Merry Christmas!

We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas as you celebrate
the baby in the manger come to save the world. 

What a reason for JOY!

Crystals are forming!!!!!

Almost everyone was able to get an ornament started. We had a few people absent and we ran out of time for a few. Crystals are already forming on the first group done. A few are forming on the second group. These should be ready to go on Friday. The designs were great. Everyone was creative.

Crystal Ornaments

Science classes tomorrow (Tuesday) December 15 - Remember we are going to be creating crystal ornaments (using borax).

If possible, please bring in a wide mouthed jar (canning jars are excellent) if you can to hold your ornament while the crystals form. If you happen to have some food coloring lying around the house, bring that in as well. The food coloring will add a colorful tint to the crystals.

Think about your design this evening. Look on pintrest. Search the web for cool ideas. Be ready to be creative and have some fun.

Christmas Giving - The Final Update

Thank you so very much for your generosity as we provided Christmas for two local families in need. I am humbled by your giving spirits, and I know the families will be blessed by you. 

Enjoy some pictures of the well-organized, yet chaotic wrapping process that got the gifts prepared for delivery on Monday morning.

The Upcoming ("Christmas Crazy") Week

There is so much to be excited about coming right around the corner! Namely - Christmas!!! But as we prepare to meet the Baby Jesus once again, there's still a packed-full week of school to get through. For the most part, school will continue as normal - normal classes, normal homework, normal tests/quizzes. However, here are some out-of-the-ordinary things you can expect next week:

• Monday:
• Final research papers for 7th and 8th grades are due!!
• All three grades will begin a fun Christmas-focused writing unit.
• 6th & 7th grade will be watching a movie based on the book we just finished reading aloud as part of our Christmas short story unit - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.
• 6th grade will start presentations of their mini history projects.
• Tuesday:
• Vocab is due a day early for 7th & 8th grade since we will not be having our class Wednesday afternoon.
• Wednesday:
• Dress rehearsal for our Christmas program will be in the afternoon 
• Thursday: Christmas Program Day!!
• The first performance will be at 1:00 p.m. All students need to be in their green Forest Hills t-shirt, unless they received different instructions from their band or handbell teacher.
• The second performance will be at 7:00 p.m. All students need to be dressed in "Sunday Best" for this performance, unless they received different instructions from their band or handbell teacher. 
• Students who are in band should report to the gym at 6:30 p.m. 
• Students who are in handbells should report to the gym at 6:30 p.m. 
• All other students should report to Mr. Plucknett's room at 6:45 p.m. on the dot.
• Friday: Christmas Celebration Day!!
• There will be so much happening this day! The three classes will be doing a variety of things including some or all of the following activities:
• Being in service to our school by helping clean up the gym from the program the night before
• Visiting with our buddies (the students can bring a little something for their buddies if they want to)
• Yummy Christmas breakfast provided by our wonderful parents
• Movies (Be sure to sign the permission slips coming home today!!)
• Parties complete with Secret Santa Gift Exchanges
• A special chapel put on by our very own 8th grade class

We are so excited for this fun-filled week! As always, let us know if you have any questions about anything.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

There HERE!!!!

The cockroaches arrived on Wednesday and were put into their habitat on Thursday morning. Most of the students have been able to see them. A few think they are awesome and few are totally creeped out. As a species they are quite docile and yet quite large. They can grow to be 3 inches long. During the day they will remain hidden as they prefer dark places. 

The cockroaches were brought in for the 7th grade life science curriculum. These students will get a chance to learn more about them during an investigation. This will take place towards the end of the second trimester.

Ask your student what they think about them.

Book Fair & Book Orders

We invite you to come support our school tomorrow morning at the Book Fair hosted by Barnes & Noble. Present the voucher coming home in your family envelope today at checkout, and a portion of your sale will be donated to Forest Hills. What a great way to get some Christmas shopping done and help out our school as well! Remember, Barnes & Noble is known as a bookstore, but they have a lot of games, toys, puzzles, and other things too, so come shop around with us from 9:00-12:00 tomorrow morning!!



Also, Scholastic book orders came home yesterday. If you like the convenience of ordering online or with the flyer, this is another great way to help out our classroom. Orders are due Monday in order for the books to arrive before Christmas break.