Knightly News

MCS Weekly Announcements
  • Sept 14: Parent Orientation/Curriculum Night (6:30 PM)
  • Sept 17: Popcorn Day
  • Sept 24: Pizza Day
  • Sept 27-30: Knights Challenge Fundraiser
  • October 1-8: Knights Challenge Fundraiser
  • October 13: Teacher work Day - NO SCHOOL
  • October 14-15: Parent Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
  • October 19-21: School Pictures
Curriculum Night is a time for teachers to share with our MCS families:
  1. individual classroom procedures
  2. our overall vision for the school year
  3. the best way to communicate concerns and student progress throughout the year
 
Parking may be difficult so please arrive a few minutes before your first session.
 
  • You may also park at New Hope Fellowship, the church located across from our school.
 
Do you have a 6th-8th grade student?

  • Your sessions will be held in the sanctuary at New Hope Fellowship. 
 
Do you have a 5th grade student?

  • Your sessions will be held in the back fellowship hall at New Hope Fellowship.
 
We want to limit traffic into our classrooms.
 
  • Please send 1 parent to each classroom session (choose from the times listed below). If you have more than one child at the school, you may need to take advantage of multiple sessions.
  • Prekindergarten information will be sent home with your child on Wednesday. You are welcome to attend! However, we are also aware that this event is close to bedtime for the little ones. Please decide what is best for your family.
  • Please use outside classroom doors unless your students are in Mrs. Moore’s, Mrs. Sytsma’s, or Mrs. Bailly’s classrooms then use the front entry way. 
 
We have scheduled 3 meeting times for this evening:
 
Session 1  6:30-6:50 
 
Session 2  6:55-7:15
 
Session 3  7:20-8:00
 
 
Do you want to sign up for recess duty or to be a room parent?
 
  • Your office team will be located next to the main entrance in the roundabout to answer questions and to encourage you to sign up to help make our school even better.
 
Do you want to find out more about TAPP (Teacher and Parent Partnership) and other ways to serve our school?

  • Representatives will be available near the office team.
 
If you are not feeling well, please stay home. Contact the office and we will make sure you get the information that was shared that evening. 
KEEPING EVERYONE HEALTHY

We want to do everything we can to keep our students healthy and all our classrooms open each school day. Last year we were blessed to meet every school day! One of the main reasons we were able to accomplish this was because of you! Our parents were very vigilant. This year has started out the same way. Thank you for keeping your students home if they are exhibiting any of the signs for COVID or any other health concerns. To keep us in the loop, please give us a call in the morning to notify us that your child is sick and missing school for the day. If you prefer, send us an email at secretary@monroechristian.org to notify us. Thank you for partnering with us!
POPCORN DAY

Popcorn Day is always fun for the kids. Once a month TAPP offers popcorn for sale and it's just $1 each. This year we are asking parents to prepay for their students popcorn to make things more manageable. The first Popcorn Day is this Friday, September 17th. There are 9 Popcorn Days total. The following link shows all the Popcorn Days as well as the other TAPP sponsored days. TAPP Calendar.
TAPP PRESENTS .....
HOT LUNCH!
 
The return of pizza day is almost here. And new this year is lunch from 2 ½ Men BBQ!
 
To all our new families, TAPP (which is like our PTA) likes to provide a hot lunch for our students several times a month. This also raises funds for TAPP to help provide our teachers with supplies and other items needed in their classrooms. TAPP volunteers will deliver the lunches to each classroom.
 
Once a month 2 ½ Men BBQ will offer a hot dog, fries, and a Capri Sun for $7. Twice a month pizza from Monroe Pizza and Pints will be available for all those who participate. The pizza lunch consists of one or two slices of either cheese or pepperoni pizza, a drink (usually a Capri Sun) and a cookie.
 
You will need to prepay for lunches ahead of time. You will also need to decide ahead of time what kind of pizza (cheese or pepperoni) and quantity (one slice or two slice) your student(s) wants.
 
There are two options for paying. You can pay through the end of this semester (Christmas break) or for the year.
Here is the breakdown:
 
Pay for full year: 
One Slice - $85   
Two Slices - $119
Hot Dog - $63
 
Pay by semester:
First Semester:
One Slice - $30
Two Slices - $42
Hotdog - $21
 
Second Semester:
One Slice - $55
Two Slices - $77
Hot Dog - $42
 
Please bring your payment to the office by September 17th. We will need to know how many slices and what kind of pizza your student(s) wants. Please understand this is not refundable.

Our first Pizza Day will be September 24th and then as follows:
October 8, 22
November 5
December 3, 17
January 14, 28
February 4, 18
March 11, 25
April 8, 29
May 6, 20
June 3

Our first Hot Dog Day will be October 1st and then as follows:
November 10
December 8
January 7
February 9
March 4
April 1
May11th
June 8th
 
Thanks!
TAPP Committee
STUDENT PICK-UP AT MCS

We love our students!

Please follow these guidelines in the pick-up line and round-a-bout:

  • 1. NO CELL PHONES, please.

  • 2. Arrive at your oldest child’s release time. If you have a 4th-8th grade student, please do not be in the pick-up line or round-a-bout until 3:10 PM. If you are early, please park at the church across the street or in the gravel by the playfield. Your younger student will be safe with their teacher until the 4th-8th graders are released. 
 
  • 3. Always pull forward in the round-a-bout when possible.

  • 4. Please do not leave your vehicle.

  • 5. If you have other family members picking up your child, please let them know the guidelines for pick-up time.

Thank you for helping us to keep your child safe.

Release Times (arrive at your oldest child’s release time):

Full Day Pre-K = 2:45 pm *Yellow Card

Kg - 3rd Grade = 2:55 pm *White Card

4th - 8th Grade = 3:10 pm *Blue Card

* Colored rear-view mirror cards with your family name will be distributed during “Meet the Teacher” on September 7th.
MUSIC LESSONS

For the 2021-2022 school year, Kaleidoscope Academy will return to offer piano and violin lessons to Monroe Christian School students during the school day, with the possibility of before and after school. Lessons during school will be coordinated with the classroom teacher.  Joyce Reimer will return as the piano instructor offering private piano lessons. MCS music teacher, Jessie Scott, will be offering private violin lessons, and group violin instruction is also a possibility. Currently we are collecting pre-registration information to assess student family interest and form class schedules. Cost of lessons is $30 / 30 min. private lesson. Group violin lessons will be $15 / 45 minute lesson. Violin classes of less than 4 students will be $20 / lesson.
SOCCER

If you have a student in 6th - 8th grade who is interested in playing soccer this fall, please contact Coach Austin VanBelle at coach@monroechristian.org. Let Coach know if you're interested and he can provide you with the registration paperwork and league details. The registration fee for soccer is $75 per student.
MCS APPAREL & ACCESSORIES

Ready for back to School? Start the school year off with some MCS spirit. Use this link MCS Apparel and Accessories to check out all the great items that are available. Find something you like, place your order, and it will be sent directly to you.
SCHOOL CALENDAR

Here is a link to our school calendar for the 2021-2022 school year: 2021-2022 Calendar. We will do our best to stick to the dates that are listed for events and holidays, but please be aware the calendar is tentative and can change due to circumstances outside of our control.

Additional fun days and classroom fieldtrips will be added as they are scheduled.
LOVE AND LOGIC TIP

Good things come to those who wait. Although it is an old idea, it’s a good one. So good, in fact, that kids who learn it become far more successful than ones who don’t. It’s a fact borne out by the famous “marshmallow test,” where children who were willing to wait so that they could earn more of the treats showed superior long-term adjustment in contrast to those who settled for the immediate gratification of just one.

Like all social-emotional skills, self-control is primarily taught by the three Es of Love and Logic:

  1. Example: We show kids what it looks like.
  2. Experience: We allow them to act hastily over small matters so they can truly experience the negative results.
  3. Empathy: We reallow their hearts and minds to focus on the sad effects of their hasty choices rather than our anger or frustration.

I recently witnessed a powerful social-emotional leaning opportunity at an ice cream shop in rural South Dakota. Two young boys were enjoying ice cream cones as they wrestled over who would get to the table first. Their mother stared at her cone and proclaimed, “It sure would be sad for me if I dropped this because I wasn’t paying attention. Then I wouldn’t get another.”

A glorious thing happened. Mom made it to the table with her treat. The boys didn’t. Their ice cream was melting on the floor.

I noticed something amazing: Rather than blaming each other and begging for another chance, they grabbed a wad of napkins and proceeded to clean up after themselves. They seemed mostly sad, rather than mad. I wonder where they learned that?

Through the entire process, Mom didn’t say another word. Are you guessing she’d learned somewhere along the way that actions, empathy, and natural consequences are far more powerful?

Thanks for reading!
Dr. Charles Fay 
FREE & EASY WAYS TO HELP THE SCHOOL

There are many ways you can help the school that are free and easy.

  • Matching Employer Funds - Many larger employers offer matching funds when their employees donate to the school through their portals. Check with your employer to see what they may offer!
  • Fred Meyer Rewards - Link Monroe Christian School to your Fred Meyers Rewards card through the "Community Rewards" setting and a percentage of your eligible purchases will go directly to MCS. If you have already designated MCS as your Community Reward, please take a minute and check if it is still active. (The community reward must be renewed yearly.)
  • AmazonSmile - Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to MCS. Simply go to smile.amazon.com to get setup.
  • Office Depot - Use our school ID #70106855 when making purchases at Home Depot and we will receive credit towards future purchases.
  • Rite Aid - RXfundraising and Rite Aid are willing to give a portion of every dollar spent on prescriptions and purchases made at Rite Aid to support our school. Register your Rite Aid card with RXfundraising and choose - "support MCS".
Our scripture theme for this year is based on Galatians 5:22-23, 25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit
Monroe Christian School |
www.monroechristian.com