Week 25: Praise the Lord!
As we finished the Book of Luke this week, we focused on how Jesus ascended into the heavens. Luke writes in Acts that he would return the same way he left! So we lifted our hands to the heavens, in praise of the Lord and shouted “Hallelujah!” What a wonderful way to end this amazing book.
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The Garden
During worship time, we learned that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Jesus taught that even tiny faith—like a small seed—or small acts of kindness and actions can grow into big, strong, and amazing things. (Matthew 13:31-32)
We also heard the story of Zacchaeus, a very rich tax collector from Jericho who was very short. People disliked him because he took their money. One day, when Jesus visited the area, Zacchaeus had to climb a sycamore tree to see over the crowd. Jesus called him by name, told him to come down, and went to visit his home. Even though people didn’t like him, Jesus loved him too, and that made Zacchaeus change his ways. Jesus’ love changes us for the better. (Luke 19:1-10)
During circle time we started our new insect theme.
We had a special guest, Bobby Bee (puppet), who came to sing with us and share some bee facts. Did you know that bees have five eyes and six legs? They also have two stomachs—one for food and one where they store the nectar they collect.
We will be discussing what new things occur in nature during the month of March and will continue learning more about bees, butterflies and other bugs and will be planting some more flowers for them. 🐝🌸
During activity time, we used playdough to make the letter B, and we also made some bumblebees. We used paper towel rolls and paint to create bees as well. In the block area, we built what we think the Kingdom of God looks like and it turned out amazing!
This week story: Milly May’s Seasons
The Seeds Program
BIBLE
This week we read about the risen Lord Jesus Christ in our study of Luke 24. This is the final chapter of the book of Luke and we read about how the angels told the women that Jesus had risen when they arrived at the tomb…just as the Scriptures had foretold. They ran and told the other disciples, who had difficulty believing this. Then Jesus himself appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and then later to the rest of them as they gathered in a closed room together in Jerusalem. This was amazing, especially for those who still weren’t convinced that Jesus was alive. Finally, we read about how Jesus ascended into heaven. What an amazing journey this has been to study the book of Luke together and if you’ve been following along at home, we hope that it has been a blessing for your family as well.
SUGGESTED READINGS
Bible
Luke 24
DK Illustrated Bible
pgs. 306-313
SCIENCE
This week we learned more about the inside of the heart. We learned about the different chambers that the blood flows through and we traced the flow of the blood in and out of the heart with a worksheet. We also enjoyed looking closely at a life size model of the human heart that was donated to by Elena’s grandfather and cardiologist, Dr. César Vázquez. Every student had an opportunity to look at it closely and hold it. This week we will place the heart on our classroom skeleton and begin learning about the urinary system.
SUGGESTED READINGS
Encyclopedia of the Human Body
p.26-29
HISTORY
The students in History class have put their artistic talents on display in a major way! Our older group finished their portraits of William the Conqueror and were able to present their work to the other group, while the younger ones presented their shield designs to the older ones. It was a great day of presentations, playing Nine-Men’s Morris and introducing our next topic: the Han Dynasty. While this Dynasty existed hundreds of years before the Medieval Period, their influence would affect future trade with the West, which we will be covering in future classes.
STUDIO TIME
We took some extra time this week to begin an art project inspired by the stained glass windows that have been found in many churches and monasteries since medieval times. After looking at several pictures for inspiration, the students began their designs in pencil. On Friday, many began to trace their drawings with oil pastels. Finally, they could use water color paints to fill in the spaces with the colors of their choosing. They are doing a wonderful job with them and will finish their creations this week.
Mrs. Michelle also visited us this week and held a special PE class with the students which is always a treat for all the students.
Seeds Memory Verse Song
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (Clang, clang, clang). If I have great power and understand, all mysteries, and all things, and if I have the faith to remove mountains, but have not love...I am nothing!
If I give away all I have and give up my body, but if I don’t have love, I gain nothing...I gain nothing!”
The Oaks Program
In our readings of “More than a Carpenter” this week, we covered more theories that have been developed to explain the “missing” body of Jesus Christ. These theories, we discussed, have been created to explain a historical fact without accepting the biblical account that Jesus rose from the dead. We also discussed how in many of the cases, it would take more faith to believe the theories than what the Bible records, because some of them just don’t make sense given the Roman presence at the tomb of Jesus and the difficulties experienced by Jesus' disciples who gave their lives for what they taught about the resurrection.
One extra special thing this week was the presentation of jackets to our upperclassmen: Olivia, Joshua, Mateo, and Anaiah. They are in their final year of the Oaks program and we are so proud of them. Each of their parents presented them with a jacket and they proudly wore it all week. Congratulations guys.
OAKS MEMORY PASSAGE (1 Corinthians 13:1-10):
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
SCIENCE
What distinguishes a mineral from a rock? This week in Chemistry, the students learned about minerals and what their distinct characteristics are. Minerals must: be solid, be made of inorganic material, have a specific arrangement of atoms, be naturally occurring, and must have a fixed chemical formula. They also learned that allotropes such as diamonds and graphite are made of exactly the same thing, only carbon atoms, but because of the specific arrangement of the carbon atoms, you can have two completely different substances.
And the Marine Science students prepared for test # 3 by playing the ever enjoyable review game, Verdad o Falso. All of the students scored exceedingly well on their test and should be very proud of their diligent work. After the test, the students learned about the photic zone of the ocean which contains a diverse marine life. One group of tiny marine life, phytoplankton, drives the food chain in the photic zone. Without these minute plants, the zooplankton wouldn't have any food source, which would, in turn, affect larger marine animals.
HISTORY
For the Oaks students, we went into greater detail about the Han Dynasty, which ruled ancient China for around 400 years, roughly during the same period of the Roman Empire. We read about the impact this amazing dynasty had on the trade of silk, gold, silver and other precious materials with the west. We also learned a bit about their technological advancements in warfare and medicine, which would have been unheard of in the Roman Empire and even hundreds of years later in Medieval Europe.
SUGGESTED READINGS
The Story of the World
P. 186, 189
Streams of Civilization
P. 236-241 - Origins of Chinese Civilization
P. 241-243 - Everlasting Empire
P. 243-246 - Han Dynasty
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Mrs. Michelle came in last week with a special exercise workshop for the students which taught them how to have correct positions in their movements and evaluate each others’ technique. She also visited the group on another day to share her testimony of how the Lord used a bike injury to work on her heart and faith. This was a wonderful way so see how God works in all areas of our lives.
