SCOTTSDALE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY PROCLAIMING THE WORD OF GOD WITHOUT APOLOGY!

12/3 ACSI Math Competition, ACR, 8:15 AM

12/3 Christmas Lessons & Carols, Choirs Gr. 4-12 (Optional for 4th/5th) Camelback Bible Church, 7:00 PM

12/4 Blood Drive, SCA White Zone, 7:00 AM-1:30 PM

12/4 Howie Kendrick Assenbly for Grades K-5, Gym, 1:30 PM

12/5 SCA Annual Golf Classic, AZ Biltmore Golf Resort, 7:15 AM

12/5 Instrumental Christmas Concert, MS/HS, Fine Arts Theater, 6:00 PM

12/12 Community Open House, Elementary 9:30-10:30 AM

12/12 All School Christmas Chapel, Gym, 1:30 PM

12/12 Christmas Vocal Concert, Gr. 1 and 4th/5th Choir, Gym, 6:00 PM

12/14 Dance & Cheer Clinic, Gym, 12:00-3:00 PM

12/20 PK Shane “Happy Birthday, Jesus”, Room 407, 10:00 AM

12/20 Early Dismissal, 11:30 AM—NO HALF-DAY AFTERCARE PROVIDED

12/21-1/5 CHRISTMAS BREAK 1/6 School Reconvenes

1/9 Community Open House, Elementary 9:30-10:30 AM

1/15 Early Dismissal (Professional Development), 11:30 AM

1/15 Half-Day Aftercare (by reservation only), 11:30 AM-5:30 PM

1/15 Outreach Day—$3 Jeans/Athletic Pants Passes sold before school

1/17 Kindergarten Fathers in Flannels, Rooms 402, 405, 506—8:00-9:00

1/17 ACSI Spelling Bee, Phoenix Christian Grade School, 12:30 PM

1/20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—NO SCHOOL

1/24 Men’s Fellowship Breakfast, Guest Speaker Randy Chambers, SCA Gym, 6:30-7:30 PM—RSVP ksuter@scamail.org

12/6 Build a Bear at Fashion Square Grade 1 9:30 AM-1:00 PM 12/19 McCormick Railroad Park Kindergarten Cowboy Christmas 9:00 AM-1:00 PM 12/20 AMF Desert Hills Lanes Grade 5 9:30-11:00 AM

Elementary students in Grades 1-5 meet in the gym on Thursdays, 8:20-9:10 AM. Parents are welcome to attend! The following schedule indicates who will be leading the chapel.

12/5 Mrs. Raimer 12/12 All School Christmas Chapel, 1:30 PM 12/19 Bible Buddies 1/9 Bible Buddies 1/16 Mrs. Jones 1/23 Mrs. Benefiel 1/30 Mrs. Buman

Each Friday in December, elementary students will be allowed to wear holiday attire (red or green sweaters or vests, Christmas sweaters, holiday hats, etc.). The tops worn must be easily recognizable as holiday attire or students will be asked to call home and have standard attire tops brought to school for them to wear. (The principal or teachers will have the final say as to whether or not a student’s attire is appropriate.) As an added Christmas bonus, students may wear jeans or athletic pants each Friday in December!

One of the great joys those of us who work with students in Christian schools have is to experi-ence the Christmas season through their eyes. For us at SCA, it is obviously more than a Winter Recess rapidly approaching. The simplicity of the age-old story touches our hearts anew every year. The King could have made His appearance on earth in a variety of ways, and yet God chose to send Him as a baby. Take time to enjoy and reflect on this marvelous truth! We are anticipating a wonderful and successful second semester. It is always rewarding to see the tremendous growth and learning that take place the second half of the year. As we look ahead to 2020, we face it with confidence, know-ing God will be with us each step of the way. On behalf of all of us here at SCA, we wish you a very merry and blessed Christmas and New Year. Serving Him,

Scottsdale Christian Academy once again participat-ed in Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. The entire SCA Elementary School was on a mission to bless as many children as possible with shoe-boxes. We are happy to report that 580 gift boxes were donated. Thanks to all of you who were a part of this worthwhile outreach. In addition to donating gifts to Operation Christmas Child, first graders also participated in another Christmas service project. Stu-dents went to Build a Bear and lovingly created bears to give to Young Lives, an organization that helps teen moms.

Mrs. McArthur’s 3rd grade class will participate in Young Lives Adopt-a-Family. Young Lives is an organiza-tion geared toward reaching young mothers and partners with Christian women mentors who come along-side teenage girls to help guide them through this journey and lead them to the Lord to live fruitful lives.

Monthly Outreach Once a month we reach out to various charitable organi-zations by selling “Jeans/Athletic Pants Passes”. Stu-dents will be able to purchase passes for $3.00 before school the morning of Jeans Pass Day.

Our November Outreach Day was on November 15. We collected $279.00, which was donated to Phoenix Res-cue Mission.

Our next Outreach Day will be Friday, January 17. Mon-ey collected will be donated to Each 1 Teach 1.

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

► Respectful ► Responsible ► Ready

are:

Attention Moms!

Do you worry about your children? Replace your anxiety and fear with peace and hope by praying with other moms. Moms in Prayer International brings moms together to pray specifi-cally and scripturally for our children and our school. (www.momsinprayer.org) Won't you join us in prayer for this next generation?

When: Thursday mornings from 8:00-9:00 AM Where: SCA Library Contact: Jacki Ortega 602-502-6815 Tracey Zittel 661-993-3178

"Pour out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord....lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your children.” Lamentations 2:19

Invite your friends to SCA’s Community Open House!

SCA Brick Walk

Leave Your Legacy! Whether a scripture, your favorite quote, a dedication to a teacher, your grandchild or your child...YOUR personalized BRICK will forever be at SCA. Make a difference one brick at a time. Order your brick today at myscabrick@gmail.com

2019-20 Lead by Example

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV

Scottsdale Christian Academy Mission Statement The mission of Scottsdale Christian Academy is to maximize the God-given potential of each student, preparing them to live lives of distinction, by impacting the world for Jesus Christ.

Scottsdale Christian Academy Christian Core Values

Core Values guide both the internal and external conduct of the school. They are the non-negotiable qualities that differentiate the institution as they identify, inspire, galvanize, and deter-mine the school’s highest priorities. CHRISTIAN MATURITY Preparing our students with Christ-centered experiences that by God’s grace lead to spiritual transformation, which enable them to develop a maturing relationship with Jesus Christ. EXCELLENCE Providing a Biblically based accredited curriculum that prepares the student for the challenges of higher education and life-long learning. We seek to serve the developmental needs of the whole student, endeavoring to maximize the student’s God-given potential, which stimulates and culti-vates critical thinking and the pursuit of creative expression, in the academics, arts, and athletics. COMMUNITY Cultivating a community of believers, founded on the basis of shared commitment, common un-ion, fellowship and Christ’s love. We value the importance of relationships, as modeled by Christ and his love for others. As we partner together to unify our body of students, parents, faculty and staff, we extend Christ’s love and grace to each other, celebrate each member’s unique God-given abilities, and glorify Jesus Christ. SERVICE Loving our neighbor as ourselves is reflected in an academic community that models and encour-ages Christ-like character, conduct, accountability, and service to our community and the world. We seek to conduct ourselves with deep care and compassion for all, reflecting faith in action, by being doers of God’s word.

Winter is in the air! What a wonderful feeling it is this time of year. So much excitement and anticipation! No, I am not talk-ing about Christmas, I am talking about all the exciting things happening in the HUB! There is so much learning and creating that students eagerly come in everyday ready to begin or continue their projects. Thank you, Jesus, for excited students and the ability to watch the process of problem solving occur.

Kindergarten used the iPads to make their colored pictures come alive in an augmented reality app called Quiver. They were so excited to watch their dolphins jump out of the water and make noises. They have also slowly begun to understand the problem-solving process by designing a Turkey Trap and then trying to make their trap out of materials they choose to use. We are proud to say that many turkeys have been trapped and saved! Kindergarteners also had to identify 2D and 3D shapes and then recreate them with toothpicks and candy corn. It was not as easy as it seemed as the candy corn would break in half, but our kindergarteners prevailed, worked through this issue, and made their shapes. Finally, there were some amazing pilgrims’ hats that were made with a QR code to be scanned so parents could watch a quick video of what their child is thank-ful for.

First grade has learned about vibrations in their classes, and, of course, when it came to a project in the HUB, we had to make some drums. First graders were challenged to design and create a drum that they could hit 20 times without the top (skin) of their drum breaking. Many first graders found out that foil did not work too well and had to revise their drums. Once they were able to find material that worked, we had a “drum off” in the HUB. All those drummers out there would be proud of our first graders! Have you ever wondered how hard it is to make something float? Our first graders got to make a Mayflow-er boat and try to see whose boat could hold the most pennies and not sink. After the second graders visited Wildlife World Zoo, they came back into the HUB ready to design a new habitat for the ani-mal they had chosen. First they had to choose an animal, then they had to use the iPads to answer habitat questions about their animals. Next, they had to design their habitats according to what they learned about their animals. Finally, students had to come up with a list of supplies they thought they would need to make their animal habitats. We are so excited to start creating and see how each habitat will look and what changes the students will make to them. Make sure you come by to see their progress.

Were you wondering how far the furthest pumpkin was launched? Well, third grade is proud to announce the farthest pumpkin launched with their catapult creations was 64 feet! We were all amazed how far a plastic cup, spoon and rubber band creation could launch a candy pumpkin! Way to go, third graders! Third graders will continue their next project into December by trying to design and build a robotic hand. Yes, you heard it right. They are designing and building a robotic hand. Students have been learning about our amazing bodies and how God created everything so perfectly. In the HUB we focused on the hand and the tendons that make our fingers move. Students have been challenged to design a robotic hand using cardstock, string, tape, and straws as their materials. This robotic hand must have all five fingers, tendons, and sheaths. When the robotic hand is completed, the fingers must make a fist when the tendons are pulled on, just like our own hands. The problem solving and conversations that have been happening are amazing. Some students are already talking about how they could 3D print a hand. Praise God for creativity and our perfectly designed bodies!

Designing a 3D print keychain and following specific measurements is not always an easy task; however, the fourth graders have already begun to learn about the ways to use Tinkercad and how to design a 3D print. They have been challenged to design a 3D print keychain that will be printed for them to keep. After they have completed this challenge, they are free to design whatever they would like, send it to the HUB for review, and then to be printed. I have overheard some students dis-cussing what their next design might be to 3D print. It is so exciting to hear and see the fourth graders get excited about 3D printing and all they can do.

Fifth grade has finished their 3D print keychains and are now working on designing their Christmas ornaments. The Christ-mas ornaments they are designing are a little more complicated than their keychains. Yes, they must follow certain measure-ments, but they also have more freedom in their designs. They also have to figure out how to add a “torus” to their orna-ment. Are you wondering what a torus is? Ask our fifth graders. They should know!

Mrs. Kaiser and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It is such a wonderful time of the year to celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Robotic Hand

Tikercad

Research

Catapult Launcher

Turkey Trap

Drums

SCA Elementary HONORS PROGRAM

Honor students worked very hard on the first twenty-five words for their first WordMasters Challenge which happened right before Thanksgiving. This program stresses growth in vocabulary and improves verbal reasoning. Approximately 125,000 students across the United States participate in this program. Using our Keva blocks and working in groups, students worked on creating some very unique houses. It was encouraging to watch groups communicate and share ideas with each other. Take a peek at some of their skills. Let’s not forget the marble run some second graders are working on. Over the next several months, we will be studying the top 10 famous landmarks in the world. It is a great way to increase geographic literacy which is essential in understanding the world in which we live. What is figurative language? Well, I think we will get a clue to that answer by working on the concepts of allit-eration and hyperbole. I expect they will be able to come up with some “doozies.” As our year draws to a close, please know how much I enjoy working with the Honor students. Wishing all of you a a very Merry Christmas!

Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten

December has arrived, and we are excited that our preschool and pre-kindergarten classes get to explore many exciting things this month. To start off, students will learn about gingerbread men, then we will take two weeks to learn about Jesus’ birth and one week to discover Christmas traditions. When classes start back up in January, we will be learning about bears and hibernation. It should be fun to learn about all things winter. With a new month comes new letters on which our classes get to focus, as well as numbers and math skills. There are hands-on activities planned to help students strive for and succeed in number recognition, se-quencing and counting to 15. In Bible, our classes will journey through Jesus’ life and explore His love and kindness toward us. In addition, our classes will learn about Jesus’ birth and the people God used in the Christmas story. Classes will celebrate Jesus’ Birth with Christmas parties the last week of school before Christmas break.

December and January will bring many blessings, and we are excited to walk along with our students as

they continue to grow in God’s love.

Kindergarten

December Events

On Thursday, December 19th, we are looking forward to our Cowboy Christmas, always a joyous event for all! It will be a fabulous end to a very successful first half of the year! Puppy Dog Math

We have started a Math series focused on addition and subtracting, designed to be fun and motivating. This series is called Puppy Dog Math and continues into First Grade as Mad Dog Math (www.maddogmath.com). The students learn these math facts in terms of “families,” based on the sub total (for addition) or the larger of the two numbers (for subtraction). The idea is to give timed tests and allow students to progress at their own rate. It is very helpful to practice these at home with flash cards. Spelling Words

After learning the sounds of letters and combinations of letters in the Spalding Phonics program, we are exploring how combinations of letters make words! And so, we will begin introducing weekly Spelling words. This is a great step for our children. We have been reading “pre-decodable” books (booklets with pictures but without words) for some time, and are already embarking on the journey of reading books with simple words and sentences. The students are proud to be readers! Bible – Jesus’ Birth, Daniel, Fiery Furnace

In our Bible program, we are celebrating and learning about the Birth of Jesus, the Savior of the World! We are also reading amazing tales about faithfulness and even heroic faithfulness. David fought Goliath armed with a sling and God’s power. Daniel refused to pray to the King of Babylon, but continued to pray to the Lord and was thrown into a place full of lions. But the Lord stopped them from hurting him, and he escaped without a scratch. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were miraculously saved from the fiery furnace – the King could see them walking, with a mysterious “fourth” person, unharmed. We have a Mighty God! Fathers in Flannels

On January 17, our classes will be visited by some strange creatures – no, not aliens from another plan-et, but their own fathers, coming to class for breakfast with their children: “Fathers in Flannels.” They will wear their pajamas and enjoy a delicious breakfast! Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

On January 20 we will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In preparation for this, we will be talking in class about standing up for the poor and oppressed and about loving our neighbor. Even if we aren’t famous Civil Rights Leaders, we can work together as a team and help each other.

First Grade

In December First Graders are excited to do a service project together. They will get to make teddy bears and then give the bears away to bless young moms through the Young Lives or-ganization. What a wonderful season of giving as we received the best gift of all—Jesus!

In January, we will start the new year with an author study of Jan Brett books. First Graders will then have an opportunity to learn all about space. They will be learning all about the solar system and planets. The children will learn how to read non-fiction books and learn how non-fiction differs from fiction. Then each student will study, write, and present a research project on one of the nine plan-ets. The end of January will bring the 100th day of first grade with a celebration of learning and fun!

Second Grade

During December, second grade students will begin learning more about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as they study Christmas Around the World. Students will be "traveling" to many different countries as they learn about different cul-tures and traditions at Christmastime. They will be making some memorable stops in France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Mexico, and China. The students will have opportunities to create various keepsakes during many of these fun-filled stops.

In addition, students will be studying about the prophesies of the Old Testament and how Jesus Christ fulfilled each of those prophesies. They will discover how Jesus came from the line of Jesse, the father of King David. After Christmas, the students will learn more about the life of King David and how he was both a great servant and a great leader. The students will be challenged to "serve" and "lead" greatly as followers of Jesus Christ. Math continues to become more challenging as the students have worked to learn various mental math strate-gies. Students will continue to master showing how to add and subtract within one hundred while regrouping. They will also learn the value of different forms of money and how to solve problems using both coins and dollar bills. Tell-ing time to five minutes will also be mastered during this time. In January, second graders will begin learning about how God created different forms of energy. They will identify different kinds of energy and will continue to learn more fascinating information about both light and heat.

Fourth Grade

Fourth graders are seeing God’s hand in every subject area. In Science, students are making animal exhibit folders that illustrate God’s unique creatures. These folders will highlight the animals’ special characteristics, their habitat, and fea-tures that enable them to thrive in their habitat. Long division and solving multi-step problems will be the focus in Math, along with factors and multiples. The consistency of Math demonstrates the orderliness, precision, and consisten-cy of God. Students will learn about the different regions of the country and what characteristics God gave them that makes each one unique in Social Studies. They will look at the branches of our local government and discover a system of checks and balances. In Language Arts we will continue with literature studies and various types of writing such as narratives and descriptive writing. Reading is of special importance to those who believe and trust in God. Writing can be very persuasive and change people’s way of thinking.

Fourth graders have studied the life of Jesus and how He served His friends, the sick and hungry, children, sinners, and even His enemies. They have also looked at the lives of several Christian heroes during Bible class. Each student has also chosen a hero of the Christian faith to investigate for a research paper. Language arts, history, presentation skills, and technology are combined as students use biographies, encyclopedias, and the Internet to acquire information. Then, each student will create a Pop Bottle figure of their hero. The students will educate their classmates about their hero during an oral presentation and explain how God has prepared and used ordinary people, who have answered His call, to achieve His extraordinary purpose.

Third Grade

During December and January third graders will be busy as bees...Spelling Bees that is! A class spelling bee will be held on December 4th to select the candidate for the ACSI Spelling Bee. Students are encouraged to be studying the word lists sent home. One student from each class will represent SCA in the ACSI Spelling Bee in January! Six students from Third Grade will also be competing in the ACSI Math competition on December 3. They will get to do computa-tion and reasoning skills above and beyond their grade level.

Learning about communities changing over time in Reading and Social Studies will reveal growth and changes in our culture, inventions, and how we won our freedom. Students will read about the 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco and a “Disappearing Island.” We will also ask ourselves, “What Ever Happened to the Baxter Place?” Then, we will begin to study how God created the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

Did you know the nervous system controls our thinking ability and voluntary movements? We are studying how God created our bodies, specifically the nervous and musculoskeletal system. It’s complex but neat to see our Creator’s master design.

In Math third graders will continue to master multiplication and division. However, we will also fluently add and sub-tract with multi-digit numbers. It will be fun to continue to use Math in real life problems!

Christmas is almost here! God’s special gift, Jesus, will be our ultimate focus in Bible. We will look at the sequence of events leading up to Jesus’ birth and then Christ’s ministry here on earth. Christmas isn’t the only time to focus on Christ! Every Christian should spread the gospel, and we will learn about evangelism and what we can do to spread the Good News even after Christmas is over.

Fifth Grade

In December, students will learn about the Pilgrims and the May-flower Compact as well as the thirteen original colonies. They will compare and contrast the New England Colonies, the Middle Colo-nies, and the Southern Colonies as they prepare to learn about the Revolutionary War in January. We will talk about the many miracles from this time period that don’t always make it into our textbooks, but they show God’s Sovereignty. As we continue to move through United States History, students are seeing the price paid for our freedom and the sacrifices people have made for our country, patriotic themes woven throughout the units, and how God’s hand is shown throughout our country’s history. Students will memorize the Pre-amble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. In Bible, students are learning about servanthood. They will discuss the consequences of the fall on re-lationships within families, society and the nation. The students will examine how Christ established the Church to restore harmony to society. When these relationships are in harmony, they can become loving servant friends, willing to lay down their lives for others and to serve others just as Christ did (John 15:13). In this selfless service to others, they will not only fulfill their community responsibility, but also find their identity and purpose as individuals. Students will end December with a fun bowling field trip. This will be a wonderful time for the fifth graders to celebrate Christmas and the birth of our Savior together. Then, as they enter the New Year, each fifth grade student will choose a U.S. state to research and write about. This follows the fifth grade Shurley English curriculum. Using at least three resources, the students will follow the research process starting with outlining and note taking on index cards, moving on to a rough draft and final draft typed report, and ending with a bibliography and oral presentation. Students will also be working on an iSymbol project about their state in Social Studies class. It will in-clude fun facts such as the state flag, state symbols (tree, flower, gemstone, mammal, fish, etc.), and other landforms and items that represent the state. Students will have the opportunity to taste food from all the different states. They will bring in one food item representing the state researched, and then students will have a tasteful time sampling all the food. In Computer class, students will create a presentation on what they learned about their U.S. state. They will include pictures from the state, date of becoming a state, state nickname, and other fun facts.

The students have been introduced to Minecraft Education Edition in Science class. During December and January, they will use Minecraft to work together and learn communication, collaboration, and some fun competitions. The students will use Minecraft to rebuild the Pyramids of Egypt through the use of simple machines. They will then be able to modernize their pyramids with various items found in Minecraft.

The Artist’s Pallette Our precious Kindergarten classes have been creating quite a few awesome artworks. Grandparents’ Day artwork was a colorful Pumpkin in the Patch made with tempera paint sticks. Their Christmas artwork will be soooo beautiful! “In the Forest for Christmas” is the title of this piece. You will love it! First Grade had a couple of artworks ready for Grandparents’ Day, one being a zentangle fall leaf garland. They have been working on a special Christmas painting as well. I know you will find a special place to display this one. Second Grade also had a variety of artworks ready for Grandparents’ Day. They have been busy creating for Christmas as well.

Third Grade showed off a colorful Fall wreath for their Grandparents’ Day display. I hope you all enjoyed this delightful treat. Their Christmas project is a sculpture that we hope will be on dis-play for many years. It will have you singing a familiar song.

Fourth Grade has been working with copper sheets and paste paints. Their artwork is amazing! Christmas artwork has already begun, so save a place for this special mixed media artwork.

Fifth Grade learned about glass artist, Dale Chihuly, and they created an inspired fall tree for their Grandparents’ Day artwork. Christmas will be equally as spectacular. They will be bringing home a clay sculpture that you will want to keep forever!

Thank you to all the amazing Art Masterpiece volunteers who have created with our talented students. I know you love all that our creative artists bring home. I hope you all had a special Thanksgiving, and I’m praying for a very special Christmas for all our talented artists and their families!

Physical Education

In PE we started off the month of November teaching, reviewing and playing the game of Kickball. We also spent time with one of our favorites: Capture the Flag. It has been nice to get outside while the weather has been beauti-ful. It seems like December has snuck up on us, but I’m looking forward to the Christmas season, celebrating the birth of our Lord. In PE we will spend time in a soccer unit, working on various skills and playing games. I pray that you all have a blessed time over Christmas break, reflecting on and worshipping Jesus.

Have a Merry Christmas and remember that God is good all the time!!

In Christ,

Coach Z

Spanish students finished the month of October with an art project called “Picasso Puppets” in honor of Pablo Picasso, who was born in Spain. To mirror his famous cubist art style, students drew unusual eyes, noses, lips, ears, and eye-brows on their “Picasso Puppets.” We enjoyed everyone’s creativity and sense of adventure!

In November, the kindergarten through second grade classes have been learning motions to the song “Cristo Me Lla-ma” (“Jesus Loves Me”). The upper grades have been listening to “Buen, Buen Padre” (“Good, Good Father”) in class.

The younger grades wrote Proverbs 3:5 in Spanish and English, discovered the Mayflower on a color-by-number-en-espanol worksheet, and drew the things for which they are thankful in a Thanksgiving Booklet (family, friends, food, and SCA). We also dance to worship songs in English and Spanish most days! The upper grades are working on a special Gospel Mini-Book to give a friend or relative for Christmas. Original artwork and Bible verses in Spanish and English are highlighted in the book. The month of December will find us celebrating Christmas with some fun activities. And in January, the upper grades will begin conjugating verbs and creating their own sentences.

Hands on Technology

Keyboarding: Since August, all K-5 students have been working on their keyboarding skills. Students have demon-strated fine improvement with keyboarding accuracy and increased typing speeds. Kindergarteners have been using the program, Keyboard Zoo. First through fifth graders have been using the programs Dance Mat typing, Disney Typing, Typing Instructor, and Nitro Typing.

Tests in Keyboarding: Each quarter, student keyboarding skills will be assessed to measure growth. This same assessment will take place each quarter with a focus on growth towards the following goals:

• Kindergarten: 1-2 words per minute

• 1st grade: 2-3 words per minute

• 2nd grade: 3-5 words per minute

• 3rd grade: 7-10 words per minute

• 4th grade: 10-12 words per minute • 5th grade: 12-15 words per minute

Keyboarding: In today's computer-oriented world, typing is an essential skill. By learning correct typing techniques, all SCA students will develop this valuable skill that they will use throughout their lives and careers. Students in the first, second and third grades have been using Disney: Mickey’s Typing Adventure.

Built-in typing courses help the student focus on particu-lar skills designed to ensure more proficient typing. Each course is comprised of a series of typing activities, in-cluding lessons, challenges, games and drills.

Disney: Mickey’s Typing Adventure has been designed spe-cifically for students to learn the correct way to touch type in an easy and fun environment. In Disney: Mickey’s Typing Adventure, students learn essential typing skills while taking an exciting adventure around Typelandia.

Dibels Math Assessments: All elementary students have completed one of three Math Dibels Assessments that will be administered this school year. Results from these assessments provide a more accurate picture of student mathematical growth along with areas of focus.

Learning PowerPoint Skills to Teach Parables of Jesus:

Third graders through fifth graders used PowerPoint to create slide shows on Summer Vaca-tions, reviewing computer lab procedures and the elementary discipline plan RESPECT. Stu-dents learned more advanced PowerPoint techniques to teach about the Parables of Jesus.

Learning PowerPoint Skills to Teach Fruit of the Spirit:

First and second graders created a 3-slide “Fruit of the Spirit” PowerPoint. 1. Fonts and Font Color: Add fonts, change fonts and font size 2. Slide Creation: Add and delete a slide 3. Images and Clip Art: Add images and clip art. Change size of images and clip art 4. Text Box: Add text into a text box

Moneyville: Moneyville helped students learn about the value of money, about earning and saving, about prioritizing their spending, and about making income and expenses balance. While playing, students will complete various fun, educational tasks to earn money and make their own deci-sions about how they want to spend or save it.

Proverbs 24:3 states, “Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is estab-lished…” Within Moneyville, students played the Family Game. The task here was to create an imaginary family, with car, house, pet, etc. In the Family Game, students were in charge of a family’s budget, expenses and savings over the course of an entire year.

Learning Microsoft Word Skills to Teach Children Bible Stories using Arch Books: Formatting Text Like A Pro! In December third, fourth, and fifth graders will be using MS Word to properly learn how to for-mat documents. Students will use many formatting tools such as bold, underline, font, font col-or, numbering, bulleted lists, spell check, inserting pictures, and layering.

Code.org: Fundamental Coding Concepts All first through fifth grade students have completed numerous computer coding or program-ming lessons using Code.org. Coding lessons taught all students how to use sequencing, con-ditional logic, conditional loops, binary, nested loops, how to use repeat loops, digital citizen-ship, and complete multiple tasks in order.

Code.org: Advanced Coding Concepts Upper elementary students used coding concepts to produce animation, make interactive sto-ries, and use code blocks to create presentations. Students learned to build and customize animated characters, produce advanced animations, and create their own interactive pro-jects.

Education City Kindergarteners have been using Education City to work on the following concepts: counting, sorting, and graphing skills using the program, Fuzz Bugs in ABCya!, Letter “k”, Letter “c”, listening to directions, following directions, colors and objects, sequence events, decision making, and comparing size. First graders have been using Education City to work on the following concepts: equal shares with halves and fourths, attributes of shapes, sorting living things, plants, animals, end marks, periods, punctuation, and capital letters. Second graders have been using Education City to work on the following concepts: number patterns, sums, value of coins, adding coins up to 60 cents, describing with adjectives, capitalizing proper nouns, sorting objects and materials in science, describing objects and materials in science. Third graders have been using Education City to work on the following concepts: spatial words, literal and non-literal words, comparing and ordering large numbers, place value to 1000, and ordering num-bers up to 9,999. Fourth graders have been using Education City to work on the following concepts: place value, order numbers, expanded form, number patterns, figurative language, science lab tools, ecosystems, using words with action and emotion, figurative language, animal survival and science tools. Fifth graders have been using Education City to work on the following concepts: place value, order num-bers, comparing numbers, signal words, word relationships, graphs in science, science tools, place value, comparing large numbers, expanded notation. Exciting Spring Semester Awaits:

LIBRARY

Every week SCA students learn a new “Word of the Week” during their library class. We read the word, define the word and use it in sentences. Ask your student about these words, and they will “WOW” you with their growing vo-cabulary!

The words of the week for November: Kindergarten: friendship, thankful, disguise, grandparents Grades 1-5: apathy, honor, gratitude, cornucopia

Pre-Kindergarten: The pre-kindergarten students had a great time during Nursery Rhyme week. They listened and recited several nursery rhymes and then colored their own teapots to go along with the “I’m a Little Teapot” song. They also listened to the Thanksgiving book, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie. This story puts a Thanksgiv-ing spin on the classic story, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. They did a fun activity and made a puppet to retell the story. The students also listened to Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks, and Just So Thankful. They colored a turkey and learned a colorful turkey song. The students will be enjoying stories that coincide with the letter of the week and enjoying some Christmas stories during the month of December. Kindergarten: The kindergarteners learned about autumn and Thanksgiving. They listened to Splat Says Thank You!, Bear Says Thanks, Bear Has a Story to Tell, and Turkey Trouble. To coincide with Grandparents’ Day the stu-dents listened to My Grandfather’s Coat. During the month of December, the students will enjoy many Christmas stories to celebrate the birth of our Savior. First Grade: The first graders listened to several books about Fall. They learned all about leaves and why they change colors in Leaves, Leaves, Leaves. They also listened to a couple of Thanksgiving books including Give Thanks to the Lord and This Is the Feast. To celebrate Veterans’ Day, they listened to a story called Veterans Day, and they wrote about why they are thankful to live in America. The students will all be tested for AR in January and will start the Accelerated Reader program after that. Second Grade: The second graders have been doing a great job with the AR program. They are all working hard on reaching their 2nd quarter AR goals. The students learned about bats by listening to the nonfiction book Bats! The students learned about American citizenship and how people become citizens in the book I Pledge Allegiance. They also wrote about what they like about living in America. They enjoyed a couple of Thanksgiving stories, One Is a Feast for a Mouse and A Plump and Perky Turkey. Third Grade: The third graders listened to Leafman. This story inspired the students to create an animal by using leaf prints. They also listened to On the Mayflower in honor of Thanksgiving. The students have been learning how both fiction and nonfiction books in the library are arranged and how to find them. They were introduced to the Dewey Decimal system and the ten categories in which nonfiction books are categorized. The students will soon be independent library users. Fourth Grade: The fourth graders listened to Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic. The students created their very own autumn acrostic poems. They also learned what life may have been like on Plymouth Plantation by listening to the story Samuel Eaton’s Day. The students also learned the history behind the writing of our national anthem by listen-ing to The Star-Spangled Banner. Fifth Grade: The fifth graders used the World Book Encyclopedia online to research Veterans’ Day. This is a great tool our school subscribes to for the students to find safe and accurate information. They also learned about how Thanksgiving was saved by Sarah Hale in the book Thank you, Sarah. The students learned how to use EasyBib to create a bibliography for their historical/historical fiction book reports.

Mr. Budd’s Elementary Music Classes

“I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.” Psalm 101:1

1st Graders are preparing for the Christmas Concert! Christmas Performance December 12, 6:00 PM SCA Gymnasium (Shared with 4th/5th Choir)

ARRIVE: 5:30 PM in homeroom

WHAT TO WEAR: Bottom line…Dress Christmassy! Red, white and green are all cool colors. Let’s stay away from jeans. Slacks for boys and darker shoes, if possible. Girls can wear dress/skirt/darker slacks. The students may be sporting a satchel on their right side so keep that in mind.

2nd Grade We’ve been using the glockenspiels (bells) in class. The students are applying proper technique to some simple folk songs. Eventually we’ll be adding percussion and, hopefully, some ukulele. If you have a decent ukulele, bring it on in to class! Don’t forget: This is America! February 27, 6:00 PM Fine Arts Theater

We will need helpers with costuming, set, props etc. Contact Mr. Budd if you can help!

3rd Grade We’re coming along nicely with the recorders. 260 belts have been earned so far! It’s so nice to see the students grow-ing in terms of reading music, as well as learning by ear. I’m announcing a new belt. Students may choose and play any four songs from the book that are not already chosen for a belt. Don’t forget: Recorder Concert February 20, 6:00 PM Cafeteria

ALL the play-a-long tracks from the book are on the Recorder Express Tracks page on the website. The tracks corre-spond with any song that has a “CD” label next to it. scamusicroom.com must be typed into the address bar to access lessons on the various tunes and concepts. Password is: scamusicroom

4th/5th Grade Choir Lessons and Carols (optional) December 3, 7:00 PM Camelback Bible Church Christmas Performance December 12, 6:00 PM Gymnasium *Shared with 1st Grade

ARRIVE: 5:30 PM in homeroom WHAT TO WEAR: Bottom line…Dress Christmassy! Red, White, Green or Christmas. Keep it nice. BOYS in slacks and dark dressy shoes, if possible, with a red or green or white top. Plaid shirt with

red and/or green, a (little) black and white is OK GIRLS in dress/skirt/dark slacks with dressy shoes. Red, green, white-all good. Modest, please! All of our music classes at the elementary level include fundamental, routine musical experiences which the students use as a springboard to deeper learning. A strong music foundation creates well-rounded individuals and develops skills necessary for 21st century success. Best of all, music is a great way to honor and love God and sound His mes-sage.

Mr. Moss’ 4th and 5th Grade Band Classes

4TH GRADE BAND Congratulations to each of our 4th grade band members. These young instrumentalists have earned at least one belt via our band karate program. Additionally, at least one band member has earned the blue belt, which is the midpoint to reaching the status of black belt. Let’s continue to encourage them, and when you see those colored belts attached to an instrument case, please make a point of recognizing the student’s efforts towards striving for excellence in music.

5TH GRADE BAND The 5th grade band members have advanced beyond the standard method book and are now reading from published sheet music. This accomplishment further enhances their listening and reading skills as well as encouraging isolated opportunities for the development of individual musical expression in a solo role. We will continue working from our method book as the curriculum text, but the learning process will begin to shift with a greater emphasis on reading from published sheet music.

4th / 5th Band Parents, please assist your child with remembering to bring his/her instrument and music to school on band day.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS FOR ES BAND MEMBERS [ALL] Replace lost method book if needed. [ALL] Music stand. Must be very sturdy, telescopic, and rack adjustable. Do not purchase wire-type [ALL] Small metronome. [PERCUSSION] Snare sticks, xylophone mallets, yarn mallets, stick bag, practice pad, brushes, egg

shaker [BRASS] Valve oil, tuning slide grease, polish cloth, mouthpiece brush, coil cleaning brush, trombone slide cream, trombone spray bottle, portable instrument stand [WOODWINDS] Polishing cloth, reeds, reed protector, mouthpiece cap, neck strap, clarinet thumb

pad, saxophone swab, portable instrument stand

SCA MUSIC FEST All SCA instrumental music students in concert on April 21, 2020