October 4 Update

Grandfriends' Day
Grandfriends' Day will take place this Friday (October 8). Your child should have brought home information/invitations last Friday. Here is the schedule for the day:
9:00-9:55 in our classrooms
9:55-10:15 out for recess
10:15-11:00 in our classrooms
11:00-11:45 in the Worship Center for a short program
12:00 a special lunch for all the grandfriends
*coffee and refreshments will be served in the front lobby for the first hour

We are looking forward to seeing grandfriends on Friday. Thank you to those of you who have volunteered to help make the day and lunch possible.

Midterms
The students will be receiving midterm reflection forms this Wednesday (October 6th). They are to log onto Net Classroom, write down their grades, write a short reflection for each class, and have their midterm reflection forms signed by parents. The students can find their grades under each individual class. They are not posted under a separate midterms section. The forms are due no later than Monday, October 11th. Thank you for taking time to talk with your children about how they are doing this year so far. It is not too late to improve grades for this quarter!

School Store
The RCMS school store opened October 1. Middle school students will be running the store; 7th grade is responsible for the month of October. The store is open during morning break time. A different class will be responsible for the store each month. The proceeds will be divided between 5th-8th grade classes each month. It may not amount to much, but the 7th grade profits will be used to defer the cost of our MI Adventure field trip in June.

Family Time Today
This morning we had the privilege of hearing from Eric Ohlman about the ministry of LIFE International (http://www.lifeinternational.com/). He shared with the students about how they were each created in the image of God and how much they are loved and valued. He also shared about the importance and intricacy of each human life. The students were also given models of 12 week old fetuses and encouraged to share with their family about what they learned today.

Net Classroom
If you tried to view language arts grades last week on Net Classroom, you may have noticed that they were inadvertently posted under 4th quarter. The problem should be fixed now. You should have received log-in information about Net Classroom in the mail a few weeks ago. Please let me know if you do not know your user name or password. Grades are being posted throughout the quarter; you do not need to wait until midterm or the end of the quarter to see how your child is doing in classes.

Serenity Essay
The students were assigned an essay last Friday in language arts. Their rough drafts are due tomorrow (Tuesday, October 5). The students need to bring a printed copy of their papers to class; they will peer edit in class. Final essays are due on Thursday, October 7. The students each have a paper that explains all the specific requirements.

Family Tree Project
During our 7th Grade Enrichment Class on Friday morning, Mr. Burgess and I introduced the students to a family tree project. This is meant to encourage dialogue between students and their family members about family history, names, etc. Students will be working on this in class next Friday morning. A final family tree is due on Monday, October 11. We will be talking more about this in class, but I wanted to give you a "heads up" that your children will be asking for you to share some of your family history with them. I have enjoyed conversations I've had with some of my relatives as I recently worked on completing a family tree for this assignment.

Miscellaneous
*My older brother is getting married next weekend in Chicago. I will not be at school on Monday, October 11 due to family obligations with the wedding. I also may not be checking email, so thanks for being patient with me if it takes me a little longer than normal to respond at the end of next week/start of the following week.
*October 11: Middle School Skating Party at Woodland Skate
*Thursday, October 9 has been declared "School Spirit Day." Students are encouraged to wear something that represents some school's color (ie: students can support Michigan, Michigan State, RCS, etc.).
*Tetons Square Dance: Please feel invited and welcome to attend a square dance at RCS on Friday, October 15th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The night is celebrating the Teton 2010 program, but anyone is welcome to come. There is not cost.
*There is a pre-algebra test on Thursday.