Happy New Year and it is great to be back again! I really missed each and every student and spent the vacation thinking and praying for each of them, while enjoying a relaxing time with my wife's family in Michigan. It was a nice time and served as our family's vacation for the year as we had none over the summer. We did have a white Christmas as snow fell the night we arrived and all morning two days before Christmas. It didn't last though as they too are facing water shortages.

I wish to thank all the families who participated in the gift presented to the Middle School teachers at the Christmas dinner event. It was an overwhelming gift of appreciation and my family and I thank you for the blessing and support it demonstrated. We love your students and care for some of their academic, spiritual and social needs, it was great to feel cared for as we received your gift. May God richly bless you as we continue to work together to meet the needs of your child.

6th Grade Bible
In these final weeks of Bible, I believe God is leading me to instruct your student in methods of study applied to the Word of God in search of His leading in our lives. I have enjoyed our time together investing in their personal spiritual growth and walk with God and have seen many deepen their faith and grow in knowledge of His will for thier lives. The Bible is a tool, an instruction book, but most importantly the key to understanding the walk of faith. It is my hope that I, along with the Holy Spirit, can create a hunger to search within its pages for truth, guidance and understanding that the walk of faith is one of relationship between God and themselves alone. It must become their own walk of faith and not one based solely on that of you their parents.

6th Grade Earth Science
Last week we explored the physics of thrust and Newton's third law of motion. Along with that we have been studying the history of space flight and the people who brought it to America. This week we finish by understanding each aspect of spacecraft and their contribution to the knowledge of space. We will end by exploring what the future holds for them. It is truly exciting!

We will also be joining Science and Math on Tuesday, going to Hileary Park to fly the kites they built in Math.

Science Lab notebooks will be due at the end of the week and there will be a test on Friday.

7th Grade Life Science
What makes you who you are? God and the genes that came from your parents! The fascinating study of genetics is our focus since our return from vacation. Everything we are, except our spirit, can be determined by the link, our genetic link to our parents. It is amazing to see that the same two parents can have such diversity in their children! This points out the dynamic creative forces of God! There just is no other explanation.

We will be conducting a genetic lab simulation this week and there will be a test on Friday. Science Lab Notebooks are due on Friday as well.

Please make sure you see the note I sent home last week about our Catalina trip. I am having two meetings on Thursday this week, one at 3:00 and the other at 5:30. This meeting is the final meeting where I can tell you your balance, you can learn about the need for assistance in transporting all students and chaperones to Long Beach, and find out what to pack for the trip. Please try and come to one of the meetings. Thank you.

8th Grade Physical Science
While we have just finished electromagnetic waves and it would be perfect timing to run the radio telescope, the new operating system that we will be beta testing is not yet done and I want to be the first school to run on it, so we will wait. Since Jupiter is up in the middle of the night, we will probably have to spend the night and take the next day of school off. In order to do this, I will need some parent volunteers to assist me with the project. It is my hope that we can do this either the first or second Thursday in the month of February. If you would be willing to assist, please let me know.

We now return to the beginning of the book and have been studying measurement. Students spent most of last week, learning how to use a balance and using scientific reasoning to solve some problems utilizing this tool. This week, we will continue to understand measurement, conversion from one standard to another and within each other, and culminate with a test on Friday.

Science Lab Notebooks are due on Friday as well.

I hope that you can forgive me for not updating the website in recent weeks. A host of events have really taken its toll on my schedule and something had to fall by the wayside. Is it just me, or do you have a lot of friends who are hurting this season? God has stretched me and used me and I feel I will finish the week with His enduring strength, and His hand upon me. I have felt the prayers of many in the past few weeks and I am appreciative of them all. He is my joy and refuge and your prayers support my ministry here at Cornerstone!

I am looking forward to the dinner and evening of celebration Thursday night. Make sure you stop by and see the dapper gentlemen and lovely ladies who will be in charge of the evening's events! It will be fun. I hope all can make it!

6th Grade Bible
I hope you have seen the new prayer journals, and I hope your child has been using it. This journal will be a chronicle of the classroom and individuals as we explore the depths and nuances of prayer. We are taking a little leave from the book and this week students are exploring the ABC's of prayer (due Thursday). As I shared with them, this is not an art project, but a heart project. The goal is to find something related to prayer, found in prayer or the scriptures, for every letter of the alphabet. A scripture passage should be attached for every word and letter of the alphabet. It is through prayer that people and the world are changed, I am sure of it. I hope we can open up a world of excitement as we explore this fascinating topic.

6th Grade Earth Science
We will now begin to explore space travel and this is a fascinating topic that I hope will excite every student. The wonders of space travel and the possibilities of living on another world or moon, is intriguing. As this is the last week before Christmas break, it should come as no surprise that some students are already moving into orbit with all the energy and excitement of the season! It is a glorious time and we will dream about the future.

7th Grade Life Science
After coloring their way through DNA and chromosome duplication, students will be building models of DNA and acting out how it works! It should be fun and bring good understanding to this engaging topic of living organisms. It is the stuff of life and there is amazing detail, complexity and simplicity in this awesome process. There will be a test on the chapter Thursday.

Don't forget, the Science camp will happen in February and while many have made deposits and a few have fully paid, you may want to make another deposit for the trip soon.

8th Grade Physical Science
A few groups are working on a project about a particular wavelength of energy. Some have opted to take the test which will be on Wednesday. Either way, I am excited to see the results of the work. As we uncover the electromagnetic spectrum, we will be working our way toward the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope project that will have our students collecting radiowave data from space for scientists at Jet Propulsion Laboratory to use. More information will follow in the new year.

It has been a busy, but rewarding week. Conferences went well and I want to make it clear that if any parent would like to talk with me about your student, please feel free to do make an appointment to see me at any time.

The Wal-Mart field trip to stock our Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes was fantastic!! The students did an amazing job and shared with others our purpose for shopping. It was a great testimony and they were fine examples of Christ to those in the store. Wal-Mart even gave us a discount as an added benefit. Thank you Wal-Mart.

6th Grade Bible
We continue to examine the life of Abram and the choices he made. This week we will also examine his call and how he knew about heaven and the decisions he made in his life.

6th Grade Earth Science
Students will continue to learn about comets and meteors and a comet will be made in the lab on Wednesday. This will serve as a way of helping them understand the theories about comet structure and how it can decay as it moves through space. Did you know that comet's tails do not always point toward the rear of the comet? Do you know why? Hopefully, your student will know by the end of the week. There will be a test on Friday. If your child will not be in school that day, they should take the test before they leave.

7th Grade Life Science
There will be a lab this week on turgor pressure and we will be exploring photosynthesis, plant responses to their environment and finishing this excursion with a test on Friday. If your child will not be here, they should arrange to take the test before they leave.

8th Grade Physical Science
Looking ahead, this week already sounds like a lot of fun. Communicating via a string, hands on Doppler effect, and a few other teacher demonstrations and reviews will finish the week as we head toward a test on Friday. If your child will not be in school that day, they should take the test before they leave.

Parent/ Teacher conferences are this week and many have been scheduled. If you feel you need to talk with me, please let me know so I can schedule a conference. As you can understand, it would be a difficult feat to meet with all sixty parents concerning their student. While I make every effort to work with your child, it is my hope that you always feel that I can be contacted to schedule a conference at any time during the year.

It is an honor to work with your son or daughter, and I feel blessed to be a small part of their lives. They each have made my days at Cornerstone a blessing and I enjoy getting to know them as time progresses. It is also an honor to serve the Almighty God as I try to share the heart of a worshipper and scientist in His created universe.

As you know, the faculty and students are participating in the Operation Christmas Child program again this year. As part of making it a "gift from the heart" of each student, we are taking the middle school to Wal-Mart to purchase gifts to put into the shoeboxes. If you would like your child to participate in this way, you can talk with any of us to get additional information or information about how you can participate in this activity. Our goal is one hundred shoeboxes from the Middle School alone! God bless you as you give to those who have nothing.

To accommodate conferences and half days, the classes have been shortened this week. Each core class will be 40 minutes.

6th Grade Bible
We will continue to examine the meaning of happiness, balance it off with promises and a word study about "promise" and cap it off finishing the week by dealing with the unknown. Our lives are lived in a continual balance of seeking true happiness, God's plan for our lives and the future. I hope your child is taking this time to continue to grow in their faith as we uncover many mysteries and truths, treasures within the word of God.

6th Grade Earth Science
We start a new chapter as your student will be learning about the smaller objects in our solar system called asteroids, comet and other orbiting bodies. What are the chances that the earth could be hit with such an object? What would be the result? Stand by to find out!

7th Grade Life Science
What is respiration? Its not just breathing air! Lots of things respire taking in other materials. It is all in the life of cells, aerobic and non-aerobic. You student will be examining the differences in the way cellular organisms take in material. It can be breathtaking!

8th Grade Science
What is sound? Is it just vibration or are you shaking the wrong tree? Does sound travel faster at sea level that in the mountains? Does it move faster through solid objects? How does density affect sound? How low is low? How high is high? Okay, so do you know the answer to these questions? We will be exploring the answers to just these questions and more as we progress our way through the understanding of sound. By the way, if a tree falls in a forest and there is no one, absolutely no one to hear it, does it make a sound?

As the first quarter ends, a new quarter begins. There are always new beginnings for those who love the Lord! I am looking forward to meeting some of you parents during the week of conferences. Please keep in mind, that though we wish to talk with all of you, sixty conferences would be an impossible feat in one week of afternoons. If you feel a parent/ teacher conference is necessary for your child, please do not hesitate to let me know so one can be scheduled. I am always available via email and this is a great way to keep in touch. Thank you for the many, who choose this form of contact, as it is has been very successful and efficient with time considerations.

6th Grade Bible
As a Christian walk of faith is observed, what evidences can be observed in their character? Should they be happy? Truthful? How should a Christian deal with conflict? Our Bible topics go so much farther than the worksheets tell. Every class is full of life applications. Have you seen any changes in your student this year? Are they pondering and reading God's word? Do you read scripture with them and ask questions? Now is the time to reason together with your child. Uncovering bits and pieces (where appropriate) of your heart and struggles, can be very enlightening for a child. Including them in your thinking process is a great way to demonstrate Christian ethics and living. Just remember, the journey may take us far, and with Christ we won't wonder, who we really are.

6th Grade Earth Science
Our radio telescope overnighter was a huge success!!! The data was some of the best I've ever seen and the sixth graders learned a whole lot about Jupiter, with more to come! This week, a tour of the solar system will finish with a test on Friday. In labs, we will be exploring just how much we might weigh on other planets and our moon. You don't need to diet, just travel to the moon for instant weight loss!! Divide by 6 and you're there!!!

7th Grade Life Science
Students will continue to examine cells this week and on Monday, will meet a very interesting subject. We have already examined plant cells, and an amoeba (living cell), hmm, what is next? Ask and find out! The chapter test will be Thursday so get cracking on those cell organelles and their function. Also included will be information about the parts of a compound light microscope.

8th Grade Physical Science
We are on the move in the magnetism chapter and will have a test on Wednesday. Wihtout magnetism, life on our planet would not exist. It is even more important than water!!! This force exists in light, and creates dazzling shows in the northeren and southern most parts of the world called arora. Household appliances couldn't run with out magnetism; and yet, when the truth is known, no one has found a way to explain all the dynamics behind the magnetic force, other than what can be observed with the simple eye. Cut a magnet in half, and you still have both positive and negative forces in each smaller magnet. There are so many spiritual applications for magnetism (see previous blog in the sixth grade Bible section of last week's blog. So what do you know about magnetism?

I am finishing up grading the Science Lab Notebooks. Each and every student has a typed paragraph written specifically for them concerning the notebook's completion and contents. The grade is at the bottom with the first grade representing neatness and format, and the second grade representing effort and quality of work presented. The basis for the notebook is to keep all handouts, test, notes and worksheets in one, comprehensive place, signifying their efforts within the class and at home with homework. The notebook counts for 40% of the grade and will be reflected in the final quarter grade. The initial quarter's notebook helps me understand where your child is in organizational skills and discipline or work ethic. These will be mentioned in parent conferences as needed.

It is a pleasure working with your child and I am amazed at the growth many have made this quarter alone! There are many exciting adventures ahead for us in every class. I hope your student has been enjoying Science this year.

6th Grade Bible
In my own personal study of God's word, He has been teaching me about trusting in Him and how to set my path straight. It is interesting that it can all be explained with magnetism. Magnetism is an invisible force that has two very different reactions depending upon placement and proximity. First of all, if you separate them far enough away from eachother, there is no interaction and no effect. Move them closer and one of two things will happen; either they will be attracted to each other or repel each other. It takes a great deal of effort to force them to repel but it can be accomplished. Because they are like minded, they want to be together.

In many ways our walk with God is like a magnet. He wants us to be attracted to Him and spend time next to Him, while the world wants us to be attracted to it and be moved away from God. If this happens, we become unaffected by God's influence and separated from Him. Be it pride, selfishness, the aquisition of more or better things, each of these influences may seem to be attractive, but in truth are deceptive and deminishing.

As we seek to serve our savior, our goal is to be attracted to Him and one another in service. We need to be connected to His being and communicate with the almighty for guidance, peace and life. In these few short weeks, I have sought to share, with meaning, the truth of God through His word and the curriculum. What a joy it has been to have such an awesome priviledge! Please continue to pray for me and the class as we continue to learn about what it means to serve our God!

6th Grade Earth Science
We are getting ready! Ready for what? Ready to join the world of science and scientists at JPL! We will be working hard this week to learn how to run a radio telescope and what it means as Galileo passes through the radiation belts of Jupiter and we observe what is happening! The VLA (Very Large Array) will be doing the same thing at the same time, as this is a once in a lifetime moment to observe this phenomena. Observations will be continuing for the next several months as scientists are curious as to the effects of this meeting between a piece of man made equipment and the radiaton belts of Jupiter. We will be a part of history in the making!!!

7th Grade Life Science
Our eyes will be focused on the microscopic as we examine the structures of plant and animal cells. We will be contrasting the differences, similarities and meet an unusual organism that has traits of both. Students will also be preparing to become the teacher as they make ready a small presentation on cell parts in small groups of two or three. All in all it should be an ex-cell-ent week in science.

8th Grade Physical Science
On Friday we built a simple motor and this week, we will review the science behind its operation. The current trend points to a test the first part of next week with some interesting connections between magnets and electricity. There will be some spiritual applications as well as we continue to examine this strange, invisible force called magnetism. It is a fascinating subject and points well to a fascinating God.

The weeks are flying by and the quarter is almost finished. Every year I am amazed at how quickly it passes. I have enjoyed getting to know each student a little better and only wish I had more time to spend with them on an individual basis.

Science Lab Notebooks are due this Friday. Once again, neatness and completeness are requirements. Additionally, grades of excellence will be given to excellence of effort. Careful, thoughtful responses in conclusions and all work will be rewarded.

6th Grade Bible
We will continue to explore man's response to God's plans and requirements for those who choose to follow him. The lessons continue to develop the understanding of what a Godly person would do in response to ginving their life to Christ. A person who does this, should desire a change of heart and mind that reflects this new life.

Your child may request a new Bible for Christmas, one that has marginal notes and cross references, as we have explored the way it impacts personal study and understanding. I hope your child has found this helpful and I plan to use this method of exploration in class.

6th Grade Science
We will be constructing and walking a scale model of the solar system this week, along with learning how to control the radio telescope as we prepare for our leap into the world of scientific data collection for JPL. There is a great deal to cover in a short period of time, but I know, your student will be up for the challenge as they participate in a study that parallels research with scientists using the VLA (Very Large Aray) as Galileo passes through the radiation belts of Jupiter November 1st. It is an exciting time! Students will be spending the night October 31st (from 9:00 pm to 8:00 am) and then going home to catch up on rest. They may get some rest that night, but must be awake to operate the radio telescope from 4:45 - 7:45 am and again, go home after they are finished, so they can return for the Fun Day that night!

7th Grade Science
We are entering the world of the cell. When I was their age, scientist named all the parts of the cell, but when I asked my science teacher what they did, his response was, we don't know, yet. Well in the few short years since then (ha) scientists really do know what all these parts do, and we will learn about them. It is a fascinating world designed to work in amazing ways. Its time to shrink our thinking down to the level of the minscule and look on with amazement at the world of the microscopic!

8th Grade Science
We move on to the mystery and mysterious forces of magnetism. How is it like electricity, and yet, not? How does electricity and magnetism work together? How does an electric motor work? How is magnetism used in every day life. Will the north pole and south pole switch polarity? The questions are endless and hopefully the fun will be too.