Week 38: And you shall be my witnesses!

What does Christ's command to his disciples mean to a sixth grader?  (Mt. 28:19-20, Acts 1:8)  This is the topic we explored in our religion classes as we have looked at the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and early church. As the disciples were instructed to witness in first Jerusalem, then to the neighboring countryside, then to the ends of the earth, we Christians are encouraged to be witnesses where we are at: in our school, workplaces, and families then reach out, even to the ends of the earth.   Where do we get equipped for such a task?  In Word and Sacrament - with the fellowship of believers.  

 

In our last weeks, students had opportunities to learn of the witness of the early disciples. Kids wrote and shared devotions based on contemporary Christian music. (Will be posted soon in their Google Classrooms).   If you have gotten out of the habit of worship or devotional time with God - this is an opportunity for you, too, to be enriched by the Holy Spirit.  I encourage you to be involved in summer worship both at home and in your travels.   Invite a friend or neighbor.  We, too, have the power of the Holy Spirit and can look for those opportunities for God to use us to spread his word!

 

                Zion's Summer Worship Schedule (June-Aug)
                 Saturday Worship:  5 PM
                 Sunday Worship:  8, 10:30AM

                 Monday Worship: 7:00 p.m. 

 

Dear families:

Thank you for all of your support and partnership this year.  I have appreciated your prayers, your notes of encouragement, your time working with your child on projects, and your child. Thank you also for the gift cards, plants, candy, beverages and other treats.   It has been a pleasure being a part of your lives this year.   I look forward to staying connected and seeing how God shapes each of these kids.  May God bless your family this summer!     

      

                  In His Service,

                  Mrs. Riemenschneider  

 

 Our Memories video 

 

 

Week 37: Field Day Fun!

 Students were busy this week....

•     Learning about the work of the Holy Spirit through Peter and Philip
  
•    Creating our own devotions based on Contemporary Christian Music - students are leading devos throughout next week.  We were rocking Big Daddy Weave, Toby Mac, and Newsboys so far.
  
•      Exploring inequalities
•      Finishing  Tuck Everlasting Book Club discussions.  We present our creative projects on Monday.
  
•     Tracing bodies to draw and share about the different systems (respiratory, nervous, etc) 
•     Exploring Chinese culture 
•      Celebrating Field Day!!
•      Learning about church work vocations  
•      Writing our Breeze Park friends one more time this year
  

 Whew!  We are still learning!!

 

A visit from Miss Steinbacher

We welcomed our director of Children's Ministries for 2 days to our S.S. class.  Miss Angie Steinbacher (daughter of our PE teacher and a Zion alum) taught in China for 6 years.  She brought her experience to our classroom with various stations and foods for us to try.  Miss S. taught win a home for orphaned kids with disabilities and then at an international school.  Our kids were encouraged to appreciate and respect people who are different from us  (even if we may not like the taste of seaweed!) and how God can use gifts and talents in ways we could not even imagine.   Thank you Miss S. for the great experience!  Next week, we will be writing encouraging letters to send to some of her mission contacts.

Here's our exciting last week of school:

COLD LUNCH all week with Ala Carte items available for CASH purchase.

 Mon. May 20 - wrap up classes and tests

Tues. May 21 - wrap up classes and tests - 1:45 Dress Rehearsal Spring Musical

Wed. May 22 - wrap up classes, cleaning - BRING A BAG FOR TAKING SUPPLIES HOME

                      - Board Game afternoon - Students may bring a favorite game from home

Thurs. May 23  wrap up classes, 11:00 grades 5-8 closing chapel

                        Tuck Everlasting  Movie Day!! - Students may bring a pillow and small blanket

                        3p.m. dismissal

 

I wish I had caught the strings Mission Impossible piece at the Spring Concert on video- it was awesome!  Here is the 80s medley with Joyful Noise.

Water bombs!

Beach ball relays

Parachute is still fun for big kids!

Kona Ice - thank you PTL!!

Miss Steinbacher showing where she lived in China

Trying Chinese calligraphy

Tasting fruits and seaweed!

Red  Sweet Potatoes

Paper chain stem challengs

Sponge relay

Week 36: Best Choice

 We had an informative and fun week at Best Choice!  Be sure to see your daily emails from the week for a detailed summary of the experience.  Best Choice continues in 7th-8th grade and at Lutheran High, St. Charles to build on these discussions.    For researched information and resources, check out: http://bestchoicestl.org/parents/

OUR LAST UNITS:

Religion - Witness of the Apostles and us!  We are learning about Pentecost, Peter, Phillip and Paul.  The kids will write devotions based on Contemporary Christian songs

English - Kids have completed speeches persuading the class to pick a 6th grade theme song.  They are now short story writing

Math - both classes are working with  positive and negative integers discovering Algebraic addition with Sign Wars.  This week: inequalities.  Each class has one more quiz and the unit test to go.

S.S. -Studies of East Asia.  We look forward to a visit from Miss Steinbacher this week who spent 6 years in China.

Sci. - Human Body

Art - photography

Lit:  We are finishing our Tuck Everlasting novel unit with creative projects.

 

 

Important dates:  May 13-19 will be Set Apart to Serve Week-  This will be a special week to learn about church work and thank Zion’s professional church workers.

Tuesday May 14  Concerts : 6:30p.m. band/strings  7:30p.m. choirs

Wednesday May 15 we will have a SPECIAL DRESS DAY, Dress Like a Professional Church Worker! Students may dress like a Zion Teacher, Pastor, DCE, or Music Director.

Thursday, May 16  Last day to take AR test   Our lunch helper, Julia's birthday!  Wear a purple tshirt in her honor.

Friday May 17  Field Day afternoon:  athletic dress (no leggings or short shorts) and tennis shoes. SUNSCREEN, and water bottle please!

 

LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL - COLD LUNCH

Mon. May 20 - wrap up classes

Tues. May 21 - wrap up classes - Spring Musical

Wed. May 22 - wrap up classes, cleaning - BRING A BAG FOR TAKING SUPPLIES HOME

Thurs. May 23  wrap up classes, 11:00 grades 5-8 closing chapel

                        3p.m. dismissal

Week 35 Field Trip Fun!

    

From the class bloggers, Susie and Emery:

This week, in sixth grade we had a lot of fun. During the beginning of the week we watched the 2-4 grade spelling bee. On Wednesday for chapel we had a guest singer Jennie Williamson, she led a great chapel with all of her songs. Also on Wednesday strings preformed for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade for a small little concert. All the kids had a lot of fun singing and dancing. In English groups presented their speeches in class of what song should be our class song. Additionally, in Science the kids made a slideshow and taught the class about one of the sections about invertebrates. On Friday we arrived at school at 6:30 to go on a field trip. We stopped at three places, Vietnam Wall, Trinity Lutheran Church, and the Saxon Settlement. We learned about the importance of those who served in the Vietnam War. We also learned about how the Lutherans came from Germany in Trinity Lutheran Church. While at the Saxon Settlement, we learned how to churn butter, grind corn, and work with leather. Hope we have another exciting week next week.

 Best Choice  Begins on Monday.  Scroll down to last week's blog about our topics.  I will email you each day to share what we talk about in class.  Repeat information below:

May 6-10  Best Choice (Repeat article)

In May, we welcome an educator from 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. The Best Choice program is designed to encourage children to make lifelong commitments to building relationships, making informed choices, choosing abstinence before marriage, and avoiding risky behaviors.

 

Miss Dubberke and I will participate in the classes and continue follow up discussions.  Look for the tan permission slip that came home Friday.  Please return by Tuesday. 

 

To help you prepare for discussions with your child at home, here are the topics Best Choice has used in the past.   During the week of lessons, I will update you daily with our discussions.  Classes start Monday, May 3 for 4 lessons (not Wednesday).  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.

**Goals, Risky Behaviors, and Decision Making

** Respect, Friendships, and Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships, Refusal Skills

**Male/Female Puberty  

**Media Influence, Emotional Consequences, Boundaries, and Avoidance Techniques 

**Recognizing Your Value and Shaping Your Future by Making Positive Choices 

Tuck Everlasting

WHAT IF YOU COULD LIVE FOREVER????  In Literature, students have begun the novel,  Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.  Kids are leading small group discussions in "book club" format, with the roles of Discussion Director, Passage Picker, Connector, Illustrator, and Word Wizard.  We will be exploring the literary elements of foreshadowing, character development, motive, and universal theme as the characters ponder the benefits and downfalls of living forever.  It will be exciting to look at the novel through the eyes of faith as we discussed 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 with creative projects.

READING IS INDEPENDENT for much of the book.  An audio version is available on GC through youtube (search title and chapter).  

WHAT A DAY!!

God blessed us with an overcast day an just a few sprinkles for our adventures.  Our first stop, the MO Veterans Memorial, was a powerful part of our day and the students got to see a beautiful way to honor our military.  We saw a video, learned the story of making of the wall as well as several people memorialized there, did a scavenger hunt in the museum, and used thewall-usa.com/ to find the name of a soldier, chaplain, and nurse on the wall and learn their story.    I highly recommend a trip there for your family.

Then we drove another 30 minutes to Altenburg where we toured Trinity Lutheran Church (c.1867) and the log cabin that had been the first seminary.  Our Lutheran historians were wonderful storytellers who made the history of the Saxon immigrants come to life for us.  How amazing to see God's care for his people despite many hardships.  Finally we headed to Saxon Memorial.  At the homestead, we picnicked, tried a few typical kids' chores, saw cabins, a blacksmith shop, carpentry shop and more.   Of course the kids' favorite was play time and social time on the bus.  Thanks to the parents who chaperoned and helped make the day run smoothly.  Thanks to Zion Parent Teacher League for sponsoring our comfy bus - we rode in style!

Field Trip PHOTO ALBUM