We Are Not Defeated

Friday was a full day. After opening pledge and prayer, we joined Grades 6 and 7 and colored Easter eggs. The students worked well together and we colored about 8 dozen in less than an hour. These will be part of the table decorations at the Panasuk Benefit. Thank you Mrs. Grubisic for calling families to donate eggs and coming to help out. Also a sincere thank you to others for bringing eggs and color kits.

At 10 a.m. we had Stations of the Cross. During Lent, this "space" has offered us time to reflect, remember and pray. Thank you students.

8th grade students had Spanish with Calvin today. He is a natural teacher as he shows up with good lessons for students to practice pronunciation and sentence construction.

After lunch, Grades 6 and 7 had spelling tests and time to share their sentences with "highlighted" words. I am eager for the students to USE the words they are learning; this is where the rubber hits the literary-road. Spelling Units 27 were due today. Also journals were turned in and Friday letters received were awarded 10 extra points.

Sunday (All-school 11 a.m. Mass) we anticipate the opportunity to serve many in our faith and greater community as we come together to benefit the Panasuk family. It is also Palm Sunday when Jerusalem waves palms and rolls out the "garment" carpet to receive Jesus, the King. May we seek to let our earthly agendas "fade" in our thinking as we prepare our thoughts and hearts for the events of Holy Week.

Thank you students, staff, families, and clergy for the many ways you bless us as students of life and faith. Let us be there for "each other" as walk this path to the cross this week. There is a tragedy unfolding... but we are not defeated for we know victory will be ours in Jesus.

Hosanna in the Highest!

Before we started, I shared an e-mail from missionary friends. They are in the heat of a battle in the country where we used to work. We are praying for them.

Today we took a sneak preview at Holy Week. The pace will pick up as Jesus approaches the journey to the cross. We read Luke 21 and talked about Jesus coming into Jerusalem and how this season of Passover drew Jews from all over to the holy city. Jesus was greeted by the crowd as one who "comes in the name of the Lord."

We also talked about how King Lear also descends at a rapid pace- like Holy Week. The good news is that in the Jesus-story, tragedy is reborn as triumph. There is little to celebrate at the end of King Lear.... maybe only that this depressing drama is over! Students watched the King Lear DVD for English.

English 7 students said they needed time for assignments due the end of this week. I agreed. So they used the time for Friday letters, Sounder essays and spelling.

English 6/7 students will write a sentence for this highlighted word this week. Tomorrow they will present these. Also we will group read Chapter 5 in Voyage of the Frog.... and work as a group to answer questions. Tomorrow is spelling test. I narrowed each unit (of 30 words) to 12 words and 3 bonus words. Students who struggle should plan to practice the words.

English 7 students will use the last hour for silent reading and spelling practice. Plan B happened: We went for a walk to the new pet "Sunshine" store by our school. A good assortment of unusual pets. Our students sure love pets.

Also, Thank you Mary for the all birthday goodies.... cupcakes and dairy-queen cakes. Yum. yum. Happy Birthday.

Don't forget the Panasuk benefit on Sunday. Please bring your friends and family for breakfast (and the raffle) and goodies for the bake sale. What a gift to "serve" others and be a community blessing to the Panasuks. We continue to remember them in our prayers. Tomorrow Grades 6-8 will color Easter eggs to help with table decorations; the younger grades are making paper-tissue flowers.

Good News

Today at our all-school mass, again we had the privilege of having our guest priests. Father Don's homily reminded us of our call in baptism to be a light to the world. That we are commissioned to share the message of Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ. Thank you 6,7, and 8th grade students for your willing partipation in readings and singing. Thank you Mr. Eaton for leading us. We ended our worship with an affirmation of our baptismal vows and being sent out with the hymn, "How Can We Keep Silent."

English 7 students worked on Sounder essays (final due on Monday), spelling, and Friday letters. We are nearing the end of the quarter so don't miss turning in work. After next Wednesday, it is too late.

Research Essays were returned to English 8 students. Students can be proud of their good research and writing on their individual topics. Most students who missed getting A's did not include a correct Works Cited page. The reflections written by students were right on. They noted their strengths and weaknesses. This is part of the beauty of this assignment that students start to realize what works for them, and what gets in the way of academic work. Next week, each student will "teach" the class his/her topic. They were given a guideline on what should be in their presentations and what the visual needs to look like to support their words.

English 6/7 students wrote in journals: "If I woke up in a mall, what would I do? Where would I be?" We then read together Chapter 4 of Voyage of the Frog. Students worked as partners and then groups of four to answer questions from the text. Spelling Unit 27 is due Friday and also Friday letters. Also Ms. Shields will correct any book reports that need to be done this quarter; they are also due THIS Friday. Work hard, we soon are into the LAST quarter.

Don't forget, All-School Mass on Sunday. The Panasuk Benefit on Sunday and church Bake Sale. Please offer to help... and attend. Thank you.

Pray and Participate

Welcome back students. We brought back to OLL many stories of trips, time at home, news of family, etc. It feels good to a faith-learning community again. We especially offer our sympathy and prayers to the Hicks-Hagen family. The passing of Mr. Francis Hicks was a loss to many people in this community.

During Lent, we are reminded to be servants to each other. This can be practiced in many ways, and we consider it a privilege for OLL to be sponsoring a benefit breakfast for the Panasuk family this Sunday (8:30 to 12:30). Please plan to have breakfast/brunch with us: free will offering plus raffle, bake sale opportunities. Yes, we need more help and yes, we need baked goods and raffle prizes. Please say "yes" to this opportunity for service.

I was able to visit Panasuks during break. Al is making progress and they are most grateful for our prayers and cards.

We had a special Parish Mission Mass today. Thank you junior high students for singing in the choir. After the Mass, students had an opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

English 6 and 7 students did pre-test today and were assigned Unit 27 in spelling. Don't forget Friday letters (extra 10 points if on time), and spelling are due Friday. We only have 8 school days in this quarter. Get in book reports and any other work. The quarter deadline approaches.

Sorry my blogs are running short. We have been busy. Please share many prayer needs with us and please participate on Sunday to help at the breakfast. Blessings and thanks. Mrs. Ellis

March Madness

Beware of the Ides of March . No wonder this month of March has earned a reputation. Many things seem out-of-joint!

As Jesus draws closer to the cross, the power of his teaching stings more people. Today in
Luke 11, he talks about "his strength that is stronger than any demon." This statement hits a new level when the trials and tribulations set in. Even the Veggie Tales of Jonah are not exactly about a "stellar" work for God. Rather for Jonah, it became about choosing the lesser of two evils to save his neck.

Then there is King Lear. We wonder how much lower this tragedy can sink? Even the two daughters bonded in evil, are at each other's throats.

So lest I sound defeated... or discouraged, here is the good news! Today English 8 students made Bake Sale signs... for tomorrow. OLL students, brings your extra coins for some goodies.
Also 8th graders are busy putting the finishing touches on research essays. All written components are due tomorrow.

7th grade students worked on Sounder rough drafts and onomatopoeia visuals.
When we joined the 6th graders, they wrote journal entries on the "dream spring break.... or SOYC". Students also did worksheets on The Voyage of the Frog. These were designed to help students identify the working parts of a sailboat and also return to text to answer questions.
Due TOMORROW: Friday letters (+10 if done well), spelling unit 26, spelling test, journals, and worksheet from today. Many students want to watch the NCAA tournaments tomorrow. This is possible AFTER the spelling test and all work due is in.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Eaton for a TV set-up to watch the games. What a treat... and we even have our students' predictions up. Mr. Owen picked up students cues for pizza.... and this went great with Mrs. Marita's apple (3.14) pie.

Anyway, it may seem like madness has set the pace, but truly we have energetic students, working hard, playing hard, and making it hard NOT to love them. So we are having fun learning!
On Wisconsin.... (two of our sons graduated there) and Go Georgetown (one son is in the Master's program at present). I have invested in these two places three of my most precious possessions... and plenty of $!

Because God Loves Us

We started our day with prayer and pledge. We continue to remember Father Mike, Father Alex, Father Conan and our OLL Priests. We also pray for the Panasuk family and Mrs. Anich. Our opening today included discussion about the commandments and their importance and their role in our faith. Father Frank's homily included this partnership of God's Commandments and our walk with Him. We all came to the same conclusions: The Commandments are given for our instruction and for our safety and well-being because God loves us. He wants the best for us.

English 7 students were encouraged to fine-tune their ideas for their Sounder Essay: Why I love Ashland. Then we worked on "onomotopoeia" words; we brainstormed a long list and each 7th grader is writing a word and making a visual. They will share these with Grade 6 students tomorrow.

English 8 students read their "practiced" lines from King Lear. I am pleased with the ease the students demonstrate with the language. These students "get it" and will do well with Romeo and Juliet next year in 9th grade. To give our mouths a break, we watched part of the Jonah Veggie Tales video: entertaining presentation of this Old Testament Story.

English 6/7 wrote journal writes: If you could choose someone to accompany you on the Frog (sailboat) from our book, who would you choose? I had a list of 10 possibilities and students had to choose two. Again we saw that our classes represents a wide variety of perspectives. This is helpful to remember when reading a book together; each person has a valid viewpoint. We finished Chapter 3 of The Voyage of the Frog; we noted some spiritual terms used by Gary Paulsen.

History 6 students are working on their "god" visuals as Mr. Owens reads to them.

We all feel the pull of the spring break coming up quickly. Be sure that your student gets in all of his/her work on time this week, so everyone (including me) can have a REAL break. We only have 8 days left in this quarter when we get back. Can you believe it?

Thank you parents and friends who share our Wednesday Mass with students. Have a good day.

77 Times

Today we looked at the conversations of Peter and Jesus in Matthew 18. Peter is wondering if we should forgive "as many as seven times?" Jesus, the teacher- Jesus, who goes the extra mile, has the answer: "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times." What is he saying? Clare noted there is no limit on forgiveness. The Children's Daily Prayer book says that "seven-seven means a bazillion." Yes! It is not about keeping a running account, it is always the right option. Hard to do? Sometimes I think so! Guess we need to stay close to God to get it right.

We remembered several people in our prayers today: Father Mike and Father Alex working in the Amazon River Basin. Also Mrs. Anich and the Panasuk family.

In English 8, we aligned the elements of tragedy (King Lear) with the events of Holy Week. Rather scary how Shakespeare's art echoes real life (mimesis). Only the final act differs and that is huge: Easter is tragedy transformed into triumph! We will be watching to see if there is anything worthy of triumph in the ending of King Lear.

English 7 students were shown a PAVESO grid on an essay for the Sounder contest. They are to adapt this grid to their topic. Rough draft is due Friday.

Mr. Owen is working with History 6 students on the Ancient Greek Culture. They continue to enjoy hearing a contemporary story about the "gods."

English 8 students walked to the library after lunch. Several students checked out books and were encouraged to gather information for their science projects.

English 7 students ended the day with silent reading, journal writing, and brainstorming more about Sounder' essay.

NEWS FLASH: Bake sale this Friday for an 8th grade trip to the Science Museum in Mpls. Please bring "goodies" to sell at lunch.

Don't forget next week: Spring break. Get all work in this Friday so you can be freed up to vacation! Thanks.

Free to be Me

Today we read about how Jesus was unable to perform certain miracles in his hometown. This led to a discussion on the "labels" we put on each other. In Christ, we are free to be "me" rather than be defined by the labels others put on us. What a relief and what a gift... to be accepted by God just the way we are!

English 8 students were reminded on the elements of research that are due on Friday. This is the final writing portion of this project. After spring break, students will have one week to prepare visuals and oral presentations. I have seen some good writing from these scholars. Ask them about their topics; you will enjoy learning from them. Friday will be JELLO day.

Our second session together, we read King Lear. This tragedy is falling quickly. It is amazing how so much can take place out of the word "nothing." Ask an 8th grader to explain this. Our goal is to finish up this play before Easter... so we can move on to "resurrection" (good news)literature. This will include poetry for April: national poetry month.

6/7 grade English students wrote in journals today: What I did this weekend, or a topic of his/her choice. Pre-tests were given and after I evaluate them, I will put together a reasonable spelling list for Friday. We read Chapter 2 from The Voyage of the Frog.
We occasionally pause and look at Paulsen's literary style... his use of sensory and descriptive words. Sometimes it feels like "overuse."

6th grade students had time to work on Spelling for Friday. Be sure to get Friday letters and spelling in... so you can have a "real" spring break. We are soon at the end of this quarter.

Time to Reflect, Pray, and Be Instructed.

This has been a busy week with schedule-class changes. I want to thank Mr. Eaton and Mr. Owen for covering for me on Monday, and I want to thank Mrs. Marita for putting together the Stations of the Cross today.... a time to reflect, pray, and be instructed.

I am writing this blog at home as with the new schedule, it is more difficult to find time at school to log this conversation.

Just to update on what was due this week:
English 8: Spelling, vocabulary, rough draft for Sound-off contest. Next Friday the final research essay packet is due.

English 6 and 7: Spelling was due today, Friday letters (10 extra points if today), questions from Voyage of the Frog, and journals.
The journal questions were: When you walk in the woods what do you smell, taste, touch, hear and smell? What comes to mind when you think of fire? 7th graders also told me about their English class with Ms. Shields. 7th graders also did activities related to adjectives and similes.

I must give credit that most students completed assignments by the end of today. Also students have been patient with me and others who, like them, are adjusting to the new change. I still have to refer to the new schedule hour-by-hour.

We have one week left before spring break. Thanks for your prayers and support. Our students have come a long way since the beginning of this school year and it is a responsibility and privilege to share this faith journey of learning with them. Have a good weekend.

Begin a Busy Day with Prayer

Mr. Owen opened with prayer and pledge. We included our prayers for Mrs. Anich and the Panasuk family. The class read and discussed the Church History curriculum.

As a a class, 8th grade students filled in a PAVESO grid for their research papers (final) that are due next Friday. Students also handed in their rough draft for the Sound-off contest. Then we read King Lear together. The plot continues to twist tighter as the reality of dyfunctional families is revealed. In the scene we read today, Kent (in disguise) is with Lear (going crazy), Edgar(disguised and hiding) and Gloucester (afraid of his son): a collection of victims of behaviors that seemed good, but were tweaked for evil. I am proud of the 8th graders engagement with the difficult language; they try out the words and are able to glean meaning. Good work on this very tragic play.

Mr. Owen read to sixth graders. I worked with Grade 7 students as they presented similes and then recorded them on paper for our bulletin board.

Later today Grade 6 and 7 English students will read silently, write in journals, and read The Voyage of the Frog together.

FYI: Since spelling unit 24 for Grades 6 and 7 were review (40 spelling words or more), I selected 16 that they need to spell on the test tomorrow. I considered what words students are most likely to use in their writing.

Also, Friday letters are due tomorrow (10 extra points if in), and journal will be checked. Ms. Shields left a good format in place for me to follow. Thank you....but we still miss you!

English 7 at the end of the day will start brainstorming for the Sound-Off contest: If I left this area, what I would miss most is......

I am proud of how well students are adapting to the changes we all feel. They help me to understand where they are coming from... and I try to respond to the cues and help them move forward. Thanks for support and prayers.

Also Mr. Owen has been such an asset in many ways. He helped Grade 6 students get their desk areas better organized and textbooks, etc. into lockers.

The Way of the Cross

Mr. Owen opened our day with prayer and devotions. Thank you 8th graders who participated in our school Liturgy today. Father Henry instructed us in the reality of "perfect love" - the way of the cross (a servant). Students were encouraged in their Lenten journey to serve others. Josh, we remain grateful for your cheerful daily door-tending.

6th grade English classes listened to Mr. Owen read. 7th graders presented adjective posters and worked on similes. We are building our "tool box" for good writing.

8th grade English students read a health article on tattoos and then we analyzed it on a PAVESO grid; this is a 9th grade AHS English technique. We also plugged our "rough draft" pre-write for the Sounder contest into this grid; one more way to think and plan before writing. The rough draft is due tomorrow.

6th and 7th grade met together for English. Students wrote what they will see, hear, taste, touch when they walk in the woods. I was leading them to connect better to Gary Paulsen as he is an "outdoor" author from Minnesota. Then I read from The Voyage of the Frog a description of the sailboat. Students drew what they imagined the boat to look like.... we put them up and talked about perspective; how we each see text differently. We want to honor the diverse perspectives we bring to our learning community. We read most of the first chapter together. I believe that we can use this book for reading enjoyment and analyzing an author's style to help us become better readers and writers. Enjoy the voyage!

Thank you Mr. Owen for showing the jr. high and staff your PowerPoint presentation and telling us about your first-hand experience as an American soldier in South Korea.

We continue to offer deep prayers for the Panasuk family. And I have to admit that I miss hearing Ms. Shields on our side of the highway, but we are all adjusting to our new schedule and practicing flexibility. So thank you students, parents, Mr. Eaton and God for support and good words of encouragement as we share the journey of faith and learning together.

Thank You for Prayers

Dear Readers,
I had a wonderful time in Atlanta, Georgia attending my brother's wedding, but it is good to be back. There were some emotional moments this past weekend including feeling the pain of the bus accident in Atlanta and the tragedy of those killed by tornadoes in Alabama. Glad to know everyone weathered the midwest storm. Thank you Mr. Eaton and Mr. Owen for providing learning opportunities for my students.

Mr. Owen opened with pledge and prayer and some tips on using the Bible. I shared some of the highlights of my trip to share with students my observations of "big city" life. I also had a chance to visit the incredible aquarium in Atlanta. It was fun to see marine life from the coral reef and also the Amazon River plus beluga whales, and whale sharks.

For English, students brought me up to speed on King Lear. I heard Mr. Eaton's voice was a good fit for the part! The second time we met, student worked on their rough draft for the Sound-Off contest.

For English 6 Mr. Owen is reading a contemporary fictional story about the son of Zeus. This is aligns with their entry into the study of the Ancient Greek culture for World History.

I talked to English 7 students today about my instruction to complete this school year. I know we are asking them to make a shift with Ms. Shields taking over Grade 5, but I believe that we are up to the task of making changes. This is a lifelong skill worth learning. Yes, the Friday letters are still required; yes, spelling units will be assigned. Yes, we will do silent reading....
During our second time together, we reviewed adjectives and students made posters.

Thanks for prayers everyone for my safe return. I had a wonderful family time and celebration of a family wedding at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Today we are missing Clare... hope your ankle heals quickly.

Hi from Atlanta

Friday morning and we are in Atlanta. Had a bumpy flight yesterday, but a good landing. The family dinner last night was wonderful. We are off to the bridal luncheon in a few minutes. Love and prayers for all.... as you honker down and weather the storm. Love, Mrs. Ellis

Good Morning OLL

This is Mrs. Ellis checking in. We had fierce winds and about 3 to 4 inches of snow here in Bloomington last night. Fortunately, it did not hit until we arrived at the hotel. I think we are in between storms, so Lord willing, we are off to Atlanta. Have a good day in Ashland, however, it works out. God is here and He is there. Blessings.