Hi there, Grammarland!

So sorry it's been a while since my last post. My mother is in the hospital, and has been since early October. We have been super busy in English class, though, and I'm having such a great time with your kiddos.

The pics below are of some of my 6th graders with their castles, the middle school OCC packing party, and the 6th graders packing up 484 OCC shoeboxes right before we got out for Thanksgiving. It was a truly amazing time!!

We have so much coming up.

8th graders: Angel Tree gifts are due next Wednesday, December 8. If you're sending money, please send by December 7 so we have time to shop.

7th and 8th graders: Secret St. Nicholas on December 15. Each student drew a classmate's name. Please don't spend much more than $15 on each gift. Please be sure you bring your gift, as we would not anyone to be left out.

LCS FOOD DRIVE: December 3-10. Please send canned goods and unperishable foods so that we can help feed the homeless this Christmas season.

December 10: Tacky Christmas Sweater Day! Tacky it up!

FINALS:

December 16: 8th grade: Final on Black Ships before Troy, adjectives, and adverbs.

                                6th grade: Final on Best Christmas Pageant Ever, adjectives, adverbs, and preposition

December 17: 7th grade: Final  on A Christmas Carol, adjectives, and adverbs          

Early dismissal on both days.

May God bless each of you! I have so enjoyed teaching your children this semester,

Blessings, 

Mrs. Desjarlais

 

Fun Times in ELA!

 Hey. hey, Grammarland!

What a week! 8th graders said goodbye to Narnia and hello to Edgar Allan Poe. Today we listened to James Earl Jones, Mr. Darth Vader himself, read "The Raven". So creepy. On Monday we presented our body biographies for The Last Battle. Here are Elayna and Veah showing off their excellent work.

My sweet 6th graders are reading The Jungle Book and finding that it is way better than any of the movies. Here they are with Kaa, the 30 foot long rock python. This one was created by my former student Evan Harrison when he was in the 6th grade. My students realized they were holding a precious relic!

Today the 7th graders discovered that similes and metaphors are easy to find when you look for them in Disney songs, and I showed them that they're in worship music, too. Sweet Thursday.

Wednesday we kicked off Operation Christmas Child! I talked about it a little bit in chapel, and Jackie and Elayna allowed me to volun-tell them to demonstrate how to pack a shoebox. I'll have shoeboxes for kids to take home soon. I'm so excited! Our Lee Christian goal is 600 boxes this year, and I cannot wait to see what God will do through us. 

The FABULOUS Fall Festival is coming soon! Come back to school on Friday, November 5th for all kinds of fun! There will be food, inflatables, touch-a-truck, and more. The basket auctions are always amazing. Thank you to Chayton and to Liam for bringing gift cards for our basket! Also....if you make righteous chili, please enter our chili cookoff! Email Mrs. Madison Flood at m.flood@leechristian.org to enter the contest!

Sixth graders: Our field trip is next Thursday. Please wear closed toe shoes, bring your water bottle, and bring your lunch. It shall be amazing! 

Sixth Graders: Your castles are due NEXT FRIDAY!!!

Soil and Water Speech Contestants!! We had a great meeting! Lets meet next Wednesday after school to discuss your speeches and how far you've gotten on your research. I can't wait!!

Always blessings to you....

Mrs. Desjarlais

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It has been quite a week this week!

On Wednesday, my seventh graders presented one-pager reports to culminate our journey through Number the Stars  I was very proud of their composure while they presented, and their projects are beautiful. 

Next Monday, my 8th graders will present body biographies of their favorite character from The Last Battle. They’ve sketched these out in class, and all they need to do now is make finishing touches.

It’s Fall Festival time! On Friday, November 5, come enjoy food, games, inflatables, touch-a-truck, basket auctions, and more! Our fall festival proceeds will go towards acquiring new vans for sports, field trips, and mission trips  

HOMEROOM STUDENTS: Our fall festival basket is a gift card basket. Please send a gift card with the amount indicated by November 3. Parents, if any of you are good at arranging things into baskets and making them all pretty, please let me know. I’ll need someone to come to school and arrange the basket so it can be auctioned off at the event. Thank you all in advance!!

Sixth Graders: Your field trip permission slip, money, and waiver are due Wednesday, October 20. Please check your email, print the waiver, and send your $15 by Wednesday, October 20.

7th and 8th graders: SOIL AND WATER SPEECH CONTEST INTEREST MEETING: Wednesday, October 20, at 2:50. We will have a great time! Come on, middle schoolers! Let’s get started!

I’m praying for you all  may God bless you  

KD 

Pink cupcakes

 Happy Friday!

Here are my 7th graders enjoying a pink frosted cupcake from Sandra's Bakery. We just finished Number the Stars, and we left behind a sweet character who loved pink cupcakes, but could not have them because the Nazis took all of the flour, sugar, and butter from the residents of Denmark. So we had cupcakes in honor of Kirsti.

My 6th graders are about to embark on their castle project! Parents, please check your email for the info sheets on this project. Castle day is October 29, and it will be amazing! Students need a copy of The Jungle Books (Barnes and Noble Edition) by Monday. This can be purchased on Amazon.

My 7th graders have a Number the Stars one pager assignment which is due October 13. Students were given a template and requirement sheet earlier this week. Students need a copy (digital or physical) of Hatchet starting Monday.

My 8th graders have a body biography project due October 15. They were given a copy of a template and requirements earlier this week.

Next Tuesday is picture day! All students must wear a polo shirt that day.

Please check Renweb for missing assignments from your students. Next Wednesday is the last day work may be turned in.

Thank you for sharing your children with me! I love the time I spend with them.

It's fall, y'all!

 

It's finally fall! Hooray for cooler weather, hockey, changing leaves, and cozy hot drinks. Isn't it just like God to make the season in which leaves and grass die one of the most spectacular and beautiful times of the year!

Literature is amazing. This week I've seen:

6th graders enthralled at the comparisons between Jesus's crucifixion, death, and resurrection and the death and rebirth of Aslan, and the salvation story that results from this.

7th graders moved to tears at the close of Number the Stars. This beautiful novel is a story of a little country who refused to allow the Nazis to terrorize their Jewish citizens, so they quietly smuggled them to safety across the sea. Right under the Nazis' noses, and at exceedingly great peril. 

8th graders who watch a king, his unicorn, and a handful of others stand up to Aslan's enemies and fight to the death, because to die fighting for Aslan is better than living with the mocking cruelty of his enemies.

English Tests: I'll be done grading them by Tuesday, if not earlier.

Every Friday: 8th grade SAT quiz

7th Grade: Number the Stars test Wednesday

6th grade: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe test Friday

October 29: 6th grade castles

October 13: 7th grade one pagers

October 15: 8th grade body biographies

I love spending my days with your kiddos. Have a beautiful weekend! I am praying for you all.

-Mrs. Desjarlais

It was the best of times....

 Well, it has been another excellent week in English class! 

My students are killing it in verb class. I'm so proud of them!

In literature, things are getting tense in here. The sixth graders are spending far too much time with the White Witch these days, but her power is dwindling. Too soon I'll have to put away my scary White Witch voice (my students are terrified). The eighth graders are reading about the last days of Narnia, which have unsettling similarities to our current times. The seventh graders are in Denmark, watching ordinary people do extraordinarily brave things to save their Jewish neighbors. I love books, but I love even more watching what books do to and for my students.

My 8th graders set up chapel this week. They did a great job! It was interesting to watch them work together. They played to their strengths; Elayna and Chayton put their height to good use, and Jackie calmly and adeptly helped everyone else stay organized. 

I love that we all have iPads. We are using them for studying, for assignments, for assessments, and for review games. My favorite thing about the iPads is the way my students help each other. If one student is not terribly techy, another student helps. Without being asked. Reasons I love teaching in a Christian school....

 

 Here are some of my students learning about remembering 9/11 on the website Actively Learn.

Next week:

ALL CLASSES: 

EVERY WEDNESDAY: Prayer group for middle school girls, lunchtime, Mrs. Desjarlais's room!

Vocabulary test Tuesday - Study on Quizlet

Grammar test Wednesday - Study guide in grammar book

May God bless each of you!

Mrs. Desjarlais

hello, September!

Hello, Grammarland!

Middle School ELA is amazing! I’ve been so proud of my students this week. They’re doing so well with verbs, and the novels we read in each class lead to amazing discussions. Since all of our novels have characters who make godly choices, our conversations in English class are often about God. It’s beautiful  

Next week:

Chapel and MS girl prayer group: Wednesday 

8th grade SAT quiz: every Friday

All classes: next vocabulary test: September 21

All vocabulary lists are in the Mrs. Desjarlais class on Quizlet. 

We are loving the iPads and Vibe boards! This week my classes all joined Microsoft Teams and submitted an assignment. I love saying “now, let’s get out our iPads” and seeing my students’ excitement. 

Here are my 7th graders learning about 9/11 on Actively Learn today.

In the coming weeks, we will continue verb studies and novel studies. We will also begin a concentrated effort to become good writers. I’m so excited to get started. 

May God bless each of you. You’re in my prayers. 

Blessings, 

Mrs. Desjarlais 

Awesome week!

 WOW! This has been an amazing week!

8th graders finally received their reward donuts on Tuesday. I love starting my day with them!

6th graders enjoyed some (probably un-enchanted) Turkish Delight to commemorate our journey through The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Here they are at their first hesitant taste!

We are loving the new technology in middle school! Here are my 7th graders collaborating while they learn their vocabulary words!

Every Wednesday at lunch, all middle school girls are invited to eat lunch in my room, to fellowship, to read our Bibles, and to pray. Turnout this past Wednesday was amazing! It took us a little while to download YouVersion to our iPads. but the prayers that were lifted at the end were beautiful. I cannot wait until next week. Here we are talking about our devotion for the day:

Here are helpful reminders for the coming week.

Every Friday: SAT quiz for 8th graders

Next Wednesday: Noun test for all classes

Next Wednesday: Chapel dress code AND Lunch Prayer Meeting for Girls!

Next Thursday: Vocabulary test for all classes

I LOVE the time I spend with your kiddos! Thank you for sharing them with us!

I leave you with our classroom verse for the year: I Corinthians 16:14: "Let all that you do be done in love".

Blessings, 
KD

What a wonderful week!

Hi, Grammarland!

Well. When you're good, you're good. I had such a great week with your kiddos that I treated them to Sandra's Donuts today. 8TH GRADE: Your donuts will arrive TUESDAY. I've been a middle school teacher for a long time, and this has been my best first whole week at school!

We had such a fun day today. We practiced our vocab on Quizlet Live! Hooray for new iPads!

Here are my cutie pie 6th graders collaborating and working hard.

Upcoming Important and Exciting Things!

Textbooks: Some of my students still do not have grammar textbooks. Parents, please contact our  front office ASAP to learn how to order textbooks. 

Novels: Some of my students still do not have novels. 6th graders need The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis. 7th graders need Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, and 8th graders need The Last Battle, by CS Lewis. 

Vocabulary Test: It's on Tuesday. Study!

Middle School Girls' Prayer Group! We got it started last Wednesday. And we'll keep it going every Wednesday. All middle school girls are invited. All you have to do is bring your lunch into my classroom and get ready to get closer to God by talking to Him.

French Fridays! Every Friday your middle schooler will learn a little bit of French. Tres bien! Today we learned to counts, and we learned a few happy little phrases.

Have a lovely weekend. I am praying for you all.

Mrs. Desjarlais

We're off to a great start!

 Well. This has to be the best beginning of a school year I have ever had. Parents, you have sweet, kind, caring students, and I'm loving every day I spend with them.

This week we focused on basics: procedures, paragraph structure, Cornell notes, and vocabulary.

If you need information about Quizlet, Remind, or supply lists, please refer to the post before this one.

Students need a copy of the following books by Tuesday. They can be purchased easily on Amazon.

6th Grade: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis

7th Grade: Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

8th grade: The Last Battle, by CS Lewis

Chapel starts next week, so kiddos need to wear chapel dress code on Wednesday.

All students received new Quizlet vocabulary today. Please ensure that your child studies these words a little bit each day. The test will be Tuesday, August 24.. If your child has not signed up for Quizlet, please use the magic link in the previous link to join our class.

I am  praying for your kids! Can't wait to see what God has planned for us in this amazing year! Thank you so much for letting me be part of your child's middle school story.

Blessings, 

Mrs. Desjarlais

A brand new year in English class!

 Woo Hoo! Here we go!

My name is Kelley Desjarlais (it's pronounced day-zhar-lay), and I really love teaching at Lee Christian School. This is my 16th year here!

I'm so excited about this brand new year! I can't wait to meet you and to get our year started.

Here is some super important information to help you get ready for middle school English.

1. Supplies - here's everything you'll need.

Supply List -  MS English - 2021-2022

• A binder for English class which contains paper, folders, and anything else to help you stay organized.

• Pencils - more than you ever think you’ll need

• 3x5 cards

• Colored pencils or crayons; highlighter

• Your grammar book

• An extra book that you love

• Locker shelves and other locker supplies (if you want them)

Books, First Semester

6th grade:

 The Lion, the Witch, and the  Wardrobe, by CS Lewis

 The Jungle Books, by Rudyard Kipling https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jungle-books-rudyard-kipling/1100316014?ean=9781593081096

7th grade:

 Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

 Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

8th grade:

 The Last Battle, by CS Lewis

 Black Ships before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliffe https://www.amazon.com/s?k=black+ships+before+troy+rosemary+sutcliff&crid=1HAX69BSSMOQ2&sprefix=black+ships+before+T%2Caps%2C235&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_20

2. Remind

Remind is an AMAZING way to communicate with your teacher via text.

It is super easy.

Step 1: Send a text to this number: 81010

Step 2. Text this message

6th graders: @6thla202

7th graders: @4abhdac

8th graders: @8thla202

3. Quizlet

All  of our class vocab lists are posted on Quizlet. It's imperative that you join my class. Quizlet is an amazing, fun, free way to study from literally anywhere. It's on your computer and on an app on your phone. Click here to join my class:

https://quizlet.com/join/P7BRFEtkA

I can't wait to see you at Open House on Tuesday, and to get this epic year started on Wednesday. I leave you with a picture of our adopted kitties, Biscuit and Olivier. I'm sure you'll hear all about them this year! Blessings, 

Mrs. Desjarlais