Week 35: Thrive, Novel Unit - Field Trip Buzz

I have been so proud of our students involvement and interest in our Religion lessons through Thrive: Best Choice.  See my earlier email for today's update.  We welcome Mr. J. back again Monday and Tuesday.

Tuck Everlasting

In Literature, students have begun reading the novel,  Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt and then leading small group discussions in "book club" format.  We are exploring the literary elements of foreshadowing, character development, motive, and universal theme as the characters ponder the benefits and downfalls of living forever.  It is exciting to look at the novel through the eyes of faith as we will discuss God's original design in Eden as well as our eternal life in the heavenly home he has prepared for us.  Students are discovering the blessings God gives us in this life through the many stages we live and even more blessings to be received in eternity with Him!  We will culminate the novel this with creative projects.

Year End Field Trip - Save the Date

Friday, May 12 will be our Lutheran Heritage Field trip.  This is an extended day, arriving at 6:40 a.m. and returning at 5:30 p.m. that evening.  Please mark your calendars accordingly.  We will be studying immigration, geneology, and the history of Lutherans in our area.  Our day will include a trip to the Altenburg Museum and Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna, MO.  This is a colonial homestead where students will learn about the first Lutheran settlers, tour the homestead, and have an opportunity for trying chores such as laundry and grinding corn.  Our day includes seeing the first Concordia Seminary and a one room schoolhouse.  

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the PTL, we are able to take a charter bus for the trip.  Watch for permission slips to come home next week!

Week 34: Poetry Wrap Up, Visitor, and Research Paper update

We started our poetry unit with a few groans and ended it with deep discussions of metaphors!   I was proud that kids picked subjects and poets that were meaningful and took the time to reflect.  I know its probably TABOO for mom or dad to step into the JH building, but please embarass your child and stop by before or after school to check their Poet Study posters in the JH building.  You'll also see some amazing tessallations.  Concrete poems and beautiful cross art came home today as well.

On Wednesday, Miss Preusser, my new 6th grade teaching partner for 2017-18,  shadowed in the JH building and got a taste of our routine.  She is completing her student teaching and graduating this May.  We welcome Miss Preusser to our staff.  Mr. Braddy will be returning as an 8th grade homeroom teacher. 




From Mrs. Dersch:

Week of April 18-21
He is Risen! I hope everyone had a restful Easter Break and you were able to make time for worship.

Spelling: Unit 27, due Friday and quiz on Friday

English: We are still in the middle of the research unit. This week we wrote our outline, works cited page, and title page. Some students may need to finish their notes over library sources this weekend. If your child gets more resources for their papers they will need to also write a new source card for every new source.

Writing and Conferences: Next Monday and Tuesday I will hold conferences with students to check their progress on their papers. We will discuss internal citations as well. You will receive an email or a call home if your child is off track. We will discuss internal citations as well.

Additional information regarding research materials are available on the Forms and Docs section of my website: https://sites.google.com/site/mrsderschsenglishsite/my-forms


THRIVE: BEST CHOICE  Thank you for the prompt return of permission slips.  Our sessions start Tuesday.  I will send an email during each session so you have a heads up of some of the conversations that come home (or you may wish to initiate with your closed-lipped child!!)

BobCaps Fundraiser - Thank you for your generous donations!!  We will be selling bottled water during recess Tuesday for our fundraiser.  We are somewhere close to 150 pounds of caps!!  (Sorting takes time and we need to catch up with our weigh ins)  If a PARENT VOLUNTEER is available Tuesday from 11:15-1:00, to help supervise the kids with the sale, please let me know. 

Week 33: Happy Easter, Research Project, Thrive

He is Risen!  Alleluia!
May you and your loved ones be blessed knowing the certainty of the resurrection and the forgiveness that Christ won for you on the cross!


English 6

Week of April 10-13

Spelling: Unit 26, due Thursday and quiz on Thursday

English: We are in the middle of our research unit. You may have noticed that your child asked you questions about the day he/she was born. These interviews will become a part of their research project. Students are also gathering research on other historical events that happened on the date of their birth. During this weekend and next week, students will need to go to the library to get a book or periodical over their research topic.  Due date packets, MLA citation handbooks, and other research materials have been handed out to your student in a yellow envelope.  These additional documents are also available for download on my website under the forms section:

https://sites.google.com/site/mrsderschsenglishsite/my-forms

Writing: Students are finishing up their source cards and note cards for their topics, and next week we will begin outlining the research paper.

Thank you!
Rebecca Dersch

rdersch@zionharvester.org

Thrive Best Choice

In 1 week, we welcome Thrive Best Choice to lead our Religion classes.  Through this program, students will be involved in active discussions about setting goals, healthy relationships, puberty, and making God-pleasing decisions.  A permission slip is coming home TUESDAY to sign and return for your child to participate.  An outline of the curriculum is also coming home.  To help you prepare for discussions with your child at home, here are the topics starting April 25.  I pray that you use these as opportunities to open the dialogue with your child and share your values with them.  Research shows parents are still the number one influence on their teens!  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Tuesday:  Goals, Risky Behaviors, and Decision Making
Thursday: Respect, Friendships, and Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships, Refusal Skills
Friday: Male/Female Puberty 
Monday: Media Influence, Emotional Consequences, Boundaries, and Avoidance Techniques

Week 32: Holy Week

It was wonderful to see the support of the Zion community and friends at our auction Friday night. Preliminary reports show this was our best year yet in raising money for Zion!!  Thank you for your prayer support as well.

I encourage you to worship with your children on these special days ahead.   Today we see Jesus declaring himself not only our King, but the promised Messiah.  On Maundy Thursday we see the remarkable transformation of the Passover into Holy Communion - Jesus himself became our saving Lamb of sacrifice.  Honor the Good Friday on which Christ died for our sins and the temple veil was torn in two - the separation that sin had caused between us and our Lord is no more.  And finally the glorious day of resurrection, EASTER, when we celebrate our victory in Christ over sin, death and the devil.  There is nothing we could ever do to deserve this love.  What a wonderful opportunity we have before us to learn and grow in our faith - to praise and thank God for this glorious gift!!, 

To see a clip from The Gospel of Matthew which we are using in Religon, click this link.  Palm Sunday begins at about 5 min 20 sec.

Church Services for Passion Week…Zion’s services for Passion Week leading up to Easter continue this week.  If you don’t have a church home, Zion would love to welcome you to experience Jesus’ journey to the cross with us!  We have services all week. :) 

TODAY Palm Sunday 4/9  8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Living Last Supper Thursday 4/13 at 3:30 and 7pm.
Good Friday  Friday 4/14 at 3:30 and 7pm.
Easter  Sunday 4/16 at 8, 9:30 and 11am. 

What's happening in 6th Grade?

Religion - Passion Week

Lit - Poetry - Students will need posterboard by Tuesday for our Poet Study We will have our own version of a Poetry SLAM  on Thursday.  (That's 2017 for a poetry reading)

Eng - Research Paper

S.S. - Population Issues/China   Ask about our Population Circle exercise outside.

Sci. - more about Cells and Genetics 

Math - T- Ratios/Fractions/Decimals/Percents
           G -Coordinate Plane 

Art - M.C. Escher and Tessellations 

Week 31: Guest teacher and BOBCAPS!!

Thank You Pastor H.!!

Spring is upon us! It is exciting to begin to see signs of new life:  green shoots poking through the brown earth, budding trees, flowers blooming, robins singing - even amidst a few snowflakes. Spring is the perfect time to reflect on how we, too, have been made a new creation.

In our study of "Who is Jesus" we are focusing on the events of Passion Week.  Isaiah H's dad, pastor at Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church is spending 5 days with us revealing parts of scripture that explain resurrection and leading us through events of the week through historical eyes. Thank you, Pastor, for being with us and teaching us God's Truth!!

We also will be been watching more of the word-for-word enactment of The Gospel of Matthew presented by The Visual Bible.  For some students, seeing the man who has been teaching and preaching, with loving compassion and tenderness, to now be sacrificed on the cross for our sins can be quite emotional.  

I encourage you take time with your family to reflect on Jesus' life and death, both in the upcoming worship services (see calendar on right) and in reading the Passion account from one of the gospels.  Why would anyone take such pain upon himself?  It is amazing to think that we could be loved so much!  It's truly beyond our understanding.  And what does this mean for us?  Romans 6:4 talks about how we have been buried with Christ - our sins have been taken to the grave - so that "just as Christ was raised from the death through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."  Celebrate this new life!

Achievement Tests

Please help your child prepare for testing week by getting a good nights' sleep and eating a healthy breakfast.  It is important to remember that standardized testing is only one indicator of your child's ability.  We try to keep our schedule as routine as possible, attending PE, library, and musics.  Students need 2 good pencils and an A.R. book to read if they finish tests early.  We will test Mon-Thurs. and complete makeups Friday if possible.

Zion School Auction

The auction is one week away!!  Auction books came home Friday to those families who have registered to attend.  I hope to see many of you there!  Thanks to Ellie's mom, Gavin's mom  and all the kids for preparing our class donation item - a St. Louis Skyline made of our thumbprints.  Let the bidding begin!

 BOBCAPS!

Sorting for "quality control"

We checked for the right types of plastics and no trash

We do almost daily runs to pick up caps from other classrooms

Altogether we have 57 pounds so far!!!

Fundraiser Donations