LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #15
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #15 General Christmas Program: The Logos Christmas Program will take place in the gym this Friday, December 11 at 7:00 PM. All are invited to attend! The rehearsal will take place the same day at the following times: Secondary 8:25-9:15, Elementary (preschool-6th) 9:30-10:30. Elementary students will meet in the classrooms at 6:45 PM and secondary students in the auditorium at 6:30. Please bring preschoolers right to the gym at 6:45 PM. After they sing, the preschool-1st grade students will go to the back of the auditorium to meet and sit with their parents for the rest of the evening. Attire for performers… Elementary: Logos dress uniform (young ladies may wear a special Christmas dress if desired, and young men are welcome to wear blazers). Secondary: Logos dress uniform only. Blazers for young men and women are welcome. Uniforms: This Friday is not a dress uniform day. Students will wear their normal uniforms to school on Friday so that their dress uniform is crisp and clean for the Christmas program that evening. Elementary Homework-0-Meter Results: Homework surveys are in, and we’ve crunched the numbers below (averaged between the double classes). Parents, thank you for taking the time to complete the surveys! Grade / Actual Numbers / Guideline Targets (per night/5 days a week): 1st = 14 min. (15 min.) 2nd = 17 min. (30 min.) 3rd = 18 min. (45 min.) 4th = 29 min. (45 min.) 5th = 50 min. (45 min.) 6th = 47 min. (60 min.) Saturday Hoops: All Logos 1st through 6th grade boys are cordially invited to participate in a series of basketball clinics that will focus on the fundamentals of shooting, passing, dribbling, and defense. All clinics will take place on Saturdays from 9 – 11 AM in the Logos gym and will be coached and directed by Jed Whitling and Logos High School basketball players on the following dates: Dec. 12, 19 & Jan. 9, 16. The cost is $20 for all four clinics. This is a great way to spend a Saturday morning and to get ready for the upcoming Moscow Parks and Recreation season. Registration (form attached) was due last Friday, but there is still space available. Secondary Grades: We are two weeks out from the end of the semester. This is a good time to sit down with your secondary student and look at their grades on RenWeb. Trivia Day: Next Friday after finals we will play our traditional game of “Logos Trivial Pursuit” and have a pizza party. Guys, please bring six “individual” drinks - cans of pop, bottles of water, or Gatorade (No two-liter bottles please). Ladies, please bring something for dessert. We have our secondary students evaluate each class they take each semester. Here are a few things that students had to say about Mr. Dickison this fall: -Mr. Dickison is an awesome history teacher. He knows everything and he makes class really fun to be in. -He is very organized. He is probably the calmest teacher and is always prepared. -He makes history fun and he is happy when he teaches. I really like this class! -He is one of the best teachers I’ve had. -Mr. Dickison’s class is really enjoyable. I like how he teaches and he is a cheerful, but not easy teacher. I really enjoy class with Mr. Dickison. -He is good at keeping the class on topic and focused. -After teaching us to read well, he does so himself. -I’m not one who especially likes impromptus or writing assignments, but Mr. Dickison picks interesting and fun topics to write and speak on. -I really appreciate his control of the classroom. He creates an optimal environment in which to learn. He also makes us think and asks thought provoking questions. I also genuinely appreciate his classy style. -When we get off-topic, it’s about things that are actually interesting, and actually matter in our lives. -I like the poetry he reads. -Mr. Dickison is really humble and always eager to teach. He is a great teacher. -It’s obvious that Mr. Dickison loves to read, which is really awesome. -He knows the material really well. -Thank you so much! Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #14
General Fight’n Knight Day! This Tuesday is a Fight’n Knight Day. Students are allowed to wear their Logos t-shirts and nice jeans to school. Then come out to the gym to cheer on our high school boys basketball team against Troy (JV: 6:00, Varsity 7:00). Elementary 2nd Grade Play: This Friday Mrs. Kimmell and Mrs. Miller’s class will be on stage. The show will open at 8:35 AM with a recitation by Mrs. Merkle’s Kindergarteners. All are welcome. Front Parking Lot: Please do not leave your cars unattended in the lanes out front. If you need to come in to drop off or pick up your student, find a parking spot and come right in. If you are doing a quick drop off or pick up, and you will be staying in your car, feel free to use the right lane out front. Thank you! Saturday Hoops: All Logos 1st through 6th grade boys are cordially invited to participate in a series of basketball clinics that will focus on the fundamentals of shooting, passing, dribbling, and defense. All clinics will take place on Saturdays from 9 – 11 AM in the Logos gym and will be coached and directed by Jed Whitling and Logos High School basketball players on the following dates: Dec. 12, 19 & Jan. 9, 16. The cost is $20 for all four clinics. This is a great way to spend a Saturday morning and to get ready for the upcoming Moscow Parks and Recreation season. Registration (form attached) is due December 4, this Friday! Midterms: Please remember to return your midterms by December 2. Secondary Fall Finals Schedule: Final exams will take place the week before Christmas break. See the attached schedule to start planning ahead. We have our secondary students evaluate each class they take each semester. Here are a few things that students had to say about Mrs. Lloyd this fall: -Mrs. Lloyd has an infectious passion for God and this translates perfectly to the classroom. She makes school a pleasure. -She loves God and seems to really enjoy teaching us His doctrine. -She makes us honestly think about everything. -She cares for us and wants us to do well, but she doesn’t make assignments easy. She makes them difficult because that’s what will help us in the long run. -We’ve talked about and learned so much in this class, it’s amazing. -LOVE the challenge this class presents. -Really like how willing she is to go over concepts after class and how much she brings real world examples into the discussions. -She’s witty, yet never cruel. Mrs. Lloyd is seriously the best. I’m quite thankful for her time and teaching and will miss her next year. -I love how her teaching is steeped in scripture. Here desire for us to succeed is amazing. I love her two classes! They’re hard, but they’re my favorites! Thanks! -Overall, Mrs. Lloyd is a very fun teacher who loves her students and the Lord. It is great having teachers like her at this school. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #13
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #13 General Thanksgiving Vacation: Please note that we have the entire week of Thanksgiving off. Enjoy the time with your family. Fight’n Knight Day! This Thursday is a Fight’n Knight Day. Students are allowed to wear their Logos t-shirts and nice jeans to school. Then come out to the gym to cheer on our high school girls basketball team in the first home games (JV: 6:00, Varsity 7:00). Elementary Preschool-1st Grade Midterms: Midterms will be coming home this Wednesday. Please sign the bottom of the form and return it by Wednesday, December 2. 2nd-6th Grade Midterms: A blank midterm form will be coming home on Wednesday. Please log on to Renweb and help your child complete it. Our goal is to encourage families to check out Renweb and to help students use the midterm to plan for improvement in any areas that may need work. Please return these forms by Wednesday, December 2. Secondary After Thanksgiving there will only be three weeks left in the second quarter. This is a great time to sit down with your student and check their progress on Renweb. Happy Thanksgiving! Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #12
General Kindergarten Play: This Friday Mrs. Sawyer’s class will be on the stage. The assembly will open at 8:35 AM with a recitation by Mrs. Loyd’s 3rd graders. All are welcome! Elementary Homework-o-Meter: Please remember to fill these out over the course of the week and return them to the classroom teachers on November 13. This helps us gauge the amount of homework our elementary students are doing each night. Winter Clothes: Be sure to send your children to school with warm clothes. We will have recess outside unless it is raining hard or below 20 degrees. This may be a good time to make sure that winter clothing is labeled – just in case! Secondary Secondary Student Surveys: Next week we will be asking the secondary students to complete a brief survey for each of their classes. This survey is designed to communicate the students’ perceptions of the secondary program, to the secondary faculty and administrators. We value the students’ opinion, and our goal is to improve each year. This would be a great time to sit down with your child and discuss each class with him/her. Secondary parents are also welcome to provide input at this time. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #11
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #11 General The Three Musketeers: Logos varsity drama presents The Three Musketeers! directed by Heather Lloyd. The show opens Thursday, Nov. 5, and runs each night at 7:00 pm through Sat, Nov. 7. Fight’n Knight Day! In order to support the cast and crew of the The Three Musketeers, this Thursday (opening night) will be a Fight’n Knight Day (nice jeans and your Logos T-shirt). Elementary Interschool Speech Meet: If your child has qualified and is going on to the interschool speech meet, please remember to meet in the front parking lot at 8:55 AM this Friday. I will have information packets for chaperones including maps to The Oaks. Secondary Extracurricular Activities and Schoolwork: There are lots of great activities going on in the secondary (drama, junior high boys basketball, high school girls basketball, planning for mock trial, robotics club, etc.). At Logos, schoolwork comes first. This means that students who participate in extracurricular activities will be held to the same standard as everyone else. Students should look ahead, plan ahead, and redeem the time during busy seasons. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #10
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #10 General Fight’n Knight Day! In order to support our cross country runners and volleyball players as they head to state, this Friday will be a Fight’n Knight Day (nice jeans and your Logos T-shirt). A few people have asked about other shirts: Feed the Need, volleyball, basketball, summer camps, etc. Only the game day shirts qualify, from any year. Elementary Interschool Speech Meet: If your child has qualified and is going on to the interschool speech meet at The Oaks, please remember to let me know soon if you are able to chaperone. Coats: Please send your child dressed for the weather. Students will go out to recess unless it is in the low teens or very wet. Promotion Policy: Now that the first quarter report cards are out, I thought it would be helpful to include a reminder about the elementary promotion policy. This is especially important if your child earned an “F” in any subject. Please see the attachment for details. Don’t hesitate to call with any questions or clarifications. Secondary Secondary Speech Meet 7th-9th: Friday, October 30 is the secondary speech meet. There will be an awards assembly for all 7th-12th graders in which some of the superior speeches will be delivered at 2:30 in the auditorium. All are welcome to attend. Study Tip Report cards came out last week. Many of us have busy enough schedules to think that if we actually looked over the card and made it to the right elementary conference at the right time, we had a successful week. Now is a good time, if you haven’t already, to sit down with each of your children and discuss their progress. Go over the report card together and talk about the feedback that you received from their teacher. Set a few simple goals that you will be able to remember and hold them accountable for when progress reports come home in November. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #9
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #9 General Taking Every Thought Captive: Our second worldview assembly will take place this Thursday morning from 8:25-9:15 in the auditorium. All 7th-12th grade students will be there and parents are welcome to come join us! Speech Meet: Friday, October 23. Parents are welcome to attend. No camcorders or younger siblings please. Report Cards: Elementary Report Cards will come home with your students this Wednesday afternoon. Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (October 22 & 23): Almost all of the scheduling is complete. If you have not scheduled yet, please visit this site to do so: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Logos Secondary Report Cards: Secondary Report Cards will come home with your students this Thursday afternoon. Secondary Speech Meet 7th-9th: Next Friday, October 30 is the secondary speech meet. There will be an awards assembly for all 7th-12th graders in which some of the superior speeches will be delivered at 2:30 in the auditorium. All are welcome to attend. Study Tip for the Week From this point on, the speech meet judges will not have a copy of each student’s selection in front of them. If your child misses a word or even a whole line from his selection, the best thing to do is – smile and keep on reciting. If the student continues on confidently after a mistake, there’s a good chance that no one else will even notice. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #8
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #8 General Feed the Need: This Thursday students should wear their Feed the Need t-shirts and nice jeans to school. We are looking forward to a great day! Teacher Workday: This week is the last week of the quarter. Encourage your child to finish strong! Friday, October 16, is a teacher workday (no school for students and the front office will be closed). Teachers will be wrapping up the first quarter (grades and report cards) and preparing for the second quarter. There will be no dress uniform day this week. Elementary Assembly: This Thursday morning Mrs. Bradley’s 4th graders will be on stage in the auditorium. The assembly will start with a short music recitation by both 5th grade classes at 8:35. All are welcome! Speech Meet: Selections will be performed for a grade on Thursday, October 15. Parent/Teacher Conferences (October 22 & 23): Almost all of the scheduling is complete. A reminder email will be sent out the Monday before conferences. If you have not scheduled yet, please visit this site to do so: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Logos Secondary Dialectic Speech Meet (7th-9th): Encourage your child to practice for the meet on October 30. PSAT: The 10th and 11th graders will be taking the PSAT this Wednesday morning in the gym. Study Tip for the Week Plan ahead. Sit down with your child on Saturday and read over the HAS (elementary) or the Weekly Test Schedule (secondary) together. Talk about the tests and assignments with your child so that he is prepared before the week begins. A few minutes of discussion and study Saturday morning can help take the pressure off in the middle of the week when the circus is in full swing. One elementary example is having your child learn the first 7 Latin and spelling words on Saturday. This puts them in the position of starting the following week ahead of the game. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #7
LOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #7 General Two Weeks Left: There are only two weeks left in the first quarter. This is a good time to check grades on Renweb (grades 2-12) and make sure that your student is ready to finish the quarter strong! Fight’n Knight Day: This Thursday students are welcome to wear nice jeans and their Fight’n Knight shirts to school to show support for our high school cross country team. After school, come out to Potlatch and cheer on the Knights-they are just a few weeks away from regionals. Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (October 22 & 23): All elementary families will receive an email this week with details on how to sign up. If you don’t receive an email by Thursday evening, please contact the front office. We are looking forward to meeting with you! Elementary Speech Meet: Speech Meet selections are to be memorized by October 9. Secondary Dialectic Speech Meet (7th-9th): Encourage your child to practice for the meet on October 30. Honors Classes: For students who received an honors acceptance letter, honors class fees ($25 per class) are due this Friday. Please make a check out to Logos School and turn it in to the honors class teacher. PSAT: The 10th and 11th graders will be taking the PSAT next Wednesday morning in the gym. Elementary Romance Each year I make a point of speaking to the 2nd - 6th grade students about a fascinating and sometimes delicate oxymoron - elementary romance. I am very pleased to say that this has not been an issue that Logos elementary students have struggled with in recent memory, nor do I have grave concerns this year. My primary goal is that we maintain a positive school culture in which students do not feel pressure to “grow up” too fast in this area. Over the past two weeks I’ve stopped in for this year’s installment, and I thought it would be good for you all to know what I had to say to the students and what my expectations are in this area. First of all, the school policy for the elementary and secondary reads, “Public displays of romantic affection are not permitted at school or school activities.” My interpretation of a public display of romantic affection is very narrow. Any singling out of a person of the opposite sex, and anything that you could do to earn yourself the title of “an item” fall into this category. The discussion with the 2nd - 6th graders usually begins with me asking how old they are, and then following up by asking how old they think they will be when they get married. After clarifying, for the sake of the boys, that most people do not wait until they are 37 to marry, we move on to the application. The short form is that these students are a lifetime or more away from getting married, and any preliminary negotiations are absolutely inappropriate in the elementary. I am strongly against silly talk about who likes whom, and I am thoroughly opposed to premature pairing up (in the elementary and secondary). There is far too much fun and hard work for us to keep ourselves occupied with to give attention to cheap soap operas. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Cheers, Matt WhitlingLOGOS SCHOOL UPDATE – 2015 – #6
Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (October 22 & 23): Families with three or more students in the elementary will receive an email this week with details on how to sign up. If you fit this category, and don’t receive an email by Thursday evening, please contact the front office. All other families will receive an opportunity to sign up next week. Elementary Play: Mr. Kohl’s 5th grade class will be performing this Friday. The play will open with a short recitation by our 6th grade music classes at 8:35 in the auditorium. All are welcome! Speech Meet: Speech Meet selections are to be memorized by October 9. Secondary Speech Meet: Secondary (7th-9th) Speech Meet selections are due October 2. Honors Applications: Applications are due to my box by this Wednesday at 3:30. Study Tip of the Week Flashcards are a super way to commit material to memory. Whether it is multiplication facts in the elementary or the periodic table for a secondary science class, using flashcards can be a huge help, if they are used wisely. Here are a few tips:- Have the student make the flashcards himself. This is a valuable part of studying. Write the question on one side (5 + 6) and the answer on the back (=11). Make sure that the material is written correctly (spelling and neatness) so that the student is not studying incorrect or confusing material. Also, make sure that the answer is written lightly enough so that you cannot see it through the card.
- Have the student go through the stack of cards. Every card that he gets right should go on the ‘right’ stack and the ones he gets wrong go on the ‘wrong’ stack. Study the ‘wrong’ stack a few times and then go through it again dividing it into two stacks. This will allow him to focus on the information that needs the most attention. Eventually, remix the cards and test on all of them, repeating the process until he has it down.
- Break study time into small bites. It’s usually best to focus on two or three intense fifteen-minute sessions rather than a solid hour with the attendant distractions and bathroom breaks.