Jr. High Summer Day Trips!

The 6th and 7th Grade students (who are now 7th and 8th grade students) were all given a packet with information about the 4 Jr. High Summer Day Trips and the permission slips before school got out.  We just had the first of these - the 8th grade pool party (see previous post for pictures).  Here are the dates for the next 3 events. Contact Mr. Thompson or me to RESERVE YOUR SPOT! I hope all 7th and 8th graders can come! Those who aren't returning to DRCS next year are also more than welcome to come.

Friday, July 19th - Kayaking in Dana Point & Exploring Tide Pools
Friday, August 9th - Forest Falls Day Hike
Friday, August 23rd - Newport Beach Coastal Bike Ride & Day at the Beach

*Don't forget to turn in your permission slips!

8th Grade Pool Party

Today we had the first of 4 Junior High Summer Events - the 8th Grade Pool Party!  The students swam for almost 4 hours straight! We also had snacks and ended with a discussion about the Summer Reading Club and a devotion about the body of Christ.  Thank you Mrs. Flagg and Serenity for being such great hostesses!

Summer Reading Books!

I really hope you are all taking advantage of the opportunity you guys have to read 3 GOOD BOOKS that have been recommended to you through the summer reading program.  This is a blessing, and most students do not get this opportunity.  Reading is fun, makes you smarter, and gives you new perspectives about the world.  I, myself, am into my 2nd book of the summer.  Most of you guys are already enamored with books, and I hope that soon, that will be true of all of you!  Happy reading!

7th Grade Summer Reading Books

This is the second year I have chosen this book because last year, the kids who read it REALLY liked it!  A boy has had his eyes plucked out by crows since he was a baby.  He is an orphaned master thief, just trying to survive in the world.  Suddenly, he is drawn into another realm and asked to embark upon a quest to save a kingdom.  Along his way, he can use 3 pairs of magic eyes.  In this book, you will encounter a band of thieves, a crow army, a Knight that is part cat and part horse, and many other imaginative characters!



Coraline's family just moved into a new apartment, which is part of an old Victorian home.  She has some rather interesting neighbors, including a man who trains his pet mice to perform circus acts.  Her parents seem to be very busy and neglectful of her lately.  One day, she finds a small door in the wall and goes through it.  What she finds is the exact same home she lives in on the other side, with what seems like her exact same parents, only they give her extravagant amounts of love and attention (oh, and they have creepy button eyes).  Are her "other-mother" and "other-father" too good to be true?

Pirates! Buried treasure! Mutiny! Bravery! Need I say more? I just finished this book (chosen by Mrs. Barr), and although it is definitely a "boy book", I really enjoyed it. This book contains fantastic pirate characters, including Long John Silver and Billy Flint, as well as more noble characters such as Doctor Livesey, Captain Smollett, and Jim Hawkins. The plot twists are fantastic. It's no wonder this book is a classic.

*This book is a challenging read.  If you find yourself struggling to figure out what's going on at times, click here for Sparknotes that will help you!  http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/treasure/

If you liked Hugo, you will love this book.  This book contains two stories, told side by side.  One, about a boy whose mother just passed away, is told in words.  In this story, the boy explores a museum and camps in a closet there with his new museum friend, another boy whose father works at the museum, when the museum is closed.  Together they explore the secrets of the museum.  The other, older, story about a girl who was neglected by her mother, is told in pictures.  You don't find out how these two stories are connected until the end, when everything will start to make sense.  This book is a fast read! I read most of it in 1 day.

This one was chosen by Mrs. Barr.  Although I haven't read it yet, I have heard so many good things about it and want to read it this summer!  

*This book may also be another challenging read.  If you find yourself struggling with this book, use these Sparknotes to help you!

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/alice/

A great book, and a short read.  12-year-old Jonas lives in a society where everything is chosen for its citizens - where they will live, who they will marry, what job they will have, and so on.  Babies are scientifically "grown" by the government and given to each couple, with their names already chosen for them.  When Jonas is told what job he will have in life, he is very confused about what this job entails, but he knows it is no ordinary job.  He soon meets The Giver, who will open his eyes to many things, some of which he might not have ever wanted to know.  Jonas' fate will be forever changed.

Summer Reading Projects

Hello students! I hope you are having a fantastic summer and that you are enjoying your summer reading books!  Here are the project options for each book.  The goal is for you to finish one book and one project each month.  Turn them into the office when you are done. :)

Fairy-Tale Ending: Have you ever wanted to change the way a story ended? Well, here is your chance! Re-write the last chapter in the story, and make it your own! Give the story the ending you think it should have. Don’t be afraid to mix it up! (1-2 pages maximum)

Dinner is served: Imagine you are invited to dine with a character in your book. List 5 – 10 questions that you might ask them during your visit, and imagine what their response might be. Also think about your surroundings: Where are you? What is being served? Who else might be there? Try to ask questions that people really want to know

Where in the world? Create a detailed map of where your story takes place. Show with words or symbols where important events occurred. Be sure to use plenty of detail in your artwork and description! (Maps can be three-dimensional as well. Paper maché is a wonderful resource. Get creative with it!)

Scrapbook it! Create a scrapbook based on information you have learned from the story. Be sure to write captions for each entry/page as to what is being included n the page and why. You can add items mentioned throughout the story, or create something new by including items that you think the characters might have used or collected. (5-10 illustrated pages, each with at least one caption)

Dear Diary: Create 5 journal entries from one of the main characters in the story. Be sure to include key events in these entries to give us an understanding of when they might have been written. Give plenty of detail! Be sure to write one entry from the beginning of the novel, and one from the end. (Each entry should be no less than one paragraph, no more than one page)

Lights, Camera, Action! Create a movie poster promoting the novel as a popular, new movie. You can cast real actors as the main characters, or use people you know. Make sure your poster reflects the time period from which the story takes place, and be sure to show costumes and background detail!

Shadowbox Showcase: Create a shadowbox that shows one of your favorite scenes from your novel. Be sure that it can sit vertically, so that it can hang on the wall. Imagine that you are capturing a little piece of that moment in the story with your artwork. Be expressive!

Some of my favorite things: Create a poster of ten of your favorite things about your novel. Be sure to give a description of each item, and illustrate each caption with either drawings or make a collage. Be sure to explain why they are your favorite!

Remember when… Create a poster of a timeline and show the main events of the story. Choose at least five main events out of your timeline to illustrate on your poster. You can illustrate them by either drawing or making separate collages.

Wanted! Create a wanted poster for either the villain or hero in your story. Explain who they are and what have done that makes them wanted by the law. Also give a one-page description of who they are and what they contributed to during the story.

Comic Quest: Create a comic book based on the main events of the novel. Be sure to include chapter headings and page numbers. Each illustrated page will need to have captions explaining what is happening in the picture. (5-10 pages)

On the Cover: Create a book jacket for your novel. Illustrate the front cover by either drawings or a collage. Be sure to include your favorite quote on the cover, and write a summary and review for the story. Try to capture the heart of what your novel is about in your artwork! (Going the extra mile: Research the author of your novel and write a short biography about them on the inside)

Last Day Party, Fun Day, & Last Words

FUN DAY is tomorrow (Wednesday) from 8:30AM to 11:30AM.  There will be water slides, water balloons, water guns, hot dogs, and more.  Don't miss out! The cost is $10 (pay in the office).
_____________________________________________________

I want to give a big thank you to all of the parents who helped out today! Mrs. Murphy, Mr. Palomo, Mrs. Mellor, Mrs. Filippini, & Mrs. Champin.

Parents - Thank you for all the help this year! That includes driving on field trips, bringing food for our parties, collecting recyclables (Mr. Mellor), fundraising, and all the other things you did for our class.  Thank you for sending your students to a good, Christian school.  You are showing them Jesus, protecting them, and doing a great job as parents.

Students -  I will miss you terribly, especially those of you who are not coming back to DRCS next year.  You are an extraordinary group of students, and I am so blessed to have been able to teach you this year.  Thank you for being such a great first class for me.
          If there's anything I want you to remember the rest of your life, it's not the names of the 4 nitrogen bases in your DNA, it's not the phases of mitosis or meiosis, it's not the Pythagorean Theorem, and it's not how to graph quadratic functions (although these things are awesome, worth remembering, and have God's fingerprints all over them).  If there's anything I really want you to remember the rest of your life, it's God's immeasurable love for each of you.  He has given each one of you countless blessings, from family members, to friends, to gifts and abilities.  I hope you will remember the Sermon on the Mount and all of the wisdom Jesus has given you, personally, as a GIFT! Don't take it for granted.  Build your house on the rock, so that when you reach the end of your life, Jesus will not say to you, "Depart from me, I never knew you," (Matt. 7:23) but He will say to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:23).  That is my prayer for each one of you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5: 3-12

Thank you, Brent, for this amazing gift! I will treasure it always!

4th Quarter Honor Roll Awards

I am so proud of my honor roll students who worked so hard this quarter!

Highest Honor Roll: Straight A's
High Honor Roll: GPA of 3.4 with no C's
Honor Roll:  GPA of 3.0 or higher with at most 1 C

Highest Honor Roll: Sophia Trejo, Cheyenne Mellor, Joey Rucker, Brent Murphy

High Honor Roll: Hailey Gentry, Mikala Champin, Alex Rodriguez

Honor Roll: Jimmy Jizmejian, Sage Bowman, Tommy Filippini

Great job guys!!

Raging Waters Field Trip

Awards Party

Tomorrow is our Awards Party. Ice cream sundaes are on the menu! Students, please bring an ice cream topping. Ice cream will be provided. We will be doing class awards and honor roll awards. Parents are welcome to come!

Times

Ice cream sundaes will start at 10:30. Awards will begin around 10:50.

Raging Waters End of the Year Field Trip Tomorrow

Raging waters info for tomorrow (Monday, June 10th):

-Cost: $25 per person + food money. Bring extra money if you want to rent a locker.

-Time: Arrive at school at the normal time.  You will be doing your job as usual and we will leave at 9:00am.  The park closes at 5:00pm, but some drivers may want to leave earlier.  Return time depends on the driver your child is with.  Students will keep in contact with their parents to let them know what time to pick them up from the school.

-Wear normal clothes to school.  Boys, you may wear your swim trunks and a shirt; girls you may wear your bathing suit underneath your clothes.

-Dress code: Boys: swim trunks (rash guard/shirt is optional). Girls: One-piece bathing suit or a two-piece ONLY if you wear a shirt over it. (Note: some slides do not allow shirts for safety reasons, so you might want to wear a one-piece).  Board shorts are also recommended for girls, but not required.

-Items to bring: a change of clothes, a towel, sunblock, a change of clothes, a plastic bag for your wet bathing suit, and sandals or water shoes. You may also want to bring sunglasses.

Endeavour Field Trip

Pictures from our trip to the CA Science center to see the space shuttle Endeavour!

Also, here is a video Pastor Steve made of this field trip.  The video includes footage of Joey, Mikala, Sophia, Sage, and Alex riding the high rise bicycle! Endeavour Video