Great start!

We have had an awesome start to our year!  Here is a brief update on English and Bible classes.

7th English

• We just finished a Literature Unit on myths, legends, folktales, and fables.  We read eleven short stories over this unit, and the students did a wonderful job understanding the deeper meanings and lessons in each.  Additionally, students wrote three essays displaying their knowledge of various stories and their themes.  Within this unit, we also worked on note-taking skills and organization. 
• The seventh graders also completed the first two lessons in vocabulary (Greek and Latin Classical Roots).  Students worked on understanding how words work in a sentence and how they can differ the part of speech of the word as well as use the root to understand other derivatives.
• Currently, we are in a grammar review unit, covering all the parts of speech and implementing our grammar knowledge into writing.  Additionally, on Friday, the students will be receiving The Giver, an award-winning novel by Lois Lowry that we will read as a class.

7th Bible

• We just completed our first unit which consisted of an overview of the Old Testament.  
• We are beginning a new unit on the Jewish feasts and festivities.  It's so exciting to see how Jesus fulfilled all the Jewish holidays.

8th English

• We have completed two units already and are in our third.  The first unit was a literature unit with some writing assessment as well.  This literature unit was on short stories.  The students read a variety of stories from many backgrounds and genres.  Their reading comprehension and high level thinking skills were tested during this unit.  
• The other unit we completed was our first vocabulary unit.  Students did an excellent job understanding Greek and Latin roots and how the English language was derived from this foundation.  There were spelling, definitions, parts of speech, and analogies portions of this unit.
• Our current English unit is on grammar and writing.  The students are undergoing an extensive grammar review before we move on to new material.
• This week we also begin the novel The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.  I am looking forward to reading this together, especially before we visit The Holocaust Museum in five weeks!  Students will also be completing Holocaust research papers in MLA Format, and students will present the information to the seventh grade class.  More details on this will be given to the students on Friday.

8th Bible

• We are in the middle of an overview of the New Testament.  This week was devoted to student presentations on the Gospels and the Epistles.  The students have done an excellent job presenting!
• We are memorizing the Beatitudes and talking about this rich Scripture as well.

8th graders perform skits to better understand and remember the meaning of the parables Jesus taught about The Kingdom of God