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Religion - 8th Grade

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Last Day of E-Learning, June 08, 2020

Good morning, everyone!

Today is our last scheduled day for e-learning. There will be no new lesson today. Instead, use today to catch up on any last minute work and enjoy the last e-learning day. Please make sure to check PowerSchool and Teams to see if you have any missing work that needs to be submitted. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you all for your hard work this year, especially during this last trimester! It has definitely been a memorable year.

Hope you all have a marvelous Monday!

June 1st E-Learning Lesson

Good morning!

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost. This feast day marks the beginning of the Apostles’ active missionary work. It’s when those first members of the Church received the gifts of the Holy Spirit that enabled them to create change and to spread the message of God. We know that they were all given different gifts, just as we each receive different gifts from God. The disciples didn’t limit their message of love and peace to one group of people, they shared it with everyone; they started in Jerusalem, where they were when they received the Holy Spirit, but then went out over all the Earth. They shared the Gospel with people by their words and actions. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God gave them the courage, strength, and ability to break down barriers and spread the Gospel, or Good News.

Today we are called to be like those early disciples. We receive and encounter the same Holy Spirit when we pray and when we receive the Sacraments. We are called to use the gifts and resources we have to break down barriers, to create positive change, and to spread God’s message of love and peace to every person we meet. We might not experience the Holy Spirit through a “strong, driving wind” like those disciples did in the upper room at Pentecost, but we can still pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us in our mission and our work as modern disciples. We can pray for peace in our families, communities, cities, country, and world. And then we can act and do works that promote unity, peace, and justice for all as we show love for our neighbors, just like Jesus asks us to do. 

Read this reflection on Pentecost (https://breakinginthehabit.org/2020/05/31/we-are-a-strong-driving-wind/) and then spend some time today praying and reflecting on how you can ask God to use you to spread his message to others.

Submit your DIY Family Emmaus Walk reflections today if you have not done so already.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything. Thank you!

May 28th 7th and 8th Gr. Religion E-Learning Lesson

Good morning, everyone!

Your next assignment is to create your own Emmaus Walk. Write a mix of serious and fun questions to ask your family or a friend. You are welcome to do a virtual Emmaus Walk with a friend or a family member who does not live with you. If you need some help coming up with questions visit these sites for inspiration: https://www.aristotlescafe.com/uncategorized/icebreaker-questions-group-discussion/  OR https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/small-group-ice-breakers-25-good-questions/ .

When you are finished with your DIY Emmaus Walk, write a brief reflection on how your Emmaus Walk went.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need help.

This assignment is due on Monday, June 1st.

May 26th and 27th E-Learning Lesson 8th Gr. Religion

The assignment for Tuesday (May 26th) and Wednesday (May 27th) is to read pages 300-303 of Chapter 20: A Prayer for the Church. Complete the activities on pages 301 and 303 and submit your responses.

Catholics share a rich spiritual heritage. We are called to belong to the Church both here on earth and in heaven. We have been blessed with the saints as various role models. The Church we experience today is a result of the work, dedication, and faith of those who have gone before us. The Holy Spirit enabled them to lead lives of virtue and accomplish many things. We believe the same Holy Spirit works in our hearts and Church today and helps us to also lead lives of virtue and faith. Each member of the Church has an opportunity and calling to bring about positive change and bring others closer to God through their words and actions. 

We continue to build up the Church by our prayers and deeds. We pray to God and ask him for the grace we need to become true disciples. We ask the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and guide us in our missions. We strive to live as Jesus did by treating others with love and respect and by serving others, especially those in most need of our help.

The saints and other holy people are models of faith for us. They devoted their lives to the service of others in the name of Jesus Christ. Many of them also taught us different ways to pray. As you read pages 300-301 think of those saints, or other holy people, who are models of faith, sevice, and prayer to you. For the activity on page 301, select a saint and quotation from either the list on page 300, a saint we learned about in class (in the textbook or our VIP program), or any other saint you choose. 

At the Last Supper, Jesus had an important message to give his disicples. He knew that they would be tested in their desire to serve and follow him. As you read pages 302-303 think about what you have learned this year about what it means to be a Catholic and what it means to be a follower, or disciple, of Christ. Complete the activity on page 303.

8th Grade Q & A Session with Fr. Wichert

Fr. Wichert answers some questions from the 8th grade class such as why God, who is all-loving, allows evil and suffering; how old God is; if going to Mass is required to be a "good Christian; and how we are called to love every person. The video starts part way through Father answering the first question.

May 22nd Religion E-Learning Lesson

Good morning, everyone!
There is no formal assignment for Religion today but I encourage each of you to spend some time today in prayer.
Also, check PowerSchool and if you have any assignments that you have not yet submitted, today please work on getting those completed and turned in. Thank you!
I hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend!

May 21st Religion E-Learning Lesson

Good morning, 8th grade! 
Today's assignment is to join Fr. Wichert for a Zoom meeting where he will be answering some of your questions. The meeting will be at 1:30. The information and link are included below. See you all this afternoon!

 

Bethany Hair is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Q & A with Father Wichert 

Time: May 21, 2020 01:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting 

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3380107694?pwd=M1RXYVd1ellyWFh1Sy9hNUdTeGM5dz09

 

Meeting ID: 338 010 7694

Password: 7QFeSy

If you have not yet completed your Family Emmaus Walk, please do so as soon as possible and turn in your reflection on Teams. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!

May 19th Religion E-Learning Lesson - Family Emmaus Walk III

Starting this week I will be posting assignments on Microsoft Teams as well as posting them on the school website and sending them via email. Please submit your work through Teams. I know the rest of your assignments mainly come through Teams so hopefully shifting Religion to  this platform will help reduce any confusion and make things easier to keep track of. 
Your assignment for Tuesday, and Wednesday, is to do a Family Emmaus Walk. Explain to your family what an Emmaus Walk is and why we do them. Spend some time (at least 15 minutes) either Tuesday or Wednesday with one or more family members and discuss the questions on the attached PDF. 
I understand that families have different schedules and obligations so it may be difficult to find time to complete the Emmaus Walk so you have two days to finish this assignment. 
After you do the Emmaus Walk, write a one paragraph reflection on the discussion and submit it to me by Wednesday, May 20th. Include in your reflection how you think the Family Emmaus Walk went, what it was like to do this as a family instead of with your classmates, and what you learned about your family member(s).
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

May 18th Religion E-Learning Lesson 8th Grade

Today's assignment is to finish and submit your chapter 16 review. 
If you have already submitted your assignment then I encourage you to spend some time today in prayer. You can meditate on the Mass readings from yesterday (http://usccb.org/bible/readings/051720.cfm) or today (http://usccb.org/bible/readings/051820.cfm). Or find another way to pray whether it's praying the rosary, reading your Bible, or listening to music.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!

May 14th Religion E-Learning Lesson 8th Grade

The assignment for Thursday and Friday is to read about St. Rose Philippine Duchesne on page 246. Then complete the Chapter 16 review on pages 249-250. Please do sections A-E of the chapter review. Submit your work by 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything. Thank you!
 
*Due to an error when sending out this assignment, the due date for this assignment is now Monday, May 18th instead.

May 12th Religion E-Learning Lesson 8th Grade

We will be skipping ahead in our textbooks to Chapter 16: Seeking A Common Prayer for this week's lesson. Take some time today and tomorrow to read pages 241-245.
 
When the first colonists came to America, many were seeking fleeing religious persecution and seeking freedom to worship God according to their conscience. However, not every religion was welcome or readily accepted. In early America Catholics were not always welcome and were subject to prejudice. They were suspected of being loyal to the Pope and not supportive of the U.S. president or the Constitution. Prejudice against Catholics continued into the 20th century. It wasn't until 1960 that the first Catholic president of the U.S. was elected. 
 
At Vatican II the bishops taught that the Catholic Church possesses the "fullness of the means of salvation" (Decree on Ecumenism). At the same time we are called to show respect for other Christian denominations and work to spread the message of the Gospel to all people. We are encouraged to dialogue and seek common ground with other Christians. We believe the Holy Spirit works in all Christian faith traditions as God brings each of us closer to Him through the truth of the Gospel. He desires unity for all who follow and love Him. Ways we can work together for this unity is through ecumenical worship and in service through social justice programs. We pray that God guides us as we seek understanding and unity with all Christians.
 
After you finish reading pages 241-245 write a short reflection. Name two things you learned while reading AND two things you can do to work towards greater unity amongst Christians. Please submit your reflections by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Let me know if you have any questions or need help. Thank you!
 

May 6th Religion E-Learning Lesson - Family Emmaus Walk II

Good morning,
If you have not already done your Family Emmaus Walk, please do so today. Explain to your family what an Emmaus Walk is and why we do them. Spend some time (at least 15 minutes) with one or more family members to tell them about the May virtue and saint of the month as well as discuss the questions on the attached PDF. 
After you do the Emmaus Walk, write a one paragraph reflection on the discussion and submit it to me by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6th. Include in your reflection how you think the Family Emmaus Walk went, what it was like to do this as a family instead of with your classmates, and what you learned about your family member(s).
If you have not already completed the May VIP assignment, please turn that in by this afternoon.
Also, try to find some time today to do something that brings you joy and helps you relax. Taking care of your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being is important, too.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

May 7th Religion E-Learning Lesson

Good morning,
I just want to take a moment to thank each of you for your hard work these past several weeks. You all have been working diligently to complete your school work and lessons and having to adjust to these new ways of learning. It's been amazing to see you all persevering and striving to do your best work. Your reflections and responses have been great and I appreciate the effort you all put in to these assignments.
For Thursday and Friday's lessons we will be taking a look at our relationship with the Blessed Mary as Mother of God and Mother of the Church. We will also take some time to learn a little more about the rosary and spend some time in prayer.
  1. Read this article from Catholic Stand about Mary and her role as Mother of the Church. https://www.catholicstand.com/mary-mother-of-the-church-a-new-celebration/
  2. Watch this video from Ascension Presents about why Catholics call Mary "mother": https://youtu.be/pGRGv9_60iI
  3. Next watch this short video explanation of the rosary from Busted Halo: https://youtu.be/GuT7HI7ZvfA
  4. And finally take some time to pray the rosary. Choose any of the Mysteries to pray and reflect on. For a list of the Mysteries and more information on how to pray them, including a list of the prayers, follow this link to the website for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm. You can offer this prayer up for your mother and anyone else you remember and celebrate on Mother's Day or any special intention you have.
Please complete this lesson by Friday afternoon. You do not need to submit a formal reflection but instead send me an email stating which Mysteries you prayed.
If you have any questions or need anything, please let me know.
Thank you!

May Virtues in Practice - May 4th E-Learning Lesson for 7th and 8th Grade

Good morning, 7th & 8th Grade!
I hope you all had a great weekend.
This week we will take a break from the textbook and instead focus on the VIP lesson, do another Family Emmaus Walk, and learn more about how we honor Mary as our heavenly mother.
Today we will go over the Virtues in Practice lesson for the month of May. The virtue for this month is responsibility and the saint is Blessed Bartolo Longo. Read the attached lesson and write a paragraph reflection on what you read. Use the Discussion questions on page 41 to guide your reflection.
Please submit your reflections by 5:00 p.m. today. Let me know if you have any questions or need anything. 
Thank you!

April 30th E-Learning Lesson 7th and 8th Grade

Good morning, 7th & 8th Grade!
If you have not already completed and submitted your chapter review (7th-Chap. 15, 8th-Chap. 10), please do so as soon as possible.
Today and tomorrow I would like for all of you to take a break from formal learning for our class and instead focus on your mental and spiritual well-being. Part of your assignment for Thursday and Friday is to take 15 minutes to do something that brings you joy and helps you relax each day; read a favorite book, do some artwork, play a game, talk to a friend or family member, etc. Also, spend 15 minutes in prayer, whether it's reading the Scriptures, saying the rosary, listening to music, in quiet meditation, etc.
On Friday Father Wichert is planning on having a May Crowning at 11:30. More information will be coming on how we will celebrate this as we begin the month of Mary, our Mother.
Lastly, spend some time either today or tomorrow preparing for Mass this Sunday by looking at the readings for this week. Here is the link: http://cms.usccb.org/bible/readings/050320.cfm
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!