-birthdays in January. These should have been celebrated in December, but I neglected to include them in my newsletter, so we’ll do them in January! :)

                   Belle has a half-birthday on January 11.

      Charlie has a half-birthday on January 15.

      Matthew has a half-birthday on January 24.

                               Happy half-birthday, Friends!

Please send your child to school dressed appropriately for the winter weather.  This includes a coat that can zipper/button up the front, a hat or hood, and gloves or mittens.  We do sometimes go outside when it is cold.’

Also, please send a full change of weather-appropriate clothes in your child’s backpack each day. Sometimes there will be mud or puddles on the playground or field and we might come in from recess quite dirty or wet. 

Important Dates to Remember:

Tuesday, January 12 - Picture Retake Day

Monday, January 18 - No School

Tuesday, January 19 - Commandments 1-4 due

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me by note or email (jmcclure@bethanychristian.org), or you can send me a message on our Class Dojo.  Enjoy the winter weather, and stay warm!

In Him,

Jackie McClure

December 2020

I trust everyone had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving holiday.  It is nice to be back in school again, and hear the different activities that your children enjoyed during the school break.  Thank you for taking the time to come out for conferences.  I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with each of you.

Please continue to listen to your child read aloud at home each week.  We are making great progress in our readers, and the at-home practice makes such a difference.  It is very important that the children are reading aloud to an adult; this helps catch inaccuracy in the reading.

During the month of December, we will be discussing the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Our memory verse for this month will be John 3:16-17.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

This memory work will be sent home on Tuesday, December 1, and tested on Friday, December 18.

We have earned a class treat for filling up our class sticker chart! The students voted on having a Sock Day! I would like to have Sock Day on Friday, December 4. Students are encouraged to participate by wearing some crazy/fun socks. I do recommend a warm/thick pair because our floor can be chilly! We will still need our sneakers to wear outside for recess on Friday.

We will have our Christmas party on Wednesday, December 23.  We will be having a book exchange in the morning.  Each child is asked to bring one book, costing no more than $5.  All students should bring a book that could be enjoyed by both boys and girls, if possible.  Each book should be wrapped and labeled as follows: 
                                                            To:  A Friend
                                                            From:  Your Child’s Name

Please send the book to school by December 21; we will have our book exchange early in the day.  The party will be after recess, beginning around 10:30.  Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, we cannot allow parents to attend our party this year. Please be looking for a Sign-Up Genius if you would like to provide a snack for our party.
                                               
There will be no school from December 24-January 6.  Classes will resume on Thursday, January 7, 2021.

Extra clothes:
Please have your child keep a complete extra change of clothes in his/her backpack. We are going outside for recess on cold days, and sometimes the playground and field are muddy. If we fall in the mud, it is nice to have a change of clothes available. The office is not keeping extra clothing available this year. 

If you have any questions regarding any of our classroom information, please contact me at your convenience.  I pray that you have a beautiful Christmas season!

In Him,
Jackie McClure

November 2020

 Dear Parents,                                                                                

              

As the days begin to get cooler, I’m realizing that the year is progressing very quickly.  We have been very busy in first grade, and time seems to be flying!   

With the weather growing colder, please keep in mind that the children should be dressed appropriately.  We do go outside on cold days; children should be wearing coats that can button or zip, and a hood or a hat.   

There is no school on Tuesday, November 3, due to our school being used as a polling location for the election.

Scholastic orders are due by Monday, November 9.  If you are sending an order to school for me to place, please make checks payable to Jackie McClure.  Please do not send cash. If any items are gifts, please let me know, and we will arrange for you to pick up the order in the office or in the classroom.

Monday, November 9 is also Teddy Bear Day! Children are invited to bring a favorite Teddy Bear (or other stuffed animal) to school for the day. 

Our first Bible memory work for November:

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

This will be due on Friday, November 13.

Bethany Christian School will be participating in a canned food drive to help our local Neighborhood Services. Collections will take place from November 2-November 15. First grade is asked to bring in 1 lb. cans of green beans. Please make sure to mark your items with a ‘B’ for boys or a ‘G’ for girls - we have a school-wide competition! :)

Report cards will be sent home via RenWeb on Friday, November 20.  Conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 24, which will be a half-day of school. Dismissal for the students on half days will be at 12:30.  We do not eat lunch at school on half-days, but children will need to bring a morning snack.  Please consider sending a larger-than-usual snack, as our tummies will be hungry before 12:30. There will be no aftercare on November 24.  There will also be an opportunity for a conference on Wednesday, November 25 from 8:00 am - 12:30 pm for those who are unable to attend on Tuesday. I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress and to get to know you as well.

We will be having a small Thanksgiving celebration on Monday, November 23.  We will be making turkey pumpkins with Charlie’s mom. If time allows, we will watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving after making our pumpkins. There will be no school from Wednesday, November 25, to Monday, November 30, for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Classes will resume on Tuesday, December 1.  This is a change from the calendar.

We have two students celebrating birthdays this month.

Savannah - November 9

Hans - November 23

Happy birthday, Friends!!

Important Dates to Remember:

November 3      ~No School - Election Day

November 9      ~Scholastic Orders Due

  ~Teddy Bear Day!

November 20    ~Report Cards issued

November 13    ~Proverbs 19:21 due

November 23     ~Thanksgiving Celebration              

November 24     ~1/2 Day of School

                          ~Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 25    ~No School’

                          ~Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 26-30~No School.  Thanksgiving Holiday

December 1      ~School resumes

As always, feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns as we partner together in your child's educational experience at Bethany!

In Him,

Jackie McClure