Thanksgiving week

Good Morning,
I hope your week will be a good one. Please remember that there will be no school Wednesday so teachers can finalize grades. If students have work to get in, it needs to be in as soon as possible.

Each year, classes sponsor a family for a Christmas box. This year we have a family of 4. Our family has a boy (4) and a girl (9). Please ask your child how you can support them as a family.

Today in Christian Studies class, I answered questions. I wrote these questions down in a letter that I asked the kids to take home a get a signature from a parent. This way I know that you saw it. I will add it to this post in case it doesn't come home.

The letter includes a short Bible quiz study guide. I had wanted it to be tomorrow (Tuesday) but we have a Thanksgiving Chapel I did not remember. The Chapel will take the place of our Christian Studies time. The quiz will be the Tuesday after break.

Good Morning Boys and Girls, (with Mr. Bauer’s head tilted at a 23.5 degree angel)

Please have a seat quietly so we can get going on our day.

We have several things to discuss and we are going to get them on paper so you won’t be confused.

1.       Jobs won’t change this week since we started late and we only have two days this week. Ellianna reminded me that today is Monday and tomorrow is Friday (kinda).

2.       Memory Verse (Psalm 4:8) will be due on Wednesday, November 30 (Happy Birthday Olivia)

3.       Bible Quiz on Moses: Well, I told you it would be Tuesday and had thought to have you all help me write it today like we like to, but… I didn’t realize or forgot there will be a chapel tomorrow instead of CS. So, we will have our quiz on Tuesday when we get back. We will put a study guide at the bottom of this page.

4.       Every year each class is given a family to bless at Christmas. This year we have a family of 4 with 2 children. A girl who is 9 that likes chapter books, Legos, science stuff, gel pens, play dough; and would like pajamas. Her favorites include purple, blue, and sports. Top/ coat size is 12, pants 12, and shoes 5. The boy is 4 and likes small toy figures, building things, and play dough. His favorites are blue, green, and orange. His top/coat size is 5, pants 4, and shoes 11. I would like everyone to consider giving something to this family. The family needs are blankets, sheets, silverware, place settings, and gift cards.

5.       This will be printed off. I would like you to take it home and have parents look at it. If they sign it home I will give you 9 extra points in any class I teach you. That could be a whole memory verse.

6.       Today we will have a little celebration.  For our History time, Mrs. Rhodes will come in and have a little harvest party/ end of History chapter party.

7.       We (you and I) want to have some field trips this year. However, I am not good at planning them. If a parent would like to plan a field trip, please email me and we can start to look at some things.

8.       Bible quiz. (also includes a little of Job)

a.       You should know the plaques in order and who they affected.

                                                               i.      And what did each one do (hail destroyed flax and barley, locusts ate the wheat)

b.       The question on Job will be to tell me the story in a few sentences (5-7)

c.       Remember how Moses was save by his Mom and who found him (Pharaoh’s Daughter)

d.       Probably the most important is how this story points to Jesus in the Passover.

                                                               i.      Jesus was a perfect sacrifice (without sin, blemish)

                                                             ii.      Israelites were slaves, we are slaves to sin

                                                           iii.      Lamb’s blood was spread on door, Jesus’s blood shed on the cross, we even talked about how the door frame can look like the cross with the blood

                                                           iv.      Death passed over the home of believers, through Jesus, death is defeated we will have life in heaven

                                                             v.      Freedom was won for the Hebrews, who were slaves no more, Freedom was won for us from sin, death and the devil, now we live free in Christ.

e.       As they were leaving the took gold and silver as payment for their work

f.        Led by a cloud by day and fire by night

g.       God saved them at the Red sea

h.       Moses purified the water with a stick and God fed them with bread that was dew (Manna) 

Couple Quick Notes

Just a couple quick thoughts...
I passed out many graded papers from all the teachers today. Students should be bringing them home. Please talk to your student to check their work with them.
New Memory Verse: Psalm 4:8 (this will be due the Wednesday after Thanksgiving)

Each class is given a family to sponsor for Christmas. I am not sure how this has been done in the past. If you would like to head up the logistics of this service project, please send me an email.
Thanks
Mr. Bauer

History Projects and the coming weeks

Our Students in the 6th grade are so creative. As they start to share their projects on the 4 Empires of Mesopotamia, I get to see all of the great work they have created. We were able to see 4 presentations yesterday and hope to have everyone share this week. After we finish our study on these 4 Empires we will next a look at Historical Egypt and the Middle East. This will fit in well with our Bible lessons as we are still looking at Moses. Today we had a chance to take a deeper look at the Passover. By the end of the week, Pharaoh will let the people go and we will be in the wilderness for a while.
In Science we start to look at the phases of the moon. I know I have learned a lot teaching about the moon and the kids have been surprised how far the moon is away. Many people don't realize that 384,000 KM is a long way away, 238,606 miles.
In all, our kids continue to amaze me and I am excited about the coming years with them.

Nov 7

It is so amazing that we only have 10 more days until our first of 3 report cards. This is exciting news for some and concerning for others. Please remind your student to keep pushing to the end.
One exciting thing happening in 6th grade is that we are doing some partner work for our end of chapter exam grade. We have just learned about the 4 Mesopotamian Empires. The students have been split into groups and given a task on one of the 4 Empire. It is always interesting have kids work in group. Do you let them choose (that probably brings back nightmares of middle school gym class for some of us)?  Does the teacher choose (that always lead to someone saying, "you made me")? Or do you allow God to choose as you pick names out of a hat? That is hard because sometimes you don't like the groups that are created.  We did the draw the name out of the hat game. Most groups are put together well and some are not. But learning can happen with anyone in your group. Most jobs require working with others and most of the time you wont like everyone at your work. The students will need to have their projects done by Monday.
In science we will take a closer look at the Moon and the visible feature.
We continue to look at the Old Testament heroes. Right now Moses has just got the call to go to Pharaoh.
Please remember memory verses on Wednesday. This week it is Psalm 91:11.

History and Bible

In history we start a new chapter today. We look at the four empires of the Mesopotamia. Students will learn more about these civilizations and start to teach each other some of what they learn.
In Bible we will make a big jump from Joseph to Job. Since this year's lessons spread over a large portion of the Bible, we need to make jumps like this one every once in a while. "Blessed Be Your Name" is a song that was written after reading through Job. I look forward to showing our students how to praise even through the tough times.
I look forward to our conference times.

Subject Update: Digital Literacy

This week in Digital Literacy, we discussed the art of building a slideshow.  We discussed some basic features of Google Slides, as well as some good do's and don't's in making a good slideshow for a presentation.  Our next class will be spent practicing the skills we discussed as they will be building their own slideshow on a specific topic.

Subject Update: Christian Music

The last several weeks in Christian Music Class, the 6th graders were introduced to a group few of them had heard of, but most of them have seen the effects of.  This group is DC Talk.  We spent a day looking at the music DC Talk made together.  Now, we are going through and spending time looking at the different groups the three members of DC Talk (TobyMac, Michael Tait, Kevin Max) have influenced directly: Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, and TobyMac.

Recently, at the 2016 Dove Awards, DC Talk reunited for a new song that debuted on TobyMac's latest album.  Enjoy!

Good Afternoon 6th Grade Families,
I returned yesterday afternoon from my trip to Idaho. I friend was getting married in Pocatello. It is so funny how hard it is to let someone else come into "your" classroom and teach your kids. I am always concerned I didn't prepare enough, I forgot something, something might go wrong, but it seems to have gone really well. I did forget a couple of things, like new classroom jobs and a password, but our sub was quick on her feet and the kids were generally patient. I keep talking to our kids about their reputation and having someone else come in and have a good can only lift the perception about them.
A couple of reminders: I try to keep Gradelink up to date. I am a little behind right now, but should be caught up today or tomorrow at the latest. Students who miss work need to find a time to come make it up. Absences and sports can really make a child fall behind. I am willing to help a child but they must actually do the work. As the weather gets colder, students should come to school with a jacket. Students should bring a water bottle to school. We have been having problems with cups and may need to put them on a hold for a while.
In the coming weeks: Science continues to look at the Earth and how it sits in our Solar System. In Bible we move Jacob and all the adventures he has. We will be getting into Joseph and his brothers soon. For History we look deeper in Sumer and why it is called a civilization.
Blessings on your week.
Mr. Bauer

Subject Update: Digital Literacy

Yesterday in Digital Literacy, the 6th graders learned about email etiquette as they were introduced to the "10 Commandments of Email."  This covered everything from having a greeting to your emails to what "CC" means to how to set a signature.

They were given a short assignment that is due next Monday of sending Mr. P an email showing that they understand how all the rules work.  Next week, we will be talking about tricks and tips to help with Google searches.

Unit 1 Grammar Test - Thursday, Oct. 6

We have come to the end of our first unit about sentences.  You can help your student review for the test by asking them about the following:

4 types of sentences (interrogative; declarative;imperative; exclamatory) and the punctuation used. 

Determining the complete subject and complete predicate

Someone from Texas gave her a giant poster of a sunset.

Finding the simple subject and predicate

Many tourists like the shops.

Understanding that in imperative and interrogative sentences the simple subject can be an understood (you).

Think carefully about a puppy. (subject - (you) )

Identifying compound subjects and predicates using the connecting words: and; but; or

Mike, Pam, and Carlos will paint the bike.

The ship outran the clouds and escaped the storm.

Know the meanings of the conjunctions:

and: add information

or: giving a choice

but: show contrast

be able to use the correct conjunction in a sentence.

Is London ______ Paris nicer to visit?

Identify simple, compound and complex sentences.

Simple: I spotted the snake.  It slid away.

Compound:  I spotted the snake, and it slid away. 

Complex: After I spotted the snake, it slid away.

I spotted the snake before it slid away.

Be familiar with subordinating conjunctions used in complex sentences.

Be familiar with rewriting fragments and run-on sentences.

Fragment: Markers, tape, newspapers, and packing bubbles.

Run-on: Our friends will paint and then we'll put down the rug and later everyone will unpack boxes.

We are reviewing in class on Tuesday and Wednesday for the test.  They did create a note sheet about subordinating conjunctions on their Chromebooks that will help them. 

Blessings

Welcome, Mrs. Meyers

We welcome Mrs. Meyers to our school family as the resource teacher.  She will also be joining us a couple times during the week in Language Arts and Literature.  She will be assisting students who have questions, need addition help, or that extra push to reach for the stars.  We thank God for bringing us Mrs. Meyers and for her gifts and talents that she will share with us as we learn each and every day.

Good Evening Families,
As it is just about time for the Middle School Neon Dance, I thought I would offer up a prayer.
Lord God Heavenly Father,
I ask your protection over the hearts of our young. I ask that you wrap them in security. Hold them in your hands and let them know they are loved.
Amen
Our kids are looking for acceptance at this age. Sometimes that means putting others down to elevate ourselves. I encourage an area of love and support. Respect is of great importance in my classroom and will be talked about a lot this year. Please help me as I seek to help our kids grow into loving, caring, and helpful Christian adults.
This week we will continue our look at Genesis in Bible class (memory due Wednesday). We will finish up our study of the moon and move to making a poster of something they are interested in space science. We test on early human history and move to early farming.
Blessings on your week.
Mr. Bauer

Christian Music Library

One of the features of our middle school program at Forest Hills is our extensive Christian Music Library.  The middle schoolers have access to this digital library of thousands of songs and hundreds of artists from a wide variety of genres on each of their Chromebooks.

Another fun feature of 6th grade is a weekly Christian Music Appreciation class.  This allows for the 6th graders to be introduced to a wide variety of Christian music artists they might be interested in that they otherwise might not have ever heard.  So far in class, we have studied Relient K and Family Force 5.  Look for a different artist, familiar or brand new, to be introduced to the 6th graders each week!

Memory Verses

Hello 6^th grade families,

Each year students are asked to memorize Bible verses as a part of the Bible class. This year is no different. However, the way that we grade memory verses in Middle School is a little different than in other grades. We want our students to learn Scripture, but we also want them to learn how it affects their lives and how can they apply it.

My students will be given their memory verses on Thursday and it is due on the next Wednesday. They will be asked to write down their verse on an index card (spiral bond is preferred). Sometime during the week, before Wednesday, they will come to you and say their verse for you. If they don’t get it right, have them keep working on it. Once they can say it for you, simply sign the back of the card and they will receive an %80. To get the other %20 I am asking you to have a conversation about what they have learned, how to apply, or any significance about the verse. Please give me a sentence or two telling me what you talked about. This will give them the full %100.

I did not revise the materials list for the class before it went home this summer. I would like the kids to have a spiral bond index card set. If you are unable to get one, it is alright. I have found that it helps keep the verses organized. It is also a little harder to lose.

Sometimes verses will be broken down to learn one section each week. I will let you know when that happens.

Please contact me with any questions. bauerb@fhlcs.org

Mr. Bauer

1)      2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come.

2)      Hebrews 1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

3)      Genesis 46: 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

4)      Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

5)      Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.

6)      Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.

7)      Genesis 28:18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

8)      Psalm 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

9)      Psalm 121: 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

10)   Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

11)   2 Timothy 1:9 God has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus.

12)   Numbers 14:18 The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity.

13)   Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

14)   Psalm 121:8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

15)   2 Corinthians 12:9 Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

16)   Colossians 1:13-14 God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

17)   John 6:40 This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life.

18)   Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

19)   1 John 1:8-9 revised If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

20)   Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

21)   Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

22)   Psalm 18:29-30 By my God I can leap over a wall. This God—His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.

23)   Mark 1:14-15 Jesus came in to Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.”

24)   Psalm 119:15-16 I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

25)   Romans 3: 23-24 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

26)   Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

27)   Isaiah 43:3-4 I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… You are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you.

28)   Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

29)   John 20:31 These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

30)   Isaiah 57:15 The Lord says, I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. 

Classroom Jobs

Good Afternoon 6^th Grade Families,

                As you may know, students have class jobs. Our class is no different. In most traditional classrooms, all of the jobs are done within the confines of the day. However, Forest Hills has decided to adopt a “Sheparding Program.” Some of the weekly jobs will fit into this program and may need more effort on your part. If you are uncomfortable with what you are asked, or simply don’t want to do it, please let me know and I will assign your child to jobs that are classroom contained.

                I would like to share with you the jobs and what your student will be asked of if he/she is asked to perform this task. The first three jobs are those that need the additional support from you.

Crossing Guards: There are two cross walks near the front entrance that are used during drop-off and pick-up. These will now be manned by 4 students (2 from 6^th and 2 from 7^th). Students are asked to come to school early, 7:55, and plan on staying until the majority of the students have been picked up, 3:20.

Greeter: Similar to the crossing guard, greeters are asked to arrive early. They will be a smiling face to help people out of cars, carry projects, or simply help students start their day off on a good note.

Instrument Collector: Again, these students are asked to arrive early. They will help students get their band instruments onto a cart and then make sure that cart gets to the band room.

Lunch Trays: These students will miss a couple of minutes of recess to help clean lunch trays.

Recycling: Two students will be asked to take the recycling from the middle school classrooms out on Friday afternoon.

Absent Assistants: These are students that will help collect work for those who are absent and will fill in jobs where needed.

Recess Equipment: This student will make sure that playground equipment is put away before going in to lunch.

Assignment Assembler: Often I need a helper in class, this will be that person.

If you feel like your child will not be able to perform one or several of these tasks, please do not hesitate to let me know. It will be no problem to have them help in the classroom.

Thanks

Mr. Bauer

Quick Notice

Hello Families,
There is so much I am working on and want to send home. I am putting the finishing touches on our job board and our memory verse. Look for both of these to come home soon.
I am wanted to remind everyone about the History homework. Your task was to finish page 3 in the workbook. That gives you 7 questions to complete on the map.
If you need to log into the account from home...
Go to learntci.org
my email is bauerb@fhlcs.org
then user is your first name and last initial (no spaces, no caps)
password is FalconWorld
See you tomorrow

Starting a New Chapter

Good Morning FHLCS 6th grade Families,
I was so impressed with how many families were able to come out to our Back to School Picnic last night. It was wonderful to meet all of you and get a chance to talk to most of you. I am so excited about the coming year.
Many of you are just wondering who I am. My name is Mr. Ben Bauer. I will be the 6th grade teacher this year. Your student will have me for 6th grade Science, Christian Studies, and Ancient History.  I will also be leading a Worship Band during the Fine Arts time.
This will be my first year here at FHLCS and I have so much to learn about how things are done here. I have spent the last 6 years teaching at Faith Bible in Beaverton. Before that I was the Youth Director at Bethlehem Lutheran in Beaverton.
On a personal note, I am married and have 4 children. My 10 year old, Ellianna, will be in the 5th grade class this year. My wife and I also have a set of triplets. They are now 2 1/2. Each day is an adventure.
I am so excited about what God has in store for us this year. I look forward to partnering with you as you child learns and grows.
Ben

What to Expect Next Week

• Field trip to Mt. St. Helens
• Field trip prep activity
  
  
• Crayon rock building
• Cleaning up
• Last Day of School!

Ask your 6th grader about....

• Field Day
  
• Shredding Crayons
• Mt. St. Helens Trip
• Spring Concert
• Interactive Maps

What to expect next week...

• Fairy Tales - Sharing
• Vocab Unit 15 Quizzes Monday
• Outdoor School

Ask your 6th grader about...

• James & the Giant Peach in Portland
  
• Incas & Ojibwa Tribe
• Fairy Tale Edits
• Rock Cycle
• Packing for Outdoor School

6th Grade is heading to Outdoor School

We are just over a week away from heading to Outdoor School. You may be saying the same thing as I am, I'm not ready!!!! Hopefully your students are, it will be a wonderful experience for them. I really hope they are getting excited.

We have spent 3 days discussing Outdoor School during out science class. We will spend another day next week. Today I discussed the packing list and a copy of it should have been sent home with your student. If you have questions about what to pack, please feel free to ask me. The big NO NO is electronics. The big YES YES is waterproof gear (coat and boots).

Here is a picture of a scenic view as well as the dining hall. It might give you a bit of a taste of what is to come.

What to expect next week...

• James & the Giant Peach in Portland on Thursday
  
• Incas
• History - Chapter 15 Review
• Fairy Tales - Wrapping Up
• Vocab Unit 15 Due Tuesday
• Rock and mineral identification

Ask your 6th grader about....

• Aztecs
• Fairy Tales
• Self-confidence
• Packing List for Outdoor School
• Buddies

What to expect next week 5/9 - 5/13

• Spring Event on Friday - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!!
  
• Lots of play practice
• Vocab Unit 14 Quizzes Tuesday
• More Story Writing
• Empires and Cultures of the Americas
• Rocks and Minerals
• More info about Outdoor School

Ask your 6th Grader about...

• National Day of Prayer
  
• Run for the Hills
• Debate - Was China & Japan closing their borders a positive or negative choice for their civilizations?
• How was Feudal Europe similar to Feudal Japan?
• What is your new novel?
• How is your book report coming along?
• Fairy Tale Story Writing
• Rocks
• What is Outdoor School about?
• Book orders

What to expect next week....

• Vocab Unit 14 Due Tuesday
  
• More Story Writing
• Rocks and Minerals
• Run for the Hills - Friday

Ask your 6th grader about ...

• Talent Show
  
• Fairy Tale Brainstorming
• Introduction to Empires & Cultures of Asia
• New Literature Novel
• Comic Dialogue
• Kahoot
• Volcano Quiz

What to expect next week.....

• Talent Show - Wednesday Afternoon
  
• Empires & Cultures of Africa Review
• Beginning Empires & Cultures of Asia
• Fairy Tale Brainstorming
• Vocab Unit 13 Quizzes
• Volcano quiz

Ask your 6th grader .......

• Run for the Hills Kick-off Assembly
  
• Fairy Tales
• Complete this sentence: “He who controls the trade, ….”
• What is a Griot?
• What language is “Swahili” from?
• Character Development
• Comic Dialogue
• Parts of a volcano
• Where might you find a volcano?