November 5, 2012 Newsletter

November 5, 2012

The weather is getting cooler. Please make sure your child has a jacket as well as appropriate attire.

I have noticed many students who do not have a lunch or choose not to eat their lunch (or have a cookie or candy bar). This is something that causes them to become tired and the afternoons have been full of sluggish children. The school does have a lunch program if packing a lunch is an issue.

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.

Math tests are on Mondays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules. Students are also now responsible for a pretest over the weekend that will be due on test days.

We have finished Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Before we began reading we took notes on the life of Shakespeare. Students are required to have a blue covered composition book for literature notes. If they do not have this, they will not be able to use any notes on their test which is scheduled for Wednesday November 7, 2012. Our next book is The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc. There is NO EXCUSE for not having this completed.

This week we will be looking at lesson 13 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Thursday November 9. Also, spelling tests are every Friday. Students are given the words on Monday’s and have all week to study them.

In Writing we will be talking about taking notes on the animal research books that are due Monday October 29 (today). If students do not have these books they will be getting a zero on each days in class assignment this week since we will be using them all week in writing. Many students are now failing writing due to not completing their journal entries and making no attempt or simply not having their books. Students have failed to plan and are now realizing that they have literally planned to fail.

We are in chapter 9 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covered the Revolutionary War. The test date is Friday November 9.

In Science we will be beginning the Earth Science Textbook Chapter 13 The Ocean The test date is TBA.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be continuing our Square Dancing. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc.

In Spanish we went be over la cocina (the kitchen) last week. This week we will be reviewing from the ;ast two weeks for their spanish cummulative exam (next week) as well as beginning fruits and veggies vocabulary. There will be a quiz this thursday.

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. There is no excuse for tardiness.

Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts. The word of the week is jaundice. Also, send in Pop-Tabs from your soda cans. We will be collecting them as well.

The last few weeks have been really tough. I believe that students forget that I am the teacher and they need to respect me. There has been way too much chatter and disrespect, which causes tension in the classroom the students to feel as if they are being disrespected(ie when I don’t “give them special privileges” because they miss out due to their lack of respect). Please remind your child that they are in school to learn and not to chat with their friends. This really is a team effort and tight now, Team Kemper is a one woman show and there are 15 kids against one teacher.

Some important dates:

November 7- Shakespeare Test
November 8- Spanish Vocab quiz
November 8- Wordly Wise Test
November 9- Spelling Test
November 9- History Test
November 9- Veterans Day Program***begins at 9 am****
November 12- Veterans Day***No School****
November 16- Half day Noon Dismissal
November 21- Half day Noon Dismissal
November 23-24 No School Thanksgiving Break
December 6- World War 2 Book Report Due
December 21- Half day Noon Dismissal
December 24-January 4 No School Winter Break

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

October 29, 2012 Newsletter

October 29, 2012

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.
Please make sure your child’s shirt is not too tight, buttoned up and long enough. There are too many bare midriffs and unbuttoned shirts. Also, some students have been choosing to wear shorts, which is fine, however the shorts have been getting shorter and tighter. This is highly inappropriate and referrals will be given to students out of dress code.

Math tests are on Mondays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules. Students are also now responsible for a pretest over the weekend that will be due on test days.

We began Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Before we began reading we took notes on the life of Shakespeare. Students are required to have a blue covered composition book for literature notes. The secret word of the week is irreplaceable. This is a for credit assignment and blue is the required color. This is to help with note taking and organization.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc.

This week we will be looking at lesson 12 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday November 2. Also, spelling tests are every Friday. Students are given the words on Monday’s and have all week to study them.

In Writing we will be talking about taking notes on the animal research books that are due Monday October 29 (today). If students do not have these books they will be getting a zero on each days in class assignment this week since we will be using them all week in writing.

We began chapter 9 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covered theRevolutionary War. The test date is Friday November 9.

In Science we will be continuing the Earth Science Textbook Chapter 11, The Water Cycle. The test will be on Thursday November 1.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be starting our Square Dancing. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc.

In Spanish we will be going over la cocina (the kitchen). There will be a quiz over the vocab this Thursday.

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. There is no excuse for tardiness.

Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts. Also, send in Pop-Tabs from your soda cans. We will be collecting them as well.

Some important dates:

October 31- Classroom Halloween Party***No Costumes***
November 1- Science Test
November 1, Spanish Vocab quiz
November 9- History Test
November 9- Veterans Day Program***more information to come*****
November 12- Veterans Day***No School****
November 16- Half day Noon Dismissal
November 21- Half day Noon Dismissal
November 23-24 No School Thanksgiving Break
December 6- World War 2 Book Report Due
December 21- Half day Noon Dismissal
December 24-January 4 No School Winter Break

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

October 22, 2012 Newsletter

October 22, 2012

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.
Please make sure your child’s shirt is not too tight, buttoned up and long enough. There are too many bare midriffs and unbuttoned shirts. Also, some students have been choosing to wear shorts, which is fine, however the shorts have been getting shorter and tighter. This is highly inappropriate and referrals will be given to students out of dress code.

Math tests are on Fridays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules.

We are finished our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. There is a test on Tuesday October 23. The students were given the testing material on Wednesday October 12. There is no excuse for poor test scores on this because students should have been discussing the book along the way. The next book (technically play) we will be beginning is Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc.

This week we will be looking at lesson 11 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday October 26. The secret word of the week is gargantuan. Also, spelling tests are every Friday. Students are given the words on Monday’s and have all week to study them.

In Writing we will be talking about being a writer. This sounds simple but it something that the students have been struggling with.

In spelling we will be continuing to go over the 100 sight words as well as the previous weeks Wordly Wise vocabulary. Please remember to remind your student to study. r. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We finished chapter 8 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covered the Early Industrialization in America. The test date is Monday October 22. We will be beginning chapter 11, Governing States under the Constitution on Tuesday. Also, the new recitation goes out this week so be sure to keep an eye out for a home copy.

In Science we will be continuing the Earth Science Textbook Chapter 11, The Water Cycle.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be starting our Square Dancing. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be going over mas comunication y repaso de vocabulario.

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. There is no excuse for tardiness.

Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts. Also, send in Pop-Tabs from your soda cans. We will be collecting them as well.

Running Club begins this Wednesday. I sent home a waiver last week.

For those of you who did not come to your parent meeting, YOU HAVE TO SCHEDULE A TIME. I need to meet with you asap!!!!!

Some important dates:
October 22- History Test
October 23- Mohicans Test
October 22-26- Spirit Week: Monday Sports Day, Tuesday Twin Day, Wednesday 60’s Day, Thursday Mismatch Day and Friday Crazy Hair Day.
October 24- Red House Dancers 9:30 am
October 25- Bake Sale
October 26- Fall Festival (In the Afternoon)
October 31- Classroom Halloween Party***No Costumes***
November 12- Veterans Day***No School****
November 16- Half day Noon Dismissal
November 21- Half day Noon Dismissal
November 23-24 No School Thanksgiving Break
December 6- World War 2 Book Report Due
December 21- Half day Noon Dismissal
December 24-January 4 No School Winter Break

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

October 15, 2012 newsletter

October 15, 2012

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.

Math tests are on Fridays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules.

We are finishing our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. The students are doing reading groups to help with comprehension. They are responsible for completing the chapter in class. If they choose not to do this it does become extra homework.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc.

This week we will be looking at lesson 10 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday October 19.

In Writing we will be finishing our Halloween Fright tales and discussing being a writer.

In spelling we will be continuing to go over the 100 sight words as well as the previous weeks Wordly Wise vocabulary. Please remember to remind your student to study. The secret word of the week is fritter. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We will be finishing chapter 8 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covers the Early Industrialization in America. The test date is Monday October 22. We will be beginning chapter 8 on Thursday.

In Science the Earth Science Textbook we will be continuing Chapter 6, Volcanoes.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be starting our Square Dancing. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be reviewing for our quiz on Friday October 19

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door. I have already been giving out lunch detentions.

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts. Also, send on Pop-Tabs from your soda cans. We will be collecting them as well.

Some important dates:
October 15-19- 2 pm Dismissal for Conferences
October 17- Vision Testing
October 19- Preamble Due
October 22-26- Spirit Week: Monday Sports Day, Tuesday Twin Day, Wednesday 60’s Day, Thursday Mismatch Day and Friday Crazy Hair Day.
October 24- Red House Dancers 9 am
October 26- Fall Festival (In the Afternoon)
October 31- Classroom Halloween Party***No Costumes***

Please show up for your parent teacher meeting.

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

October 8, 2012 Newsletter

October 8, 2012

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.

Math tests are on Fridays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules.

We are continuing our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. The students are doing reading groups to help with comprehension. They are responsible for completing the chapter in class. If they choose not to do this it does become extra homework. The secret word for this week is gracious.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc.

This week we will be looking at lesson 9 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday October 12.

In Writing we will be talking about writing with a computer and beginning our Halloween Fright tales.

In spelling we will be continuing to go over the 100 sight words as well as the previous weeks Wordly Wise vocabulary. Please remember to remind your student to study. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We will be reviewing chapter 6 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covers the early colonization of the America’s. The test date is Wednesday October 10. We will be beginning chapter 8 on Thursday.

In Science the Earth Science Textbook we will be beginning Chapter 6, Volcanoes.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be continuing our Dancing With the Stars workout! Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be finishing our La Ciudad and El Cuerpo packets.

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door. I have already been giving out lunch detentions.

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts. Also, send on Pop-Tabs from your soda cans. We will be collecting them as well.

Some important dates:
October 10- School pictures
October 12- Noon Dismissal
October 15-19- 2 pm Dismissal for Conferences
October 22-26- Spirit Week
October 26- Fall Festival (In the Afternoon)

In order to sign up for parent teacher conferences I ask that you sign up on the sheet outside my door.

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

September 24, 2012 Newsletter

September 24, 2012

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.

It has come to my attention that many students are choosing not to tell parents when the math tests are. They are on Fridays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules.

We are continuing our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. Even though there are some difficult words in it, the students are doing a wonderful job reading it.It is great seeing how the students are comprehending a text that intimidated them a few weeks ago! The students are doing reading groups to help with comprehension. They are responsible for completing the chapter in class. If they choose not to do this it does become extra homework. The secret word for this week is gracious.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. Please do this. These are easy points and it is not a difficult task to complete. I have noticed that the lack of reading caused some students grades to go down. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc.

This week we will be looking at lesson 8 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday September 28.

In Writing we will be working on our short stories. I am excited to see the creative juices flowing in the classroom. This assignment is due Friday September 28. This assignment needs to be typed, have a proper header (as outlined in the syllabus), double spaced, black ink, one inch margins, times new roman font and at least 4 pages typed. If students do not have this in the proper format they will receive a 0. I have let them know that my grace has run out and i will no longer allow they to re-do their assignments. They are told what the parameters are for assignments and if they choose not to follow them than they are choosing to fail. I am going ot be giving them class time to do this so the only homework portion will be typing the assignment (unless they choose not to work on it in class).

In spelling we will be continuing to go over the 100 sight words as well as the previous weeks Wordly Wise vocabulary. Please remember to remind your student to study. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We will be continuing chapter 6 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covers the early colonization of the America’s. The test date is October 9.

The Biography project is due on Tuesday September 25. The students will be presenting it in front of the class. They received this assignment on the first day of school so there should be no excuses if it is not completed.

In Science the Earth Science Textbook we will be continuing Chapter 5, Earthquakes. We will be reviewing section 1-4 this week and hopefully watching some more videos of earthquakes. Monday and Tuesday we will be reviewing and Wednesday there will be a test.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be continuing our Dancing With the Stars workout! Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be reviewing body parts packet still and going over the city.

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door. I have already been giving out lunch detentions.

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts.

Some important dates:
September 25- Book Report 1 Due
September 28- Story due
October 1-5- No School (Fall break)
October 10- Noon Dismissal
October 15-19- 2 pm Dismissal for Conferences

Also, please send me an email with your name if you wish to receive this newsletter directly to your inbox!

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

September 17, 2012 Newsletter

September 17, 2012

We survived week six! I am seeing that more students are studying, lets aim for all of the students studying!

On a Health note, PLEASE keep your student home if they are sick. If your student comes to school sick they are exposing all of the other students and teachers to their sickness. This causes everyone to become sick. It is a cycle that I would like to put an end to.

It has come to my attention that many students are choosing not to tell parents when the math tests are. They are on Fridays. This is because there is a test every 4 lessons. This day will rotate throughout they year depending on days off and break schedules.

We are continuing our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. Even though there are some difficult words in it, the students are doing a wonderful job reading it.It is great seeing how the students are comprehending a text that intimidated them a few weeks ago! The students are doing reading groups to help with comprehension. They are responsible for completing the chapter in class. If they choose not to do this it does become extra homework.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. Please do this. These are easy points and it is not a difficult task to complete. I have noticed that the lack of reading caused some students grades to go down. This has caused students to go from A’s to B’s, etc.

This week we will be looking at lesson 7 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday September 21. The secret word of the week is figment.

In Writing we will be working on our short stories. I am excited to see the creative juices flowing in the classroom. This assignment is due Friday September 28. This assignment needs to be typed, have a proper header (as outlined in the syllabus), double spaced, black ink, one inch margins, times new roman font and at least 4 pages typed. If students do not have this in the proper format they will receive a 0. I have let them know that my grace has run out and i will no longer allow they to re-do their assignments. They are told what the parameters are for assignments and if they choose not to follow them than they are choosing to fail. I am going ot be giving them class time to do this so the only homework portion will be typing the assignment (unless they choose not to work on it in class).

I am more impressed with the spelling test scores from the week six vocabulary list. I do still see some struggles with mixing up letters and some students did not study. Please remember to remind your student to study. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We will be beginning chapter 6 in Quest of a Hemisphere. This covers the early colonization of the America’s. The test date is TBA.

The Biography project is due on Tuesday September 25. The students will be presenting it in front of the class. They received this assignment on the first day of school so there should be no excuses if it is not completed.

In Science the Earth Science Textbook we have moved onto Chapter 5, Earthquakes. We will be covering section 1-4 this week and hopefully watching some video’s of earthquakes (if we can get a VGA cable).

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. We have finished our Billy’s Boot Camp Dvd. This week we will be beginning our Dancing With the Stars workout! Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be reviewing body parts (from the DVD Friday) and going over the city.

In Art students will be working with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. There is no excuse for them being tired. I only assign 30 minutes to 45 minutes on homework unless there is a long term assignment or they have chosen not to complete their class work during the school day and it becomes homework.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door. I have already been giving out lunch detentions.

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts.

Some important dates:
September 25- Book Report 1 Due
September 28- Story due
October 1-5- No School (Fall break)
October 10- Noon Dismissal
October 15-19- 2 pm Dismissal for Conferences

Also, please send me an email with your name if you wish to receive this newsletter directly to your inbox!

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

September 10, 2012 Newsletter

September 10, 2012

We survived week five! I am seeing that more students are studying, lets aim for all of the students studying! Also, progress reports are going out this week so please check how your child is doing.

We are continuing our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. Even though there are some difficult words in it, the students are doing a wonderful job reading it.It is great seeing how the students are comprehending a text that intimidated them a few weeks ago!

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. Please do this. These are easy points and it is not a difficult task to complete. I have noticed that the lack of reading caused some students grades to go down.

This week we will be looking at lesson 6 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday September 14.

In Writing we will be going over traits still as well as working on alphabetizing.

I am not as impressed with the spelling test scores from the week five vocabulary list. I do still see some struggles with mixing up letters and some students did not study (based on the final scores). Please remember to remind your student to study. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We will be finishing Chapter 5 in Quest of a Hemisphere. The Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday September 13. Please make sure your students study.

The Preamble to the Constitution is due on Tuesday September 11. The students will be reciting it in front of the class.

In Science we will be finishing Chapter 4 of the Earth Science Textbook. This week we will be looking at the theory of plate tectonics and doing in class review before the test. There will be a Chapter 4 test Wednesday September 12. Please make sure your students are studying. It is amazing how a little studying can make a big difference in the long run on tests.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. We will be working on out Billy’s Boot Camp Dvd. It is a challenging workout. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be continuing to cover the basics. We will be re-looking at commands in the classroom, skills, helpful spanish phrases and commands in the text.

In Art students will be continuing their definitions and begin a secret project with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning.The Secret word of the week is express. Also, PLEASE make sure your student has a water bottle everyday. It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day because the weather is hot.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door.

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top counts.

Some important dates:
September 11- Recitation 1 Due (Preamble)
September 25- Book Report 1 Due

Also, please send me an email with your name if you wish to receive this newsletter directly to your inbox! I have received a few emails so far and would love to add you to my list!

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

September 4, 2012 Newsletter

September 4, 2012

We survived week four! I am seeing that more students are studying, lets aim for all of the students studying! This week is a short week so lets survive the three and a half days!

We are continuing our reading of The Last of the Mohicans. Even though there are some difficult words in it, the students are doing a wonderful job reading it.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. Please do this. These are easy points and it is not a difficult task to complete.

This week we will be looking at lesson 5 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday September 7.

In Writing we have finished writing our autobiographies. Students really did well at writing their rough draft in class last week. This week we will be finishing editing it on Tuesday. The students could have chosen to take their rough draft home over the long weekend and begin typing it. The final draft will need to be completed as homework and will be due Thursday September 6.

I am still impressed with the spelling test scores from the week three vocabulary list. I do still see some struggles with mixing up letters and some students did not study (based on the final scores). Please remember to remind your student to study. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We have begun Chapter 5 in Quest of a Hemisphere. The Chapter 5 test will be on Thursday September 13. Please make sure your students study.

Students should still be working on memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution. There will be times when we practice this in class, but they also need to be working on at home. It will be required that each student stand in front of the class and recited their memorization for a grade. This will help them with public speaking their whole life. The Preamble to the Constitution is due on Tuesday September 11.

In Science we have begun Chapter 4 of the Earth Science Textbook. This week we will be looking at convection currents, drifting continents and sea floor spreading. There will be a Chapter 4 test Wednesday September 12. Please make sure your students are studying. It is amazing how a little studying can make a big difference in the long run on tests.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, ect. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate. Today begins out boot camp session in physical education.

In Spanish we will be continuing to cover the basics. We will be re-looking at commands in the classroom, skills, helpful spanish phrases and commands in the text.

In Art students will be finishing up their discussion of the color wheel with Mrs. Jenny.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. Also, PLEASE make sure your student has a water bottle everyday. It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day because the weather is hot.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door.

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top count

Some important dates:
September 7- Half Day, Noon Dismissal (dress down day)
September 11- Recitation 1 Due (Preamble)
September 25- Book Report 1 Due

The Secret word the the week at Docent. Please have your student tell me this word to let me know that this newsletter is being read. Also, please send me an email with your name if you wish to receive this newsletter directly to your inbox! I have received a few emails so far and would love to add you to my list!

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com

August 27, 2012 Newsletter

August 27, 2012

We survived week three! Last week we learned the importance of being prepared for tests and studying. I hope we will remember that lesson forever!

This Thursday is Open House. Please attend. It is from 530 to 7 and a drop in. Come and see where your child spends their days!

I was so impressed with most of our tests over The Pearl. Last Thursday we began reading The Last of the Mohicans. Even though there are some difficult words in it, the students are doing a wonderful job reading it.

Students should be reading 20 minutes nightly as part of their weekly homework. The reading chart should be filled out nightly, initialed by a parent and turned in on Fridays. This is an important assignment and does count for a grade.They are required to read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday or Sunday. Please do this. These are easy points and it is not a difficult task to complete.

This week we will be looking at lesson 4 of Wordly Wise. This will be done in class this week and there will be a test on Friday August 31.

In Writing we have begun writing our autobiography. Students really did well at comprehending what a thesis is and doing the pre-writing that was required last week. This week we will be working on our first draft and editing it. The final draft will need to be typed for homework and will be due Thursday September 6.

I am still impressed with the spelling test scores from the week two vocabulary list. I do still see some struggles with mixing up letters and some students did not study (based on the final scores). Please remember to remind your student to study. The vocabulary words are written on the board on Monday mornings so they have all week to study. Tests over these words are on Fridays.

We will be continuing Chapter 2 in Quest of a Hemisphere will be finishing Chapter 2 on Monday. The Chapter 2 test will be on Wednesday August 29. Please make sure your students study. We will begin Chapter 3 on Thursday.

Students should still be working on memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution. There will be times when we practice this in class, but they also need to be working on at home. It will be required that each student stand in front of the class and recited their memorization for a grade. This will help them with public speaking their whole life. The Preamble to the Constitution is due on Tuesday September 11.

In Science we have finished Chapter 2 of the Earth Science Textbook and will be reviewing Chapter 2 on Tuesday. This is covering Minerals. There will be a test over Chapter 2 on Wednesday August 29. Please study.

In Physical Education we will be continuing building up muscle strength and endurance. This week we will be finishing our Tae-Bo DVD since the weather outside is extremely hot. Daily we do aerobic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, jumping jacks, crunches, ect. Some of the skirts on the ladies make this a bit difficult so please make sure that skirts are appropriate.

In Spanish we will be continuing to cover the basics. We had a quiz last Friday and this week we will be getting into commands in the classroom, skills, helpful spanish phrases and commands in the text. This is a fun subject and a great way to end our day on Monday and Friday.

In Art students will be going over the terms that are related to art in order to help them gain a better understanding of art as well as finishing their self portrait consisting of the basic shapes. I am impressed with the art skills that are coming to surface.

Make sure your student is getting to bed at a decent time and having breakfast each morning. I am still noticing some tired eyes and yawning. Also, PLEASE make sure your student has a water bottle everyday. It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day because the weather is hot.

Remember, students need to be at school on time. School starts at 8am sharp! I have a slip for students to fill out if they are late and they need to explain why they are late. I recommend arriving 15 to 20 minutes early to allow your child to have ample time to prepare for the day.The school has a tardy policy that is posted outside my classroom door.

We will be kicking off our fundraiser for the end of the year 8th grade trip on Friday August 31. We are selling pizza, a juice and dessert. The orders were due last Friday. I

Also Desert Springs Academy needs your box tops! We are collecting them all the time so please send them in whenever you get one, every box top count

Some important dates:
August 27 (Today)- Family History Project Due
August 30- Open house
September 3- Labor Day, No School
September 7- Half Day, Noon Dismissal
September 11- Recitation 1 Due (Preamble)
September 25- Book Report 1 Due

The Secret word the the week at Cucumber. Please have your student tell me this word to let me know that this newsletter is being read. Also, please send me an email with your name if you wish to receive this newsletter directly to your inbox! I have received tthree emails so far and would love to add you to my list!

Thank you,
Ms. Kemper
kmkemper12@gmail.com