Important Reminders & Classroom Happenings
Nov. 4th - Nov. 8th 2019
CS Home Activity for this week: God’s Great Promise (the story of God’s great promise to Abraham, from Genesis 12-21).
Q: What seems like it’s too hard - even for God to fix?
Q: In what areas could we better trust in God?
Q: What is God promising us?
Prayer: God of the Impossible. There is literally nothing that is too hard for you...but that’s easy to forget and hard to always believe. Help us to trust in you, to listen to you, to follow you, always. Thank you, God, Amen.
Oct. 28th - Nov.1st 2019
CS Home Activity for this week: Thinking about how God is working, how He is working among us, thinking about how we are glorifying Him through what we do. Service is an integral part of the Christian life. God is the architect of your life. Importance of recognizing the special calling God has for you life.
Oct. 21st - Oct. 25th 2019
CS Home Activity for this week: In the end, the story in Genesis 6-9 of Noah and his ark tells us that God keeps His promises and covenants. All we have to do as humans is trust in the same way Noah did. The scriptures surrounding Noah’s ark story specifically say that he “walked faithfully with God.” This is a lesson to us all — the idea that it is possible to walk with God even when everything around us seems to be crumbling. Discuss this as a family and how you can live it out this week.
Oct. 16th-Oct. 18th 2019
CS Home Activity for this week: Take some time this week to remind your child that God has a big job for him or her to do. It is important to talk about this in a way your child will understand. Your child needs to be prepared and know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. Our job is to obey what He asks us to do. Explain to your child that when we simply obey God, He will take care of the rest, just like He did for Noah. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for loving me and having a job ready for me. Whatever that job might be, I pray that You will give me the courage and strength to finish it and to know that You will be there to help me. Amen.
Oct. 7th-Oct. 10 2019
Sept. 23rd - Sept. 27th 2019
Sept. 16th-20th 2019
Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
Memory Verse: Genesis: 1-3
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light."
**Please have your child practice/memorize this verse using a Bible of your choice. They will be tested on their recitation of the verse on Thursday September 26th. It will be an oral recitation. Please message me if you have any questions. I am glad to help!
Our First Week of School - Sept 3rd-6th 2019
God spoke, “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” Genesis 1: 26 The Message
God created human beings. …. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for the fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living things that moves on the face of Earth.” Then God said, “I’ve given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth and every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. “
Genesis 1: 29 The Message
Everything we are, everything we have and everything around us is a gift from our gracious God. We are called to be caretakers of all of God’s gifts. God calls us to be caretakers of His Creation: caring for ourselves, caring for each other and caring for the world around us. As caretakers we must be equipped with the best tools, abilities and knowledge and taught to use these effectively and efficiently. To be good caretakers for God, we must know Him, know His Word and know His world. We must know and understand what and who we are taking care of and why we are working at taking care of creation for God.
As the students find evidence of God and His grace in this world and better know how He is integrally intertwined in every aspect of life, it is our prayer that they will respond positively to His call and embark on a journey of their own to know our Creator.
It is my goal to help that the wonderful students in my care honour God with their abilities, resources and relationships, setting an example in speech, life, love, faith and purity (1 Tim. 4:12). I want the students to care for all that God has given them!
- Reminders:
- New Memory Verse: Isaiah 66: 1-2 (end of verse 2) *Recitation date: Thursday November 14th
- PD Day Monday & Tuesday
- PJ Day Wednesday
- NO Library next week
- Read for 30 minutes
CS Home Activity for this week: God’s Great Promise (the story of God’s great promise to Abraham, from Genesis 12-21).
Q: What seems like it’s too hard - even for God to fix?
Q: In what areas could we better trust in God?
Q: What is God promising us?
Prayer: God of the Impossible. There is literally nothing that is too hard for you...but that’s easy to forget and hard to always believe. Help us to trust in you, to listen to you, to follow you, always. Thank you, God, Amen.
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” (Isaiah 59:1) Imagine spending an entire day with a tape recorder strapped to your back so everything you said could be recorded. If you argued with your mom, it would be on the tape. If you lied, your lie would be recorded on there, too. If you complained, those words would also become part of the tape. If there really were a tape recorder with you all day, would you think twice before speaking? Well, guess what! You are heard by something (Someone!) far more powerful than any tape recorder. God hears everything you say – which can be a good thing, or a scary thing. When you are upset or frightened, and you call out for help, God hears you. Psalm 34:17 says, “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” You can be sure that God will always hear you and take care of you. Even above the noise of a crowd, or even when you are alone, or even when you "call out" silently, your voice can be heard by God. You can also be sure that God hears you when you sin. Every lie, every mean thing, every insult you say is heard by the God of Heaven. God is omniscient – which means that God knows everything. That is how great our God is! Nothing is hidden from Him. What would it be like to spend a day with a tape recorder on your back? You may never know. (Let's hope you never know!) But you can know for sure that you do have a God who is listening – so be careful what you say! God hears more than just our prayers – He hears everything. My Response: Do I think carefully before I speak? How can I show with my words that I believe God is omniscient (knows everything) and that He also hears everything.
- “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8) For many nights after the terrorists’ attacks on the World Trade towers, Leah used to lie awake for hours, because she was afraid. As soon as she snuggled under the covers in the darkness of her room, Leah imagined she was on one of those planes, and she could “see” the terrorists’ angry, hateful faces glaring at her. She just could not get them out of her mind. After several sleepless nights, it finally occurred to Leah that she did not need to carry her burden of fear all by herself! She prayed to God that He would help her to trust Him with her future, and she prayed that He would take away her fears about the terrorists. It was comforting to leave her fright and worry at the feet of Jesus, knowing that He would be her Protector. Nothing in the world could happen without Him allowing it. Sometimes we all have feelings of fear. But when we fight away our fear with God’s Word as our sword, we can be comforted, and we can rest. God is in control of everything that happens in the world, and we can trust Him with our fears. My Response: Do I have fears that I need to trust God with?
- “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) When John says, “God is light,” what does he mean? Is he saying that God is like a giant flashlight? Or maybe God is like the sun? In the Bible, darkness is often used to describe sin. Hell is said to be a very dark place because God’s glory is not present there. If sin is like darkness, then God is like light – because God is pure and holy. Have you ever noticed how darkness and light cannot be in a room at the same time? Here is an example: Matt was with his dad at an Atlanta Braves baseball game. As the fifth inning was coming to a close, the sun was going down and the sky began to grow darker. Suddenly, all the huge stadium lights flashed on and flooded everything with brilliant light. The stadium that once had become dimmer and darker was now just as bright as it would have been in the middle of a sunny day! What happened? The light drove away the darkness. Whenever light fills someplace, there is no more room for darkness. Light and darkness are like God and sin. God will not stay in the same place as sin. That means when you choose to keep sin in your life, God will not fellowship with you. You may be close in one sense to God (He is present everywhere), but in a spiritual sense, you remove yourself far away from God when you sin against Him willfully. That is why John writes to Christians, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (See 1 John 1:6.) You can say that you are walking with God all you want. But your actions will tell the real story. Praise the Lord – the opposite is also true! When you are walking with God and choosing to please Him, there will be no room for sin in your life. Remember that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all! You should walk with God closely so that sin does not have a chance to creep into your life. One night, Matt’s family was driving in Australia with a missionary pastor. The pastor turned off the highway and began driving very slowly, turning off his headlights. Then he said, “Watch this!” Suddenly, he turned the headlights back on. They were on a golf course. There, blinking in the bright light, were dozens of kangaroos that had been grazing on the course. The kangaroos stared at Matt, and Matt stared back in wonder. Then they slowly hopped away. Unless the headlights had been turned on, Matt would not have even known that the kangaroos were around! Many times, the “light” of God’s Word will show us things that we need to change. When that happens, we need to draw near to God in humble repentance. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is light! My Response: Is there any “darkness” (sin) in my life that I need to get out? Why should I be thankful that God is light?
- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) What does it mean when someone is not available? Maybe your mom has taught you to take a telephone message for her when she cannot come to the phone. She has probably told you to say something like this: “I’m sorry, but Mom is not available right now. May I please take a message?” When you tell someone that your mom is “not available,” it may mean that she is not at home, or it may mean that she is giving the dog a bath and is up to her elbows in soapy water. Whatever Mom is doing, the point is that the person trying to call her cannot reach her. The caller will have to wait or try again later. Sometimes we cannot reach people when we need them. We get their answering machines or their voice mail messages when we try to call them. But God is never out of reach when we call on His name. The Bible tells us that He is “a very present help” – especially when we are in trouble. One translation of the Bible has this wording in the margin: “abundantly available for help.” When you go to God in prayer and ask Him for help, He is always available! In fact, He is very or abundantly available. He is ready, willing, and eager to help you. You must come in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). You also must not be hanging onto any sin that you are unwilling to confess when you come to Him (Psalm 66:18). But as long as you are coming in obedience to these conditions, you can come to Him for help any time at all. What kind of trouble can God help you with? Maybe you have started attending a new school, church, or club, and maybe you’re finding it hard to make friends. God can help you reach out to others. Maybe you are upset because your brother or sister treated you unfairly. God can help you forgive and love in return. Maybe you are worried about a family member who is sick. God will listen to you and carry your burden for you so you don’t have to worry. Whatever your problem, nothing is too great or too small for God to care about and help you with. Don’t hesitate to come to Him and ask His help. He is always available to you. God is always available to help us. My Response: What problem do I need to take to God for His help?
- For LA: Prefixes & Suffix. A prefix is a word part that is added to the front of a base word to change the meaning of that word. More than one prefix may mean the same thing. Students added the correct prefix to the front of various base words to create new words. Moreover, students read sentences that were missing the base word + the prefix, and students wrote the new word with the correct prefix. Finally, students filled a chart by adding the prefix for the base word (e.g. re-, mis-, un-, in-). If the prefix and base word did not match the real word, they had to put an "x" in the box.
- Gratitude Journal (5 things that you are grateful for - I am…) Persuasive Letter Writing - The Great Kapok Tree Writing Project. Students had to take on the role of one of the animals in the story and write a persuasive letter trying to persuade he man to not chop down the Kapok tree. Students also played the Dictionary game and read for close to 350 minutes!
- During Math: We started our new unit for Math, Addition and Subtraction of three digit numbers. Students reviewed place value when adding and subtracting larger numbers. Students continued their exploration of addition and subtraction of two numbers up to 3 digits. Students also added on a grid and practiced horizontal and vertical addition as well as addition mad minutes. Students are exploring addition/subtraction facts.
- For Science : We started our new unit for Science: Light and Shadows. We first discussed the book of Genesis and Creation, and how God created light and he said that light was good. From the beginning of all things, God spoke light into being first. Light is the source of all life and it allows us to see the world, and the presence of the cosmos in all of its glory. Students explored the Fall, Redemption, Restoration in terms of light and darkness and how we as humans have done activities to distort God's intended order. Likewise, we are fully capable of taking proactive steps to restore God's world. For Science, students explored where light comes, how the properties of light reveal the majesty of God and how light can be used. Students also looked at at PowerPoint on light and shadows and did a writing/art activity entitled 'God is our Source of Light'. For Science, our class has been discussing 'restoration' in our exploration of light and shadows and how we, living in a developed nation, have the ability to correct eyesight that is deficient using corrective lenses or other medical advances. We can help those in the world who do not have access to these medical advantages. I am planning to collect used prescription eye glasses within our class to be redistributed to people in developing countries with the help of the Calgary Lion's Club. For Science, students identified sources of light and distinguishes objects that emit and reflect light. Students also worked in partners to complete a vocabulary activity with the following words: reflect, refract, translucent, transparent, opaque, shadow, luminescent, spectrum and shadow. We will also be exploring lenses; both concave and convex.
- During Social Studies: The Parkland Region Q: What makes the Parkland region a unique part of Alberta. Look at Landfoms, Okotos Big Rock & Napi and the Rock - skit. Bodies of Water, Flooding, Climate Q: How does geography affect our activities? Q: Share a flood story or weather story
- For Health: Topic: Managing anger. Do a think–pair–share of things that make you angry.
- Develop a class list of responses to anger. Categorize responses as appropriate, such as walking away or inappropriate, such as hitting. Discuss strategies for managing anger.
- During Art: Students worked on their pastel Owl art and finished it with glitter
- During Christian Studies: Activity: God’s Great Promise (The story of God’s great promise to Abraham, from Genesis 12-21). Dear God, Thank you that you love us with a Never Stopping,Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. As we are blessed with your love, remind us to share it with others. Thank you for Abraham’s faith. As we learn about Abraham and Sarah, please help us to also grow in faith. Thank you, God. Amen. Learning About: To learn about Abraham and Sarah’s journey of faith. Living it Out: To consider how God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. Lesson: Watch the media clip about Abraham. 1. What did God promise Abraham? 2. What did Abraham have to leave?3. What was Abraham known as? 4. What was Abraham’s secret weapon? 5. Where did God lead Abraham? 6. Did Abraham get to see everything he had hoped for
7. Did God keep his promises? - God’s Great Promise (The story of God’s great promise to Abraham, from Genesis 12-21). Dear God, Thank you that you love us with a Never Stopping,
- Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. As we are blessed with your love, remind us to share it with others. Thank you for Abraham’s faith. As we learn about Abraham and Sarah, please help us to also grow in faith. Thank you, God. Amen. Learning About: To learn about Abraham and Sarah’s journey of faith. Living it Out: To consider how God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. Activity: Task: Imagine you are told God is going to do something miraculous, “impossible” even… How do you think you would react? What about if you heard this elderly lady – who had previously been unable to have children – was going to become pregnant? How would you react? How do you think she might react when she hears the news? This is what happened to Sarah (Abraham’s wife) and her reaction was to … laugh. Who appeared to Abraham outside of his tent? What was promised to Abraham? Why might some people think this was unlikely How did Sarah react when she overheard this? What did the messenger of God ask Sarah? Did Sarah decide to trust God in the end? How did God keep his promise? Discussion based on the information on the PowerPoint.
Oct. 28th - Nov.1st 2019
- Reminders:
- New Memory Verse: Isaiah 66: 1-2 (end of verse 2) *Recitation date: Thursday November 14th
- Library day next Tuesday
- Read for 30 minutes
- Work on Genius Hour
- **Return field trip permission forms
CS Home Activity for this week: Thinking about how God is working, how He is working among us, thinking about how we are glorifying Him through what we do. Service is an integral part of the Christian life. God is the architect of your life. Importance of recognizing the special calling God has for you life.
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- When we pray, we need to keep it sincere and natural. It should be part of who we are - our whole relationship with God.This pattern of praying that Jesus has given here is known as the Lord's Prayer. It is just a model of how we should pray. Jesus never meant it to be something we say religiously – just repeating these words. I suppose we could see this as a format on how to pray starting with praising our Heavenly Father, committing to Him our daily needs, forgiving others and asking for forgiveness (if it is needed), deliverance from temptation. Prayer should be a natural part of our lifestyle. Just like talking with a friend. We need to develop a prayer life that is a moment-by-moment relationship with God. Prayer is not some rigid, religious act done every now and then, but conversation with God anywhere, anytime. When we're happy, or feeling sad, or angry, or lonely – no matter how we're feeling we should talk to God. So as you go about your day, whether it be doing the boring, ordinary things, or going off to school, playing sports – whatever you do, remember you can talk to God. Lord, may I walk with you Much closer, in every way – To talk with you as my closest friend. As I go about my day.
- There are times we go through in life when God seems to be distant. We pray with what seems to be no reply. Even Jesus when on the cross cried out..."Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27: 46 I don't believe that God would turn His back and abandon us for good, as Hebrews 13: 5b says..."Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." God promises He will always be with us. But sometimes, we feel as though He's not. Sometimes we may feel that God is not real, because we don't always feel Him, or He may not seem to answer our prayers. I believe these times are times where God is stretching our faith. He wants us to trust Him completely, even when we can't feel Him. Just continue to have faith and trust God in these times – then He will come through! There are other times we may feel distant from God because we have done something wrong and need to confess it to God. Sins, that are not confessed, cause us to feel distant from God. If this is the case, just confess it and come back to God. God, sometimes I feel you're distant, I feel like you're not even there Help me to trust you in these times And know that you hear my prayer.
- God tested Abraham to see how committed he was to Him. Isaac, the promised son, was to be sacrificed. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac because of his great faith in God. God stopped him, before any harm came to Isaac – but what a test of faith! God still tests us from time to time, to see how committed we really are to Him. Being committed to God, no matter what, can be really hard. There a times, like in this story, where our faith is challenged. But no matter what comes up against us, we need to remain committed to the Lord. It's really hard when we come up against opposition at school, in a sports team or a club we belong to. But hard as it may be, we need to still remain committed to God. As Christians, our faith will come under attack from others that don't understand. But stand strong and don't give in. Remember, God loves you. He will honour your stand for Him. If you are having a hard time right now with others attacking your faith, first of all bring them before the Lord in prayer. Then pray daily for God to strengthen you and to give you wisdom. You won't ever be going through this alone. God is with you always. Stay Committed! Lord, please help me stay committed No matter how hard it gets, For I know you love and care for me And want for me the best.
- Everything amounts to nothing if we do not have God's love. In fact, everything we do and say should come from a heart of love, and our response to what others do and say to us, should be one of love. If others are angry, mean or abusive towards us, should we respond the same way back? To show God's love in situations like this can be hard as it really does hurt, but it's important to learn not to let what others say or do affect us — after all, it's only their opinion and not the truth. We need to remember this, because they know not what they do (or say). We need to become love. The more we respond in love, the more we will become love. Reacting by shouting, saying mean things or hitting does nothing to promote love — it only makes the situation worse. We all need help in this area, so will you pray this prayer with me: Lord Jesus, I need your help to respond in love. Lord, you know how much it hurts when others say mean things or do mean things to me, please show me how I can respond with your love. Help me, Lord, to become love. In Jesus' name. Amen.
- Spiritual Emphasis Week: Theme: Christ Solutions
We will look at Jesus' creative third way in conflict. Our speakers will share with us how the two options we are presented in our society (flight or flight) are not the only two. Students will be encouraged to see that Jesus found creative solutions in the face of conflict, a creative third way where you don't give in, nor fight back unkindly, but stand up for. Monday's speaker: Caleb Kowolko (First Mennonite Church) Wednesday's speaker: Donna Dinsmore (Foothills Mennonite Church) - For LA: Students continued to work on Persuasive Writing, Antonyms and Homophones. Students also met our 20,000 reading minutes and were awarded with a movie afternoon on Friday.
- During Math: Exploring numbers to 10,000: Activity: ordering numbers (least to greatest and vice versa), less than, greater than and equal to & predicting number patterns * Multiplication frenzy
- For Science : Students had their Quiz for Waste in God's World. New Science Unit: Light and Shadows: Activity: Light and Shadows Worksheet: What is light and the size of shadows
- During Social Studies: Vegetation & Animal Life Q: How has human activity changed the Grasslands? Why are some animals in this region at risk or endangered? What unique geographical features does this region have? Our Heritage & The Calgary Stampede. The Cowboy Trail/Working Ranches Q: How are the land and its resources important to ranchers?
- For Health: Students described and applied appropriate street safety behaviors in the community, such as a pedestrian, passenger, cyclist.
- During Art students finished their nature Art and began working with pastels for their Alberta landscape piece.
Oct. 21st - Oct. 25th 2019
- Reminders:
- Memory Verse: Psalm 96: 1-4. *Recitation date: Thursday October 31st
- Review for Science Quiz: Tuesday October 29th
- Penny Carnival Wednesday October 30th
- Library day next Tuesday
- Read for 30 minutes
CS Home Activity for this week: In the end, the story in Genesis 6-9 of Noah and his ark tells us that God keeps His promises and covenants. All we have to do as humans is trust in the same way Noah did. The scriptures surrounding Noah’s ark story specifically say that he “walked faithfully with God.” This is a lesson to us all — the idea that it is possible to walk with God even when everything around us seems to be crumbling. Discuss this as a family and how you can live it out this week.
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following: **During devotions this week, we also prayed over Keira from Hope Mission
- Luke 22:39-46 Jesus prays in the garden Jesus and His disciples left the house and went to the Mount of Olives, a hill east of Jerusalem. When they arrived at their usual spot, Jesus said to the disciples, “Pray that you will not be overcome by temptation.” Then Jesus walked on a little way and knelt down to pray. “Father,” He said, “if You are willing, please take away this cup of suffering so that I don’t have to drink it. But I want to do Your will, not Mine.” An angel from heaven came to Jesus and strengthened Him, for He was in such agony that His sweat dripped onto the ground like drops of blood. And He prayed even more earnestly. Then Jesus got up and went back to the disciples. He found them asleep, worn out by their sadness. “Why are you sleeping,” He said. “Get up and pray that you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted.” Did Jesus have to die? Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to take away the sin of the world. He had prepared His disciples for what lay ahead. Late that night, there in the garden, Jesus prayed to His Father. Was there still time for Him to get away instead of staying in the garden where Judas and the others were sure to find Him? Could God have taken Jesus straight back to heaven so He wouldn’t have to suffer? Could Jesus have called down thousands of angels to defend Him? (Matthew 26:53). As the Son of God, Jesus could have chosen not to die for us. He thought of the cruel death that awaited Him and wondered if His Father could come up with another way to save the world. But there was no other way! And because Jesus loves us so very much, He was willing to become the Passover Lamb for us and give His life to set us free (John 10:17-18). Verse for today: But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me… John 14:31
- John 21:15-25 Jesus speaks to Peter When the disciples landed, they dragged their heavy net ashore. There was a small coal fire with some fish on it, and some bread. Jesus told them to bring some of the fish they had caught and invited them to breakfast. When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, do you truly love Me more than these here?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know I love You.” Again Jesus asked, “Simon, do you really love Me? “Yes, Lord,” Peter answered, “You know that I love You.” Then Jesus asked Peter the third time. “Simon, do you love Me?” Peter was very sad because Jesus had asked Him a third time. He answered, “Lord, You know all things. You know that I love You.” Why did Jesus ask Peter the same question three times? Jesus didn’t ask questions in order to find out things; He asked questions to make people stop and think. Peter had denied Jesus three times by saying that he didn’t know Him. Peter was obviously feeling very ashamed about what he had said. He felt like a miserable failure. How could the words “I’m sorry” ever make up for what he had done? But Jesus knew that Peter still loved Him and He wanted to give Peter a chance to say so. The first two times Peter said “I love you” he didn’t have the courage to use words that describe a deep, loyal love. But when Jesus asked a third time, “Do you love Me?” Peter replied sadly, “Lord, You know all things. You know that I love You.” If ever you feel ashamed about something you’ve done, and the words “I love you” seem shallow, you can say, “Lord, look into my heart and You will see that I truly love You.” Verse for today: “I have prayed for you… that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:32
- Luke 19:28-44, Matthew 21:1-7 “The Lord needs it” On their way to Jerusalem, where Jesus and His disciples were headed, they came to the village of Bethpage. Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead, saying, “Go to the village over there and you will find a donkey tied up with her colt next to her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will let you take them.” The two disciples went and did what Jesus told them. They fetched the donkey and the colt and threw their cloaks over them for Jesus to ride on. Should I allow others to use my things? Someone leans over and taps you on the shoulder. “Could I use your pencil for a minute?” After school, someone wants to borrow one of your books to take home. That afternoon, a friend wants to know whether he can borrow your bike to go for a ride. If someone wanted to borrow something from you and you were to follow the example of the man who owned the donkey, how would you know whether to say yes or no? We may want to do the right thing by being kind and helpful, yet we also need to be responsible about lending things to others. For a start, there are some things that are personal—like your toothbrush. Don’t let others use your personal things! There are certain things that are valuable, which you should not lend to others without first checking with your mom or dad. But there are things you can let others use in order to help them out. Remember; sharing builds friendships. The Lord does not want us to selfishly hold onto everything we own, but rather, share whatever we can with others. Verse for today: Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42.
- Mark 10:13-16 Jesus blesses children While Jesus was teaching a group of people, mothers brought their children to Him so that He would bless them and pray for them. But the disciples told the mothers to take their children away. When Jesus noticed this, He was upset and said to His disciples, “Let the children come to Me, and do not stop them because the kingdom of God belongs to them.” “I tell you this: anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then Jesus took the children in His arms, placed His hands on each of them and blessed them. Are kids as important to God as adults? Adults seem to have so many privileges like going to bed when they want, making up rules in the home, and buying whatever they want at the store. Adults are also able to do so many things that kids can’t do. At times, it may even feel as if your church is mainly for grown-ups, and this could make you think that God is actually more interested in adults than in kids. Although adults do have more privileges and are able to do more than children can, they also have more responsibilities. But in God’s eyes, that doesn’t make adults more important than kids. We are important to God because He created us and because we belong to Him—not because of our age or ability! When it comes to getting God’s attention, you don’t have to wait at the back of a queue while God sorts out important things with the adults. Jesus told His disciples never to stop children from coming right up to Him, because the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. And you are one of them! Verse for today: From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise. Psalm 8:2
- How comforting it is to know that wherever we go, God is there with us. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations and wonder if God is paying attention. We may feel so alone and even depressed. We can't feel God's presence, and we need His guidance and help. "The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Yes, that's right… wherever! We don't have to feel all alone. God is with us. He is working out the problems, and we don't even realize it. But now ... the Lord who created you ... says: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done. Isaiah 43:1-3, 13. God is with us, leading us, guiding us, loving us, providing for us -- all with His unlimited resources. What do we need? Do we need strength, peace, love, joy, or hope? He has it all. He is longing to pour out His favor and blessing upon us. We need to be open to Him and to trust Him. We need, by faith, to receive what He has for us. It is essential we realize how much He loves us and that He has a good purpose and plan for us. When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Ephesians 3:14-16 This Scripture is awesome. There is nothing that God doesn't know and can't do for us. He walks with us every moment of every day. We need to speak these Scriptures to our hearts. It builds faith in us and gives us the strength to stand. O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! Psalms 139:1-6 Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalms 25:4-5. You can trust God. No matter what is going on in your life, He is there! God goes where you go.
- During Christian Studies students did a journal writing entry in pairs about Noah's Ark. They wrote the entry from the perspective of Noah and detailed his experience (what he saw, did, heard etc) on the boat. Students really enjoyed this learning experience! **We also had a class discussion about the kinds of prayers that we place in the prayer box and the different ways that we pray at home with our families.
- For LA we began Guided Reading groups. Guided Reading is so important because it helps students strengthen their fluency and reading comprehension; especially when it comes to responding to both literal and inferential questions. We continued Persuasive Writing and also completed a persuasive letter. Students also worked on strengthening their cursive writing skills. When students used Chromebooks, they went on the program Typing Club to improve their typing skills. They really enjoy this typing challenge! This week students read for 345 minutes! Wonderful!
- During Math students practiced rounding to the nearest tens, hundreds, thousands and ten thousands place. Students also did a mini lesson on less than, greater than and equal to. I have noticed that students are getting better and better and their multiplication frenzies!
- For Science students finished their E-Waste posters and we submitted all the entries. I am so proud of all their efforts! We also extensively reviewed for the Science quiz. Students completed a packaging activity in groups. Look at unnecessary packaging - create chocolate box and state why all packaging is needed. Students looked at the consequences of unnecessary packaging for the environment. For this activity, students reflected on all the packaging of a standard box of chocolates (e.g. decorative bow, box lid, packaging filler, chocolate wrappers, pamphlet describing chocolates etc). Students were assigned partners and they had to work together to discuss and write about if all the packaging was necessary. Finally, students had to present their arguments for or against certain packaging to the class. They were encouraged to back-up their opinions (e.g. the pamphlet describing the chocolates is necessary packaging because it tells you what the chocolates are and what is inside. This is important and necessary in case you have allergies).
- During Social Studies Students looked at Bodies of Water Q: Why is water important? Q: How are rivers important to animals and people? Climate and Drought VIDEO: One of the most endangered ecosystems in the world is Canada’s grasslands | The Nature of Things
- For Health students described actions to use in unsafe or abusive situations, such as say no, get away, tell someone you trust and keep telling until someone believes you.
- During Art students began working on their pastel art depicting Alberta's landscape
Oct. 16th-Oct. 18th 2019
- Reminders:
- New Memory Verse: Psalm 96: 1-4. *Recitation date: Thursday October 31st
- Review for Science Quiz: Tuesday October 29th
- Twin and Triplet Day next Wednesday
- Library day next Tuesday
- If your child took their E-Waste home to work on it over the weekend, please have them return it back to school on Monday
- **Please read pink note about Penny Carnival
- wash gym clothes for Monday
- Read for 30 minutes
CS Home Activity for this week: Take some time this week to remind your child that God has a big job for him or her to do. It is important to talk about this in a way your child will understand. Your child needs to be prepared and know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. Our job is to obey what He asks us to do. Explain to your child that when we simply obey God, He will take care of the rest, just like He did for Noah. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for loving me and having a job ready for me. Whatever that job might be, I pray that You will give me the courage and strength to finish it and to know that You will be there to help me. Amen.
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following: **During devotions this week, we also prayed over Tia from Hope Mission
- Luke 22:7-20 The Passover meal
Jesus sent Peter and John ahead to prepare a room for the Passover meal. He told them that they’d meet a man carrying a water jar who would lead them to a house with a large room, which the owner would let them use. Everything happened exactly as Jesus said it would. When the meal was ready, Jesus and the disciples made themselves comfortable around the table. Then Jesus said, “I have looked forward to sharing this Passover meal with you before I suffer. For I won’t eat it again until the Passover is given its full meaning.” Jesus took the bread and gave thanks for it. Then He broke off pieces, which He gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given to you. Do this to remember me.” After supper, Jesus gave them a cup of wine to share, saying, “This cup is the sign of God’s new agreement to save you—a lasting covenant sealed with My blood.” How does the bread and wine remind us of Jesus? Although Jesus had told His disciples that He would suffer and die, they didn’t understand what He meant. At the Passover supper, Jesus used the bread and the wine to explain to the disciples what was about to happen. The symbols Jesus used would also be a practical way for His followers to remember His death until He comes to take us to heaven. As Jesus broke the bread, He was showing how His body would be broken. He would be whipped and beaten and nailed to a cross the next day. Then Jesus took the wine and used it to show how His blood would flow as He hung on the cross. God’s new agreement said that Jesus would take the blame and punishment for everyone’s sin, and that He would die in our place. This means that all you need to do to be made sinless is ask Jesus to forgive you. Verse for today: For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26 - Mark 12:41-44 She gave all she had
As Jesus was sitting near the Temple offering-box, He watched people come to put their money in it. Some rich people put in lots of money. Then a poor woman came along and put in two small coins, which were not worth much. Jesus called His disciples together and said to them, “Let me tell you this. That poor widow over there has put more into the offering-box than all the others. The rich only put in some of their spare cash, but the widow put in all she had—every last bit she had to live on.” How can a little be more than a lot? If you were to tell your friends that the few copper coins in your hand are worth more than a fat bundle of banknotes, they would probably look at you strangely. Imagine the looks on the disciples’ faces when Jesus told them that the poor woman had put more into the offering-box than all the money the rich people had put in. It didn’t make sense! The actual value of the money the rich had given may have been more than the widow’s coins, but let’s look at it the way Jesus saw it. Pretend that you and a friend decide to give your teacher some chocolates. Your friend gives the teacher three chocolates from a big packet she brought to school. You decide to give the one small chocolate your mom put in your lunchbox. Who gave more? You gave more because your friend only gave a little from the big packet she had, while you gave everything you had. ‘Everything’ is more than ‘a little!’ Jesus doesn’t look at how much you give, but how much you have left. Do you put some of your pocket money into the offering? Verse for today: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 - John 13:1-10 Peter has his feet washed
- While Jesus and the disciples were celebrating the Passover meal in an upstairs room, Jesus got up and wrapped a towel around His waist. He poured water into a bowl and went from one disciple to the next, washing their feet and drying them with the towel. When it was Peter’s turn to have his feet washed, he said, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet too?” “You do not understand what I am doing,” Jesus replied, “but later on, you will understand.” “No!” Peter said, “I won’t let You wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to Me or be part of what I am doing.” “Then wash my hands and my head as well—not just my feet,” Peter exclaimed. Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath only needs to wash his feet, and you are clean; though not everyone of you,” because He knew that one of them would betray Him. Why did Jesus wash Peter’s feet? Peter couldn’t bear the thought of His Master—the Lord of all creation—doing the job of a servant by washing his dirty feet. It made him feel awkward. But when Jesus explained why He needed to do this, Peter wanted Jesus to wash him all over. Why then did Jesus only wash Peter’s feet? Jesus had brought about a change in Peter’s life: he had already been made clean by becoming a follower of Jesus. Yet, Peter was not perfect. He still got dirty from being in this sinful world and doing things his way instead of God’s way. Although Peter had learned many things, there was one lesson—a very important lesson—he needed to learn, and later he would understand what it was. To become the leader Jesus wanted him to be, Peter needed to learn to humbly serve others. Verse for today I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15
- We had an amazing presentation from Inn from the Cold on Friday. Students were eager participants and active listeners!
- During Christian Studies Lesson: Noah’s Arc. The Jesus Storybook Bible has a retelling of this story that links it into the wider story of God’s love and his mission to rescue our world. DISCUSSION: In our story today who was following God? What did God tell Noah to build? What is an Ark? Why did God tell Noah to build the Ark? Did Noah do what God asked? Why do you think it is important to obey God? Students also completed an activity where they wrote about how they can live out the core messages of Noah's Ark in their lives, what they most liked about the story, an example of how they have lived it out and a question that they would ask to someone from the story.
- For Language Arts Topic: Monster for Sale Persuasive writing activity. Let the creative juices flow! Students will enjoy creating their own monster and convincing others why they should purchase it! Independent Reading- 300 minutes this week! Gratitude Journal (5 things that you are grateful for - I am…)
- During Math Exploring whole numbers to 10,000 Focus this week: ordering numbers (least to greatest and vice versa), writing numbers in standard form and in words, Compare numbers up to 10,000 in standard form and word form and rounding numbers to the nearest tens place. Students continued to practice their multiplication frenzies uo to 12.
- For Science During Science, we went over toxic/hazardous chemicals and their impact on the environment. We discussed store-bought household cleaning supplies and using more environmentally friendly alternatives (e.g. vinegar, lemons, and baking soda).
- We also looked at Alberta's oil sands and its impact on the environment. Students watched the following video on Canadian Oil Sands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwwVo3CEFAQ It was alarming to see how much of our beautiful land that was given to us by God to protect, was being replaced by tar sands. Also, there will come a day when entire species of animals will be extinct because their habitat and means of survival are being destroyed by the oil industry. We also discussed the other side of this whole debate, when we looked at how many people in Alberta are employed in the Oil and Gas industry and how they are able to take care of their families because of the jobs that they do. We will continue our discussion of this topic next week. Students also worked on their E-Waste poster for the ERC competition.
- During Social Studies students explored how have First Nations and Metis people used natural resources to meet their needs? *look at Stoney history of the Nakoda people--how they used every part of the animals they hunted *respect for nature and resources. We also looked at the importance of saving g trees. Moreover, students read about The Grassland Region - What makes the grassland region a unique part of Alberta?
- For Health students completed the following statements:
- complete the following statements: “I feel good about myself when …” “I feel uncomfortable about myself when …” “I wish I was …” “I’m glad I’m not …” “I’m glad I’m …”
Explore and apply: Discuss factors that may affect how we feel about ourselves and our bodies. With a partner, do a think–pair–share of how the perfect young person should look, from head to toe. Discuss whether or not this is realistic. How interesting would it be if everyone looked similar?
• Complete the following statements:
− “Body image is …”
− “The messages from television about body image are …” - **The importance of knowing that you are created in God's image and that nothing else matters (what others think of you e.g you appearance)
- During Art students gathered items from nature on the playground and constricted a picture based on the items.
Oct. 7th-Oct. 10 2019
- Reminders:
- New Memory Verse: Psalm 96: 1-4. *Recitation date: Thursday October 31st
- Friday, Monday & Tuesday PD Days
- Library day next Wednesday instead of Tuesday
- Read for 30 minutes
- Have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend!
- CS Home Activity for this week: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1 This Psalm calls us to give thanks to God because His love is with us forever! His love for us never ends, and our thankfulness to God should never end. In Canada, we have a day set aside to be thankful for our many blessings, and it is a very special day full of family and food! But as Christians, we know the true source of our blessings – God! As we start this week of Thanksgiving, let’s praise the Lord for everything He has made. Let’s go around the table each night and have everyone say something that they are thankful for that the Lord has made and give thanks to God for those things!
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- Luke 17:11-19 Being Thankful
How often do we forget to say, 'Thank You'? Just two little words that say so much. Imagine what it would feel like to give a present to someone, but all they did was grab it and rip the wrapping off without as much as a 'thank you'. That's how God must feel when we don't say thank you to Him. But there is so much to be thankful for if we'd only stop and look. Here are just a few ways we can say thank you to God each day: Each morning thank Him for the new day. Thank Him for the little things so often missed throughout the day. Thank Him for answered prayers. Thank Him for all He's yet to do in your life. Thank Him for the simple fact that He loves you. Every little thing you have in your life is a blessing from God and something to be thankful for. If you take some time to think about all you have, you'll be surprised at how much there is to be thankful for – because it's not about how much you have or don't have. You may have very little worldly possessions, but still have much to be thankful for. God loves it when we have thankful hearts and will honour that. He looks at the heart, not the outward circumstances. So give God the thanks He deserves. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Lord, I pray I'll always have a thankful attitude and see your blessings every day with a heart of gratitude - The Psalms of David
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:1-5. Gratitude is an attitude that comes out of the habit of giving thanks. All through the Psalms, no matter what David was facing, we read his outpouring of gratitude to God. As he encountered good times and bad times, David always turned back to the truth of God's goodness. This attitude often carried him through the hardest of situations. Gratitude is a habit that is learned through practice. Just as we say please and thank you through repetition and relentless reminders, we learn to express our thanks to the Father through consistency. Yet, while gratitude is a habitual attitude, we want our thanksgiving to come out of a genuine heart. The more we meditate on God's goodness and practice our thanks no matter what our circumstance, the more it will naturally flow out of a heart that loves him. Related verse: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1 - I am thankful for God's Love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 If you were asked the question, "What are you most thankful for?" what would your answer be? It didn't take me long to think about my answer. I am most thankful for God's love. He loved me so much that He gave His Son to die for me. I was lost with no way to merit God's favor. The farmers always stopped and looked at the bountiful harvest at the end of the long summer and gave thanks to God for helping them. We too need to stop and give thanks to God for all He has given us. We are blessed. Everything we want may not be in our houses, but we need to be thankful. God loves to hear us. He takes great pleasure in receiving our thanks and our love. He cares so deeply about everything that affects our lives. Talk to Him. Tell Him whatever is on your heart. He understands and wants to meet your needs."... your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:32-34
- Remember to Give Thanks
- And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. (Luke 17:15–16) The Bible tells the story of ten men who had a lot to give thanks for. They were miraculously touched by Jesus. Prior to this touch, they were complete outcasts, the very scourge of society. These men had leprosy, and you couldn’t get any lower in that particular time in history with this incurable disease. If a man was found to have leprosy, he could have no contact with others. He had to leave his house and his friends and live apart from them. So here were these men living an isolated, miserable, lonely life. But they heard about Jesus. They heard how He had touched others and healed them. So they called out to the Lord and asked for His healing touch. Now these men were standing before Jesus in various stages of decay. Their clothing would have been ripped from perpetual mourning. Their skeletal heads would have been uncovered. They would have been required, according to the Law of Moses, to cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” wherever they went. But Jesus did not respond to them with special effects or even a dramatic touch. He simply said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14). So that is what they did. And guess what? They were healed. Yet only one decided to go back and give thanks. The Bible tells us he was a Samaritan, which may not mean a lot to us. But normally, Jews and Samaritans had no dealings with each other. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans. Yet it wasn’t one of the sons of Abraham that came to give thanks; it was a Samaritan. And he was commended for this. We are so quick to ask for God’s help, but let’s remember to be just as quick in giving Him praise when He comes through.
- For Christian Studies students went through every letter of the alphabet and said what they were thankful for starting with that letter in all of God's beautiful Creation. Students also shared how they will show gratitude during the Thanksgiving weekend and the reasons why we should all show our gratitude for our many blessings.
- During Language Arts students continued to explore Persuasive Writing. Topics this week included: Everyone should exercise each day, why zoo animals should or should not be caged, why the school day should be shorter or longer as well any many Thanksgiving writing pieces pertaining to showing gratitude for all God's amazing blessings. Students also continued to practice antonyms and homophones. **Students were also tested for their new reading levels
- For Math students continued to explore whole numbers to 10,000. Students explored how numbers can be represented in a variety of ways (e.g., using objects, pictures, and numerals). Place value patterns are repeated in large numbers, and these patterns can be used to compare and order numbers. The position of a digit in a number determines the quantity it represents. Students inquired about the following questions: How many different ways can a number be represented?
How does changing the order of the digits in a number affect its placement on a number line? How are place value patterns repeated in numbers? How does the position of a digit in a number affect its value? - During Science What really happens to the plastic you throw away (video) How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic | Short Film Showcase. Exploring Mould. Mould/Mold is a fungus. It is often greenish-blue, black, or whitish in colour. It appears on the surface of animal or vegetable matter that has been left in warm moist places. Fungi are decomposers. Fungi are microscopic organisms. The threads of fungi penetrate the food. And draw nourishment from the food. Threads from the fungi grow into the air. They behave like the stems of plants. Each stem has millions of tiny balls called spores growing on it. New fungi grow from the spores. Grow your own mould and food mould video
- For Social Studies Students looked at Developing Communities: Why do communities form? Cattle Ranching. Q: How is the formation of a community linked to the natural resources it has? Q: What are some of the natural resources located close to your community? What jobs are related to these natural resources? Respecting Nature: Q: How can we use our natural resources wisely? Foothills Model Forest/Paper Chasers and Saving Trees Q: What message would you like to give others about respecting nature? The seventh generation is about 150 years from now. Why is it wise to look ahead seven generations before making decisions today that affect the environment? Q: Are trees a renewable resource? Q: What might happen to the forest resources if no action is taken?
- During Health Discuss the meaning of the words aggressive (forceful, openly hostile), passive (not active, offering no opposition) and assertive (positive, forthright). • Generate a bank of words, gestures, facial expressions and body language, and classify these as aggressive (hot), passive (cold) or assertive (cool). Explore and apply • Working with a partner, role-play how an assertive person would handle different situations, such as: − You are standing in line to buy a ticket and someone butts in front of you. − Someone gives you a compliment about your new t-shirt. − Someone thinks you took something that you did not. − A friend teases you about your new haircut. • In small groups, role-play a situation in which a new club is starting up. To become a member, you must do something that you know if wrong (e.g. stealing etc). Discuss different responses and role-play at least three. Have your audience identify whether the response was assertive, aggressive or passive. Discuss how each of these responses look and sound different from one another.
- For Art students did beautiful Thanksgiving tree full of "I am grateful for" leaves
- Reminders:
- New Memory Verse: Genesis 3: 8-10. This recitation is due Thursday October 10th
- Photo order forms
- Math quizzes will be returned next week
- Wash gym clothes for Monday
- Student-led Conferences Thursday and Friday
- Friday PD Day
- CS Home Activity for this week: Genesis 7:5 Noah did everything the LORD commanded him to do. Do we follow the example Jesus set? Do we love, serve, and forgive others? Do we help those in need? Discuss what God is commanding our family to do and then ask for God’s help to do it this week.
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- Matthew 14:22-33 “Come, Peter!”
After Jesus had fed the crowd, He told the disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake. Meanwhile, Jesus went up the hill to pray. When evening came, Jesus was alone. By this time His disciples were far out on the lake and a strong wind was tossing their boat around on the waves.
Very early the following morning, while it was still dark, Jesus walked out to them on top of the water. When the disciples saw someone walking towards them, they were very scared. But Jesus called out, “Don’t worry, it’s Me!” Peter called back, “If it is really You, Lord, tell me to walk to You on the water.” “Come!” Jesus replied. So Peter got out of the boat and walked to Jesus on the water. But when Peter looked around and saw the wind and waves, he was afraid and started to sink. At once, Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. “You of little faith,” Jesus said, “why did you doubt?” Then they got into the boat and the storm died down. Why did Jesus let Peter sink? Peter wanted to step out of the boat and walk to Jesus: this showed his courage. Peter asked Jesus about getting out of the boat: this showed his wisdom. Peter hopped over the side of the boat and walked out to Jesus: this showed his obedience. Jesus is the One who created the laws of nature, and He can change those laws whenever He wants. And so, while Peter kept looking at Jesus, his faith was strong and he walked on the water. Why then, did Peter start to sink? Peter looked around at the waves. His sudden fear swamped His faith, and without faith, Peter was affected by the laws of nature, which made him sink like a stone. Always remember that even when your faith is weak, Jesus is always there, and He will hold on to you! Verse for today : When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3. - Matthew 16:13-20 Peter gets it right. One day, Jesus asked His disciples and important question: “Who do people say that I am?” His disciples answered, “Some say You are John the Baptist, others say You are Elijah. Then there are those who say that You are Jeremiah or some other prophet.”“What about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”“You are blessed, Peter,” Jesus said. “This truth was not shown to you by a person, but by the Father in heaven. You are Peter [the rock], and on this rock I will build my church; and not even the evil of hell itself will be able to stand against it.” Was Jesus a prophet? If someone told you that Jesus was just a good man, or that He was a prophet, would you agree? We know that Jesus was good. In fact, He was sinless! But was Jesus a prophet? A prophet is someone who hears a message directly from God and tells people what God said. Old Testament prophets often did miracles and told of things that would happen in the future. When something did happen as they said it would, it showed that their message was truly from God. In some ways, Jesus was a prophet. He spoke the Word of God; He did many miracles; and He told us of things that would happen in the future. However, Jesus was not just a prophet. He is the Son of God! All the other prophets died and were buried: Jesus lives forever and sits at the right side of God the Father.Verse for todayIn the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…. Hebrews 1:1-2
- Matthew 4:18-22 “Follow Me” After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the desert to be tempted by the devil. There, in the heat of the desert, Jesus fasted for forty days. Every time the devil tempted Him, Jesus used Scripture to make the right choice—He never sinned. Then Jesus began preaching to the people, telling them that the kingdom of heaven is near. As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. Jesus said to them, “Come follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they followed Him. Later, Jesus saw two other fishermen, James and John, and called them too. Immediately, they left their boat and also followed Him. Did the disciples know what it would cost to follow Jesus? When people join a team or a club, they usually want to know what’s in it for them. If they put effort or money into something, they usually expect something back, whether it is having fun, being honored, or getting a reward. When the time came for Jesus to begin His ministry, He started choosing a team of helpers. These first disciples had no idea what lay ahead—and they didn’t ask. Jesus simply said, “Follow Me,” and they followed. They didn’t know for how long, where they would sleep, or what they were expected to do. Even though they hadn’t known Jesus for long, they saw something in Him that helped them trust Him. They trusted Jesus enough to leave everything behind and follow Him—empty handed. When Jesus calls you to follow Him—trust Him! Then you will also become a ‘fisher of men’ by bringing people to Him. Verse for today Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Luke 9:58
- Matthew 5:13-16 Salt and light. Peter and the other disciples sat listening to Jesus as He taught them things they had never heard before. Jesus said to them, “You are like salt here on earth! But if you live like those who don’t love God, you will be like salt that has lost its flavor and become worthless. You are the light of the world! Just as a city on a hill cannot be hidden at night, so the light of your good deeds will shine for all to see. Don’t hide your light, but let it shine all around so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father for the good deeds you do.” How can I become salt? Becoming salt has nothing to do with Lot’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt because she disobeyed God. In fact, it is only by obeying God that you become salt. As you allow God to use you, you become the salt of the earth. That doesn’t mean you will suddenly taste salty, but rather, that you will make as much difference to the lives of those around you as a tiny bit of salt makes to a plate of tasteless food. As salt is sprinkled over food to flavor it, so God has spread believers across the world to flavor it with love. To check whether you have become salt, answer the following questions. Do you: keep your friends from doing wrong? pray for those around you? tell others about Jesus or invite them to church? encourage those who feel down? If you have said yes to one or more of the questions above, YOU ARE SALT! Verse for today: Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6
- Luke 5:17-26 Sharing and caring friends. One day, while Jesus was teaching in someone’s home, a group of men came along carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. Because of the crowd that had gathered, they couldn’t get into the house, so they went up onto the roof and lifted off some roof tiles. Then they lowered their friend down on his mat with ropes. When Jesus saw him, He said, “Your sins are forgiven.”Some of those watching got upset and whispered, “How can this man forgive sins? Only God can forgive sins.” But Jesus knew what they were thinking, and to prove that He had the power to forgive sins, He told the man to pick up his bed and go home. And at once the man was healed! How can sharing change someone’s life? Have you recently invited a friend to your home and had your room look like a disaster zone by the end of the day? And when your friend left, you had to tidy up the mess! The person at whose house Jesus taught might have thought how nice it would be to have Jesus visit him in his own home. He had probably not imagined that a crowd of people was about to take over his house, or that someone would rip open his roof. Just imagine the mess after everyone had left. Yet, one crippled man walked out of his house that day—healed, forgiven, and changed forever! Wouldn’t you say it was worth it? You may never know how wonderfully God is able to use your kind acts to change someone’s life. Be encouraged! Jesus sees when you have to clean up after everyone has left. The time and effort you spend to bless others will not go unnoticed! Verse for today But when you give … do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4
- For Christian Studies students reflected on the Terrible Lie *looking at the bigger picture Discussion Questions… What Terrible Lie did the serpent tell Adam and Eve? Do we ever believe that God doesn’t or can’t love us? Can we ever hide from God’s love? Do we ever need to feel ashamed with God? Can we ever hide from God’s love? How did God show love to Adam and Eve in this story? How does God show love to us? How did God make it right, or bring us back to him? How can we share God’s love with someone today? Activity: In groups of 3, students dramatize one of the following Parables: The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7). Students also in groups of four, re-read the story together. Students brainstormed times when they felt lost, alone, lonely or left out . We reflected on how we can share God’s love with each of these people. Students looked for practical ideas and wrote them on the board too. Students discussed how how they were going to share God’s love this week with someone?
- During Language Arts Gratitude Journal (5 things that you are grateful for - I am…) Dictionary game. Expository writing: My dream house - use as much descriptive detail as you can. Orange shirt day PowerPoint presentation and discussion and Colour heart activity. Word Work: We began our day exploring our two new literary devices for this month: antonyms and homophones. Students learned that an antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word (e.g. day and night) and that they are also called opposites. Likewise, students learned that homophones are words that sound the same as another word but have a different meaning (e.g. Knight and night). We brainstormed many examples as a class. For Word Work, students looked at the Long u sound using the following word list: during, June, fruit, use, huge, new, flew, glue, grew, stew and blue. Students had to place the words in this chart: u+e/ew/ue/ui/u . In addition, students had to write 5 descriptive sentences using 5 of the word list words. Last month students were asked to write 3 sentences and so for this month we have bumped it up to 5! For Creative Writing, students wrote a piece about a day at the circus. Introduction to Persuasive Writing: Students participated in an introductory lesson on Persuasive Writing. We compared this type of writing to Expository. Persuasive Writing is a type of Opinion Writing. Students learned that an opinion is something that you THINK, FEEL OR BELIEVE. Persuade means to convince. When we persuade someone, we want to convince them of something. Students used this discussion to brainstorm about things that THEY wanted to change. Examples of what we discussed: wanting to stay up later on the weekends, having more time at recess and for people to stop littering. We talked about how all those ideas could be topics for persuasive writing. Finally, students discussed what they would change at home and within their school community and what arguments or points that they can make to persuade or convince someone about their ideas. Word Work: Students continued their exploration of antonyms and homophones and focused on the kn- words (silent k). They reviewed the following word list: knuckle, knapsack, knit, and knowing and created two rhyming words for 5 of the words. They also did a word scramble activity. For Persuasive writing, students looked at a reading composition entitled More School? The writer of the piece was very upset that his principal just informed the class that they would start having school in July. The author gave many reasons to support his argument that school should not be extended until July. Students had to go over the main points of the writing with a highlighter and complete written responses to the following questions: what was the writing piece trying to persuade (or convince) you of? What are the reasons the writer gave to persuade the principal towards their opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the writer? Explain and What strong words or phrases did the author use to make their argument powerful toward their audience? Students also worked on their Student-Led Conference sheets. Lastly, students wrote a Creative Writing story in pairs and read it to the class.
- For Math students completed their quiz on Graphs and Time. We did an Introductory lesson on whole numbers. Students reviewed representing whole numbers in different ways and worked on an activity pertaining to base ten blocks (thousands, hundreds, tens and ones) and also a chart where they had to show various numbers in the thousands in different ways (expanded form, in words, using a place value chart and using base ten blocks)
- During Science Students read a passage on hazardous chemical warnings and how hazardous chemicals affect the environment and how you should safely dispose of it. Household product safety investigation worksheet Students also worked in partners to discuss and write about which of the following was better for the environment: reusable lunch bag or brown paper bag, glass plate or paper plate, handkerchief or Kleenex and wooden pencil or a mechanical pencil. We explored: Packing a waste free lunch & the Reading passage: What could you do to voice your opinion about solid waste issues in your community? Glossary of terms Buy long-lasting products rather than items that have a shorter life span and end up as waste sooner. • Buy goods in returnable and recyclable containers. • Learn where you can take items to be recycled and show your support by recycling and buying items made with recycled content. • Composting food wastes, leaves and grass clippings. • Find other people in your town who are interested in reducing waste, promoting recycling, inventing new uses for old materials and fighting litter. Work together with these people to promote waste reduction and recycling. • Take an active interest in how your solid waste management dollars are spent. Compare your community’s hauling and disposal costs with those of neighboring towns. Investigate the quality of your local landfill and the measures being taken to make it as safe and long-lasting as possible. • Learn how nature recycles materials. Is much wasted? (e.g., mushrooms recycling soil nutrients) The Typical Lunch:If you walk around at lunchtime and take a good look at the lunches our children bring to school, here's what the typical lunch will look like: sandwiches in disposable plastic bags fruits and vegetables in plastic bags prepackaged chips, cookies, fruit bars, granola bars, cheeses, and fruit leathers single-use yogurts, applesauces, and puddings crackers, pretzels, chips, and other snack foods sealed in plastic bags disposable juice boxes, juice pouches, juice cans, water bottles, and milk cartons plastic forks and spoons
paper napkins reusable lunchboxes and disposable paper and plastic bags A Waste-free Lunch: sandwiches and other main dishes, fresh fruits and, fresh vegetables, and treats in a reusable lunch container or containers cloth napkins
stainless-steel forks and spoons reusable drink containers reusable lunchboxes In this scenario very little trash is generated because foods are bought in bulk or in larger packages. The packaging is left at home for reuse or recycling. Food waste also decreases because with a reusable lunch container, children can re-pack uneaten food instead of dumping it, packaging and all, into the school trash can. Why I live a zero waste life | Lauren Singer | TEDxTeen - For Social Studies Grizzly bears pg. 34 Q: Why is the grizzly bear population decreasing? What have we learned Pg. 36 Q: What makes the Rocky Mountain region a unique part of Alberta? Students explored the Foothills Regions worksheet (landforms, bodies of water, climate, vegetation and animal life)
- During Health students describe and demonstrate passive, aggressive and assertive behaviours; e.g., assertive strategies for use in dealing with bullies examine the various factors that influence body image; e.g., culture, media, peers, role models, weight loss industry and analyzed the need for variety and moderation in a balanced diet; e.g., role of protein, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, water, vitamin.
- For Art students worked on their hands that serve art piece
Sept. 23rd - Sept. 27th 2019
- Reminders:
- The students did really well on their first memory Verse recitation. I am so proud of them =) New Memory Verse: Genesis 3: 8-10. This recitation is due Thursday October 10th.
- CS Home Activity for this week: Genesis 3: 10 "I heard you in the garden," the man answered. "I was afraid because I was naked. So I hid." Q: Do we ever need to feel ashamed? How can we be more open and honest with each other (and God)? Try to talk honestly about feelings this week and don't hide who you are.
- PD DAY Monday
- 12:20pm dismissal on Friday
- **MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 1: 1-3 *Oral recitation Thursday September 26th
- **Please bring back Math folders on Tuesday if your child took it home as well as the mini clocks
- Work on Genius Hour
- Read for at least 20-30 minutes & log minutes
- Wash gym clothes and bring back on Tuesday
- **library next Wednesday (first library visit) **our normal library day is Tuesday, but the library will not be set-up for class visits until Wednesday.
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- Scattered seed: Luke 8:4-8, (Matthew 13:18-23)Wherever Jesus went, from one town to the next, people kept coming to hear what He had to say. A large crowd had gathered around Him, so Jesus told the people a story to help them understand how the Word of God works in the hearts of different people. “One day, a farmer went to sow seed. As he scattered the seed, some fell on the path where it was stepped on, and where birds ate it. Some seed fell on rocky ground. When the seeds sprouted, the plants dried up because the soil was hard and dry. Other seed landed among the weeds, which grew with the small plants and choked them. But some seed fell on good, fertile soil and grew into a large crop which gave a hundred times more seed than was planted.” Can a seed really grow in someone’s heart? The seed that Jesus spoke of is the Word of God. God’s Word reaches the hearts of people as they hear it or as they read the Bible. The soil is compared to the heart of a person. When God’s Word touches a person’s heart, it grows as the person thinks about it, understands it, believes it and then does what it says. Some people don’t want to hear the Word of God and they harden their hearts so that the seed cannot even start to grow. Some people hear the words of Jesus and believe for a while, but when times of difficulty and testing come, they give up. Some people listen to the Word, but the worries, riches, and pleasures of life make them forget what they heard. But some people hear the Word and do what it says. They have a good heart where the words of Life grow and multiply!
- Jesus calms the storm: Luke 8:22-25 One day, Jesus got into a boat with His disciples and said to them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. While He was sleeping, a strong wind started to blow, and as the waves washed over the side of the boat, it filled up with water. The disciples woke Jesus, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” Jesus got up and said to the wind and waves, “Be calm!” At once, the wind died down and the big waves flattened out. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Where is your faith?” But the disciples didn’t answer because they were amazed and afraid. They said to one another, “Who is this man that even the wind and the waves listen to Him?” Can Jesus calm stormy emotions too? Emotions are feelings caused by things that happen around us or things that happen to us. Some situations can make us feel peaceful and happy; others make us feel sad, embarrassed, angry or afraid. On a windless day, a sailing boat goes nowhere. A boat needs some wind to take it from one point to another. But wild storms can cause a boat to be tossed around like a cork. At times you may feel as though you are in a storm because of something that has shaken your confidence. It may be a problem at school, or maybe there are changes happening in your life. Jesus calms the helpless feeling of being tossed about by waves of trouble! Although your situation may not change straight away, Jesus can bring peace to the stormy feeling in your heart. The disciples had Jesus in their boat—you have Jesus in your heart! Knowing that He is with you can help you get to the other side more easily.
- Disciples go out in pairs: Mark 6:7-13 Disciples go out in pairs. Jesus called His twelve disciples together and told them to go out in pairs to do God’s work. He said to them, “Don’t take anything for the journey except a stick. Don’t take money or food. Wear sandals, but don’t take extra clothes. “When you get to a home where people welcome you, stay with them until you leave that town. If you get to a town where people don’t listen to you or welcome you, leave the town. Don’t even let the dust of that town stick to your shoes.” So the disciples went out and preached the message they had heard from Jesus. They commanded evil spirits to come out of people, and they healed many who were sick. Why is it good to do things as a team? We don’t know who went with Peter, but whoever went out with him must have had a great experience! The Lord knew that Peter would probably need someone responsible who would think things through—and perhaps stop him from doing something silly. When we work together in pairs or teams, it isn’t long before we realize that, in some ways, we are quite different. Each of us has certain strengths (things we are good at), and some weaknesses. By working in a team, we learn new ways of doing things by watching others do things they are good at. There are many advantages when we work together; here are just a few: We can encourage one another when things get tough. We learn to pray for each other’s needs. We get things done that we couldn’t do alone. We can laugh together and have lots of fun!
- Jesus feeds a great crowd: Mark 6:30-44, John 6:1-13 Jesus feeds a great crowd. The disciples, who had gone out to teach and preach, returned to Jesus very excited and told Him all that had happened. Jesus said to His disciples, “Come with Me to a quiet place and get some rest.” They got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee to get away from the crowd. But when the people saw them, they ran around the lake and met them on the other side. Jesus went up a hill and sat down with his disciples. When He looked up and saw the great crowd coming toward Him, He asked, “Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?” Peter’s brother Andrew said, “There is a boy here with five small loaves of bread and two fish.” Jesus took the loaves and fish and gave thanks to God. Then He broke the loaves and gave the pieces to the disciples to hand to the people. After this, He divided the two fish in the same way. When everyone had eaten enough, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let nothing be wasted. Gather up the food that is left.” When they had collected all the leftovers, they had twelve baskets full. What did Jesus teach us about wasting and littering? If Jesus could feed more than five thousand people from one boy’s lunch, He could have made as much food as He wanted, whenever He wanted. Yet Jesus did not use His power to make loads of delicious food for Himself and His friends. In fact, one day while walking through a field, His disciples were so hungry that they ate kernels of grain (Luke 6:1). Jesus showed us that we should… not always want the best or most expensive things; not waste or throw away what others can use; not litter the countryside (or any other place); be grateful for what we have and give thanks to God.
- For Christian Studies students completed their first memory verse recitation. They did a wonderful job! As a class, we read the story of the Terrible Lie from Genesis. We used the story to look at the bigger picture of how we should use the story as a foundation for our interactions with others and our relationship with God as well as ourselves. We discussed the following questions: What did God ask Adam and Eve not to do? What Terrible Lie did the serpent tell Eve? Did Eve trust God or the Serpent’s lies? When they realized they were naked, what did God lovingly make for Adam and Eve? God protected them from living forever now that pain, brokenness, sickness etc. entered the world. How did he do that? **Students completed a reflection in class of how they can live the core message in the story in their own lives. They also had to interview three families and ask them to document how they lived this message.
- During Language Arts students read for more than 300 minutes this week! Each day, students completed their Gratitude Journals (5 things they are grateful for and I am statements).
- Word Work: Find the synonyms for the word: funny/break/say/tell and write them down. Create your own. Think of a word and write it down and think of 5 synonyms of the word. Choose 3 words and write a descriptive sentence for each.
- Students are working so hard in their Expository Writing. They are continuing to elaborate on their ideas and make sure that they writing follows a structured pattern that supports the main idea. They wrote about the following topics this week: What qualities make someone a good friend? How can you be a friend for someone who needs one? Write a paragraph that explains ways to be a good friend. People do all kinds of jobs. Some people build. Others serve. Some teach. Others sell. Some people work on ships at sea, and others in skyscrapers in cities. What kind of job would you like to do? As a future worker, write a paragraph that names a job you would like, describes the work, and tells why you would like it. **Most people can imagine a dream home. What would yours be? Big or small? In the country or in the city? How many floors? Would it be underground or up in a tree? As a young person, write a paragraph describing your dream home to a parent. They will continue this one next week.
- Students also practiced logging into the Chromebooks this week and accessing their drive at school and at home. They are actively using the Chromebooks to research their Genius Hour topic. They are become much more comfortable in using Google slides.
- For Math, students did an extensive review on Graphs and Time in preparation for their quiz next week. They worked independently and in partners to help facilitate learning.
- During Social Studies students explored Bodies of Water & the Columbia Icefield Q: Why do you think the Columbia Icefield is so important?
Climate & Vegetation Q: What is the difference between climate and weather?
Aborginal knowledge Key words: vegetation, climate & precipitation. Students also completed a reading analysis worksheet in groups on: Columbia Icefield, climate, vegetation & Aboriginal knowledge. Moreover, students discussed Natural Resources: Why is coal important to Alberta? The Leitch Collieries Mining Disasters. Q. Why do we have National Parks? - Banff, Canada’s First National Park. Students also explored Jasper National Park: Why is it important to protect natural areas? Mary Schaffer Animal Life Q. How could visitors experience the park without harming it? What is the most important role of Canada’s national park system? - For Science students watched a video on: producers, consumers and decomposers. Students used Chromebooks to research examples. Students completed an activity in groups called My Green Plan: What is your hope for the future? The student presentations were amazing! Students also explored Household waste: what can you reuse and recycle? Reusable Household Items: We can reuse our cloths, reusable bags, other side of papers, toys, furniture, bottles,jars, containers and many more! Recyclable Household Items & Materials: Junk Mail and Cards, paper, disposable plates and cups,beverage containers,food jars, bottle caps, and many more.
- During Health students examined the impact of environmental factors on personal health, and develop positive environmental health habits; e.g., exposure to the sun, second-hand smoke, noise, extreme cold/heat. Students madea class list of health issues that affect our environment, such as pollution, second-hand smoke and car exhaust. Moreover, they discussed the risks of exposure to direct sun. Ideas for supporting a smoke-free environment. We also explored how people’s interests, abilities and emotions
change over the years. Share and discuss ideas. Working in small groups, make a list of 25 words or phrases describing the emotions and feelings a 10-year-old child might have. Students discussed the following: Right now– I am interested in … I can … I feel … When I’m 13– I’ll be interested in … I will be able to … I will feel … When I’m my parents’ age– I’ll be interested in … I will be able to … I will feel … - For Art began working on their Hands that Serve artwork
- Students had their first library visit this week! The ACTS prayer group came and prayed over our class on Wednesday.
Sept. 16th-20th 2019
- Reminders:
- Home activity this week: Q: In what ways can we better reflect God’s love to others? Think of some practical ways to reflect God’s love to others and then go and do them together as a family.
- **MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 1: 1-3 *Oral recitation Thursday September 26th
- Work on Genius Hour
- Read for at least 20-30 minutes & log minutes
- Wash gym clothes and bring back on Tuesday
- Arctic dress-up day Wednesday
- Terry Fox Run Friday *remember to bring $2 donation
- Book Fair Tuesday and Wednesday
- Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- Growing in God (Luke 2: 41-52) Jesus matured, growing up in both body and spirit, blessed by both God and people. Jesus was growing in God. Even at the age of 12, He was beyond His years. They were all amazed and marvelled at Jesus’ understanding of the things of God. He already knew who His father was, though Mary & Joseph did not understand what He meant about being in His Father’s house and tending to His father’s business. We too need to be attending to our Father God’s business in order to really grow into Jesus’ likeness. As we keep in God’s word and prayer, going to church & Sunday school, we grow in God. We have a daily relationship with God, just like we do with our parents, sisters/brothers or friends. Dear Jesus, I pray you will help me grow each day in your likeness more and more. For when I spend time with you, I will become like you, my Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.
- Are you Lost? (Luke 12: 1-7) It’s not much fun getting lost it? Have you ever been out with Mom or Dad and ended up getting lost? How did that make you feel? You may have felt scared and alone. It’s also scary for a parent to lose their child. In this story, we learn about one sheep that gets lost, and how we would care so much for out sheep that we just have to leave the other 99 to find the lost sheep. This is how it is with God. He seeks out the lost, the ones that are alone and scared. He wants to bring them into His family and show them love, friendship and fellowship. **Think about the kids who feel lost and alone in school, what could you do to help them and create fellowship with them?
- Having a God-given dream (Genesis 37:5-22) Joseph was a real dreamer. God gave him a dream and though he went through a lot, he never gave up on his dream. God made it a reality as Joseph honoured him in His life. God has a dream for you too. When you discover that dream, run with it, no matter what the difficulties may be. There will come a day when that dream will become real. In the meantime, God is preparing you. The dream we have doesn’t happen overnight. God prepares us for what He has called us to do. He works within us sifting out the things that will stop what He will do in our lives.
- Being Thankful (Luke 17: 11-19) How often do we forget to say thank you. Just two little words that say so much. Imagine what it would feel like to give a present to someone, but all they did as grab it and rip the wrapping off without as much as a thank you. That’s how God must feel when we don’t say thank you to Him. But there is so much to be thankful for if we’d only stop and look. Here are just a few ways we can say thank you to God each day: Each morning, thank Him for the new day. Thank Him for answered prayers and for all He’s yet to do in your life. Thank Him for the simple fact that He loves you. Every little thing that you have in your life is a blessing from God.
- Jesus feeds a great crowd (Mark 6:30-44, John 6:1-13) If Jesus could feed more than five thousand people from one boy’s lunch, He could have made as much food as He wanted, whenever He wanted. Yet Jesus did not use His power to make loads of delicious food for Himself and His friends. In fact, one day while walking through a field, His disciples were so hungry that they ate kernels of grain (Luke 6:1). Jesus showed us that we should… not always want the best or most expensive things; not waste or throw away what others can use; not litter the countryside (or any other place); be grateful for what we have and give thanks to God.
- For Christian Studies this week, students explored Genesis 1: 1-3 The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14–30 tells of a master who was leaving his house to travel, and, before leaving, entrusted his property to his three servants.
Two of the servants worked hard at turning the money they were given into more money for their master’s return.
The other servant just buries the money and gives the master the same amount when he returns. The master is well pleased with the servants who have worked hard at looking after what he entrusted them with. They have given the property back in a better state then it was given to them. However, he is very cross with the servant who did nothing to care for the property and improve it, but who just buried the money. Students discussed the meaning of Stewardship by discussing which statements are true? Treating the environment exactly as I want to, Ruling over and caring for the world and everything in it, The Earth belongs to God and humans should look after it for Him, Looking after the world, because God made it for us, God gave humans the world, so it is our right to use up all its resources, Humans are more important to God than animals, so can Treat animals badly if they want to. In addition, students also watched the Save our World video clip & completed the worksheet on how to save God’s creation in pairs. This was a beautiful cross-curricular connection between our Science unit on Waste in Our World. Students wrote prayer requests and placed them in Atrium prayer box at the end of lesson. - For Math, students continued their exploration of graphs by completing a bar graph on favourite drinks and a class survey of favourite pizza toppings by using a line plot. Students also completed a lemonade stand pictograph.
- Students practiced using the mini clocks with a partner. Students played a game of displaying time using mini clocks in pairs. Task: students completed an activity where they used mini clocks to record time to the nearest 5 minutes & nearest quarter hour. **Students practiced the Z method to determine elapsed time.
- Students reviewed the elements of the 24 hour clock using the mini clocks. Explored the concept of elapsed time by looking at various examples of people starting and finishing activities and the time that passed from when they started to when they finished. Students looked at the calendar and answered questions based on different calendar months.
- For LA, students read for more than 250 minutes this week! Each day, students completed their Gratitude Journals (5 things they are grateful for and I am statements).
- Word Work: Read the words in the Word Bank. Find the synonyms for the word: happy, angry, move and make and write them down. Create your own. Think of a word and write it down and think of 5 synonyms of the word. Choose 3 words and write a descriptive sentence for each. Students really enjoyed playing the Dictionary Game!
- Introduction to Expository Writing: Expository Writing is a type of writing that is used to explain, describe, give information, or inform. You may see expository writing when you are trying to make a recipe or follow directions to put something together (e.g. a recipe). Writing is organized around 1 topic and gives the reader information in logical order. The writer cannot assume that the reader has any prior knowledge or understanding of the topic. How is Expository Writing organized? Introduction, main idea and supporting details.
- Task: Doing well in school is important, but it can be hard work. It is important to know what your parents and school expect from you to be successful. Think about the things that you do to be a successful student. Explain three things a child can do to be successful in school. Write about what it takes to be a successful student. Explain three things a child can do to be successful in school.
- Rules are important in our daily lives. We have rules for driving, rules for studying and even rules for playing. Write about why schools should have rules. Explain three rules that every school should have.
- Everyone has something they do to relax and have fun. Some like to read; others prefer sports and some like to chat with friends. What is your favourite thing to do to relax and have fun? Task: Write about your favourite activity to do to relax. Explain three reasons why this activity is your preferred way to relax. *remember to add descriptive details.
- Write about the importance of exercise and the ways that you can be physically active.
- *Be sure to write your MAIN IDEA and add descriptive details to your three supportive details.
- Creative Writing prompt: Write about what you most admire about your parents.
- For Science, students observed the decomposition of lemon slices and documented observations on appearance, texture and smell. Students finished their good copy of their letter to Prime Minister Justine Trudeau. They were very excited to mail their letters and are eagerly waiting for a response! Students completed decomposers booklet in pairs.
- Students also looked at how waste is recycled in nature. This process is cyclical and involves soil, plants, decomposers such as worms and decayed animals and plants. (draw and label diagram). Students reflected on how they compost at home and at school. Students also looked at various composting and recycling programs in Alberta.
- For Social Studies, students explored the Rocky Mountain Region and wrote down key observations. Students labeled map of Alberta with different regions. Students did a mind map of Alberta’s fossil history. We had a class Discussion of the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Students also looked at a small video clip on the Columbia Icefield.
- For Health, students examined the impact of environmental factors on personal health, and develop positive environmental health habits; e.g., exposure to the sun, second-hand smoke, noise, extreme cold/heat. We made a class list of health issues that affect our environment, such as pollution, second-hand smoke and car exhaust. Students discussed the risks of exposure to direct sun and reviewed the basic guidelines for wearing hats, wearing sunglasses, drinking water and using appropriate sunscreen. Does your school have a sun-safe policy? How can you promote sun safety in your school? We discussed how smoking can affect the lungs. The solid particles in tobacco smoke, consisting of hundreds of chemicals, are called tar. Tar prevents the normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in lungs, contributing to shortness of breath and lack of endurance. As you smoke, tar coats your lungs and increases your risk of lung cancer.
- Ideas for helping families protect themselves from the sun Students can: • wear hats when spending time in the sun • wear sunscreen for outdoor sports, walking to school and other outdoor activities • help younger students or siblings apply sunscreen before going outside. Parents can: • ensure all family members use sunscreen • model wearing hats and ensure children wear hats when out in the sun for extended periods • assist children with application of sunscreen in hard-to-reach areas that are at risk, such as back of the neck, back and shoulders • find creative ways to create shade, like building a fort with blankets and clothesline. • be aware that breathing in someone else’s cigarette smoke is dangerous. Parents can: • agree as a family to ensure that no one smokes inside the house; ask visitors to smoke outside; post signs at main entrances to let visitors know your home is smoke free • take the family to smoke-free restaurants when you eat out; arrange to stay in smoke-free hotel or motel rooms on family vacations. Communities can: • promote smoke-free environments in public places, such as malls, public offices and restaurants • sponsor tobacco prevention programs in schools and in the community • model nonsmoking behaviours when acting as youth leaders in the community • respond positively when children ask adults not to smoke due to allergies or other health concerns.
- For Art, students, students completed their dove art and began working on their Fall tree Art using warm colours.
- Students participated in the Terry Fox run on Friday. They all did an amazing job in running! We watched an inspirational video on the life of Terry Fox and his legacy.
- **Students did not have library this week, as it was the Scholastic Book Fair. Arctic Dress-up day was Wednesday. Congratulations to Sadie for winning best dressed from our class! Students will have library next Wednesday.
- Students had Digital Citizenship, French, Music and Gym
- Reminders:
- **Please bring back Math folders on Monday if your child took it home
- Work on Genius Hour brainstorming sheets *bring it back on Monday
- Read for at least 20-30 minutes & log minutes
- **MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 1: 1-3 *Due Thursday September 26th
- Wash gym clothes and bring back on Monday
- Fundraiser Form & Pierogi order form
- NO library next week
- Book Fair next Week & Arctic dress up day Tuesday the 17th
- Terry Fox Run/Gold shirt day Friday the 20th
Our Devotions this week focused on the following:
- Faith goes hand-in-hand with actions. We cannot say we have faith in God, if we don’t show it in our lives - in how we treat other people. When we see a need, we should meet that need by providing for the person. As God blesses us, we in-turn should bless others. Help me Lord, to show my faith in everything I do. I don’t just want to speak my faith, but show it by actions too.
- The Lord God, the creator of the universe, tells us to , ‘Fear Not’, and that we are so precious to Him. Whatever we go through, we can be sure that God is always with us. He walks with us every day. Just remember the next time you feel afraid. God is standing right by your side and He will walk with you. Lord, please come and be with me when I feel afraid. Take my fear away from me and fill me with more faith.
- There is nothing in all the world of more value than Godly wisdom. It is more precious to have than all the riches in the world. Is is amazing to have an education, but of more value and benefit it to pursue Godly wisdom for your life. You will never go wrong if you have God’s wisdom guiding your every step. Ask God every day to fill you with His wisdom. Especially when you are faced with things that you are unsure of what to do. He will you give you His wisdom. I pray for your wisdom, Lord, as my guide along the way. Lead me into truth as I walk with you each day.
- What we say to others can really hurt their feelings. We need to be very careful with what we say to others. Have you ever been called names? How did that make you feel? Have you ever called anyone names? How do you think that would make them feel? It makes God loves all people the same, and he cares about how you feel and how you make others feel. Lord, help me never say words that hurt another. Help me always speak with words that will uplift and encourage.
- God’s love is so different from our love. God always feels love towards us - for He is love. His love is unconditional, which means. He will always love despite what we do or say. God can never stop loving us. Even when we say and do wrong things, He still keeps on loving us. We need to build God’s love into our lives, so we may love as He does. Let God fill you with His love. Ask Him to help you love people and see them through His eyes. As we continue to walk with Jesus, and choose to respond with love, the more God’s love grows in us. So choose today to love God’s way. Lord, I pray you’ll grow in me the love that belongs to you, so I can show the whole wide world that your love is for them too.
- This week for Christian Studies, students will be exploring the Story of Creation. The Home Activity for the week is: Exploring as a family how you can take care of God's creation. Discuss 3 ways to care of the environment and then try to do them as a family.
- Each morning students completed their Gratitude Journal (5 things that you are grateful for - I am…)
- Word Work words this week: knee, sweep, deep, secret, key, pleased, easy, leaves, between, beak,smiled, died, hike, life, might, right, child, hiding, kind, mind,unable, unclean, unpack, uneven, untie, unfair, unlock, undo, underline, unhappy, untidy,broken, coach, cone, hello, owner, post, rowing, smoke, sold, stones, whole
- A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. Look at your lesson words and try to think of another word that means the same. Ex. unwell = sick. Think of 5 words
- Introduction to Expository Writing: Expository Writing is a type of writing that is used to explain, describe, give information, or inform. You may see expository writing when you are trying to make a recipe or follow directions to put something together (e.g. a recipe). Writing is organized around 1 topic and gives the reader information in logical order. The writer cannot assume that the reader has any prior knowledge or understanding of the topic. How is Expository Writing organized? Introduction, main idea and supporting details. Task: Write an expository writing piece about the steps needed to get your homework done. Task: Students will describe one thing that they know how to do well which as much detail as you can. Task: Write about your morning routine or nightly routine.
- Dictionary game
- Creative Writing prompt: Write a story called: The Secret Cave
- This week, students read for over 150 minutes in class! Great job!
- Students participated in a variety of Brain Breaks to get them moving! *They love the ones presented by GoNoodle
- For Christian Studies, students read Genesis 1: 1-3In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Student wrote many prayer requests this week and placed them in the Prayer Box in Atrium. God looked at everything he had made. Perfect! He said. And it was. All the stars and mountains and oceans and galaxies and everything were nothing compared to how much God loved his children. Genesis 2:15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden. He put him there to farm its land and take care of it.. Activity: King and Queen of the classroom. 2 chairs were set up in the front of the classroom.. Student to take turns saying examples of wonderful nature until they can’t think of anymore. It should be a quick game with no pauses. We Discussed how it all too easy to take God’s wonderful creation for granted. Moreover, how can we remind ourselves, on a regular basis, that God created our world, we should be thankful for it and look after it? We discussed the Creation Story. For our second class, students Reread the Bible Story of Creation. Activity: I split the class into a few groups. Give each group was given a a wipe board pen. Students lined up in their teams like a relay race. The students at the front of each group’s lines should first come to the board and write one thing that we can do to play our part in looking.. Discussion: It is easy to forget to play our part, but it’s also easy to forget that some of us already do. This week, what are some extra actions we could take to care for God’s creation? Another way we can care for God’s creation is by joining in with those who are working hard to care for the world. Some people do this for religious reasons, for example they may be Christians who want to be good stewards of God’s Earth. Some people do not believe in God and yet work really hard to look after the world. It doesn’t matter why someone cares for God’s world. What matters is they are playing their part. Let’s find out more about some of the non-profit organisations that are working hard to care for God’s world...Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, WWF, A Rocha
- During Social Studies, students worked so hard on their Alberta Land & People group poster. I was amazed at the level of cooperation, sharing of ideas and active listening that they displayed. Students presented their posters Friday, and they did an amazing job! Each group included so much informative facts.
- For Math, students explored the elements of the 24 hour clock. A.M. is used for the times before midnight to just before noon. P.M. is used for times from noon to just before midnight . 24 Hour clock: ex. 17:30 means that it is 17 hours and 30 minutes after midnight. The 24 hour clock always has 4 digits. Looked at the differences between the 12-hour clock and the 24-hour clock with examples. Activity: write the time shown on the clock to the nearest 5 minutes as well as drawing the hands on each clock face to show the given time. Students reviewed the elements of a Bar Graph. A bar graph displays information (data) by using rectangular bars of different heights. A bar graph has a vertical axis with numbers on it, and a horizontal axis showing values of something that is being investigated.
Task: complete the bar graph activity and answer comprehension questions based on the graph. Students practiced using the mini clocks with a partner. Game of displaying time using clock. Task: students wrote the time shown on the clock to the nearest minute and well as drawing the hands on each clock face to show the given time. Students reviewed the elements of a Pictograph. A Pictograph is a way of showing data using images - Task: Students completed a pictograph and completed comprehension questions based on the graph. Students reviewed the elements of a Line Graph. A line graph is used to display information which changes over time. It is plotted on a graph as a series of points joined together with straight lines.
Task: students completed the line graph activity. Students reviewed the elements of a Pie Graph. A Pie graph is a special chart that uses ‘pie slices’ to show the different sizes of data. Activity: students completed the pie graph activity. - During Science, the focus was on Redemption & Restoration. Activity: Write down things that God created and things that Man created
Students got into partners and presented what we have done to destroy God’s world (overfishing, hunting, cutting down trees, pollution etc) and what we can do to help restore God’s world by writing a letter to Prime Minister Justine Trudeau. Students will complete their good copy next week and it will be mailed! Students also watched a Bill Nye the Science Guy video on Garbage and completed a written reflection on what they learned. - In natural communities and processes, nothing is useless or worthless. When an antler is shed, when a plant dies, when a bird abandons its nest-all these materials are used again and woven back into the complex tapestry of life. What goes around comes around. Concepts such as recycling and reusing are not recent phenomena in the natural world; they have been part of our planet’s natural processes since the beginning of time! Humans are another story. We are the species that invented the concept of waste and we have not found adequate ways of dealing with the challenges associated with it. Q: Are there lessons that we can learn from the natural environment? Task: looking at the Glossary of Terms for Waste and our World and reading the passage on composting and recycling. After students discussed these terms. Students reviewed the term biodegradable (something that is able to break down, rot, decay and decompose through natural processes) as well as examples of decomposers and decomposition and how decomposition is an important part of all ecosystems.
- For Art, students worked on their Pablo Picasso inspired Dove Art
- For Health (Personal Wellness Choices), students explored the concept of self-esteem. (Ex. what things do you do in life that help you have positive self esteem? What things bring your self-esteem down?)
Task: students wrote down 20 things that made them wonderful and wrote 20 things for another person that made them wonderful!
Memory Verse: Genesis: 1-3
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light."
**Please have your child practice/memorize this verse using a Bible of your choice. They will be tested on their recitation of the verse on Thursday September 26th. It will be an oral recitation. Please message me if you have any questions. I am glad to help!
Our First Week of School - Sept 3rd-6th 2019
- Reminders:
- Read for at least 20-30 minutes & log minutes
- **MEMORY VERSE: Students will be getting their first Memory Verse to review next week. Students will have two weeks to review the verse and then they will carry out their recitation for me during Christian Studies.
- Wash gym clothes and bring back on Monday
- Fundraiser Form
- NO library next week
- Students will start Digital Citizenship next week. Please make sure your child has earbuds/head phones
- Meet the Teacher SC/Food Truck event Wednesday September 11th from 5pm-7:30pm
- Gold shirt day/Terry Fox Run Friday September 20th
- Fun lunch next Wednesday & Friday
- **The ACTS prayer group will be coming next Wednesday to pray over our class!
- During the first few days we did many "getting to know you" type of activities. We went over classroom routines and procedures. I am truly blessed to be teaching these amazing students! They are WONDERFUL!!!
- During Christian Studies, students brainstormed the meaning of being servant-hearted. Moreover, the proactive ways that they can demonstrate this at home, Church, school and the community.
- This week during devotions, we looked at the following verses: Being a Friend (Samuel 18 1-4), God's Peace (John 14: 27-31), Helping Others (Luke 10: 25-37) and Forgiving Others (Mathew 18: 21-35)
- Students wrote a creative writing piece about their families. In this piece they detailed what they enjoyed doing with their families and why their family is a blessings from God.
- Students reviewed reading comprehension strategies (ask questions, determine importance, make connections, make predictions, summarize, synthesize and visualize). We felt that making connections and synthesizing are two of the most important because you connect what you are reading to what you know and you can form an opinion (agree or disagree with the message).
- Students began writing in their gratitude journals. They write one entry each morning detailing 5 things that they are thankful for. Also, they have a section called " I am", where they write 5-10 positive affirmations about themselves to start the day.
- We delved into our first Social Studies Unit: Waste and Our World. Students explored how we need to restore God's world back to how he created it. Students brainstormed on the following concepts: garbage, waste, decompose, biodegradable, reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, landfill and pollution. We were ALL amazed and saddened by the fact that glass takes 1-2 million years to decompose in a landfill =(
- We started our first Social Studies Unit: Alberta: Sense of the Land. Students looked at the map of Alberta and located various places in the following regions: Rocky Mountain, Foothills, Grassland, Parkland, Boreal and Canadian Shield. Students also explored what it means to be an Albertan as well as First Nations communities in Alberta. Students got into groups and acted out a Cree Creation story. We looked at the similarities and differences between First Nations Creation stories, the Scientific view on Creation and our Christian view.
- Students enjoyed playing the 'Dictionary Game', where they worked in their table group to locate challenging words in the dictionary and also read the definition.
- Students reflected on their understanding of various graphs and the analogue clock. We also reviewed some multiplication strategies.
- We will be exploring the following areas of study: LA (Literary Devices, proof reading, reading strategies, Expository writing -beginnings and main idea and synonyms), MATH (Statistics and Probability, Data Analysis and Time), Science (Waste in our World), Social Studies (Alberta: Sense of the Land), Art (Creating and Image Reflecting: working with pencil crayons), Christian Studies (we will first look at the Song of Creation (Genesis 1&2), Health (Healthy Relationship Choices: Personal Healthy, Safety and Responsibility, Interactions and Group Roles and Processes).
- Reminders: Please have your child read for at least 20 minutes each day. Log the number of minutes in the agenda for the day. I do not give specific homework for LA or Math, so please review the concepts, strategies and discussions of each day with your child. I will always post these on the blog. If you don't know where to start, a good starting point is asking them "Can you tell me more about..." In this way, they are taking ownership and a more proactive role in their own learning. I understand that many students have extra curricular activities after school and family commitments. Students work so hard in school and I want the time when they are home to be spent with their family.
- We had a wonderful first week! I feel truly blessed to be able to teach such amazing children! We are all working together to have a strong community of learners who are the hands and feet of Christ. Thank you for introducing yourself to me in the morning and after school. Your warm welcome meant so much to me =)
God spoke, “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” Genesis 1: 26 The Message
God created human beings. …. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for the fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living things that moves on the face of Earth.” Then God said, “I’ve given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth and every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. “
Genesis 1: 29 The Message
Everything we are, everything we have and everything around us is a gift from our gracious God. We are called to be caretakers of all of God’s gifts. God calls us to be caretakers of His Creation: caring for ourselves, caring for each other and caring for the world around us. As caretakers we must be equipped with the best tools, abilities and knowledge and taught to use these effectively and efficiently. To be good caretakers for God, we must know Him, know His Word and know His world. We must know and understand what and who we are taking care of and why we are working at taking care of creation for God.
As the students find evidence of God and His grace in this world and better know how He is integrally intertwined in every aspect of life, it is our prayer that they will respond positively to His call and embark on a journey of their own to know our Creator.
It is my goal to help that the wonderful students in my care honour God with their abilities, resources and relationships, setting an example in speech, life, love, faith and purity (1 Tim. 4:12). I want the students to care for all that God has given them!