At Grand Rapids Christian Schools, we believe a student's learning and growth doesn't stop when the school year ends.
Soaring Through Summer
An Elementary Engagement Program
Soaring Through Summer is a summer program from the teachers at Grand Rapids Christian Schools designed specifically to engage and encourage incoming 2nd through 5th grade students with their reading and math skills over the summer.
Posted below, you’ll find resources full of great literature, key math skills, and more!
2021-2022 Summer Learning Packets
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Your child has completed another great year of learning and is very likely excited for summer break! It’s time to head outdoors, enjoy nature, build forts, make s’mores, and do all those other quality, summer-time activities. Rest well, we know your child has worked hard throughout the past school year.
Along with the thrills of summer, we look forward to the coming school year. As we look ahead, we are happy to offer an opportunity to keep your child learning and engaged in learning throughout the summer season! We hope to hit the ground running this August as we explore and learn.
To do so most effectively, we’d love for our students to continue reading and keeping their math skills sharp throughout the summer. The following is a collection of fun activities and books for you and your child to enjoy. We ask that you and your child would invest some time and effort in working through the suggestions.
We are so excited to see you next school year. Until then, take flight and soar through the summer!
Reward Your Reader!
Reward Your Reader!
West Michigan Summer Reading Programs
Grand Rapids is full of great resources for summer reading! Check individual sites to read further plans. Below is the list of libraries and bookstores that have offered programming over the past few years.
Baker Book House
While they are yet to advertise a summer reading program, Baker Book House is a great place to stock up on books! Keep an eye on their website for possible programming.
Barnes and Noble
Download the Summer Journal and track your reading to earn a free best-selling book of your choice.
Grand Rapids Public Library
Earn great prizes and participate in free events throughout the summer. Stop by your local GRPL branch to sign up!
Kent District Library
Earn free books and other great prizes through your reading this summer. KDL will host a variety of free, family-focused events you won’t want to miss.
Schuler's
Earn up to $15 of store credit through your summer reading. Check out schulerbooks.com for information about cool events to enjoy on hot summer days.
Know of other reading opportunities in the Grand Rapids area? Be sure to connect with others and feel free to email Graham Schultze to include them in Soaring through Summer next year.
Second Grade
For incoming 2nd graders for the 2021-2022 school year.
Dear GRCS Parents,
Congratulations! Your child has made it through an exciting 1st grade year and into the summer! It’s time to explore nature, hike, play sports, ride bikes, and do all those other quality, summer-time activities. Rest well, we know your child has worked hard navigating challenges and joys throughout the past school year.
Along with the thrills of summer, we look forward to the coming school year! As we look ahead, we are happy to offer an opportunity to keep your child learning throughout the summer season! We hope to hit the ground running this August as we explore and learn in 2nd grade. To do so most effectively, we’d love for our students to continue reading and keeping their math skills sharp throughout the summer. The following is a collection of fun activities and books for you and your child to enjoy. We ask that you and your child would invest some time and effort in working through the suggestions in this packet.
We are so excited to see you in 2nd grade next year. Until then, take flight and soar through the summer!
See you in August!
Your GRCES 2nd grade teaching team
Second Grade Suggested Summer Reading
- We Are in a Book by Mo Willems
- Who Is That, Cat the Cat? by Mo Willems
- Little Big Horse by Dave Horowitz
- The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat
- Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog by Cynthia Rylant
- Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes
- Pete at the Beach by James Dean
- The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow by Andy Griffiths
- Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
- The Infamous Ratsos by Kara Lareau
- Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey
- Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall
- Pinky and Rex by James Howe
- Big Al by Andrew Clements
- Kung Pow Chicken by Cindi Marko
- Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliott
- Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
- Stink by Megan McDonald
- Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
- Lola Levine Is Not Mean by Monica Brown
- The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken by Doreen Cronin
- Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door by Hilary McKay
- Daisy Dawson is On Her Way by Steve Voake
- Monkey Me by Timothy Roland
- Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z. Jones
- The Last Firehawk: The Ember Stone by Katrina Charman
- Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
- Toilet : How It Works by David Macaulay
Use the 5-finger rule to tell if a book’s a good fit!
Use Common Sense Media to ensure books are appropriate for your child and to find other great book recommendations:
| TOPIC | DISCUSSION PROMPTS |
|---|---|
| Fiction: Characters |
|
| Fiction: Plot |
|
| Fiction: Setting |
|
| Informational Text |
|
| Any Books |
|
Math in Second Grade
Using Math in Everyday Life
Just because school is done, doesn’t mean math disappears until fall. Seek out opportunities to use math in real world ways throughout your summer together. Take a look at all the different ways you can connect the things you're already doing with math concepts students learn in school.
- Bake together to practice fractions, addition, and time.
- Go grocery shopping together and compare prices, weigh items and count change.
- Plan, measure out and build something together.
- Host a lemonade stand
- Practice telling time
- Sort and count change collected at home
- Complete puzzles or play games like, Uno, Monopoly, Battleship, Yahtzee, Chess, Checkers, Sudoku, Tangrams, or your own favorite card games.
Build Skills Using Math Games
There are so many great math skill games available. Here are some teacher approved games that are definitely worth checking out:
Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks Math Games: Using just dice and a deck of playing cards, try one of many games listed on this site to reinforce skills!
Xtramath.org: In just 10 minutes a day, kids can practice basic facts tailored to them. They’ll only practice the ones they haven’t yet mastered instead of wasting time practicing time practicing what they already know. The app is $5 but the website is always free. Reach out to your child’s 2020-21 teacher to acquire account information.
Abcya.com: Abcya is a fantastic collection of ELA and math games covering math skills in a variety of engaging ways. Like an arcade, kids can jump in and out of games as they like. So many choices, there’s bound to be something they’ll love.
Also, check out Mr. McWhertor’s website for great math games at all grade levels!
Third Grade
For incoming 3rd graders for the 2021-2022 school year.
Dear GRCS Parents,
Congratulations! Your child has made it through an exciting 2nd grade year and into the summer! It’s time to head outdoors, enjoy nature, build forts, make s’mores, and do all those other quality, summer-time activities. Rest well, we know your child has worked hard throughout the past school year.
Along with the thrills of summer, we look forward to the coming school year! As we look ahead, we are happy to offer an opportunity to keep your child learning throughout the summer season! We hope to hit the ground running this August as we explore and learn in 3rd grade. To do so most effectively, we’d love for our students to continue reading and keeping their math skills sharp throughout the summer. The following is a collection of fun activities and books for you and your child to enjoy. We ask that you and your child would invest some time and effort in working through the suggestions in this packet.
We are so excited to see you in 3rd grade next year. Until then, take flight and soar through the summer!
See you in August!
Your GRCES 3rd grade teaching team
Third Grade Suggested Summer Reading
- Doodle Adventures: The Search for Slimy Space Slugs! (series) by Mike Lowery
- Myth-O-Mania (series) by Kate McMullan
- Bad Kitty (series) by Nick Bruel
- Lunch Lady (series) by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
- Wayside School (series) by Louis Sachar
- The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John
- The Year of . . . (series) by Andrea Cheng
- Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce
- STAT: Standing Tall and Talented: Home Court by Amar’e Stoudemire
- The Kicks by Alex Morgan
- Ivy and Bean (series) by Annie Barrows
- The Vanishing Coin (Magic Shop Series) by Kate Egan and Mike Lane
- I Survived (series) by Lauren Tarshis
- Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Book by Herobrine Books
- Secret Agent Jack Stalwart (series) by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
- The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg
- Zoo Camp Puzzle (series) by Gail Herman
- Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab by Bob Pflugfleder & Steve Hockensmith
- The Misadventures of Salem Hyde Spelling Trouble (series) by Frank Cammuso
- Dragonbreath (series) by Ursula Vernon
- Of Giants and Ice (series) by Shelby Bach
- Whatever After (series) by Sarah Mlynowski
- Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures (series) by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater
- The Imaginary Veterinarian (series) by Suzanne Selfors
- Jenny and the Cat Club (series) by Esther Averill
- The Critter Club (series) by Callie Barkley and Marsha Riti
- Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming
- Dolphin Rescue (Animal Planet Adventures #1) (series) by Catherine Nichols
- The Rescue Princesses (series) by Paula Harrison
- Puppy Place (series) by Ellen Miles
Use the 5-finger rule to tell if a book’s a good fit!
Use Common Sense Media to ensure books are appropriate for your child and to find other great book recommendations:
| TOPIC | DISCUSSION PROMPTS |
|---|---|
| Fiction: Characters |
|
| Fiction: Plot |
|
| Fiction: Setting |
|
| Informational Text |
|
| Any Books |
|
Math in Third Grade
IXL in 3rd Grade
IXL is available for students this summer! Students can use IXL to practice math skills and stay sharp. We’ve selected our top skills for 3rd Graders below. Follow these directions to make the most of this awesome website!
Login Instructions:
- Go to www.ixl.com/signin/grcs.
- Use your child’s username and password to log in.
- Go to the Math tab.
- Choose 3rd grade math by clicking the rounded tab with a 3 or E on it.
- Click on the suggested skills below.
- Get practicing!
Try working on each skill until you achieve a Smartscore of 80!
| CATEGORY | SKILLS |
|---|---|
| Numbers and Comparing | A3 A4 A5 A7 A9 A10 A11 |
| Place Values | B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 |
| Understanding Multiplication | E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 |
| Logical Reasoning | Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 |
| Money | S1 S2 S3 S5 S6 |
Using Math in Everyday Life
Just because school is done, doesn’t mean math disappears until fall. Seek out opportunities to use math in real world ways throughout your summer together. Take a look at all the different ways you can connect the things you're already doing with math concepts students learn in school.
- Bake together to practice fractions, addition, and time.
- Go grocery shopping together and compare prices, weigh items and count change.
- Plan, measure out and build something together.
- Host a lemonade stand
- Practice telling time
- Sort and count change collected at home
- Complete puzzles or play games like, Uno, Monopoly, Battleship, Yahtzee, Chess, Checkers, Sudoku, Tangrams, or your own favorite card games.
Build Skills Using Math Games
There are so many great math skill games available. Here are some teacher approved games that are definitely worth checking out:
Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks Math Games: Using just dice and a deck of playing cards, try one of many games listed on this site to reinforce skills!
Xtramath.org: In just 10 minutes a day, kids can practice basic facts tailored to them. They’ll only practice the ones they haven’t yet mastered instead of wasting time practicing time practicing what they already know. The app is $5 but the website is always free. Reach out to your child’s 2020-21 teacher for account information.
Abcya.com: Abcya is a fantastic collection of ELA and math games covering math skills in a variety of engaging ways. Like an arcade, kids can jump in and out of games as they like. So many choices, there’s bound to be something they’ll love.
Prodigy.com: Kids love Prodigy because it feels more like a video game than a math review website. Kids explore new worlds, meet interesting characters and compete against other characters all powered by answering correct math questions.
Also, check out Mr. McWhertor’s website for great math games at all grade levels!
Fourth Grade
For incoming 4th graders for the 2021-2022 school year.
Dear GRCS Parents,
Congratulations! Your child has made it through an exciting 3rd grade year and into the summer! It’s time to go hiking, ride bikes, eat ice cream, and do all those other quality, summer-time activities. Rest well, we know your child has worked hard throughout the past school year.
Along with the thrills of summer, we look forward to the coming school year! As we look ahead, we are happy to offer an opportunity to keep your child learning throughout the summer season! We hope to hit the ground running this August as we explore and learn in 4th grade. To do so most effectively, we’d love for our students to continue reading and keeping their math skills sharp throughout the summer. The following is a collection of fun activities and books for you and your child to enjoy. We ask that you and your child would invest some time and effort in working through the suggestions in this packet.
We are so excited to see you in 4th grade next year. Until then, take flight and soar through the summer!
See you in August!
Your GRCES 4th teaching grade team
Fourth Grade Suggested Summer Reading
FICTION
- A Boy Named Bat by Elana K. Arnold
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
- The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B White
- Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal by Jeff Kinley
- Stella Diaz has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez
- The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
- Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
- Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
- Jada Sly, Artist & Spy by Sherri Winston
- Power Forward by Hena Khan
- One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko
- The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John
- Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
- The Vanishing Coin by Kate Egan and Mike Lane
- Zoo Camp Puzzle by Gail Herman
- The Imaginary Veterinarian by Suzanne Selfors
NONFICTION
- Rocket to the Moon: Big Ideas That Changed the World by Don Brown
- Beavers: The Superpower Field Guides by Rachel Poliquin
- 2020 National Geographic Almanac
- Weird But True! Greek Mythology by Sarah Wassner Flynn
- Escape This Book! Titanic by Bill Doyle
SERIES/COLLECTIONS
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
- The Babysitter’s Club by Raina Telgemeier
- Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
- The Little House Collection by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- The Bad Guys Aaron Blabey
- American Girl Mysteries by various authors
- Hero by Jennifer Li Shotzv
- Diary of a Minecraft Zombie by Zack Zombie
- I Survived by Lauren Tarshis
- Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Use the 5-finger rule to tell if a book’s a good fit!
Use Common Sense Media to ensure books are appropriate for your child and to find other great book recommendations:
| TOPIC | DISCUSSION PROMPTS |
|---|---|
| Fiction: Characters |
|
| Fiction: Plot |
|
| Fiction: Setting |
|
| Fiction: Theme |
|
| Informational Text |
|
| Any Books |
|
Math in Fourth Grade
IXL in 4th Grade
IXL is available for students this summer! Students can use IXL to practice math skills and stay sharp. We’ve selected our top skills for 4th Graders below. Follow these directions to make the most of this awesome website!
Login Instructions:
- Go to www.ixl.com/signin/grcs.
- Use your child’s username and password to log in (Reach out to your child’s 2020-21 teacher for account information).
- Go to the Math tab.
- Choose 3rd grade math by clicking the rounded tab with a 3 or E on it.
- Click on the suggested skills below.
- Get practicing!
Try working on each skill until you achieve a Smartscore of 80!
| CATEGORY | SKILLS |
|---|---|
| Addition | C.1 C.3 C.9 C.11 |
| Subtraction | D.1 D.2 D.3 |
| Multiplication | G.1-G.20 H.1 H.2 H.6 H.7 |
| Division | G.1-G.20 H.1 H.2 H.6 H.7 |
| Fractions | W.1 W.4 W.5 W.8 W.12 W.16 W.17 W.18 W.19 W.20 |
Using Math in Everyday Life
Just because school is done, doesn’t mean math disappears until fall. Seek out opportunities to use math in real world ways throughout your summer together. Take a look at all the different ways you can connect the things you're already doing with math concepts students learn in school.
- Bake together to practice fractions, addition, and time.
- Go grocery shopping together and compare prices, weigh items and count change.
- Plan, measure out and build something together.
- Host a lemonade stand
- Practice telling time
- Sort and count change collected at home
- Complete puzzles or play games like, Uno, Monopoly, Battleship, Yahtzee, Chess, Checkers, Sudoku, Tangrams, or your own favorite card games.
Build Skills Using Math Games
There are so many great math skill games available. Here are some teacher approved games that are definitely worth checking out:
Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks Math Games: Using just dice and a deck of playing cards, try one of many games listed on this site to reinforce skills!
Xtramath.org: In just 10 minutes a day, kids can practice basic facts tailored to them. They’ll only practice the ones they haven’t yet mastered instead of wasting time practicing time practicing what they already know. The app is $5 but the website is always free. Reach out to your child’s 2020-21 teacher for account information.
Abcya.com: Abcya is a fantastic collection of ELA and math games covering math skills in a variety of engaging ways. Like an arcade, kids can jump in and out of games as they like. So many choices, there’s bound to be something they’ll love.
Prodigy.com: Kids love Prodigy because it feels more like a video game than a math review website. Kids explore new worlds, meet interesting characters and compete against other characters all powered by answering correct math questions.
Also, check out Mr. McWhertor’s website for great math games at all grade levels!
Fifth Grade
For incoming 5th graders for the 2021-2022 school year.
Dear GRCS Parents,
Congratulations! Your child has made it through a unique 4th grade year and into the summer! It’s time to catch fireflies, have bonfires, swim in the lake, and do all those other quality, summer-time activities. Rest well, we know your child has worked hard throughout the past school year.
Along with the thrills of summer, we look forward to the coming school year! As we look ahead, we are happy to offer an opportunity to keep your child learning throughout the summer season! We hope to hit the ground running this August as we explore and learn in 5th grade. To do so most effectively, we’d love for our students to continue reading and keeping their math skills sharp throughout the summer. The following is a collection of fun activities and books for you and your child to enjoy. We ask that you and your child would invest some time and effort in working through the suggestions in this packet.
We are so excited to see you in 5th grade next year. Until then, take flight and soar through the summer!
See you in August!
Your GRCES 5th grade teaching team
Fifth Grade Suggested Summer Reading
FICTION
- Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
- Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullally Hunt
- The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
- Spy School by Gibbs
- Endling by Katherine Applegate
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
- Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Gravenstein
- Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
- The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holme
- All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
- Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
- No Talking by Andrew Clements
- The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
- The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
- Crossover by Kwame Alexander
NONFICTION
- Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
- A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
- The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix
- Ugly by Robert Hoge
SERIES/COLLECTIONS
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
- Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keen
- Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- I Survived by Lauren Tarshis
- Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
- Warriors by Erin Hunter
- The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
- The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
- The (Fairly) True Tales by Liesl Shurtliff
Use the 5-finger rule to tell if a book’s a good fit!
Use Common Sense Media to ensure books are appropriate for your child and to find other great book recommendations:
| TOPIC | DISCUSSION PROMPTS |
|---|---|
| Fiction: Characters |
|
| Fiction: Plot |
|
| Fiction: Setting |
|
| Fiction: Theme |
|
| Informational Text |
|
| Any Books |
|
Math in Fifth Grade
IXL in 5th Grade
IXL is available for students this summer! Students can use IXL to practice math skills and stay sharp. We’ve selected our top skills for 5th Graders below. Follow these directions to make the most of this awesome website!
Login Instructions:
- Go to https://www.ixl.com/signin/grcs.
- Use your child’s username and password to log in. (Reach out to your child’s 2020-21 teacher for account information.)
- Go to the Math tab.
- Choose 4th grade math by clicking the rounded tab with a 5 or G on it.
- Click on the suggested skills below.
- Get practicing!
Try working on each skill until you achieve a Smartscore of 80!
| CATEGORY | SKILLS |
|---|---|
| Fractions | K.1 K.2 K.3 K.4 K.5 L.2 L.4 M.1 M.2 |
| Decimals | G.1 G.2 G.3 G.4 H.1 H.2 |
| Division | D.1 D.2 D.3 D.4 D.5 D.6 D.9 D.10 |
| Multiplication | C.1 C.2 C.3 C.4 C.5 C.6 C.8 C.13 |
| Others | O.1 O.2 P.1 S.3 W.1 W.4 |
Using Math in Everyday Life
Just because school is done, doesn’t mean math disappears until fall. Seek out opportunities to use math in real world ways throughout your summer together. Take a look at all the different ways you can connect the things you're already doing with math concepts students learn in school.
- Bake together to practice fractions, addition, and time.
- Go grocery shopping together and compare prices, weigh items and count change.
- Plan, measure out and build something together.
- Host a lemonade stand
- Practice telling time
- Sort and count change collected at home
- Complete puzzles or play games like, Uno, Monopoly, Battleship, Yahtzee, Chess, Checkers, Sudoku, Tangrams, or your own favorite card games.
Build Skills Using Math Games
There are so many great math skill games available. Here are some teacher approved games that are definitely worth checking out:
Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks Math Games: Using just dice and a deck of playing cards, try one of many games listed on this site to reinforce skills!
Xtramath.org: In just 10 minutes a day, kids can practice basic facts tailored to them. They’ll only practice the ones they haven’t yet mastered instead of wasting time practicing time practicing what they already know. The app is $5 but the website is always free. Reach out to your child’s 2020-21 teacher for account information.
Abcya.com: Abcya is a fantastic collection of ELA and math games covering math skills in a variety of engaging ways. Like an arcade, kids can jump in and out of games as they like. So many choices, there’s bound to be something they’ll love.
Prodigy.com: Kids love Prodigy because it feels more like a video game than a math review website. Kids explore new worlds, meet interesting characters and compete against other characters all powered by answering correct math questions.
Also, check out Mr. McWhertor’s website for great math games at all grade levels!