San Jose Christian School | September 3, 2013

Mon 9/2No School - Labor Day

Tues 9/3No events scheduled

Wed 9/47th Grade Retreat begins3:30pm

Thurs 9/5No events scheduled

Fri 9/6CPTA Meeting8:40am | Room 3

7th Graders return3:00pm

Tues 9/10MS Back to School Night6:30pm | Auditorium

Wed 9/11Minimum Day11:45am Dismissal

Thurs 9/19School Pictures

Fri 9/20School Pictures

Wed 9/25See You at the Pole7:50am | Auditorium

Sat 10/510th Annual Walk-a-Thon9am - 2pm

MS Back-to-School NightBack-to-School Night for 6th - 8th grade parents is coming up on Tuesday, September 10.

The event runs from 6:30pm - 8:10pm and takes families through a day in the life of their middle school student. Traveling from class to class and hearing from the teachers is a great way to gain insight into our middle school programs and opportunities. SJCS 5th grade parents: We invite you to attend as well to learn about the middle school.

Important Parent SurveysLast week, SJCS parents were emailed two important surveys regarding special programs for this year. The RosettaStone Foreign Language survey should be completed by Wednesday 9/4 to indicate your participation and your student’s preferred language. The Elementary After-School Dance survey should be done by Friday 9/6 and will indicate which sessions and which classes are of interest to your elementary students. Please take time today to complete your response to these surveys. We look forward to beginning these programs very soon!

See You at the PoleSee You At The Pole is a Global Day of Student Prayer held in schools around the world, and at SJCS we count it a privilege to participate. Please join us for prayer at the flagpole on Wednesday, September 25 at 7:50am.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is the theme scripture for the 2013 SYATP. To learn more, visit www.syatp.com.

Walk-a-Thon NewsPlanning is underway for this fun-filled event. Funds raised at the WAT go toward causes like:

• The Student Activity Fund (class activities, special projects, MS Sports, the Fine Arts Festival, PE and playground equipment, single day field trips as well as specific school supplies like binders and headsets)

• The Multi-Day Field Trip Fund, which subsidizes student costs for 4th – 8th grade field trips

• The Sports Booster Fund (items beyond the allocated school Sports budget like the sports banquet and awards)

• The CPTA (Christian Parent Teacher Association)

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 5 (9am – 2pm). This is an event for the entire family.  Invite your neighbors to walk with us and experience our unique community!

Look for your Student Packets containing information and pledge sheets coming home at the end of this week, and remember The first class to have all parents sign up for their volunteer duties will win a Jamba Juice party!

What: 10th Annual Walk-a-ThonWhen: Saturday, 10/5 (9am - 2pm)Where: SJCS Middle School Field

Baby McElhone Is HereOn Friday, 8/30 Mrs. Tracy McElhone, SJCS Extended Care Director, had a baby boy. John Patrick McElhone was born 8lbs. 11oz. and 20 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. Congratulations McElhones!

Tiger TracksThis Week at SJCS

Advanced Dates

Tiger Sports This WeekThe first games for our teams are just 9 days away! Girls Softball Practice: Tues - Thurs 3:15 - 4:45pm

Flag Football Practice:Tues - Thurs 3:15 - 4:45pm

Cross Country Practice:Tues - Fri 3:30 - 4:45pm

The Passion ProjectYour passion is needed!

SJCS flourishes when all members of our community are working together. The great things we have accomplished are a direct result of our partnership with parents and the church. In view of this fact, we are in the process of intentionally finding more ways for our parents to be meaningfully involved in the school. We need your help!

Our desire is for all parents to volunteer in their preferred method. Drawing from our collective pool of talents and passions, we can make this school even better and provide a fantastic educational environment for our students. But to do this, we need to know your passions! Please take this brief survey to share the ways you can help do the work of Christ at SJCS.

Email AddressesSJCS has sent out several email communications to school families this year. If you have not received any, we may not have your correct email address on file. Please contact the school office to correct your address or add any additional email contacts to our list.

First-Ever Cardboard Challenge Is ComingIn a couple of weeks, your students are going to take part in an amazing activity: The Global Cardboard Challenge. The event is the result of interest in a short film called Caine’s Arcade about a little boy with a lot of creativity. You can watch the first movie and the follow up by clicking the highlighted links.

As part of the Cardboard Challenge, SJCS students will join with over 300 groups from around the world in cultivating creativity and ingenuity. On Friday, September 27 student teams will combine kids from all grade levels to dream up and construct interactive games made out of cardboard and other household supplies. The results of their work

will be on display for everyone to play at the Walk-a-Thon.

The Global Cardboard Challenge engages students deeply and fits well with the SJCS mission to nurture a desire to learn. Parent volunteers are needed for planning and on Build Day. If you’re interested, please email Ms. Diephouse at rdiephouse@sjchristian.org

Stay tuned for more details in the weeks ahead!

Tiger TracksTeacher Tales

Check this section each week for exciting stories about teachers doing great things in the classrooms of San Jose Christian School.

How many spirals of seeds are there in a sunflower? On a pinecone? Are certain numbers more prevalent in nature than others? These are the questions that Mrs. Coetsee’s math students set out to investigate last week as they studied the Fibonacci sequence. The students used sunflowers from the Infant Care Center as well as pinecones to count the number of spirals, seeds, and other aspects of plants. One 8th grader

was heard saying, “Fibonacci numbers are everywhere!” The math classes discussed the fact that these connections between mathematical ideas and the natural world come as no surprise to Christians, given that we know our God to be the creator of the universe. We can see His mathematical genius and His splendid creativity everywhere.