Week 19: Merry Christmas!

It's been a fast paced week, with end of the quarter tests, Among the Hidden presentations, watching The Nativity Story in Religion, and a bit of fun mixed in.  Today we had a special Christmas worship led by our 8th graders.  Through symbols and the Nativity pageant we were reminded that Baby Jesus came for us and we invite the Lord Jesus to come into our hearts now and to take us to our heavenly home. 

Thanks to Ellie's and Jon and Grace's moms for planning our Christmas party and bringing goodies.   They kids had a lot of fun!

In January, we will welcome a new student to our class.  Hannah W. had a chance to visit in December.  Please help Hannah and her family feel welcome.

I pray you and your family are able to have a restful and worshipful holiday.  Jesus came to bring peace, love, and joy.  May we reflect the wonder of knowing He saves us!

Merry Christmas!
Mrs. Riemenschneider 

Somehow the photos are totally jumbled.  Today's Christmas party is interspersed with last week's Service Project Packing day.  Oh well!

Playing Pictionary at the class party

Packing goodie bags for the U.S.O. last week

Students wrote messages of support and encouragement to the troops

Emoji UNO!!

Pizza - YUMMM!

Showing off our care packages

Service Project, English, Ski Date and More!

On Thursday students had an opportunity to pack a goodie bag for the U.S.O.  Walkathon funds purchased snacks, lotions, puzzle books, and gift cards to go along with other donations students brought in.  Each student was able to write a note of encouragement to go in a bag that will be handed out and Lambert Airport over the next weeks.  We pray the military members feel our love and appreciation for their service to our country!  (left the photos on my classroom ipod - I'll add them next week).

Wrapping up the Quarter

  If your child has been absent, be sure to have him or her check in with each teacher on Monday to be sure we have all of your makeup work.  I am sometimes delayed at getting grade updates into Sycamore and I certainly don't mind the reminder.  But also the student has missed instruction and the teacher can touch base and see if they have questions. 

CHRISTMAS PARTIES will be hosted by our room moms on THURSDAY.  They are planning on serving pizza and snacks, so you will not likely need to feed your child lunch after noon dismissal.  Or - maybe you will - you know how these kids can eat!!

NEW GOOGLE PASSWORDS - You will receive a letter with your child's new Google password on Monday.  Please review the importance of password security with your child.  Passwords will change over Sunday evening.

English 6

      This week we are continuing on with our verbs unit. We had a quiz retake over intransitive/transitive verbs and be verbs that we (collectively) did not master last week.  The quiz retake went much better.
      We are currently working with different verb tenses and will have a unit quiz next week on Wednesday. Students have been reviewing and completing study guides that they may use on this large quiz.
      We are working with two writing assignments, a sensory writing activity over Thanksgiving dinner, and an upcoming narrative/sensory writing activity over Christmas.

  We will have no spelling this next week, however, we will be working with another word study on Christmas music.

Joy in Him and the Advent Season!

Rebecca Dersch

  Save the Date- Feb. 3 will be our Hidden Valley Ski Trip

Here are a few photos from our Field Trip - Thanks parents for helping make it a wonderful experience!  Watch for info to come home on Monday about our ski day.

Week 17: Field Trip Friday

Advent - What a wonderful time to be teaching and preparing with the students!  Even as 6th graders, students are enjoying lighting the advent candles and "opening windows" on our Advent Trivia Bulletin Board calendar.  Each day we focus on the Savior of the Centuries, who is brings peace, joy, and comfort in this time and for all time.  Whatever your holiday traditions, seek to point out the Love of God coming into this world to live among us and to be one of us - He know our struggles and rescues us from our sins.  He will come again when the time is just right to take us to our heavenly home.

Field Trip Friday 12/16

Chaperones can meet us at 8:45 as we prepare to board the bus for the MO History museum.  Students have been enjoying the read aloud of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, a story about a china rabbit and his adventures as he discovered the importance of love.  We are eager to learn more about toys too!

Reminders:
COLD LUNCH - we will eat in the Forest Park visitor center.  A lunch box will be easiest to identify and distribute lunches quickly.  Also to bring home leftovers. : )

RED Zion shirt and jeans or standardized dress bottoms.  Jacket for the cold.

Book Orders

I will place the book order Sunday evening.  They will be back in time for Christmas.  If you are interesting in me setting aside a gift, just email me!  (link on the right)

Christmas Art

Students worked hard all month on our Christmas canvas projects.  Just a few photos (shh - they came home as Christmas gifts for many of you!)

In art the rest of the month students projects will be inspired by Pop Artist Roy Lichstenstein and the art of an American classic, Norman Rockwell. 

Week 16: Advent and Lit. Novel

What a thrill it was to hear your kids share the message of our Savior this week, through song, drama, and art!  Thank you for getting kids to the service and all your help behind the scenes with learning songs/parts.  We are truly All For One serving a Savior who loves us so much that he put aside heaven to live with us, be our friend, and rescue us from sin.  I pray the service gave you a new perspective on the way Jesus is revealed in Scripture and the Advent season.

INFORMATION:

**USO donations are due on Monday.  Please consider giving of your blessings.
**Book orders came home today.  Paper orders due Friday or order online by Sunday, 12/11
**Field trip forms for our Dec. 16 trip to the MO History museum came home today to be returned by Wed.  We travel by bus. Ana's mom and Gavin's mom will chaperone for us.  Thanks ladies!
**Please return the AMEREN U.E. surveys by Monday so I can mail them in by the due date.  Thank you for taking the time to help your child learn more about energy efficiency.

 

WHAT IF...

...the government could force you to sell land?
...we had laws on what you could grow on your farm? or that said NO PETS ALLOWED?
...your family was limited to one or two children?

Would you exist?

I hope talks about our Literature novel have popped up in your family conversations.  Students began the novel, Among the Hidden by Margaret Petersen Haddix on Wednesday, and I have to put a STOP sign in the novels to get them to put it down.  Through the novel we discuss literary elements like characterization and conflict, but also propaganda, morals, and faith.  It also coordinates with our S.S. unit on Urban Sprawl in which students are taking on the roles of local citizen activist groups to debate how best to plan a city for population growth.  Ask your child about it!
  P.S.  Need a gift idea?  This is the first of a series of seven.  Scholastic has the The Shadow Children series for $28.  I will send book orders in on  Sunday, Dec. 11 and get them before Christmas break.  Email me any gift order and I'll send them to the office for you to keep the secret!


A Belated THANK YOU...

Right before Thanksgiving Break the students surprised me with cookies and a TWB gift certificate for my birthday.  Thank you all for the generous gift!


Christmas Worship
As part of your holiday celebrations, please consider joining us at Zion to worship the newborn King.  I hope one of our services fit into your family's plans.


Dec. 24  1:00 p.m.,  3:00 p.m.  5:00 p.m.  11:00 p.m.
Dec. 25  9:00 a.m.

Week 15: Thanksgiving and Advent

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.   I am so thankful for each one of your children in my class this year. What a blessing they are to me!  Thank you, parents, as well, for the support you give to your children and to me. I hope you were able to enjoy this holiday weekend with family and friends!  Thank you for your generosity for our seminary families as well.  We were able to give 20 dinner boxes (turkeys, pie crust, rolls, butter, etc.) seminarians also were given a $10 restaurant gift card, and kids picked from a toy box! 

Please Bring on Monday...Ameren UE booklet

Have you had a chance to look at the kit?  I am amazed at the generosity from Ameren to families around the state of Missouri.  What a wonderful learning opportunity for your child to learn to care for the resources God has given us!
 
To dos:   1) Send back the booklet on Monday so we can go over a few things this week

               2) Use what you can for your family/house.  Let your child take the lead on investigating water usage, looking for "phantom load" etc.  

               3)  Look for the SURVEY TO RETURN to come home on Monday. The survey can be filled out on paper or online.  Surveys should be back by Monday, Dec. 7 whether you use the kit or not.  If I get the letters returned, Zion gets another
$50 grant!!

   

ADVENT WORSHIP WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30

Families:

Students have enjoyed some lighter work loads as we have been practicing music, narration, and drama to lead worship this Wednesday.   Pray for the message of salvation to ring clearly in our drama and songs!

 Times:  Wed. 11/30 -  10:00 A.M. (chapel with Zion students) and 7:00 P.M.     

Arrival for the evening services: Students are to meet in my classroom no later than 6:40 P.M. Pre-service musicians, a bit earlier.  I'll confirm with Mrs. Thoelke.

 

Dress:  Students should dress nicely for both the morning service and the evening service.

                  Morning – standardized school dress (or costume)

                  Evening – standardized school dress or “Sunday best” -  avoid jeans and  

clothing with writing 

After the evening service:  Parents may pick up students from the Welcome Center in church.

** Reminder: As students are leading worship, please refrain from photography during the service.  We would be happy to stage pictures after the worship service ends. You may set up a video camera in the balcony.

U.S.O. Drive - Christmas Service Project

Every year each classroom at Zion completes a Christmas service project in place of a gift exchange in the classrooms.  Our junior high students will extend their service project from September’s Walkathon by continuing to support the USO. The funds raised from the Walkathon will be a part of this service project.

To complete our goal, our junior high students and families are encouraged to participate in donating items to supplement the Walkathon money.  This project will include students packing “goodie bags” for soldiers visiting the USO lounge and restaurant at Lambert Saint Louis Airport.  These “goodie bags” will contain items requested by the USO and as listed below.  Each junior high student will also compose cards and messages to our troops to encourage them on their travels and missions.

As Christ reflects His love for us this Christmas, may we also share His love with our soldiers this season and throughout the year.

      Please only select items as listed below!

 

Week 14: World Cup Stacking Day

Our week has been exciting and intense with Advent rehearsals, research on environmental issues in S.S.,  learning about Prezi, a new Religion unit (see tab above) working on Christmas art, World Cup Stacking Day, and health screening.  There was never a "normal day" - which keeps us on our toes! 

Kids were excited to bring home a kit this weekend sponsored by Ameren UE to help educate them on energy efficiency.  We will use some of the educational resources over the next 2 weeks to learn about renewable and nonrenewable resources.  The kit is yours to keep.  Please encourage your child to take the lead on finding out about your family energy use - taking the temperature in your refrigerator, measuring the flow of water from a faucet, learning how to change a furnace filter, etc.  What a wonderful opportunity to learn about caring for the precious resources God gives us!

I will send a survey next week to complete by Dec. 8 on how you will use the kit.  If we return a majority of the surveys, Ameren will donate an additional $50 to our classroom.  I told the kids to use what you can and pass on other items to a neighbor, friend or family member.  Feel like you have a little support now when you say, "Turn that light out when you aren't in the room!"

A note from Mrs. Dersch

In English, we have been studying sentence diagramming and appositive phrases. Friday students had a quiz on appositives. Our writing emphasis this week is a mystery story based off a writing prompt. For spelling, we worked on Unit 10 and had a quiz on Friday.

From our class photographers, Gavin and Lucas:

STUCO Delivery to Seminary