FUN FRIDAYS: PAJAMA DAY (MAY 4)

No, we didn't sleep the day away, but we did roll out of bed and come to school in our PJs.  There were a lot of comfy and cozy looking kids (and teachers) walking around campus on Friday.  This Fun Friday event had the most student participation yet.  Mrs. Zuidema's kindergarten class led the way with 100% class participation, so they took home the Spirit Ball.

GRANDPARENTS' DAY AND WALK-A-THON (MARCH 30)

The Friday before Spring Break was a flurry of activity.  Grandparents from near and far came to visit the campus and take part in the day's events.  Grandparents were treated to student performances, visited the classrooms, and ate lunch with their grandkids.  It is always a blessing to witness how God's faithfulness spreads through all generations.

After lunch, the students headed across the street to the high school track for the elementary school's first ever Walk-A-Thon.  Some parents and grandparents joined the students as well.  The students walked around the track for one hour to raise money for various class service projects.  Some classes walked to raise money for the Red Cross Tornado Relief operations in the Midwest. Others walked in support of Alternatives Women's Center and the Escondido Humane Society.  It was a beautiful day for walking, and the students racked up the laps.  Afterward, the students cooled off with a "big stick" popsicle.

All in all, it was a great way to end the 3rd Quarter and kick off Spring Break!

SPRING CONCERT (MARCH 29)

Right before Spring Break, we kicked off spring with a bang at the elementary school by presenting our annual Spring Concert where those in attendance were treated to a musical drama, “The Amazing Grace Race.”  The students gave a wonderful performance that focused on how we live our lives following in Christ’s steps while in our shoes.  We added a new wrinkle to the Open House that took place after the Spring Concert by featuring student artwork in the hallway. Parents and grandparents alike enjoyed touring the classrooms and perusing the hallway, checking out student work along the way.

THE WEDDING OF Q AND U (MARCH 9)

The phonetic marriage of Q and U took place on Friday, March 9.  Kindergarteners from both classes (and a few teachers who needed to serve as stand-ins) participated in the ceremony.  The boys (Qs) and the girls (Us) exchanged vows to never "quibble" or "quarrel" and to partner together to form a variety of words that could never be made apart from each other.  After stating their vows, the Qs and Us exchanged Ring Pops and then enjoyed a reception where cake and punch were served.  The stately Mr. Steidl, our junior high and high school principal, presided over the ceremonies.

READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY (MARCH 2)

Calvin Christian Elementary School students participated in Read Across America Day by reading books with each other and taking Accelerated Reader (AR) tests to help break the national record for most AR tests taken in one day.  (Check out www.renlearn.com/readthemost to see exactly how many tests were taken.)  The fifth graders read with the kindergarteners, the fourth graders read with the first graders, and the second and third graders read with the preschool students.  It was a fun way to celebrate reading as a whole school!

SERVICE LEARNING IN ACTION: CANS FOR COOKIES (FEBRUARY 24)

The 5th graders in Mr. Lapka's classroom spent an afternoon baking cookies in preparation for their Cans for Cookies canned food drive on Friday, February 24.  The day of the event, during lunch recess, the 5th graders exchanged the cookies they had baked for canned food items that students from the other classes brought to school.  Judging by the long lines and the more than 372 cans that were collected, Cans for Cookies was a huge success.  The donated items will be brought to a local food pantry where they will be distributed to those in need. 

THE 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL (FEBRUARY 13)

Monday, February 13, was the 100th day of school.  We had some very old-looking people walking around campus that day as the elementary students and faculty celebrated the event by dressing up as though they were 100 years old.  Miss Termaat's third graders aged the best as they took home the School Spirit Ball for the week.

FUN FRIDAYS: CHARACTER DAY (FEBRUARY 3)

Calvin Christian Elementary School's hallways were filled with a cast of characters during the lastest Fun Friday.  The students had a great time impersonating their favorite book, movie, television, or video game characters.  Abe Lincoln, Mario, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were just a few of the characters who made appearances.  Congratulations to Miss M.'s class for winning the School Spirit Ball for their enthusiastic participation.

FUN FRIDAYS: NEON DAY (JANUARY 27)

The future is so bright here, you've got to wear shades!  The elementary school was glowing on Neon Day when students came dressed in the brightest and boldest fluorescent colors they could find.  The class with the most eye-popping colors was Mrs. Memmelaar's 4th grade.  They took home the Spirit Ball for the week.

FUN FRIDAYS: TWIN DAY (JANUARY 20)

No, you weren't seeing double.  January 20th was Twin Day at the elementary school.  Our second Fun Friday event showcased some similar looking "twins."  In the end, the 2nd/3rd combination class was awarded the coveted School Spirit Ball for the week.  Check out the slideshow below and see what groups look most alike.

2ND AND 3RD GRADE FAMILY FUN AFTERNOON (JANUARY)

Second and third graders in Mrs. Vos's and Mrs. Eagan's classes recently celebrated the culmination of their Family History Projects by participating in Family Fun Afternoon.  The event brought students and their families together to share their favorite foods and board games with one another.  Students also shared information from their reports with each other.

FUN FRIDAYS: SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY (JANUARY 13)

To chase away the winter "blahs," the elementary school has started celebrating Fun Fridays.  Each Friday, the students dress up based on an announced theme.  To kick things off, the first Fun Friday was School Spirit Day.  The students and teachers wore Calvin gear and Calvin colors (black, blue, and white).  They all gathered together to have a "cheer off" and to see which class would be awarded the first Fun Friday award.  In the end, Mrs. Eagan's second graders took home the prize for showing the most school spirit.  But everyone came out a winner when the "big stick" popsicles were handed out afterward.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RAISES $1,900 FOR FEED THE CHILDREN! (DECEMBER)

The K-5 students recently raised over $1,900 for Feed the Children.  Feed the Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other essentials to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disasters.  All of our school's donation will be used to help families in Southern California. 

Over the course of one week, students brought in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars on consecutive days.  Each day, the money was counted and the totals were added to a thermometer that tracked the students' progress toward their stated goal of $1,000.  In the end,  the thermometer had to be modified since the students far surpassed their goal.  It was a great service project that created a lot of excitment at the elementary school and motivated the students to give.  We appreciate all of the generous support from the school community for this worthwhile cause.

PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY CHRISTMAS SING-A-LONG (DECEMBER)

The preschool and elementary students gathered together before Christmas vacation to sing Christmas carols and holiday songs.  The room was quickly filled with excitement and Christmas cheer.  This year, the K-2 students sang Noche de Paz (Silent Night) in Spanish.  As usual, the highlight of the event was singing The Twelve Days of Christmas, led by the ever youthful and energetic Mr. K. 

RB ROTARIANS DONATE DICTIONARIES AND THESAURUSES (DECEMBER)

Rotarians from Rancho Bernardo visited Calvin Christian to present dictionaries and thesauruses to students in the 3rd-5th grades.  As part of their service to the community, the Rotary club makes an effort to place these literary tools in the hands of as many students as possible.  We are grateful for their donation and support of our educational efforts.

THANKSGIVING FESTIVITIES (NOVEMBER)

Many Thanksgiving related activities took place at the grade school this year.  The kindergarteners had a short program followed by a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings.  The first grade "Pilgrims" and the second grade "Native Americans" sat down to eat lunches together and shared popcorn and candy corn with each other.  After their meal, they played games together on the big field.  At the end of the day, the second graders in Mrs. Eagan's class presented a short skit about the first Thanksgiving.  It was a great way to celebrate together.

 

FOURTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES (NOVEMBER)

The fourth graders have been learning about California history as well as world geography.  Their latest activities involved making a map of California out of goop (a mixture of flour and water) and drawing and coloring a map of the world on pumpkins.

SINGAPORE MATH VISITING DAYS (NOVEMBER)

In mid-November, parents were able to get a firsthand look at the new Singapore Math curriculum.  Parents were invited to visit their child's classroom and observe how a Singapore Math lesson was taught.  Many parents took advantage of the opportunity and came away with a better understanding of the program.

USED BOOK FAIR (OCTOBER)

Once again the Used Book Fair was a huge hit with the students.  The sponsors of the event, Mothers' Club, raised over $385 for the school and placed many quality books in the hands of the Prek-5th students.