Check Your Church Calendars...

Okay, okay, for all you careful readers out there, we are starting ADVENT, not LENT on Sunday. Enjoy your first Sunday in ADVENT.

(At least I got the "Coming of a Savior" part right.)

Happy Wednesday Before Thanksgiving

The 39 Clues - Our Read Aloud Book and Future Activities
Today we finished The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, the first book in The 39 Clues series. It has been a wild ride. What a story! Our main characters went from Boston to Philadelphia to Paris, places where Ben Franklin lived, and now they are on their way to Vienna, Austria to learn something about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Book two in the series, One False Note by Gordon Korman, is scheduled to be released next week on Tuesday.

Just in case . . . I called Book World in town and said there might be some interested children coming their way looking for the second book. I've already reserved mine, so hopefully it will be there on Tuesday.

Next week I'm planning a large activity for reading and English class around the books. We will be doing research about famous historical people, more reading and writing, code breaking, and dot connecting, so to speak. Instead of letting the excitement over the books just fade away, I thought I'd try to harness it and teach them something along the way.

The 39 Clues website has information about the books and additional clues for readers to solve. There are also collectable cards that can be used on the website. Basically, there's a TON of information, all scattered around. It is the kids' job to decipher it, organize it, and solve the mystery. And we're going to try.

In Other News...
Parade This Friday - Friday night is the Parade in Wisconsin Rapids. Mr. Betts is looking for people willing to walk the route with some Immanuel handouts. Hey! We can be in a parade! Time to practice that parade wave. I'm planning on being there, so maybe we'll see you.

Next week - At-Home memory assignments will continue with Q2W4, but the at school memory will focus on the Christmas program. Students are bringing home the lyrics today.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and first Sunday in Lent as we ready our hearts for the coming of a Savior this Christmas!

Monday, 11/24 News

Food Offerings for Chapel
We are currently collecting non-perishable food for the local food pantry. Offerings can be brought in any time, and on Wednesdays they will be taken to chapel as part of our offering.

Items for Iraqi Children and Our Troops
A note went home last week about donations for Iraqi children and the troops stationed in Iraq. Some items for the children include soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, small toys like Hotwheels or Beanie Babies, children’s clothes, and school supplies (scissors, rulers, pens, pencils, etc.)

Students may also include cards or letters to American Troops. Another option would be to simply donate money to go towards postage to mail the boxes.

Culver's Night
Tuesday night is Culver's Night. Ten percent of all proceeds go back to school, and there's always someone you know to eat with and talk to.

T-Shirt Day
This Wednesday has been declared a "Wear-Your-White-Vine/Branches-Immanuel-Shirt-To-School" Day. (Is more explanation needed?)

Recess Clothes
It's that time of year. Please make sure your child has necessary items for recess. All children should have boots, snowpants, jackets, hats, and mittens. Even though it hasn't been snowy, it's still been cold. Too many kids go outside wearing a sweatshirt and then say, "Can I go in and get my hat and mittens?" Once the snow flies, children aren't allowed on the snow without the proper clothing. Thanks.

Here's the Story

Yesterday I had to leave school at midday. You may have heard a story involving Mr. Wilhorn, Texas, airports, a heart attack, my mother, and my grandmother. Here's the story, and I'm sorry if you received another version. Stories sometimes lose their accuracy on the way home.

My grandmother had a heart attack early Monday morning. She was taken to Riverview and immediately transferred to Marshfield.

May parents are in Texas on vacation. My mother flew home to be with my grandmother - her mother. I needed to drive to Minneapolis to pick up my mother from the airport.

To answer the next question: She's doing better than could be expected at this point. Once they got the blocked artery cleared, she immediately felt better. She arrived at the hospital Monday morning, and by Monday afternoon she was asking about going home the next day. The doctors still wanted her in the critical care unit overnight, but she was asking about going home. I'll find out more today after I talk to my mom.

Thanks for your prayers.

Friday, 11/14 Newsletter

Muffins with Mom
Our annual get together for moms and grandmothers and kids is next week on Wednesday morning. The morning starts at 8:00. Consider coming and staying for chapel at 8:50.

The Upcoming Week

Memory - At home: Q2W2 slips At School: The 7th Commandment and meaning. Students may break it into two parts (the first part up to "...or possessions.") or say it all at once. In the end I'd still like students to say it all at once.

Religion - The coming of Jesus

Reading - Theme 2 Unit wrap-up.

English - Writing

Math - Numbers through hundred millions, mixed numbers, money

Science - Weather

Social Studies - Finish the Northeast states. Current events and more Wisconsin history.

Spelling - Unit 11 ground, frown, downtown, bounced, council, about, scout, counter, background, amount, bound, shower Additional words: mountain, county, cloud, south Bonus words: thousand, allowance

Coming Home Today

Due to a combination of not handing papers out and not emptying take-home folders and not checking mailboxes (and probably some other stuff), today, finally, there is a ton of student work coming home. Be sure to ask your fourth grader about it.

November Book Order

First, a couple notes for parents.

• The book order is due on Friday, 11/14.
• Cash and checks both work, but a check to the book order company works best for me.
• Since the Christmas season is coming, I can keep orders secret for you. (I won't tell the kids this, and I'm willing to stretch the truth for you. No BIG lies, however!)

And now, books I can recommend from the November book order.

• The City of Ember
• Knee-Knock Rise
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Number the Stars
• The 39 Clues, Book One: The Maze of Bones (our current read-aloud)
• The Kid Who Became President
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Books 1 & 2

And now, books I know something about or by authors I am familiar with, but haven't read. Yet.

• The Homework Machine
• Miracle on 49th Street
• Magical Girls Trio - I have read Princess Acadamy, but not the other two.
• Main Street Series
• Snot Stew - Dick King-Smith write enjoyable animal stories.
• Deltora Quest Boxed Set - I've heard that it is a fun adventure/fantasy series.
• The Shadow Children Collection - potentially tough for fourth graders, but again, I've heard that it is very exciting and adventurous.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Just a reminder that parent/teacher conferences start tonight. Everyone should have received a note with your night and time. If you didn't, send me a message and I'll let you know right away.

When you arrive, report cards will be in envelopes outside the room. Feel free to take it before the conference. You can even get it early if you are headed to another child's conference.

Finally, there will be a little contest in the hallway with some student work. If you want, take an entry form, do your best, and turn it in. Everything you'll need will be in the hall.

See you tonight (or Tuesday or Thursday).

On Our Way To Dig Up the Past

Here we are on our way to the excavation site, ready to be archeologists and dig up some history.

Good Morning!

Here we all are, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a great night's sleep and on our way to breakfast.

Coming Home Tonight - Tuesday, 11/4

Here is a list of all the important stuff coming home tonight:

• Orange parent/teacher conference note telling date and time of conference.
• Final CWES field trip note.
• Election Information - state electoral votes map, poll closing times chart, and "scorecard"
• Quarter 2 Week 1 memory slip
• All second quarter memory (which we start next week with the 6th and 7th commandment.)
• Spelling List 10
• And maybe something else I'm forgetting, but I think I got it all.

Have a great night, don't stay up too late watching the election results, and see you in the morning at 8:15.

Costumes

Let's see if I can get this straight. There are some dancers and sleepers and an evil Sith lord. Some more dancers and Lewis and Clark and a scurvy pirate. There an archeologist who's not favous for his archeology. We have a tour guide and famous soccer player and a sailor and Clementine and Margaret and some bald guy with a mop who already lost his earring and bushy eyebrows. And I know I forgot something. Lots of creativity was on display today. (And we even got some work done! How about that?)

Have a great long weekend.

Whoops! Spelling List

If we are having a spelling test, it might be nice to have the spelling words...

Unit 9: cared, dairy, unfair, rarely, stared, dared, glare, airplanes, barely, farewell, software, staircase Extra words: everywhere, carefully, square, therefore Bonus Words: comparison

Printed versions are going in mailboxes as soon as I click "publish post."

All Sorts of News...It's Been a While!

End of the First Quarter - Report Cards
Tomorrow is the end of the first quarter. I'll be calculating grades over the weekend and printing report cards soon after. Report cards will be handed out at parent / teacher conferences on November 10, 11, or 13.

Costume Day and Party
Tomorrow morning at 9:00 we will have our traditional costume parade. So far I know of two literature related costumes, and mine is easy - and I hope recognizable to the kids. Remember our school guidelines. Following the costume parade there will be a party in the room with some snacks and activities. Then we'll do our best to have a "normal" rest of the day.

Thursday and Friday - No School
Teacher and pastors will be attending the Professional Church Workers Conference in Green Bay on Thursday and Friday. Students, enjoy your extra two days off.

Parent / Teacher Conferences
A bright yellow note was sent home last week asking your input on scheduling conferences. First priority is given to families with multiple children and to families with upper graders due to the upper grade conference schedule. However, usually everyone gets the evening and time range they request. Kindly give me a few options. It's hard to fit three people in at 5:30 on Thursday if three people request the same thing. I can fit a 5:00 and 5:20 and 5:40 if given a range of time. Thanks. I look forward to seeing all of you.

C.W.E.S. Field Trip
Coming home today is another packet for the Environmental Station field trip. I won't repeat everything here since it's all in the note.

However, volunteer drivers, if you would like to drive we could still use one driver for the return trip. There were some people who volunteered to drive both ways, but I'd like to give everyone a chance if they wish, and hopefully people won't need to drive both ways. If you'd still like to drive, please let me know tomorrow. Also, if you volunteered to drive both ways and wouldn't mind taking both shifts, please let me know that too. An email about drivers would be fine.

Spelling Schedule
Since this is only a three day week, and next week we'll be in class only two days due to our field trip, we'll treat those five days as one week. So we'll have this week's spelling test next week on Tuesday.

Memory
Memory for the first quarter is done, but the second quarter's memory will come home next week. There will be no memory assignments for next week.

Culvers Night Tonight, 10/27
Just a reminder.

Whoops! Correction!

Coming home in everyone's take home folder tonight is a letter from Melissa Peet, Immanuel's Director of Family Life, concerning an opportunity for Immanuel members entitled "Welcome to God's Word." Due to a communication error (read: "Mr. Wilhorn didn't read his email carefully") I sent home the letter to everyone.

Sorry about that. The email was simply to make me aware of the letter. Instead, I got a bit overeager and printed it, copied it, and sent it home with everyone.

The real letter will come home tomorrow with the correct people.

(I'm sure that if it seems interesting to parents from other congregations, however, you'd be more than welcome to attend!)

Fourth Grade Thursday Updates

Book Order
This was an uninspiring book order - not a ton of great ones, but there are some good ones in there. Here's what I can recommend:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Goofy titles, but a pretty innocent and funny book.
• The 39 Clues - Mystery, collectable game cards, and online additions make this an interesting option. I've read numerous rave reviews, but will be getting my copy in the book order so we'll see...
• The Kid Who Ran for President - We just finished this as a read aloud.
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Incredible! There's a waiting line for this one in the room.
• Elijah of Buxton, The Wednesday Wars, and Feathers - All are great award winners, but the reading level could be challenging as well as some subject matter for fourth grade.
• The Sign of the Beaver
• Roald Dahl Set
• Chasing Vermeer and The Calder Game - Books 1 and 3 of a series. Book 2 is not available but is called The Wright 3.
• Meet Kit
• Chronicles of Narnia Pack

Book orders will be due on Tuesday, October 21.

Two Permissions Slips - Field Trips
Students received a permission slip today for our trip to the cranberry marsh next week on Tuesday. Students will need to pack a cold lunch for the day. We will leave at 9:30 (after chapel, which is on Tuesday next week). My best guess as to when we will return is around 1:30.

Drivers are needed. If you can drive, please indicate so on the permission slip and I will send a note out confirming who is and is not driving. All parents are welcome to join us even if you aren't driving students, and as long as we have room.

Yesterday students received a packet for our trip to the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station in three weeks.

Memory
We have the rest of this week, next week, and a short week after that before the end of the first quarter. The remaining At School memory is the second, third, fourth, and fifth commandment and meanings. Consider them all assigned. Students may say them as they are ready, sometime before the end of the quarter.

Friday and Weekend Updates

Monday and Tuesday
I will be gone on Monday and Tuesday in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Mrs. Weiss will be our substitute. Mr. Betts and I thought she'd be a great sub - she knows the kids, the school, the families, and the Lord. She and I have met twice leading up to this discussing how things roll in fourth grade. (AND she's already finished Frindle.)

(Just in case you'd like to see what I'll be doing, click here to see information about the conference.)


Special Program Next Friday, October 17
Everyone is cordially invited (sounds impressive!) to attend a presentation at school next Friday at 2:30 in Kuechle Hall. All students in grades K-4 will share a short presentation or demonstration on the value of fluency in reading. There will be reader's theater and books read aloud and all variety of impressive stuff done by the children. (Don't expect each child to get 10 minutes of spotlight, however.) Fourth grade parents attending will be ... uh, I mean ... could be asked to participate in our demonstration. (Don't worry, nothing painful. And don't forget, I'm one of you.)

Afterward there will be time for socializing with other families from the school. It should be a fun time. Feel free to stick around until the end of the day and your and your child can leave together.

If you have any questions, let me know. Thanks!


Spelling and Memory
Spelling lists and Q1W7 memory slips are in students' mailboxes. Sorry I didn't have them yesterday.


FIELD TRIPS COMING!!! FIELD TRIPS COMING!!!
We have two field trips coming soon! The first will be our trip to the cranberry marsh on Tuesday, October 21. We will be visiting B & R Cranberries in Nekoosa to see how harvest is done. (This is still in the planning stages...but it looks like a go.) We will need 3-4 drivers for that morning and possibly the afternoon. There should be no charge for this trip.

The second field trip coming is our trip to the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station. This trip is Wednesday and Thursday, November 5-6. Less than four weeks! We will need drivers to get us there on Wednesday morning and to pick us up on Thursday afternoon. The cost of this trip is around $45. Tons of information will be coming home next week. If you have questions, wait until that information comes home. Then if you still have questions, let me know. :-)

Hand Bell Choir

Mr. Altis asked me to pass on a message. Any fourth grade students interested playing in the school hand bell choir is welcome. Practices are at 8:00 on Tuesday mornings. The choir plays for chapel as much as they can.

The only out of school committment would be the Immanuel Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 14th at 4:00 p.m. There is a rehearsal on Saturday, December 13th from 9:00-9:45 a.m.

If you have any additional questions you may contact him or let me know and I'll pass your message on to him. Thanks.

Beginning of the Week News - 10/6

A Few Short Items:

• Tomorrow is picture day. If you haven't sent in your orders and still wish to do so, please have them here tomorrow.
• Wednesday is "Walk to School Day" throughout Wisconsin Rapids. Consider walking to school if you live close by, or parking the car and walking the rest of the way. This is just one little thing schools do in Wisconsin Rapids to remind families the importance of leading active lives. Even the little things help.
• Domino's night is Wednesday and Thursday. A percentage of all proceeds from Immanuel purchases is donated back to school.
• No school on Friday - teacher inservice day.

Friday 10/3 Newsletter Updates

Okay, For Real This Time!
Next week is a four day week. There is no school for students on Friday. It is an inservice day for teachers. Memory slips will be due on Thursday. There is no spelling test (see below).

The Upcoming Week

Memory - At Home: Q1W6 slips At School: Books of the New Testament and the First Commandment and its Meaning.

Religion - Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah

Reading - Begin a novel as a class.

English - Take home test on Theme 1 Monday. Revise and write final copies of our personal narratives.

Math - Time from a clock, rounding numbers, units of length, perimeter.

Science - Electricity.

Social Studies - Natural resources of the United States. Finding important information in nonfiction writing.

Spelling - No list. Review lesson.