Hello, Grammarland!

I've been blown away by your students' creativity these past weeks!

Here are a few of the 7th graders' fall poems currently adorning my bulletin board:

This week I tried something new with my 8th graders: one pagers. My 7th graders loved them, and now they want to do them too. Here are a couple of the 8th graders' interpretations of "The Raven":

If you are an 8th grade parent, please click on the link below to sign up to work our fall festival game. Thank you to the wonderful parents who have already signed up!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a084eafa822a7f58-fall


SHOUT-OUTS!!! To Taylor, Nathan, and Grayson, because you spoke at my OCC chapel; to Jonas, because you closed in prayer at said chapel; to Erika, for lending me her beautiful highlighter in my time of need; and to McKenzie, for adding a showstopper item to our Fall Festival basket.

COFFEE: PLEASE and THANK YOU - Our basket is looking amazing! You have until October 28 to turn in items. We still need a great big basket. A couple more gift cards will help increase the value of our basket, but any item is appreciated.

Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

It’s time to pack Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes! Each year, LCS students send boxes to impoverished children all over the world. To pack a shoebox, simply choose: Boy or Girl,  age 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14, and pack the box with age-appropriate necessities and toys.

 Here are some guidelines for packing shoeboxes:

 Pack: school supplies (some children cannot attend school if they don’t have supplies), small toys, stuffed animals, hair bows, brushes & combs, soap, wash cloths, socks, t-shirts, stickers, tissues, flashlights, fishing kits, sewing kits, hats, scarves, soccer balls, pumps, Slinkies, plastic cups, cars  - anything small, packable, and necessary.

Don’t pack:  food, vitamins, liquids, lotions, shampoo, chocolate, glass,  or any toys that suggest war. No Pokemon and no Harry Potter. NEW in 2017: DO NOT pack any candy or toothpaste.

 Any standard size shoebox is fine. You may wrap or decorate the box in any way, but the top of the box must be removable. Don’t tape the box closed. We will secure each box with rubber bands.

Dollar Tree, WalMart, and the clearance/dollar sections of Target and Office Max are excellent places to shop.

Pinterest is full of craft and packing ideas for shoeboxes!

If you still have a rainbow loom and bands, please make some bracelets for shoeboxes!

One of the most important things you can place in your shoebox is a note from you. You can include a picture and your address; the child may write a letter to you! Your shoebox may introduce a child to Jesus Christ, so do your best to share His love!

You may pack as many shoeboxes as you wish.

Shoeboxes are due by November 22!  Please drop them off in my classroom (room 124). If you have any questions, please email me!

PROJECTS DUE SOON!

8th Grade Narnia - MONDAY, Oct.28

6th Grade Castles: Thursday, October 31

7th grade Narnia: November 4

Word of the Long Weekend:

vermillion: a vivid orange red.

May God bless you!

Mrs. Desjarlais

Fall is here! Sort of....

Well, at least, a NC kind of fall is here.

My 7th graders are learning a beautiful poem by Robert Frost, "Nothing Gold Can Stay". We wrote our own fall poems, and are illustrating them for display on our class bulletin board.

Thank you to everyone who has donated items for our Fall Festival basket! Here's the current situation:

 We still need a basket to hold it all, a crafty person to arrange it, and anything else you'd like to bring in. Local coffee shop gift cards are a good idea, but so is anything else in the coffee vein. I am so excited about this basket! Now, to keep myself from bidding on it....

Make plans to come to our fabulous Fall Festival! It's November 2, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Eighth grade parents, please sign up here to help with our Fall Festival game!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A084EAFA822A7F58-fall


Parting is such sweet sorrow.......

The last page of The Last Battle. It's so hard to say goodbye to Narnia! We still have projects due, though. Here are the due dates for projects:
8th grade projects: October 28 (your child has a rubric)
6th grade castles: October 31 (your child has a guideline sheet/rubric)
7th grade projects: November 4 (your child has a rubric)

Poems!
6th grade, "Rabbi Ben Ezra", Oct. 24
7th grade, "Nothing Gold Can Stay", Oct. 24
8th grade: "The Raven" - first half - November 7

Have a wonderful weekend! Here's a weird word for your weekend. It'a a noun, with French and Greek origins:

phantasmagoria:A dreamlike state in which images, both real or imagined, blur together; a constantly changing series of scenes or events that shift in color and intensity May God bless you! I so enjoy being part of your child's middle school years. I pray for my students every day. KD

Here's Perry. She "helped" me with lesson plans last week.


Happy Friday!

Well, today ends our Penny War. I have high hopes for our 8th grade bucket, but one can never predict the outcome for such an imprecise sort of endeavor! It's been a fun week, though. Dunkin Donuts and all....

I really enjoy my time with my middle schoolers. It is a tough age, I know, but your kids are wonderful.

Thank you to everyone who has donated items to the Fall Festival basket! I can't wait to see what it will look like in a few weeks. It has a very....caffeinated ambiance already. Mrs. Ross is quite taken with it !

6th graders...work on your castle project. Follow the guidelines on your sheet. It's due on Halloween!

7th and 8th graders...work on your Narnia project. I handed out rubrics on Monday. Please follow them, and do a great job!

8th graders will finish  The Last Battle next week. Our next book will be The Secret Garden, and the vocabulary is already on Quizlet. Please have a copy of the novel by next Wednesday.

7th graders will take their verb test on Monday. We will finish Voyage of the Dawn Treader in a week or so, and our next book will be Number the Stars,

6th graders will finish The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe  in the next two weeks. Our next book will be The Hobbit.

Some shout-outs......

6th grade: to Greyson, who is always cheerful; to Hunter, who is sooo funny; and to Haley, for being such a sweet presence in our class.

7th grade: To Yuremi, who is working hard and doing a great job, and always with a smile; to India, who is an excellent helper to me; to Danny, who always has a positive attitude in class; to JJ, who keeps me informed as to which hunting season it is; to Brooke, who scrupulously cares for her novel by keeping it in a Ziploc bag; to Noah, with whom I can converse herpetologically;  to my XC runners, Juli and Nathan, for representing LCS on the cross country trails;  and to Joel, who is new this week and who is already a wonderful part of our middle school family.

8th grade: To Alyssa, for nerding out with me when we discovered a little bit of Dr. Who inside The Last Battle; to Cristina, for sharing her cool concert pictures with me; to Sloan, Austin, Grayson, and Jonas, who found a hilarious send off of "The Raven" for us to enjoy in class; to Brayden, for starting each day with some peachy hand sanitizer from my desk; to Robert, for talking in English class without being bribed; and to Seth and Connor, with whom I can discuss the state of the Carolina Hurricanes.

To my homeroom: thank you for hanging out with me first thing in the morning,  and for being serious about our book and its parallels to the book of Revelation.
To my 7-1 class, for working hard on grammar, and for not giving up, even when it gets difficult.
To my 7-2 class, because you are extremely funny. And sometimes punny.
To my 8-2 class, because you meet and exceed the high expectations I have for you.
To my 6th graders, because you love Narnia, and because you call me out for leaving the"k" out of the word "pumpkin" that one time on the board....
And to all of my students who fill out their planners day after day. It's worth all the candy and pencils and washi tape to motivate you to succeed. Plus, you make me feel like a rock star, since you line up for my autograph after class.

 I really love my students!!!

Here's a lovely word of the day:
inimitable: unique and beyond imitation; impossible to duplicate or copy

Now, go be inimitable!

Blessings,
KD

Happy fall!

This is kind of a lengthy blog, but I am so proud of my middle schoolers!

My 6th graders are learning grammar, which can be a hard job, especially if you've never learned it before. Today I played a modified game of four corners with them. I had them write a list of verbs, then I called out some action verbs and sent them to various landmarks in my classroom if they wrote down the same verb. Whenever I'd call out a verb that no one had written down, several people would say, "That was a great idea! I never would've thought of that!". I was so surprised. Instead of responding negatively because they didn't write it down, they saw it as a learning experience. And it was a great excuse to run around the room during English!

My 7th graders are learning about figurative language - it's what makes poetry pretty,  and it's why you want to keep reading your favorite book. When we get the hang of it, we'll play a game in which students have little cards with snippets from various works of  literature,and they'll match the example to a card with the literary element written on it. I predict more running around my English classroom.

My 8th graders are learning "The Raven". We have listened to recordings of Robert Frost reading his own poetry, but poor Edgar Allan Poe never had the opportunity to do that. So, I found something else for us to listen to this morning: an audio recording of James Earl Jones, Mr. Darth Vader himself, reading "The Raven". Nevermore never sounded so......creepy. 

Some shout outs.....

6th grade: To Khaleb, for learning French so we can converse; to Sidney and Addyson, for keeping my room nice and neat,to Grayson and Jorden, for conquering vocabulary lists;  to my students who are always willing to help a fellow 6th grader get from place to place, and to my new students for working so hard. 

7th grade: To my brand new student, Meredith, for sharing her salvation story; to Jared, who brought a coffee cup for the 8th grade Fall Festival basket; to Tyler, for juggling school and a three-weekend run at Temple Theatre; to AJ for his excellent manners; to Nathan, for being punny - yes, punny;  and to Levi, for his interesting and creative writing. Which he sometimes illustrates!

8th grade: To Grace, who has already recited about half of "The Raven", to Connor, Todd, and Tucker, for being valuable additions to our varsity soccer team; to my faithful prayer group girls, and to Grayson, for steadfastly defending her NC State Wolfpack.

8th Grade: Here's the current state of our fall festival basket. It smells amazing! Please send an item or two if you can, so that we will have a beautiful basket to auction at the festival! I will be emailing a game schedule soon.

 

All middle school: Please get started on your projects! Parents, ask your child for his or her project sheet.

Word of the day: erudite

er-ə-dīt

Possessing knowledge as a result of study.

As in, my wonderful students are erudite.

That's all for now. May God richly bless you.

Poemland!

Hey there, Grammarland readers!

This week, my students recite a li'l grammar poem....but after that, it gets real!

My sixth graders will learn the first stanza of "Rabbi Ben Ezra", By Robert Browning. It's due October 25.

Rabbi Ben Ezra

BY ROBERT BROWNING

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith "A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''

My 7th graders will re-visit our old friend from 6th grade, Robert Frost. This poem is also due Oct. 25.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

BY ROBERT FROST

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

And my 8th graders.....

I scared myself reading this stanza the other night:

Yes, it's "The Raven", by Edgar Allan Poe. 8th graders will recite the first half by November 8...or they may really challenge themselves, and memorize the whole thing for a test grade!! This poem is so magnificent that it earns its own vocabulary list. Study it on Quizlet! https://quizlet.com/431529888/the-raven-vocabulary-flash-cards/

Next Tuesday we will have vocab tests in 6-8 grades. Study on Quizlet! https://quizlet.com/join/P7BRFEtkA

Coming soon.....projects for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Last Battle.

This Friday at 4:00 is the last home game for Varsity Soccer. It's also senior night, and we are playing our cross-town rivals, Grace Christian. Come out and support our soccer team!( If you happen to see me and I'm all teary-eyed, it's because my son is one of those seniors, and this will be one of the last few times he'll wear his Falcon uniform. This mom life!)

Please send items for our Fall Festival basket:  COFFEE: PLEASE AND THANK YOU!! Next week I will send a sign up sheet for our fall festival game. It's a soccer shootout...made challenging by using those lightweight playground balls!

Here's a word for your weekend: unperturbed:  not worried, upset, or disquieted. 

It's an adjective. Use it well!

Blessings,

Mrs. Desjarlais

Turkish Delight

Greetings, Grammarlandians!

Well, my students enjoyed some Turkish Delight, but they agreed: it's good, but it's not good enough make a person betray his family. Of course, I checked the box on Amazon for  "not cursed by the White Witch", so maybe it was not a fair assessment.

Congratulations to Marina and Grace!! They are the first 8th graders to bring goodies for our lovely Fall Festival basket!  Coffee for the win!

I'm super proud of all of my grammar students. They are adjusting well, and we are really getting started with creative writing. My 8th graders just wrote a letter to a character; my 7th graders are about to explore the Biblical view of a lion (who represents Jesus) transforming a dragon back into a boy, but a boy who is kind and good and right . My 6th graders will soon begin their first project...details coming soon!

ALL middle school English: You grammar poem is due next Thursday, Sept. 26.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for Remind!

Don't forget: Wednesday dress code is khaki pants and a Lee Christian polo shirt.

Instead of a Word of the Day, here is a beautiful verse:
Psalm 59:16: But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (NIV)

Blessings,
Mrs. Desjarlais

Important info! Read all about it!

Greetings, middle school!

Let's get ready for the most fun fundraiser ever: the Lee Christian Fall Festival! This year's festival is on Saturday, November 2, at the Lee County Fairgrounds. There will be food, games, crafts, and fun, but the big event is our auction. Each grade/homeroom collects items for a themed basket, and these amazing baskets are auctioned off to the highest bidder. If you have items to donate to the auction, such as services, game/concert tickets, or gift cards,  please let me know.

8th grade: our Fall Festival basket is a COFFEE basket! Please send coffee items, such as ground coffee, gift cards to local coffee shops, K-cups, attractive/eclectic coffee mugs, coffee decor, or even a coffee maker. Students will receive incentives for each item they bring for the basket.

6th-7th-8th

Parents, please join the Remind class for your child if you have not already. This is a great way to get timely reminders about tests and other important events.

6th-8th Grades: Narnia vocabulary test next Tuesday. Study on Quizlet - it's a free app, and you can study anywhere !https://quizlet.com/join/P7BRFEtkA

Middle school grammar is on fire!! 6th and 7th graders are learning to end the madness of using apostrophes to make words plural, while the 8th graders are unraveling the mysteries of the comma. And we are Team Oxford Comma all the way!!! Yes, I endeavor to turn your children into little grammar nerds.  Ahem, grammarians. I promise that it 's good for them!

Planners: Please be sure your child has a planner. It's extremely important that kids write down their assignments.

Another Word of the Day: blatherskite: nonsense; a person who is speaking nonsense. It's a noun!

I love my students, and I pray for them. I'm so blessed that God has called them to our school, and that I get to be a part of their middle school story. 

Blessings,

Mrs. Desjarlais

Week 3 in Grammarland

The White Witch. The Dawn Treader. King Tirian and Jewel the Unicorn. Narnia is the place to be in middle school lit!
I’m ordering Turkish Delight for my students next week, though it won’t be enchanted like the kind Edmund ate. Well, probably...

6th - 8th graders - study your grammar poem, and be sure to join my quizlet class for vocab. Here’s the join link-
https://quizlet.com/join/P7BRFEtkA

Shout out to Nathan in 7th grade, who has already recited his poem!

And way to go - I’m super proud of my middle schoolers who run cross country and who play soccer and volleyball.

I’ve always wanted to have some flexible seating in my classroom, so this year I took an old bench, gussied it up with a cushion from Pier One, and placed it in the old home of the rock case ( which finally went to live in Mrs. Ross’s classroom). My second group of 7th graders have dubbed it the “squishy bench”, and one student per class may sit on it each day. The ones who have done it so far looked pretty comfy!  I kinda love the idea of students having the option to forego a desk.

I love words, and I try to share that love with my students. I also love learning, so every day I receive  2 emails with 2 different “words of the day”. Today’s word was one I’ve never before seen, but instantly love. I’m sharing it with you, in case you want to wow your friends and neighbors with it. Here it is:
Bombinate: to buzz, to drone, to hum. It’s a verb. Use it well!

That’s it for Grammarland this week! Please know that I love your middle schoolers, and that I am praying for them.
Blessings,
Mrs. Desjarlais

Calling All Middle School Girls!

Wednesdays at Lunch Time...

Devotions, discussion, and prayer each Wednesday in Mrs. Desjarlais's classroom! Girls, bring your lunch and your Bible or the Bible app on your phone.

We will start with the YouVersion plan called Together: Middle School.

I'm so excited to start this sweet time of fellowship with my students!

Blessings from Mrs. Desjarlais

Well, this week we really get started!!

All of my 6th-8th graders will get to know C..S Lewis and his works this week. Off to Narnia we go! I'm so grateful for the chance to share these works with your children.


8th graders will have the first of their weekly SAT vocab word tests on Friday.

7th graders will prepare for their first vocab test for Voyage of the Dawn Treader. (Next Wednesday, 9/4)

6th graders will prepare for their first vocab test for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which will be next Wednesday (9/4).

All novel vocabulary is on Quizlet. Quizlet is a free app and a website, which means that even if your child's vocab words are at school in a locker, your child can study on a phone, tablet, or computer! You and your child should join ASAP with this link: https://quizlet.com/join/P7BRFEtkA.

I am just so excited about all that we will do in MS English this year! (Nerd chills!!)

I'm so proud of my sixth graders for bravely taking on middle school. I'm looking forward to all the cool places my 7th graders will go (through the magical portals of books). I'm so excited to get my 8th graders ready for high school.

Thank you to all of the parents who joined Remind! Remind is a free, easy way for parents to communicate with me via text. Please email me at k.desjarlais@leechristianschool.org if you need the join info.

Paper towels, printer paper, and germ-x, oh my! Thank you for sharing supplies that will help us stay well and well-stocked this year!

Finally, thank you for sharing your middle schoolers with me this year! I am so grateful that I spend my days with such awesome kids. I am praying for my students and for their families.

Blessings,
Mrs. Desjarlais

Welcome back to school!

Hi, awesome middle schoolers and parents!

 I hope you have had an amazing summer!

Can't wait for our school year together - see you at Open House on Tuesday at 6:30!