7th Grade Fiesta! :)

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

In celebration of finishing the non-fiction novel Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez, we will be having una fiesta (a party) in our English class on Thursday, May 30th. 

We will be taking an American Citizenship Exam (for fun), playing cultural games, listening to Mexican music, and eating Mexican cuisine.

I will provide all the paper products, decorations, and a piñata for the party.  I am sending a sign-up sheet around for the kiddos to choose an item that they wish to contribute to our party, per your approval.

Thank you for any help you can give to this fun event!

Viva Mexico!
~Mrs. A

Reading!...

A few things regarding summer reading....

1. DO IT!!  Three novels is a great goal for a middle schooler's summer reading.

2. I have updated the reading list link on the left side of this page.  There are wonderful novel suggestions and brief description of each.  Feel free to contact me for additional information on appropriate books for junior high students.

3. This is the last chance to order Scholastic Books! Use the information on the left side of the website page, and you can easily order online.  Orders must be in by next Friday, May 17th.  Thank you for ordering; our class library has grown because of your book orders! :)

 

Brief Update....

We are in crunch time!

I just wanted to clue everyone in on what is happening in our classroom.  We only have five weeks left!  (My heart just dropped to my stomach.)

7th Grade English: Between analogies, vocabulary, and grammar, we also are finishing a unit on short stories, writing our own short stories, reading a new novel (Breaking Through), writing an interview paper, and more!

8th Grade English: Between analogies, vocabulary, and grammar, we are also finishing a unit on poetry, writing our own poems, writing a formal research paper (in perfect MLA format), reading a new classic novel, and more!

7th Grade Bible: Our current unit is on prayer; then we will be completing a unit on spiritual gifts.  We will end the year by covering the years inbetween the Old and New Testaments...AND MORE! :)

8th Grade Bible: Our current unit is on cults; then we will be completing a unit on evangelism and our call to be witnesses.  We will end the year by introducing topics in Revelation...AND MORE! :)

Note: Always look on the left side of the site page to see due dates for Bible memory quiz work, tests, papers, etc.

Thanks!
Mrs. Agate

Spring Break! :)

I pray that everyone has a blessed spring break!

If your student is ever bored, check out the upcoming assignments that are due after break! 
(See the right side of the web page under "Assignment Due Dates.")

Enjoy your time away from school, everyone! :)

Love,
Mrs. A

Bible Memory Work

There seems to be some confusion regarding the Bible memory work. 
Again...
The 8th grade is responsible for knowing Romans 8:12-14. 
The 7th grade is memorizing Joel 2: 12-13.
The quiz is tomorrow, and you have had two weeks to commit these words to memory.
Thank you,
Mrs. A

What's Happening in Junior High?

We have had a wonderful start to the third quarter!  Here is a general overview of what has been going on in the classroom! :)

7th Grade Bible: We have been discussing WISDOM and are finishing up with the wonderful books of wisdom: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.  Our current memory verses for this unit are Proverbs 3: 5-8.  We previously memorized scripture from Ecclesiastes.  My prayer is that the students store God's word up in their hearts and that He would speak His truth into them.  I am so blessed to have the privilege of witnessing the spiritual fruit in their lives!  Our next unit is on the prophets and focuses on bringing God's message to others and the call to repentance.  Heavy stuff for seventh graders, but I am assured that they can handle it! 

7th Grade English: Poetry is fun, but we're just about done!  Along with daily writing and grammar, we are in the midst of an extensive poetry unit.  The students have learned various forms (rhyme scheme, meter, literary devices, etc.) of a large variety of poetry!  I can't wait to see the final outcome of their creativity in the form of their "poetry portfolios."  The seventh graders have blown me away with their ability to interpret even the most difficult of Shakespearean Sonnets, Frost's Odes, and Hughes's Limericks.  Next, we move on to writing speeches and reading a new novel, Tuck Everlasting, which I will be giving to the students next week.

8th Grade Bible: Who's ready for Church History?!  (Hopefully my twenty-three eighth graders are!)  The students are currently completing mini-research papers on topics that cover the Early New Testament Era in the church, spanning from 100-600 AD.  They will be discussing their research this Friday, and then we will pick up on Monday with a lecture explaining Constantine's influence on the church.  I am hoping to get from Constantine to Billy Graham by the end of the year!  (Prayers appreciated!)  Their current memory passage refers to the church as being a pillar of truth representing the living God (1 Tim. 3:15-16).  We're praying this can be true for all our churches today as we dig into how it all began.

8th Grade English:  We are in the midst of a wonderful Short Story unit.  We have read numerous short stories from various genres, and we have learned all the elements of a short story.  The students are currently writing short stories as well!  In addition to literature, we have been learning new grammar rules and terminology.  The students will display their knowledge (of coordinating conjunctions, subordinating ones, various clauses, etc.) this Friday on a combined grammar and vocabulary test.  Next up is a new novel, The Hiding Place, along with a unit on Holocaust literature including Anne Frank and various poetry. 

Thank you for sharing your wonderful kiddos with me!  This is just a hint of the hard work they are succeeding in acheiving in my classes!  They are the greatest students ever!

Bible Over Break...

The break went by so incredibly fast!  We are back to school tomorrow!  Who's ready?!

Just a reminder to all students that the Bible journal is due tomorrow: Monday, January 7th.  I hope that the students enjoyed spending time in their personal devotions.  I didn't want this to be a burden over the break, rather an encouragment to the students that reading God's Word daily, recording prayer requests and praises, and journaling about their quiet time will grow them in their walks with Jesus and can also bring glory to the Lord.  I pray that this assigment created a habit that will not end tomorrow...or ever!  I look forward to discussing the results in Bible class tomorrow.  (And pray that I can resist the temptation to rip the grammar portion of their journaling to shreds!  Haha.  We will focus only on the content for this one time!)  :)