CONGRATULATIONS!!!

In the regional level of the Soil and Water Public Speaking Contest last Wednesday, Grayson Waters won second place in the 8th grade division, and Triton Gaster won 1st place in the 7th grade division. I am so proud of my amazing middle school students!

8th grade field trip: I sent permission slips home with your students today. Please return them on or before March 11, and please indicate on the slip if you'd like to go with us, and if you are ordering lunch with us that day.

My middle school lunch prayer group wanted to do something nice in the name of Jesus, so we decided to help a precious member of our LCS F3. We are selling scrunchies for $3 to honor Mrs. Suzanne Neitenbach as she is fighting illness. If you'd like to help, buying a pack of scrunchies would be wonderful. They're called Threddies, the color is teal, and they are $36 for a pack of 36 (on Amazon). We will sell scrunchies next week for $3 each.  We've already pre-sold one pack!!

6th grade: "Roads Go Ever On", March 19

7th grade: vocab test Tuesday; Colossians 3:12-13 March 31

8th grade: Grammar test Tues (8-1) or Monday (8-2); SAT quiz Friday; "Do It Anyway", March 26

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Well, that was the color run last Friday! It's a mess, but it was so much fun! The best part is that we exceeded our goal for funds for an updated bus. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this awesome fundraiser!

I hope you all enjoyed the snow!

Because we missed two days because of the weather, I've adjusted some due dates.

6th grade: poem due Monday
7th grade: test Monday; poem due Tuesday
8th grade: SAT quiz Tuesday and Friday

Enjoy the rest of this weekend!

Hey hey, Grammarland!

NC weather truly is something. Last Thursday, we had an early dismissal for non-February weather, a baby copperhead made an appearance in the parking lot, and then high winds shut us down on Friday. Unprecedented stuff! Usually if we close in February, it's because of beautiful snow. God knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and He took care of our school during this time. He is sovereign over all. These beautiful words from Jeremiah put this idea into perspective.
" It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses." (Jeremiah 51:15-16)

The Color Run was today! Thank you to everyone who pledged and to all who participated.

Ask your child about chapel. It has been truly amazing lately. Students now sit in a semicircle around the stage, which gives the feel of a body of worshippers rather than just rows of students. Local pastors, LCS teachers and staff, and students share their hearts and their musical talent with us each week. This past Wednesday, 7th graders Jared Alderson and Tyler Berndt recited scripture at the beginning of chapel, and 8th grader Connor Stone gave his testimony. Connor shared his battle with a life altering disease; he also shared that this disease won't beat him because he trusts in God to fight his battles.

6th grade: "this is just to say", due Feb. 20
7th grade: "I carry it in",  due February 20; Phil. 4:8 due Feb. 28
8th grade: "Do it anyway", due March 26

Enjoy your long weekend! No school Monday - President's Day.

Blessings,
KD

Hello, Grammarland!

So many things are happening around here!

First, a huge thank you and a woo-hoo to my speech contest contestants! Levi Ricabal, Triton Gaster, Meredith McGuire, and Nathan Jones represented our 7th grade, and Kinley Scott, Grayson Waters, and Kavan Lee represented 8th grade. They worked around basketball, cheer leading, drama practice, and sickness to do an excellent job at the Lee County Soil and Water public speaking contest this past Wednesday. 8th grade first place went to Grayson Waters,  second place went to Kinley Scott, and third place went to Kavan Lee. 7th grade first place went to Triton Gaster, and second place went to Meredith McGuire. I'm beyond proud of them, and I can't wait til next year!

It's BoosterThon time!!! Please go to funrun.com and register your child for this annual fundraiser that combines fun with fundraising! My homeroom students: go on and register! We want to be the first class with 100%  of our students registered!! The Color Run is on Friday, February 14, so please help us pray for good weather for that day, and please pray that we will be fully funded. We are raising funds for a new bus!

My 7th and 8th graders are learning the ins and outs of proper usage. It's hard to teach this, as our country is dealing with a usage crisis. Despite what the internet says, "alright", "ain't", "alot", and the misuse of the word "apart" have no place in our writing. Yet we soldier on, teaching middle schoolers the proper way to speak and to write.

6th graders - off we shall go to adjective land!

I really, really love my job.

Love and blessings,
KD

Hello, and happiest of Fridays, Grammarland!!!


My middle schoolers are the BEST. I'm so proud of them. My 7th and 8th graders are punctuating their little  hearts out. My goal for them? Excellence on their standardized testing, yes, but that is certainly not everything . Life skills? Absolutely. They don't realize how perilously close they are to college applications, job applications, and humble pleas for scholarship money by way of essay. I want my students' written work to land firmly in the "keep" pile, and to prevent errors in grammar from dampening their chances at good stuff.

Next Wednesday is THE DAY. Seven of my 7th and 8th graders will face off against area schools in the Lee County Soil and Water Public Speaking Contest!! Please pray for us. On that day, we will battle nerves and fast talking. I'm so proud of my students! This contest is not mandatory, so they've done all of this extra work on top of their regular school load.

The Color Run is almost here! This is an awesome fundraiser wherein kids pay $30 to participate in the run, and the proceeds go towards a new school bus. The color run is Friday, February 14, which is a half day of school. Look for more info from your child's homeroom teacher. And on that day.....pack a towel to put on your child's seat in the car for the ride home. Trust me!!

6th grade: Test on pronouns next Wednesday.
7th grade: Spelling difficult words chapter begins Monday; Number the Stars writing assignment due Wednesday.
8th grade: Spelling difficult words chapter begins; SAT quiz Friday.
8th grade field trip March 20- I'm waiting for confirmation from Chick -fil-a in Durham. Once I have it, I will send home permission slips.

Have a wonderful weekend! May God bless your families.

Hello, Grammarland!!!

The eight grade has had an interesting week!We welcomed Hannah, a sweet new student who has become a sweet new friend. We listened to a Holocaust survivor tell her harrowing story of survival during World War II. And today we just took a quiz on our 80th SAT word. And we are learning this:

The seventh grade is learning all there is to know about punctuation. They are Team Oxford Comma; they now know the correct usage of semicolons and colons, and they know that putting quotation marks around something does not, in fact, emphasize the word. So if you are out for breakfast, and a sign outside says "hot coffee"....might want to rethink that. 

My sixth graders are in the throes of pronoun usage. "Me and my mom went to the movies" doesn't work any more. "My friend and myself ran around the soccer field" is out, too. 

It's Hoops for Hope Day! Come help us honor cancer survivors at our annual fundraiser. Basketball games, food, silent auctions, luminaries, and so much more!

Please talk with your child about chapel. It has truly become a wonderful time of praise and worship. I'm so encouraged by our students!

Please keep our school in your prayers. It is truly a wonderful place to be.

Have a beautiful weekend!!

KD

Hello, Grammarland!

We are very busy in middle school grammar!

My 8th graders learned how to cite research papers in MLA format this week. I am so proud of them. As an added bonus, you can ask them why puppies bite and how to fix it, and they can tell you. They're experts now!

My 7th graders are learning a beautiful love poem by a Harvard-educated poet who was also a soldier. Some of the comments about it from my students have been interesting; they've described the poem as both crazily unpunctuated and pure.  Here's a copy of it:

We are focusing on developing our writing, and one of the ways we make sure we've written correctly is to take a calm look at it while strolling about the room. Try it some time! It works!

My sixth graders are learning the ins and outs of pronouns, and we are winding our way  through Middle Earth. They're learning a funny little poem about the importance of apologies, too.

Please make plans to come to Hoops for Hope next Friday! If' you'd like to purchase luminaries to honor or remember loved ones, they are $2 each, and you can find forms in the office. You may also purchase luminaries at the game.

The drama department needs your help! Mrs. McCusker needs many items to make "The Wizard of Oz" come to life. There's a list of needed items, as well as more information about Hoops for Hope, in my blog from last week.

8th grade! Field trip to Duke Gardens on March 20. Mark your calendars, and be on the lookout for  permission slips and more info in the weeks to come.

Please pray for my 7th and 8th graders! Kinley Scott, Kavan Lee, Grayson Waters, Nathan Jones, Triton Gaster, Meredith McGuire, and Levi Ricabal will be competing in the Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District Public Speaking Contest in early February. They're working hard on perfecting and practicing their speeches.

Have an exceptional weekend! See you all on Tuesday.

Blessings,
KD

Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a lovely, restful time with family and friends, and that your Christmas break was a blessing.

We're off to a brand new start!

My 7th graders are beginning Number the Stars, which is a beautiful book about what happens when people take care of each other. They also start learning a new poem this week, by a poet who threw away all of the rules about poetry.

My 8th graders will continue Secret Garden, and they will recite If  by next Wednesday. Then we will read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. I'm so proud of them. I'm teaching them how to write papers in MLA format, and they're doing great!

My 6th graders met a bunch of goblins this week, and things just went downhill  (quite literally) after that. But that's what happens when one reads The Hobbit! "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is due next week. I hope that we soon get a snowy evening to go with our poem! (Robert Frost wrote this poem after a sleepless summer night....which is quite an unexpected fact!)

Coming soon:


No school Monday. January 20, in honor of Reverend Martin Luther King.

Hoops for Hope! Friday, January 24. Come on out and enjoy basketball games, luminaries, t-shirts, silent auction, and more at our annual event to honor those whose lives have been affected by cancer. Make plans to spend your Friday night in the LCS gym! If you have anything you'd like to donate for the silent auction, please contact Deborah Smith in the school office.

LCS COLOR RUN! This annual fundraiser is so much fun, and we just can't wait. It takes place Friday, February 14, which is an early dismissal day as well. Info coming soon.

The drama department needs your help for their production of The Wizard of Oz! Here are some items they need to make their production truly amazing. If you would be willing to donate anything from this list, please send it to school with your child.

PVC piping (tall, short THIN)

Anything green

Flowers: big/small/medium for costumes

headbands: thick, with combs, if possible

ribbon: thin or thick, solid color

velcro :any color

heavy duty velcro (black)

camouflage fabric (trees)

green paint

two types of yellow paint

poly mesh ribbon :all SOLID colors, silver, gold, brown, green, yellow, orange, red, black, light pink

Raffia: brown/natural

Red sponge balls (24)

Yellow fluffy/furry balls (represent little  chicks) 10

May God bless you. Have a wonderful weekend!
KD








 The Lee Christian Color Run! February 14

Greetings, Grammarland!

It's been a rainy Friday the 13th, but there's no denying that Christmas is coming soon!

Next Friday is a half day. My middle schoolers will be making Christmas cards for the people who will have their Christmas meal at the Bread Basket. They'll party a little that day, too.

Next week my 8th graders will explore Christmas short stories by Hans Christian Andersen, O. Henry, and Leo Tolstoy. We learned how to cite internet resources in MLA format this week. It's a whole lot easier now than it was when I was in college!

My 7th graders will finish A Christmas Carol. (And they'll watch it, too!) Chains are a prominent theme in this book, so we wrote about how we, as Christians, can get rid of our chains. We also made a chain with links of good things (ways we can be Jesus' hands and feet). It's quite sweet, as it should be.

 My 6th graders have just begun our adventure with Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, so we will hang out with him next week. They are learning "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", and they are doing an excellent job. Two years ago it snowed before this poem was due, so I offered my students extra credit if their parents filmed them reciting the poem in the snow. My current 6th graders are hoping they will get the same opportunity!

Next Thursday: Secret St. Nicholas Gifts are due for my homeroom class. $10 maximum.

SUPER IMPORTANT: The Lee Christian food drive ends on Tuesday! Please send non-perishable food to help the people of our community.

Here's a beautiful word for your weekend:

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Ad·​vent | \ ˈad-ˌvent  , chiefly British -vənt \

1: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting

2a: the coming of Christ at the Incarnation (see INCARNATION sense 1a(2))

b: SECOND COMING

Have a blessed weekend.

Mrs. Desjarlais

400 OCC Shoeboxes is a brand new number for LCS!!! I am beyond proud of our school family, and I am so very grateful to the students, parents, and grandparents who made it happen! My favorite thing about LCS is when we come together as a school family to help those in need in the Name of Jesus. That's why we are His children.

 Here are some of the 6th graders loading the truck with shoeboxes:

This week has been fun. During Spirit Week we dressed up on theme days, and Tuesday was Superhero day. My classes all wrote about what a superhero really is, and they praised parents, grandparents, our military, and our first responders as the true heroes of our world. The best part? I asked them to write, and they hopped right to it. I think it ties into gratefulness; sometimes we need to look around us and show gratitude to the people who take care of us. Here are a few of  my 7th graders diligently writing their essays.

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

Non-perishable food drive: December 6-17 - Be the hands and feet of Jesus. Help the less fortunate in our community by donating canned goods, boxed items, snacks, and other non-perishable food items. Please send these items to school by December 17.

8th grade: "If" due Jan. 15;  verb test Dec. 10; flower one-pager due Dec. 12

7th grade: "October" due Jan. 8; Christmas Carol questions due Monday, Dec. 9; vocab sentences and vocab test due Tuesday, Dec. 10.

6th grade: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" - January 15

All is calm, all is bright...at least to Perry. Here she is, snoozing away on the 8th grade SAT vocabulary list. And on a box of Christmas decorations.

 

Here's some beautiful prophecy to remember this weekend: 

Micah 5:2: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,  though you are small among the clans of Judah,out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Thank you for sharing your middle schoolers with me. I love them, and I pray for them and for you.

Blessings, KD

Hello, Grammarland!
That is a picture of the 359 OCC shoeboxes waiting to be packed up by my 6th graders. I'm still crossing my fingers...there's an hour to go. We've never reached 400 boxes before, but I'm hopeful!
I have been so impressed with your kids. My 8th graders have helped me immeasurably with sorting, packing, counting, and so much more. Mrs. Stone's guided studies class and Mrs. McCusker's drama class have helped a lot as well. Ms. Bostic and Mr. Teeter offered incentives; Mrs. Deese's homeroom had a packing party. I am overwhelmed by the participation from our students and our staff. This is my favorite time of the year, because these little boxes help our students to become missionaries. Today my students placed their hands on the boxes and prayed over them every hour. I may have cried a little. Check the LCS Facebook page for our final total!

6th and 7th:  new poems assigned on Monday

8th grade: no SAT quiz next week; "If", by Rudyard Kipling, due January 15

Next week: No School Wednesday-Friday

Week of December 2-6: SPIRIT WEEK! 

May you be richly blessed during Thanksgiving. Your children are precious gifts, and I love the time I spend with them each day.

Here are beautiful verses to close out the school week:

"Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." 1 Chronicles 16: 28-29

Blessings,

KD