Bear Facts The Weekly Newsletter of Bethany Lutheran School

Long Beach, CA www.bethanylutheran.org

Communication+Responsibility+Organization+Service+Sharing

There’s no shortage of parenting advice out there, but I’m going to share some anyway: “The ability to talk easily and often with your children, and to have you both really listen to and care about what’s being said is a huge advantage.” From “Report to Parents” by the National Association of Elementary School Principals

Here’s some great advice for talking and listening to our kids: Make sure our kids get “face” time every day….no TV, music or computer in the background, but a time to make eye contact. Spend some time each day listening without multi-tasking…to stop what we’re doing and tune in. Teach our children the art of listening, too. Remember that notes bring smiles…we can drop one in our child’s lunch or backpack. Remember that car rides are great for chat time if we turn off the radio!

Listening with you, Dr. Fink

Mar. 24-End Quarter 3 Mar. 28-PTL Meeting-6:30 PM-Library-Childcare provided Mar. 29-Trinity sings 7:00 PM Mar. 31-TWINS DAY Dress-Up Day! Mar. 30-31 Minimum Days-Noon Dismissal-Parent Teacher Conferences Apr. 7-Uniform Free Day Apr. 7-School Musical-1:30 and 7:00 PM Coming SOON: May 20- FUN DAY!!! 11-3

School Bulletin #26 Mar. 21, 2017

+Chapel Leaders+ Mar. 22-Mrs. Orr Mar. 29-Miss Hinrichs Apr. 5-Student Council

Chapel is at 9:00 in the church.

Bethany’s MakerSpace is taking a break until after Easter. Parents, if you are interested in helping with MakerSpace supervision, let Dr. Fink know! It’s a great way to earn some FISH hours in a FUN way!

Family Lenten Devotions Do you want to attend Lenten services, but have young children who need to get to bed on time? Throughout the season of Lent, Bethany will have a special worship service for families with young children. Family Lenten Devotions will begin at 5:30 PM each Wednesday, and last for fifteen minutes. The focus for this time of worship will be the Journey of Jesus from Bethlehem to the cross and back to life. Traditional Lenten services will continue as always at 7:00 PM, with Soup Suppers being offered between 5:00 and 6:30 PM. All ages are welcome to attend either service.

Hear ye, hear ye! Bethany would like to announce the commencement of the Father Daughter Dance March 25th, 6-8 PM in the Gym. Knights and princesses of all ages are encouraged to join us in the Fairy Garden to celebrate their bond, learn about their relationship with God, enjoy some light snacks, and dance the night away. Regal attire is more than welcome, but ordinary dresses and suits will look grand. Tickets cost $12 per family.

Need a plan for dinner tonight? Join us for Cook’s Night Out tonight at Islands. Bring the attached flyer, and thanks for your support!

The FISHin’ Hole Opportunities to Serve

The third quarter is nearly

over. Do you have FISH hours you haven’t logged yet? You can take care of that from our website or the Bethany app!

Families using ShopWithScrip.com have discovered the benefits of using this convenient direct delivery method of buying Scrip. ShopWithScrip.com has some exciting merchants that are only available as online Scrip products. You could earn a Scrip Rebate the next time you use: • eBay • Hulu Plus • QVC • Sirius XM Radio • Sling TV • Sony PlayStation Plus • Stub Hub • Uber Sign up for ScripNow and Prestopay to purchase Scrip from home on your computer, or on your phone. Sign up today at www.shopwithscrip.com, our Enrollment Code is: 1BL8EE69719L. There are 3 weeks remaining to buy Scrip/Gift cards to receive credit for your 2016/2017 Tuition or Tech Fee Rebate. April 13 is the last day Scrip purchases will be counted for the current Scrip Rebate calculation. Purchases after April 13 will be credited to your 17/18 rebate.

Our March chapel offerings will be for another worthy organization: Free Wheelchair Mission. You can learn more about this organization here: https://www.youtube.com/user/FWMvideos

Save the Date: LEGO FUN DAY Is Coming!

Saturday, May 20th 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Keep an eye out in the

Bear Facts for more info.

Mark your calendar: Everything about it is going to be

AWESOME!

ATTENTION PARENTS! The PTL is looking for donations for the FUN DAY raffle. • Do you or someone you know own a local business? • Do you regularly patronize a local business? Please consider asking for a donation for the fun day raffle. Official donation request letters are available in the school office. If you have any questions, please text Jennifer Newton at 714-337-2722.

Easter See’s Candy order forms are due by March 23!

Brownies for Alaska! Bethany’s Mission Alaska will be selling brownies for $1 on Fridays after school. Yum!

Bethany Summer Music & Arts Camp 2017

Announcing the return of our summer fine arts camp for kids entering Kindergarten-7th grades. “Weather the Weather” is our theme this year, come join in the fun! Camp courses will be taught by Bethany church and school staff. We will highlight 4 daily themes, introduce kids to a variety of arts, & increase appreciation for the musical gifts we have been given by our Heavenly Father. BSM&A 2017 will take place on the campus of Bethany Lutheran Church during the week of June 26-June 29, M-Th, from 9AM –noon. Registration Fee: $100 per child (non-refundable) with a maximum of $175 per family. Registration forms available in the church or school office or downloaded from Bethany’s website www.bethanylutheran.org . Forms and fees are due by May 31. Registration is limited to 50 participants. Questions? Contact co-director Mara Widmann at (562) 421-4711 ext. 55.

Way to go, 4th Graders! Our awesome 4th graders raised $187.76 at their Open House Wax Museum and will be sending their check to St. Jude Children’s Hospital!

Father Daughter Dance

Who? Any of the girls of Bethany with their male role model—the man who will

consistently be in their life that they can look up to. All ages are welcome!

When? March 25th, 6-8 PM

Where? The Gym at Bethany

How? Tickets are for sale for $12 in the Church and School offices. You can charge

your FACTS account or your Youth account.

Food? Light snacks will be provided. It would be a good

idea to eat dinner before you come.

Theme? Fairy Garden!

Why? Studies have shown that the relationship be-

tween fathers and daughters significantly affects their

well-being. This dance provides a great opportunity to

build good memories between fathers and their daugh-

ters and an opportunity for a better understanding of

how a woman should be treated.

Gentlemen, be the knight in shining armor and es-

cort your daughters to the ball in the Fairy Garden!

Ladies, you don’t have to be a damsel in distress.

Grab your dad and come to the Fairy Garden and

dance the night away!

© 2015 Islands Restaurants, L.P. © 2015 Islands Restaurants, L.P.

Not valid with any coupon, offer or other discount. Proceeds exclude gratuity and tax. Not valid with any coupon, offer or other discount. Proceeds exclude gratuity and tax.

Craft burgers, fresh-cut fries, salads & tacos. Bring your family and friends to Islands, and help raise money for Bethany Lutheran School.

Just present this flyer to your server (or show it on your mobile device)

and Islands will donate 20% of your food and beverage purchases back to Bethany Lutheran School.

Dine-In or Take-Out. Order online at www.islandsrestaurants.com

Craft burgers, fresh-cut fries, salads & tacos. Bring your family and friends to Islands, and help raise money for Bethany Lutheran School.

Just present this flyer to your server (or show it on your mobile device)

and Islands will donate 20% of your food and beverage purchases back to Bethany Lutheran School.

Dine-In or Take-Out. Order online at www.islandsrestaurants.com

BETHANY LUTHERAN SCHOOL WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Time: 4pm to close Location: Islands Long Beach North

7531 Carson Blvd., #B-2 • (562) 421-6798 #islandsburgers

BETHANY LUTHERAN SCHOOL WASHINGTON D.C. TRIP Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Time: 4pm to close Location: Islands Long Beach North

7531 Carson Blvd., #B-2 • (562) 421-6798 #islandsburgers

For groceries, shopping, picnics, traveling?

We’ve got the bag

for YOU!

Jute tote bag with Bethany Lutheran School logo imprint 12” x 17” x 5” boxy style bag with reinforced bottom Button closure Two 23” rolled fabric handles Available in school office Promote our school too! Limited quantities $ 5 each

BLS TOTE BAG ORDER FORM

Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

# of Tote bags @ $ 5 each: ___________________

Payment: Cash/Check:

NEED A NEW BAG?

Once children hit elementary age, getting them to talk about school is like picking popcorn out of shag carpeting. Yet, encouraging your children to talk about their experiences and learning is important for the development of good social skills, self-evaluation and abstract thinking. It also offers an opportunity to integrate faith into everyday life.

When children first start school, a simple “How was school today?” is all it takes to get a flood of stories and comments. Young children relate recent memories as a way to process them. They simply tell it the way they remember it and are often unable to make judgements about the event. They are concrete thinkers, and their storytelling reflects this.

As children grow older, they are able to think about what happened during the day and assess the situation. Thinking abstractly, they are able to contemplate what could have happened differently, how another student might have felt about a situation, or what might have improved the outcome of a particular event. They can apply this same thinking to the academic skills they have learned. This process is called metacognition, or thinking about learning, and it is a skill that makes for stronger learning and smarter students.

The questions we ask children can also build a healthy perspective. For example, we can encourage taking personal responsibility rather than blaming. A healthy perspective influences not only future learning, but also decision making. If a student is able to see that a lack of time spent studying is the reason for a poor test grade, then he is more likely to study for the next test. Whereas, the child who insists the teacher just doesn’t like him is not going to see any advantage in putting effort into

UPON THIS ROCK: Asking the Right Questions

RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Parent Pages

PHOTO: LIGHTSTOCK

Parent Pages • Vol. 16 No. 7 • March 2017 1

studying. Parents can influence a healthy perspective by asking the right kinds of questions.

Here are some questions to try:

• What did you do today that made you think hard?• What problem did you work on today?

These questions encourage students to value effort and work. When we focus only on performance, we run the risk of encouraging children to think, “I must not be smart if I have to work hard.” We want children to realize that hard work often means more learning.

• What mistake did you make that taught you something?• How did you think about your work and improve

it today?

These two questions also focus on the process of learning rather than the finished product. The advantage to these is that they encourage students to self-evaluate. Elementary-age children are just at the beginning of being able to do this, and middle-school children need a reminder to connect the correction of mistakes to improvement, rather than a lack of competence.

• Did you apologize to or forgive someone today?• How did God help you change your behavior today?

These questions encourage accountability. They are good ways to let your child know that because we are sinners living in a sinful world, we will have to contend with our own sin and the sin of others. The resulting discussions are a gentle reminder of God’s forgiveness and mercy.

• Did you congratulate or comfort someone today?• Did you find someone who needed kindness today?

These questions encourage empathy, or the ability to recognize the feelings of others. It is not natural for children to think about the feelings or perspectives of other people. This is a skill that is learned and practiced over the process of brain development. The skill of empathy improves with this kind of gentle nudging.

The discussion that results from these questions encourages your child to think in new ways and with a

Vol. 16 • No. 7 • March 2017

Parent PagesParent Pages is an LCMS School Ministry newsletterpublished by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295314-965-9000 • lcms.org Writer: Dr. Kim Marxhausen Designer: Annie Monette

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

TO REPRINT: Permission is granted to reprint articles from this newsletter with the credit line “Reprinted with permission of LCMS School Ministry.”

different perspective. You also reinforce strong values about learning, expressing your faith and caring for others. When we integrate the faith value of compassion, we encourage not only kind behavior, but brain growth as well. God’s world is most certainly a beautiful and intricate creation!

Martin Luther used a particular question in his Small Catechism that encouraged further thinking: “What does this mean?” It is a simple question that leads the learner to seek a deeper answer. Jesus was the best practitioner of this educational technique. Consider some of His many questions:

• “ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” (Matt. 5:46).

• “ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matt. 6:27).

• “ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36).

• “ Do you understand what I have done to you?” (John 13:12).

Jesus’ questions encourage us to evaluate and empathize. His questions are designed to help our faith grow. Use them to create unique family devotions that encourage deeper thinking.

For Further StudyMake it a family activity to write and use your own “What does this mean?” questions.

When we dwell in the shelter of God, we live in a place of safety. Research indicates that people

who attend church regularly are 2

Bethany Lutheran School 5100 Arbor Road

Long Beach, California 90808 (562) 420-7783

March 14, 2017 Dear Parents, The third quarter of the school year ends on March 24. We will hold Parent/Teacher conferences for Grades K-8 on Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31. (Please note: School dismisses at noon both days.) The purposes of Parent/Teacher Conferences are to celebrate successes, review progress and encourage student academic growth. The conferences will be 15 minutes long and it will be important to begin and end on time, since our teachers will be booked most of the day. If you need a longer conference, please contact the teacher to schedule it on another day. The conference times will be: Thursday, March 30: 1:00-8:00 (every 15 minutes) Friday, March 31: 1:00-3:00 (every 15 minutes)

Please fill out the slip below. If you have more than one child, we will work to schedule your conferences close together so please send in one slip per family. Please return this slip by Friday, March 17. We will notify you of your conference time by Monday, March 27. Middle School Parents: Please schedule a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher. You may also schedule a conference with any of your child’s other teachers for subjects such as Math, Spanish, Science, etc., if you have concerns you wish to discuss. Please note that Senorita Anguka is available on Thursday afternoon noon to 2 p.m. and Friday morning, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. . If you need to meet with her another day, please contact her directly and she will be happy to schedule a time. If you have younger children, we’ll do our best to schedule all your conferences close together. In Christ, Dr. Mary Fink, Principal ------------------------------------------------------D E T A C H---------------------------------------------------------- CHILD’S NAME: GRADE/TEACHER: DAY/TIME: ALT.: _______________________ __________________________ _______________________ ______ _______________________ __________________________ _______________________ ______ _______________________ __________________________ _______________________ ______ In the Comment section below, please indicate if you wish to have Mrs. Moorman or Mrs. Kritzer attend. COMMENTS: __________________________________________________________________________________________

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