Day 2 of LEA Convocation

Greetings from Milwaukee

October Newsletter

I cannot believe how fast this school year is going.  We had our first family game night, and it was a success!  Information on the next family game night will be out soon.  Family game night is a time for CTK families to get together and just have some fun.  Please join us next time.

Sports seasons are in session.  At the time of this writing, our Volleyball team took 3rd at their first tournament.  Soccer and Cross Country have also been working very hard.

This past month 8th grade students had chapel about the different symbols in the Church.  It was great hearing about some of the symbols in our Stain-glassed window that you didn’t even realize were there.  Ask an 8th grade student about the symbol they talked about.

Teachers are continually being trained on how to use iPads in the classrooms.  The older kids have used them to research and work on vocabulary words.  3rd/4th grade split made wonderful Wordle graphics -- check them out by their classroom.  3rd Grade is working on flipping a class once in awhile.  It should be interesting to observe and have a child participate.  I know it will be great.

In God,

Daniel Burk

September Newsletter

School is in full swing. We are falling into our regular routine. We are getting used to our new procedures and systems. School is going well. Stop by to visit a class or just say hi.

During my principal conference this summer our guest speaker talked about our school as a brand. One of the activities she had us do was list human characteristics of our school. I am asking you to share with me what characteristics would describe CTK Lutheran School.

Lastly, I am challenging our teachers to grow by asking them if they are ready to grow.  Just like our students, we want to grow physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.  Personally, I am excited to see how our students and teachers grow. I will be having no office Tuesdays. I will spend the day in classrooms in order to watch and evaluate. I hope to get involved in the learning also. Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.

August Newsletter

Last Month of Summer Vacation!  As much as we are looking forward to school starting, it is with heavy heart that this year will begin without one of our aides.  God decided it was time to take Mary Hickling home to be with Him in heaven.  We will never know why, but we know her years here on Earth brought much joy to our preschool students, families, and church members.  Her laughter and smile were always a bright spot of my visits to the preschool room.   Please keep Dave and the kids in your prayers.  Seeing Dave’s strong faith has reminded me of how important it is to have Lutheran Schools.  We have great teachers and have great academic achievements, but it is the sharing of our faith and helping students share their faith that makes us different, and in my opinion, better.

Teachers will be reporting again mid month.  We have some professional development days scheduled to kick off the school year.  We look forward to start mapping out our curriculum and making changes where they are needed in order to benefit the students.   We also will be trained on how to start using the iPads in the classrooms.  Recently, I read a great blog post by Tim Elmore, who is a well-known educator and speaker.  Nicki Drinane was able to listen to him speak at her SLED conference this past June, and I will get to hear him speak at the Lutheran Education Association Convocation.  In his blog, he talks about how known computer technology heroes, such as Steve Jobs, were rejected many times by their employers because it was different than what the company was use to.  Education can be that way too.  We need to find ways that engage students in order to teach them the crucial elements. (http://growingleaders.com/blog/are-you-resistant-to-the-change-generation-iy-brings/)

Speaking of the LEA Convocation, I was asked to be part of their tech team to keep people involved with what is going on in the conference for those who couldn’t go to a certain sectional or had to stay at home.  We will be using twitter and other social media services to keep people informed.  

Lastly, a huge controversial topic has been circulating recently.  Common Core Standards!  Common Core Standards are nothing new.  They have been around for a greater part of three years when Michigan Department of Education first adopted the standards.  Many are concerned on how these standards can or will affect CTK.  In simple terms, we will not be tied down by anything that will ever go against what we believe in or what the Bible says is true.  Bruce Braun, Michigan District Superintendent of Schools, wrote a wonderful blog about how the Common Core Standards fit in with CTK and other Lutheran Schools. http://www.michigandistrict.org/blog/education/common-core-standards-à-la-carte-menu

May God continue to bless your Summer.  

In God,

Daniel Burk and the CTK Staff

Summer Reading

"There's 104 days of summer vacation And school comes along just to end it So the annual problem for our generation Is finding a good way to spend it"

Unless your parents let you be like Phineas And Ferb and create rocket ships, tree house robots, or drive your sister insane, you need to find other activities to keep busy during the summer.

Granted Summer should be a fun relaxing time. Swimming, playing, or staying up late can be all the great rewards. But, I hope none of our students take the entire summer off and do no learning! When I was a teacher I always gave a list, to my incoming students, of books they should read during the summer. At one school we even had the students do book reports over the summer. So following is a list (just a few) of books for a few of the grade levels. Depending on your own reading level you could pick a higher grade book or lower grade book.

5th Grade
Alien(series) - Bruce Coville
My Teacher (series)- Bruce Coville
The Best School Year Ever - Barbara Robinson
Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Briat
Everest (series) - Gordon Korman
Holes - Louis Sachar
Wayside School (series) - Louis Sachar
The Laundry News - Andrew Clements

4th Grade
The American Girls Collection - Pleasant Company
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
Indian in the Cupboard - Lynne Reid Banks
Matilda - Roald Dahl
The Secret School - Avi
Superfudge - Judy Blume
Because of Winn Dixie - Kate Dicamillo
Stuart Little - E.B. White

3rd Grade
Boxcar Children (series) - Gertrude Chandler Warner
Judy Moody - Megan McDonald
The Littles - John Peterson
Magic Tree House (series) - Mary Pope Osbourne
Magic Schoolbus (series) - Joanna Cole
The Mouse and the Motorcycle - Beverly Cleary
Encyclopedia Brown (series) - Donald J. Sobol

2nd Grade
Amelia Bedelia (series) - Peggy Parish
The Berenstain Bears - Jan and Stan Berenstain
Clifford the Big Red Dog (chapter books)- Gail Herman
Flat Stanley - Jeff Brown
Nate the Great (series) - Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown - Paula Danzinger
Horrible Harry (series) - Suzy Kline

1st Grade
Dear Zoo - Lois Ehlert
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
The Listening Walk - Paul Showers
Corduroy - Donald Freeman
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Numeroff
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

iPads are in

The iPads are in.  The Annual Fund want to thanks to those who have given for this educational tool.  In the next few weeks, We will be deploying the iPads.  They will be staying in the classrooms for the time being as we grow and learn the best ways to implement this program.  We thank you for your patience for any hiccups along the way.  I have already schedule in-service time for the teachers to learn next fall.