Week 14: Midquarter and Thanksgiving!

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 week 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 restaurant gift card, and kids picked from a toy box!

Midquarter

Today marks the midpoint of 2nd quarter.  It is a good time to talk with your child about the Friday papers that came home, check grades on Sycamore, and help them set goals for the 2nd half.  A great goal?  READ over the break!  Get those AR points before the last week of December!!!  And your kids are not too old to read with you.  You can model fluency and have great conversations over books.  Traveling?  Listen to audio books in the car.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you have about your child's progress.  : )

Painting our Christmas project

Food Drive

message by Stuco

Literature activity

From the Class Blogger, Charlie

This week we practiced advent singing so we will be prepared for the real service.  On Monday we started a new chapter in Religion talking about Jesus birth.  We also had health screening.  We started our first presentation. On Friday we had a bunch of tests to finish before Thanksgiving break.  That raps up our week of school before a 9 day long break.


Can you tell they are excited!

What's Happening in 6th grade?

Here are two of our current units:

Social Studies - We have explored Human Environment interaction in the Great Lakes Ecosystem and held a class debate over whether things have improved since the 1969 fire on the Cayahoga River.  Students researched current environmental issues in North America and are sharing their findings through an online tool called Prezi by combining text, photos, and video.  We got through most of the presentations today.  Ask your child to show off their project to you!

Religion - We are finally into our Religion books!  Our focus shifts from What is in the Bible and the Reformation to the life of Christ and, as Charlie mentioned, we started with Jesus' birth.  We will be using the film The Visual Bible: Matthew along with our text to dig deep into Who was Jesus as well as his teachings, miracles, and passion. 

Advent Reminder

Have you marked your calendar?  Just a reminder that Wednesday, December 6, at 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM, Grades 5 and 6 will lead the first Advent worship services at Zion Church.  We have begun preparations for leading worship including practicing readings, auditioning for drama parts, and learning songs.  Thanks for help at home on learning lyrics!

Week 13

From the class blogger, Kendyl

This week we started our big Christmas art project. We will display them in the main school building in December. We started practicing our advent parts. We had memory for the first three verses of our advent song "How Suddenly a Baby Cries."  On Thursday we had World Cup Stacking.  Today we held the Great Lakes Debate on the environment and pollution, invasive species, and habitat loss. 

(Kendyl ran out of time at homeroom to finish - so I added a few notes at the end there. : )

Thanks to Mrs. Murray and the scouts for helping us honor America's veterans and learn how we can share in their character traits of bravery, honor, courage, integrity.....

cup stacking relay

teamwork on the giant cups

The Graces battlestack!

T-Math match algebraic equations

Great Lakes debate

Field Trip - Dec. 1 - Wonder

We have special opportunity to join the 7th/8th grade to see the new movie Wonder on Friday, Dec. 1. The movie is based on the novel of the same name which is read by our 7th grade.   Themes in the novel are the importance of being kind to one another and sharing Christ's love no matter how people may be different than us.  Teachers will accompany students by bus.

NOTE:  our movie costs are covered by Zion activity funds, but a concession fee will be charged to your Smart Tuition.  This is a package for large groups and we will not have options at the concession stand.  If you do not wish your child to have the concession, contact Michelle Thomason mthomason@zionharvester.org our business manager.

OTHER REMINDERS:

Book Orders came home today.  Please place orders by next FRIDAY.  I'm happy to set aside books in the school office that you wish to use as gifts.  We will place one more order in mid December before Christmas.

Fall Auction Round Up is next week, November 13th through the 17th! We are looking for donations for the Zion School Auction March 16, 2018. You can drop them off before school at the main school entrance or the Early Childhood entrance. For every $25 in donations, you will receive a ticket for an opportunity to win 2 FREE Auction Tickets! Need donation ideas? Grab a leaf off an Auction Trees to help you shop. Any help is appreciated! Thank you for your generosity!

THANKSGIVING DRIVE for the Seminary is Wednesday, Nov. 15

TJ Order Pickup is Thursday, Nov. 16 from 2-5:00 p.m. in the Commons 

Have you TAKEN ACTION on energy efficiency in your home?  Thank you for supporting the students with the questinos and looking at the Take Action Kit.  Please take time to look an the survey questions on the worksheet that came home and return it by FRIDAY. 

Week 12: Reformation 500 and Take Action Kits

Reformation

On Tuesday, We invited 6P to join us for a Reformation 500 Celebration as we watched Luther give his "Here I Stand" speech at the Diet of Worms in front of the Holy Roman Emperor.  We enjoyed snacks and the Reformation Rock song written by Lost and Found, a Christian group that's beginning to be a class favorite.  We talked about how the Holy Spirit makes us bold to witness our faith.  We are wrapping up our study exploring the Latin phrases: Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and Solo Christo.   Students are challenged to write a statement of faith including these Bible truths.  I am saved by Christ alone who died for me. His grace alone saves me, not anything I do to earn forgiveness, but through faith alone is his redemption.  I know this through  God's Word.  It's not about Martin -  it's still all about JESUS!

Auction Round Up

Fall Auction Round Up is coming Nov 13th through the 17th! We are looking for donations for the Zion School Auction on March 16, 2018. You can drop them off before school the week of November 13th at the main school entrance or the Early Childhood entrance. For every $25 in donations, you will receive a ticket for an opportunity to win 2 FREE Auction Tickets! Need donation ideas? Grab a leaf off an Auction Trees to help you shop. Any help is appreciated! Thank you for your generosity!

G-Math plays Vocabulary Head Bands

Students could define or give an example of the math term

Literature Acting

To learn Characterization - students had to depict scenes from Dragon, Dragon

They determined traits directly and indirectly characterized by the author

Pep Assembly - Good luck Ms. Preusser and Volleyball girls as you go to STATE!

Faith Families

This week was our Faith Family Group Activity.  After opening in Chapel with a Baptism song we went to classrooms for a devotion about color.  We learned about the color for Advent.  Blue represents the HOPE we have in Jesus.  We then made Christmas cards to sent to soldiers in the military.  An important part of Faith Families is building relationships around Jesus, so we played a get to know you game.  We closed in the church with our Baptism Remembrance celebration.  It is great to see our older students helping the younger students while they make cards to share the HOPE we have in Jesus. 

Think! Talk! Take Action!
Students brought home kits to help your family learn about energy efficiency.  This is a generous gift from Ameren UE to sixth grade students across the state to help teach kids about their energy use and how small changes can make a big difference.  Encourage your child to do some research in the energy use in your home.  There are many great ideas in the booklet. 
      *Please look over the items in the kit and use as many as  you can
      *Something you can't use?  Maybe grandma or the next door neighbor can use it!
      *Our goal is to get worksheets back by Nov. 17 - note this is a way Ameren can see the
effectiveness of their grant program.   We get an additional $50 Visa card for our class if we send back these forms!! 


Muffins for Moms - Wed. Nov. 8
Meet in the church basement between 7-7:45 to spend this special time with your kids.  Moms or special guests are invited to join us for Chapel that morning.


Thanksgiving Offering - Seminary Food/Supplies Drive  Nov. 15
         JH is focusing on non-food items for our offerings.  Both younger sem. students and men changing careers have reduced sources of income while they study to be pastors.  Please consider adding something to your shopping list to help our seminary families.