New Year....NEW ATTENDANCE CHARTS!!!

Hi all.  It has been a fast and furious few weeks at our NUT HOUSE...Just so you know that is what I lovingly call my home.  It seems that the VIRUS my 13 year old brought home from school...took up LOOOOONG term residency  in our home.  On top of that, we have had a family of squirrels move into our attic.  BLECK!!!  I think they took the naming of our home seriously!!!  So, LIFE has been extremely CRAZY for our family.  You see, while trying to catch these pesky squirrels, while trying to celebrate my LOVING HUBBY'S birthday, while trying to enjoy all the various activities and performances that my KIDDOS have going on this time of the year, while trying to get all the Christmas preparations done and trying to enjoy the Holiday Season...I have been FLAT OUT SICK!!!  I am now UP on my feet and feeling about 80% normal.     

Being way to  sick to go anywhere did provide me with one blessing.  I got to WRITE BIBLE LESSONS!!!!  You see, I snuggled up in my favorite chair under  my favorite blanket with  my computer and managed to get 3 lessons written on the Southern Nation of Judah!!!!!!!  YAY!!!!!!  I really try to look for BLESSINGS in Sufferings.  I REALLY try to find a way to be thankful and content.  

After being sick for so long I could NOT wait to get in my classroom and get some "WORK" done.  So, TODAY, the first day of 2013, I loaded up my computer and "BIBLE CLASS Projects Bag" and headed to the church building with my Hubby.  I REALLY wanted to get the KIDDOS  ATTENDANCE CHARTS CHANGED TODAY!!!!  I wanted them to be ready for the KIDDOS on Wednesday Evening.  

BTW, THE KIDDOS LOVED the FALL TREES that they had been filling in with 3D leaves. 

But, I have to tell you a funny story.  You see, these KIDDOS are SMART!!!  I have had 2 of my KIDDOS point out that we are NO LONGER IN AUTUMN!!  So, I figured I better get a move on and get them changed out quickly!!!  :-)  I love it when the KIDDOS keep you on TASK! 

 

I decided to go with the Theme of HEARTS.  We are going to be learning about some Kings of Judah that had their HEARTS RIGHT with GOD.  So, I will be able to bring in the ATTENDANCE CHARTS into our lessons...  I have entitled the Attendance Board, "We LOVE Attending BIBLE Class!"  I will point out to the KIDDOS that when we LOVE ATTENDING BIBLE CLASS it makes GOD happy.

 

 I LOVE the colors on this BOARD.  I do not often use Pastel Colors....But, this allowed me to have Pastels mixed with BRIGHTS!!!  I did put the BOYS Attendance Cards on BLUE backgrounds and the GIRLS Attendance Cards are or Bright PINK!!    I have a VARIETY of HEART SHAPED stickers.  So, I think it will work well for Boys and Girls.  I will let you know how much they like this Attendance Charts.

Because I am a BIG fan of 3D, I added some 3D RED HEART ORNAMENTS.  I have had these ornaments in my supply closet for about 8 years.  I used one set a LONG time ago when I was teaching on the attributes of LOVE from 1 Corinthians 13.  I knew I would use this second set at some point---who knew it would be about 8 years later.  That is WHY I say "SAVE IT---I will use it some day!"

  

This Attendance Board Makes me Happy.  I hope the KIDDOS will LOVE filling in their CARDS with LOTS of HEART SHAPED STICKERS!!!!

OK, OK, OK....JUST an UPDATE.  Please let me explain...I ran by Dollar Tree this morning to pick up a BUTTON--I need one more GIRL MEMORY VERSE BEAD BUTTON--we have a NEW family attending with us!!!!!  Well, when I walked in I was so excited....THEY have all their VALENTINES DECORATIONS out!!!  I spotted something immediately!!!!  Those beautiful, little, RED FELT HEARTS!!!!  They are a GARLAND!!!!!!!  So, I decided to get them....I knew I wanted to add them to my Attendance Board.....BUT, I have FUTURE PLANS for them too!!!!  Wont they be great for when I teach on 1 CORINTHIANS 13---The infamous LOVE Chapter!!!  I will be able to use them to ADD a NEW ATTRIBUTE to the garland as we learn about it!!!  I will just need to take them apart (once I have finished using them to decorate the board) and write each attribute of LOVE on the hearts....The KIDDOS will each get their OWN SET to add their hearts to....I know it will be a LOOOOOONG time before I CHRONOLOGICALLY get to 1 CORINTHIANS 13...but, sometimes in the SUMMER, I like to CHANGE things us and do a NEW TESTAMENT STUDY....HUM......I might have to do that this Summer.  NOT SURE, so don't HOLD me to that PLAN.  :-)

Blessings,

Ronda

Fruit of the Spirit Lesson 3 LOVE

Lesson three of our Fruit of the Spirit unit was a lesson on LOVE.  I used the verse John 3:16 as our main text.  We learned how God LOVES us soooo much that HE sent HIS Son JESUS to die for our sins.  

For our  "story time" I used a small story book that showed the basic life of Christ.  It started with his humble birth.  The book then showed a few highlights from HIS life...and then HIS death, burial and resurrection.  The book ended with a GIANT HEART that has the words, "BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU" on it.  It was a nice way to give a short chronological account of the life of Christ.

As our TAKE HOME project we made a type of mobile.  The kiddos LOVED the 3D earth that they got to glue to their mobile. They also got to stick on 3D foamy heart stickers.  The pictures really help you see what we made during class. 

The little globes came from a pencil sharpener that I had purchased a while back at Target.   I think they turned our darling!

Our memory verse was JOHN 3:16....We sang the verse to a little tune to help the kiddos get it memorized.  They ALL had it memorized before leaving the classroom!!!

The kiddos loved coloring the heart with the earth in the middle of it.  I explained that GOD'S love for the world...Is really GOD'S love for mankind

For our Activity/Review Game we play "Put the LIFE of CHRIST in order."  I had added a small picture ,that matched the pictures in the book we read during "story time," to Popsicle sticks.  Then used an old piece of Styrofoam placed each piece in order of events in the LIFE of CHRIST.  Then took them all our and mixed them up.  The kiddos had to answer a question from the lesson to pick a piece and place it in the styrofoam in the correct order.  They did a really good job getting them in the right order.  It was a challenge for the younger students and a BREEZE for my older student.  So, I had the older student "HELP" the younger ones...It was great fun!!!  It was also a very effective yet inexpensive way to review the lesson.

I wanted to encourage the kiddos to memorize the memory verses.  I decided that a basket would be perfect. If they can say the memory verse on Sunday, they get to add a new FRUIT to their basket.  They are so excited about "FILLING" their basket with the fruit stickers.  

Simple things make kids happy. 

On Wednesday Evening the kiddos had a puzzle with pizazz to make.  This project goes into their "Explorer Journal."  To make this the kiddos had to put the puzzle  (we had already cut each puzzle out) together first...then colored it however they wanted.  Then for a SPECIAL SURPRISE... or the PIZAZZ, as I like to call it....they got to glue on a wooden globe to the center of the heart!!!!  This gives this puzzle a SPECIAL touch. 

The children LOVED this...they all thought the GLOBE was really COOL.  I love it when something so simple makes them excited about their projects...and helps make the lesson more memorable for them.

I bought something NEW for my classroom...We do a lot of on the carpet activities...I had wanted to buy a large rug that had colored squares for each student....however, I could NOT afford to do this at the moment.  So, I decided to keep my eyes opened for ANYTHING that would accomplish the same desired effect at a much lower cost....Well, while shopping at ROSS recentely I noticed these great FOAM puzzle pieces....A light bulb went off and well...NOW, each of my students has their OWN SPOT to sit during our CARPET TIME activities.  :-) 

Blessings,

Ronda

Fruit of the Spirit

Today was the beginning of a NEW Quarter for my students.  With a new quarter....we are beginning new material.  

Our Theme for the Quarter....I LOVE the bright colors.

We are EXPLORING the FRUIT of THE SPIRIT from Galatians 5.   The kiddos were so excited to see all the NEW items in the classroom.  I even had one little girl asking her mom if she would get to have NEW MEMORY VERSES with the new material.  I love it when the little ones want to memorize GOD'S WORD.  

Since our we are learning through EXPLORING BIBLE HISTORY, we will continue to use the Who? What? When? Where? Where? Why? and How does it effect us? Method.  

  

Who? What? When? Where? Where? Why? & How? WALL

Our WHO? was--Apostle Paul and the Christians living in Galatia.

Our WHAT? was-- That Paul LOVES the Christians in Galatia.  Paul wanted them to know that GOD had done them a BIG FAVOR (GRACE) by sending JESUS to die for their sins.   God wanted the Christians to have a HAPPY life....and a Happy life come though have the qualities of the FRUIT of THE SPIRIT.

Our WHEN? was--Christian Dispensation.

Our WHERE? was--Ephesus/Corinth (possibly where Paul was when he wrote the letter.)  GALATIA.

Our WHERE? in the Bible is the story found? was-- New Testament/Galatians.

Our WHY? was-- God wants Christians to behave in a godly way.  HE wants us to love others.  He wants us to feel joy.  He wants us to be peaceful, patience, kind, good, gentle, and in control of our self.  God knows if we live this way we will be happier and make others happier too.

Our How does this effect us? was--We must make sure to be living the way GOD wants us to live.  We must make sure we are always BEARING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.  We must have all these qualities in our life every day.  

This is one of the NEW items on the wall in our classroom.  It is a large laminated poster that has interchangeable (via velcro) cards that have the FRUIT of THE SPIRIT on them.  We will have one up for the week that we are learning about that attribute.   There is a small picture that represents the attribute....that will help the little ones "SEE" the attribute in a visual way.  

The Kiddos "Take Home" Activity was a smaller version of the BIG poster....They colored each of the pictures on the Attribute cards...we added the velcro dots, so that the kiddos can take it home and review each attribute with their parents.  I LOVE it when kiddos are able to review their BIBLE lesson with their parents in a fun and exciting way.  THEY LOVED making these...and were sooo excited about taking them home and sharing with their family.  I added a pocket to the back so that there would be a place to store all their attribute cards.

This is our NEW Memory Verse Card.  The kiddos colored their card in class...and they ALL had it memorized before leaving the classroom...that just makes me smile.

We added pieces to our interactive map.  We added "CORINTH"  and "Galatia."  "Ephesus" was on their from last quarters, Armor of God study.  

The kiddos will be making these FRUIT BASKETS on Wednesday Evening.  They will be going into their "EXPLORER JOURNAL."  The baskets are really 3D and pop up off the back of the page.  I really need to take an extra pic. to show how cute they really are.  

I finally took a pic to show  the 3D.

One of the NEW VISUALS I have in the Classroom....We will be using this as a REVIEW lesson in the future.  The BIBLE is opened up to Galatians chapter 5.

This is a "Fruit of The Spirit" homemade book.  I made this from an OLD visual aid.  It used to be posters....But, I cut it up and put each attribute on its OWN page...and now when we SING our FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT song...we can use this book to look at each attribute in action.  This morning I spent a lot of time going over the list of attributes that make up the Fruit of The Spirit....and this book really helped keep the kiddos attention....I LOVE re-purposing old material.

As a REVIEW Game we played a Question Game that involved putting a puzzle together.  The puzzle is made from a laminated Fruit of the Spirit Picture that I had printed from my computer.  I then cut it out in a PUZZLE shape and added magnet strips to the back....I placed it on my magnetic board (I LOVE my magnetic board) all mixed up.  The children answered a question from the lesson...then had the opportunity to  place a piece of the puzzle in the correct placement.  They REALLY enjoyed doing this...so, I will definitely be thinking of other "Puzzle Review Games" we can play in the future.

Hope you are enjoying teaching Bible Classes....Remember you are teaching precious little souls--LIFE CHANGING MATERIAL!!!

Blessings,

Ronda