Update and Announcements...

Writing and grammar and literature, OH MY!  Church history and Proverbs and worldview, OH MY! Yes, we are tackling a lot of things in middle school right now, but the students are thriving and doing so well.  I am especially impressed with class discussions and their willingness to share.  Sometimes I wish that parents could be flies on the walls in the classroom because you all would be very proud of the work your students are doing!  Here's a little look into what is going on:

7th English: We finished our literature unit on The Hobbit, but the students won't be presenting their projects until February 15th.  In the meantime, we will be working on grammar and writing.  I was SUPER impressed with their understanding and analysis of Tolkien's writing.  Each student had to choose a theme for The Hobbit and support it with a five paragraph essay using a three-point-thesis.  Their writing is really coming along!  Our next literature unit is a coming-of-age short story unit.  We will begin this in about a week and a half. 

8th English: We finished our literature unit on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and had a blast with this unit!  In addition to learning Shakespeare, students wrote amazing thematic thesis essays, and I was so proud of their interpretation of Shakespeare's message through this comedic drama.  Even though we have finished the unit, the students won't be presenting their projects until February 22nd.  We are currently doing grammar lessons and will be starting Flowers for Algernon on Monday.

7th Bible: We are on Unit 5: Prophets! As God's nation grew, so did the need for leadership.  We are still in desperate need of spiritual leadership today.  We have enjoyed talking about the leaders we look up to and what God's word says in this regard. What made these Prophets great leaders, and what makes US great leaders?

8th Bible: We are finishing up a unit on the church in the Middle Ages which includes the fall of Rome, the rise of the Roman Catholic Church, and the beginnings of Islam.  We have been looking at how the surrounding cultures influence Christ's church.  It has been a great time of discussion comparing our culture to the culture in the 1000s and seeing the church responds to pressures and such.  There's nothing new under the sun, and God is in control! Praise Him!

REMINDERS:

• Students have to have their Speech Meet piece memorized and perfected by February 13th.  We have a great variety of poetry, prose from favorite novels and stories, historical speeches, and Bible passages.  I am excited to hear the recitations, and I joyfully anticipate the culminating school-wide event on February 23rd.
• We will have a little Valentine's Day party on February 14th, after lunch from 12-12:30.  Middle schoolers can bring cards or treats for the whole middle school (48 students in total) or for just their individual class. 
• Work-A-Thon needs your help to design the t-shirt logo!  Information went home on this today.
• Don't forget to be checking RenWeb periodically! :)  
• In case you missed it last month, here is a video from our Medieval Fair: https://www.facebook.com/trinitychristian.net/videos/1657996440890250/

Look how adorable these people are!  Their sweet faces make my every day. 

(Sorry for those who were out sick or missed any of these photos!)