A Cluck Class Christmas Celebration!

 Thank you Mrs. Buchholz for an awesome and beautiful craft!

 Merry Christmas to my 7th graders!  You make me smile everyday :)

New Year Date Reminders

Monday, January 6 --- Classes will resume at 8 AM

Wednesday, January 15 --- Mark your calendars to include Donuts for Dads on Wednesday, January 15 at 7 AM in the church lower level.  This is a time for Zion students to enjoy a light breakfast while visiting with his or her dad. If your schedule allows, dads are welcome to join us for chapel following breakfast. 

Thursday, January 16 – Saturday, January 18 --- Big Cat Classic

Friday, January 17 -- Spirit Day

Monday, January 20 --- No School --- Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

January 27 – 31 --- National Lutheran Schools Week 

Friday, January 31 – Saturday, February 1 -- LSAM Scholar Bowl

Saturday, February 8 -- Trivia Night

Sunday, February 9 -- School Open House

Friday, February 14 -- No School - LESA Professional Development

Monday, February 17 -- No School - Presidents Day Snow Make up if needed

Sunday, February 16 -- Sausage Supper

Friday, February 21 -- Spirit Day

Friday, April 4 --- Zion's School Auction will be held at the Columns Banquet Center in St. Charles

Week 18-19

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Completing our Islam Unit: The 7th graders have completed their Islam unit in World History class.  Students did a great job asking questions and finding answers about this religion.  They also stood up and professed their Christian faith while comparing the two religions.

Geography Bee: Congratulations to Zach C., winner of the Geography Bee!  Congrats also to Trevor N. for his participation and making it through the preliminary rounds into the bee.

Illuminated Manuscripts: Students created Christmas messages by designing beautiful letters reflecting the Illuminated manuscript style.

A Christmas Carol Illustrations:

Christmas "Family" photo:

Click here to view A Christmas Letter from Mrs. Cluck

Week 16-17

Happy belated Thanksgiving!  I pray everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving celebrations.  I love listening to all of the stories students share with me when we return from a longer break :)  One tradition I look forward to every year is picking out and cutting down a Christmas tree with my family.  We've traveled to Ekert's farm in IL every year (since before I was born!) to cut down a Christmas tress.  I hope there are traditions in your families that are carried on every year; these moments shared with family and friends build memories, and help us remember the love and blessings God has given to us.

Duck Dynasty Devotion: This is a video link that has been traveling around the web and facebook for a few weeks now; Mrs. Murray and I enjoyed our classroom discussions that came from a devotion we led based on this video.  It's so wonderful to see God in the spotlight every now and again, especially in a world that tries to shut Him out.  I would encourage families to use people and times like these to discuss worldly issues.  Take a few minutes to watch this viedo if you haven't seen it already...it's worth it!

http://www.faithit.com/dont-let-the-beard-fool-ya-theres-a-lot-of-wisdom-under-there/

A Christmas Prayer Garden:  I sent out an email Monday of this week with a reminder about our Christmas items drive taking place this week and next.  We are continuing our support of The Sparrow's Nest by bringing in garden/gardening items for a prayer garden to be built at their new maternity home.  While you are out shopping and preparing to Christmas spot by the gardening/outdoor section or pick up a Lowe's/Home Depot/WalMart gift card from the school office (don't forget "Together We're Better" supports Zion!).  Students were given a complete ideas list -- ask them to see it!

"A Christmas Carol": We greatly enjoyed seeing "A Christmas Carol" come alive on stage at Lindenwood University this past Tuesday.  Students are having fun acting out the play in Literature class; they are definitely learning some new vocabulary through the Old English terms and phrases.

Church Life: AdventI would love to see you at Zion Advent Services during this season of preparation:

Wednesday, Dec 11 10 AM/ 7 PM - 3rd and 4th grades 
Wednesday, Dec 18 10 AM/7 PM – 1st and 2nd grades 
Friday, Dec 20 8:10AM – 8th Grade 

Zion’s Parent’s Day Out, Preschool and Kindergarten will perform in their Christmas program on Sunday, December 15 at 4 PM in the church sanctuary.

Christmas Wreath Projects: 7th grade Christmas projects were turned in this week -- look at the beautiful creations you children made!  Hopefully these will find their way to decorating a door in your home this season.

Blessings on your preparations for Christ's coming,

Christmas Prayer Garden

Hello 7C parents,

Students are brought home a Christmas items collection drive flyer Friday. I wanted to send an email just in case you did not have the opportunity to see it with the rest of their Friday papers.

As many of you may know, we do not do any Christmas gift exchanges at Zion. Instead, we have decided various departments or classrooms will do a service project instead.  Zion Lutheran Junior High continues our Walkathon service project with a December items drive.

Sparrows Nest continues to be the organization we are sponsoring this year. We have been blessed to gift them with a cash donation of $900 AND an $1800 donation to go toward their passenger van; all this from our junior high kids, their families, and many other supporters of the walk-a-thon! 

Carissa Figgins (Sparrow's Nest director) plans to use the $1800 to encourage companies/donors to match our students donations. The idea that if our kids can do this - so can YOU!

Now, on to our items drive. Mrs. Figgins plans to build a prayer garden for the young women at her maternity home -- a place they can go to pray, work, relax, etc.  She suggested a Christmas Prayer Garden items drive. No mittens or scarf tree for us - we are hoping for flower pots, rakes, trowels, and work gloves so that we can grow a tree! (Gift cards work too - think about Together We're Better as an option.)

We hope you can help. We have set a goal that each classroom collect at least 10 - 15 items. See attached flyer for additional ideas. Please have students bring in items this and next week (12/2nd-13th).  Thank you for your continued support.

Blessings to you this Christmas season,

Mrs. Cluck and the Junior High staff

Week 15

Volleyball Girls Go to State!
I am very prod of the A1 Girls' volleyball team (both as a teacher and a coach) for landing in third place at the LSAM tournament this past weekend.  Here are some great pictures from the weekend:

 Banner for the parade of athletes and our awesome (2nd place) LSAM idol costumes

Hanging out between games

 Third place trophy

Thanksgiving Dinner Boxes:

• Our class spent some time with the pre school and kindergarteners; they were on a scavenger hunt for Pete the Cat's shoes!  We had a blast and gained some respect for those kindergarten teachers :) "How do they keep them from running away?!" - 7th grader

 Thanksgiving Dinner Boxes:

• The Student Council Officers delivered Zion's annual food donations to the Seminary this Friday.  November's chapel offerings were used to purchase turkeys, dinner rolls, pans, etc. and were added to the abundance of food brought in by the student body.  Every year the Seminarians are blown away by the generosity given to them.  After delivering the 20 Thanksgiving dinner boxes we moved down to the Seminary Food Bank were we restocked their shelves with the overflow of food given at Wednesday's chapel.  What a cool experience for me to see Zion students leading a service project!!

Academics:

• Student were busy this week, and last, creating timelines of Muhammad's life as well as timelines of their own life.  It was fun to learn more about the these awesome students!
• Students are currently working on designing and creating their Christmas wreaths.
• We are starting "A Christmas Carol" in Literature class; students are excited to act out their roles (props & costumes are encouraged!).

I would love to see you at Zion Advent Services during this season of preparation:
Wednesday, Dec 4 10 AM/ 7 PM - 5th and 6th grades 
Wednesday, Dec 11 10 AM/ 7 PM - 3rd and 4th grades 
Wednesday, Dec 18 10 AM/7 PM – 1st and 2nd grades 
Friday, Dec 20 8:10AM – 8th Grade 
Zion’s Parent’s Day Out, Preschool and Kindergarten will perform in their Christmas program on Sunday, December 
15 at 4 PM in the church sanctuary. 

Zion's annual Trivia Night is set for Saturday Feb. 8th.  Please see the volunteer link (http://vols.pt/ECY3Gn) for ways you can help or reserve a table!

For questions, please contact Sharon Wilmes 314-761-6397.

Friday November 27 -- Noon dismissal THANKSGIVING BREAK!