What's Up at St. Mark's?
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA["…Go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices…for your cleansing…" Mark 1:44
Pastor Willig from St. John's, Chester, confused us at chapel when he read us the story of the leper who was healed. He told us to listen for the part about the birds and said that the birds were the most important part! We listened and thought we didn't hear anything about birds, but Pastor Willig was referring to the sacrifice for cleansing. Then he reminded us about the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our cleansing! Thank you, Pastor Willig, for leading our service.
Preschool and Kindergarten are studying the Bible story about the "Forgiving Father". Preschoolers are also working on the terms "before" and "after". They created circus train cars for their Valentine boxes and began to learn the sounds "C" and "K".
Kindergarten has been "earning" decorations to use on their Valentine boxes by solving problems in math or reading. They also worked on placing things in order from shortest to tallest. The students are using dimes to pay for items up to $1.00. In reading, the class has a unit on animals and rhyming words.
First and second grade sang "This Little Gospel Light of Mine" for those attending the Handicapped Accessible service February 9. The same day we went on a field trip to McKendree College for a young people's concert titled 'Storytime'. Kindergarten through 4th grade heard Peter and the Wolf, Tubby the Tuba, and a choir singing some nursery rhymes and children's songs. Everyone enjoyed hearing the music and seeing the instruments that told the stories. We also enjoyed watching the choir act out the songs they sang.
Grades K-4 enjoyed a Young People's Concert at McKendree University in Lebanon on Thursday Feb. 9th. The music department presented Peter and the Wolf, Tubby the Tuba and other music selections.
Third grade planned a personal essay to write. They brought 3 special items from home to share with their classmates. Then they wrote about the items and why they were special. After that, they drew a self portrait.
Fourth grade is learning how the crops differ from the Central Plains to the Great Plains. They found out that both Pizza Hut and White Castle first started in Wichita, Kansas.
Grades five through eight went to Hidden Valley to go ski. The students spent the morning taking lessons on the basics and then skied before and after lunch. They were lucky that there was snow available with warm weather lately.
Fifth grade is studying Paul's 1st missionary journey. They are also discussing polygons, rotation and reflection in math.
Sixth grade just finished a unit on vascular and nonvascular plants. In social studies they are studying the Roman empire. They learned that the Romans had a republic, but it was not a democracy because only the rich and powerful could be elected.
Seventh grade is studying the Eastern European countries. They have listened to gypsy music and classical music and found out about the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl.
Eighth grade talked about the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton after the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800. They learned that there were many problems that Jefferson had to deal with during his administration.