K-6 School News
May 6, 2015
Note from the Principal
This is my last newsletter as K-6 principal since I will be transitioning to be the principal for grades 5-8 for the next year. There have been many positive changes occurring at TPCA because of the tremendous partnership that we have between the school and our families. The foundation of this relationship and change is, of course, God. He is the ultimate provider for what we need.
We know that change is inevitable. As much as I don't like it, change will happen at home, in the workplace and at church. I receive great comfort in knowing that God NEVER changes. The God that guided Jonah, comforted Joseph and led Moses is the one and only true God that we love and serve today. Please take a moment to read this great devotional about the topic. http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/Devotions/Noebel_change.aspx
I know that Ms. Buchanan will serve the grade K-4 students, teachers and families with excellence. I look forward to serving alongside her to challenge and educate ALL of our students within the framework of a Biblical worldview while leading them to a personal faith and transformed life in Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Shane Schaffer
Elementary and Middle School Principal
Chapel Info
May 13: K-4 ~ Don Keener
May 13: 5-6 ~ Eric Pendley
May 20: K-4 ~ Tim Thompson
May 20: 5-6 ~ Anna Fischer
May 27: K-6 (combined) ~ Honors Chapel - 2:00 p.m. - TPCC Worship Center
Month at a Glance: May
May 6 & 7: Marengo Cave trip (6th grade)
May 7: National Day of Prayer
May 11: PTF Meeting - 6:30 p.m. - Media Center
May 12: TPCA Retirement Party - 4:00 p.m. - TPCA/JK Stevens Commons
May 19: Dad's Club Meeting - 6:30 p.m. - Media Center
May 20: Booster Club Meeting - 6:00 p.m. - Media Center
May 22: Leadership Coffee - 8:30 a.m. - TPCA/JK Stevens Commons
May 25: Memorial Day - No School
May 26: Kindergarten Closing Program - 6:30 p.m. - TPCA/JK Stevens Commons
May 27: K-6 Honors Chapel - 2:00 p.m. - TPCC Worship Center
May 29: Last Day of School
Scholastic Reading Challenge Kick-off with First Lady Karen Pence
Football Pancake Breakfast
The TPCA Athletic Department will be hosting an informational pancake breakfast for students interested in playing football this fall. The breakfast is open for current K-5th grade students. Coaches will be present to answer your questions about the upcoming season. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP immediately to Coach Johnson at kjohnson@tpcs.org.
Grade Level News
The kindergarten students will be preparing for two programs in May: our elementary spring program and the kindergarten closing program. A highlight of each year’s closing program is our slideshow so we are gathering pictures from throughout the school year. We are keeping a close eye on the sunflower seeds we planted as well as waiting for our caterpillars to transform into butterflies. During our Bible time we are reading a kindergarten favorite, The Treasure Tree, and its sequel The Two Trails. Both of these books teach how God gives each of us different gifts and talents but we can work together as a team to accomplish things together.
First Grade
During the month of May first grade is focusing on animals. We will be making our yearly trip to the zoo on May 7th to study the animals and their habitats. When we return, students will be working on animal reports and presentations. We will be learning about the different habitats and what animals need to survive. We are also counting down the last days of school with the alphabet. We will also be having a fun year end celebration with fun bounce houses, pizza and ice cream!
Second Grade
The 2nd grade team would like to thank our families for their help with the Asian Art Fair. The exhibits were creative, varied, and priceless. It’s exciting to know the students have found yet another way to worship. And now we sail on to our last continent: Australia! This island nation is the smallest continent, yet it is as diverse as any other land mass. We will learn the ways of the aboriginals and write our own “walk about” story. We will explore the Great Barrier Reef and learn about the unique animals that inhabit the land down under. Then toward the end of May we will say g’day to grade 2 as we write resumes for third grade!
Third Grade
Westward Ho! We will begin to run our classroom like it is 1854. The students will learn about the lifestyle and hardships faced during this time period. The students will read various novels about pioneer life. They will journal about their experiences as they role play pioneer children in the fictional town of Apple Valley. To culminate the unit, we will have Pioneer Day on May 27th. Another exciting event to look forward to is the performance of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on May 26th.
During the month of May, the 4th grade students will be busy finishing up the year. They will learn about the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for their field trip to the IMS on May 19th. In Social Studies, they will learn about Indiana’s progress as a state. In Science, the students will be studying recycling and will create a Science project made out of recyclable materials. The students will read different books in Literature Circles and be able to discuss their novels with their peers. We are looking forward to having a great end to the year!
Fifth Grade
Fifth grade is learning that God not only created us to praise His glory and to bring Him glory, but He also created us to depend completely on Him. This knowledge helps us to realize that He is the One who will give us everything we need for living on this earth. In Social Studies, students are learning why many people decided to move to the West after the Civil War. Measurement, units, time and temperature will be our topic in Math this month. In Language Arts, students are studying Greek and Latin root words. The knowledge of root words helps students maximize vocabulary into their speech, writing and reading comprehension. Students have a literacy partner and are reading various novels and working on individual assignments . In Science, we will be researching and writing about a chosen ocean animal.
Sixth Grade
The current excitement in 6th grade is surrounding our overnight fieldtrip to Marengo Caves. We will be caving, canoeing, hiking and then spending the night. We hope to have a bonding and uplifting time out of doors with the sixth graders to wrap up a wonderful school year. The sixth graders are tackling the issue of illegal immigration through their novels in a cross-curricular project in ELA and Social Studies. We will be wrapping up the novel study mid-May and begin focusing on drama and reading for fun to finish out the school year. The students will be writing an argumentative paper pulling in facts and opinions with regards to the immigration issue. They will also be doing a 5 paragraph write about a country in Central America, South America, or the Caribbean. We have been viewing their fabulous Google Slide presentations about the ancient civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec cultures. We will be having finals the last week of school and will begin a long period of review mid-May.
Co-Curricular News
Spring has sprung in the art room! Student artists have been busy using their talents to create compositions of spring flowers, colorful birds and beautiful butterflies … all gifts of beauty to us from God that testify to His creative genius. There are two great ways to admire TPCA artists’ work. The first is through Artsonia, www.artsonia.com, an online art gallery which allows students to share their art work with family and friends. Art projects throughout the entire year have been posted and are archived on each artist’s individual gallery. Another way to enjoy students’ creativity is to take a walk through the elementary hallways and enjoy the current displays of artwork on the walls. I invite you to do one or both of the above to fully appreciate the many ways students are using their creative gifts to worship and glorify our Savior, Jesus Christ!
REMINDER: National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2015
Picture by: Kindergarten artist, Josiah Hoffeditz
I would like to thank all of the parents and students who helped to make our Scholastic Book Fair a success by volunteering their time, purchasing books, and donating to benefit our library. We exceeded our estimated goals for the book fair, and your contributions have enabled us to put 151 new books on our own library shelves! In addition, the donations made to your children’s classrooms have enabled teachers to add books to the classroom libraries as well. We are in the beginning stages of planning the next book fair for October 5th -9th. The last few weeks of school, our kids are going to continue developing their typing skills as we begin learning about different types of media (digital versus print, advertisements, etc.) and how they affect us.
Music
We will spend the month of May reviewing music facts by using movement, games and manipulatives. We will also be talking about Rondo form. Older students will create a rhythmic piece using Rondo form. Third grade students will be studying about the composers and the pieces they will hear when they go to the ISO later this month.
Physical Education
K-2: As the weather continues to get warmer, we will be outside much more (provided it's not raining). The kids will do more cardiovascular and aerobic exercise. We have been playing competitive games and will continue to do so. We will also continue to do games and exercises that sharpens their dexterity and body control.
3-6 These grade levels will also be doing more cardiovascular and aerobic exercise outside (as the weather permits). We will continue competitive games and continue to work on their attitudes and hearts for one another as we compete. This month, the kids will be introduced to badminton and handball.
It is hard to believe that it is already May and we only have a few classes left in Spanish. Kindergarten has been busy learning about items of clothing and having a great time describing the clothes with vocabulary we learned previously in the year. First and second grade have been learning about different animals from the farm and animals we may find at the zoo, this has aligned very well with their field trips to the Zoo.
Grades 3 and 4 have been learning about different subjects in school and activities we do in each class. We are also working on numbers 1-100 and playing different number games. Grades 5 and 6 are learning how to ask and tell time using the structure: “Que hora es?”, this is not an easy concept and we will continue learning how to tell time in middle school. During the last few class students will prepare and present skits.
Please remind your children to try to do their Spanish homework as soon as possible and to come see me if they have any questions. Also, please remind them to come prepared for class, some students are forgetting their books and we need them every time we have class. Thank you for your support in this very important matter. As always I welcome any question you may have.