MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I pray that everyone has a wonderful break!  

• THANK YOU to all the awesome parents who made our Christmas party so special-- especially Mrs. Blackburn and Mrs. Gunniers! :)

• THANK YOU for all the wonderful cards, treats, and gifts given.  You all are too kind!  I feel very appreciated.  You all are such blessings and encouragements to me!  :)

• THANK YOU for raising these amazing, wonderful students.  I enjoy every day with them, and, as much as I am looking forward to break, I will miss these sweet kiddos!

ADDITIONALLY, here is a look at what we have been doing in the classroom since it has been a while since I have updated the webpage...

7th English: We just finished a large grammar unit and are more than half way through our vocabulary curriculum.  Their grammar and writing are coming along!  Many of the kids enjoy grammar, surprisingly-- especially when we have grammar relays. :)  Our next novel, when we return from break, is Tuck Everlasting.  It is an easier read for the 7th grade (it's on their level rather than above it), but the coinciding concepts and discussion are very deep.  We will also be doing more vocab, grammar, and writing, as always! :)

8th English: Grammar, grammar, grammar!  Writing, writing, writing!  We just finished learning to write an expository essay, and the students are beginning to better grasp structure and mechanics.  When we return from break, we will be beginning Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  The students LOVE this unit.  It's tons of fun, and their vocabulary is sure to increase through learning this play!

7th Bible: We are in the middle of Unit 5 on The Prophets.  The current Bible memory verse is Isaiah 41:10 ESV.  It has been awesome that, while we are studying the context and historical setting of the individual prophets, we can see that God's message is relevant for us as well.  Over break, the students will be completing devotional charts to document what scriptures they are reading on a daily basis and what prayers they are bringing before God's throne.

8th Bible: We are in the middle of Unit 4.2 on Church History.  We have discussed how Constantine changed the church and have learned about the early church fathers.  The students have especially enjoyed hearing messages from Ambrose, Augustine, and Chrysostom.  These preachers are as relevant today as ever, even though they ministered in the 4th century!  We are currently memorizing the Nicene Creed.  Over break, the students will be completing devotional charts to document what scriptures they are reading on a daily basis and what prayers they are bringing before God's throne.

Mr. Moshe Baran Comes to TCS

Please have a discussion at home about our incredible guest speaker that we had during a special assembly today!  Mr. Moshe Baran is a Holocaust survivor, and he came to TCS to share his story with us through a speech, documentary on his life, and a time of questions and answers.  It was an amazing time for all who attended.  I would especially like to thank Charlotte Birchard for working with me to set up this wonderful assembly!  This would not have happened without her!  If you would like more information on Mr. Baran, go to this link:  MOSHE BARAN .   Below is a photo of our eighth graders with Mr. Baran. :)

ENCORE! Field Trip!

Hello!

This Thursday is our 8th grade field trip to The Carnegie Music Hall to see Encore!  I am excited to see five plays in one-- and these short stories ALL coincide with our Literature Textbook and are featured in our next unit! :)  Pretty cool!

Slight change in plans...may I ask all students to pack a lunch which we will eat together when we return to school?  Also, there is parking right by Carnegie Music Hall (located at 4400 Forbes Ave. Pgh. 15213).  There are options for garage or street parking.  Thanks.

Also: I NEED ONE MORE DRIVER!  Is anyone willing to drive?  Mrs. Taylor, Mr. Handley, and I  are driving, and we can collectively take 15 students.  However, there are 16 eighth graders!  We just need one more driver to do this legally. :)  We leave at 9:15 and should be back by 1PM at the latest.

And please get your permission slips in.  The cost is $16.50 per ticket.

Thanks so much!

http://www.chambertheatre.com/ourshows/encore

Hobbit Projects!

The 7th Graders did a great job with their Hobbit projects.  We had several creative book trailers, an interesting commercial, beautiful dioramas, dramatic scenes, and a music video! Here is a little peek at a few dioramas.  Great job, seventh grade!

BOOKS!

It's that time again!  I am placing the Scholastic Book order TOMORROW!   Click the link on my website which will take you straight to the Scholastic site where you can order all kinds of books for discounted prices.  (By the way, I already have several orders, and if our class order is $100 or more, then every student in the class gets a free book!)
Thanks!
Mrs. Agate

Busy, busy, busy!

The first quarter is almost over!  The students have been working really hard, learning a ton, and maintaining wonderful attitudes along the way.  I so enjoy these kids.

Here is what we have been up to...

7th English: We're in the middle of reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein.  The students seem very excited about their upcoming Hobbit Projects.  Vocabulary and grammar lessons are also in effect. 

8th English: Along with writing, grammar, and vocab, we're about to start The Hiding Place, an incredible novel by Corrie Ten Boom.  We will also be reviewing other works of literature from The Holocaust.  Additionally, this material will coincide with their upcoming trip to DC where they will experience The Holocaust Museum.

7th Bible: We're in Unit 3, learning about the books of wisdom in God's Word.  The students were captivated as we discovered more about God's character and how we can trust our all-knowing Father through the Book of Job.  In addition to Job, we will be learning about Proverbs and Ecclesiastes during this unit.

8th Bible: Moving on to Unit 3, we will be discussing spiritual disciplines such as worship, prayer, service, reading the Word, fellowship, evangelism, giving, silence, and meditation.  I will be in prayer that this will be a special time of growth in our walks with Jesus as we learn more about how we are called into action by our Maker.  

OOPS!

I have just been alerted to the fact that my comments and corrections were not saved in turnitin.com.  I apologize for this inconvenience as all grading for the recent papers was completed through this site. I recorded the grades earned for each paper (at least this is not lost), and I will re-do all my comments on each paper so that each student can see what he/she did incorrectly.  Thank you for your patience!