October 19, 2008.  Emmanuel Cureton, Jose Martinez, and Wesley Murray received the highest grades on their respective Religion tests at the end of November.  Way to go guys!

May 10, 2008.  All of the 6th grade students did an excellent job on their Religion papers.  I was really impressed with your writing and research. 

March 18, 2008.  Jordan Sanders played a great bird falling out of a tree in a skit that described gravity.  We all knew the topic being demonstrated immediately. 

February 15, 2008.  Jose Martinez received a 99 on his Old Testament test on The Book of Exodus.  Way to go, Jose! 

February 2008–Joshua Bratcher.? In regards to Black History Month and in our general formation as young men at DNS, we have been studying a “Rule of Life,” set forth by MLK,Jr.? King expected disciplined living for those who participated in the Civil Rights Movement.? Mr. Bratcher answered that among the most important rules in his daily life are: “To get to school on time.? Do not be late to class.? Have all materials for class.? Have everything set for the next day.”? These rules may seem to pale in comparison to King suggesting things like, Pray daily to be used by God in order that all might be free, but I would suggest that Mr. Bratcher’s rules are no less important.? Everything that Joshua has laid out are expectations put on him by this community and his hard work at achieving organization and promptness have not gone unnoticed.? Good work Joshua.

February 5 and 12, 2008–Cameron Hall is working on his thoughts regarding an Urban Crucifixion Scene of Jesus (picture on front page of website) He wrote, “What I see in the illustration is the gruesome and ugly looking streets kind of reflecting on (or judging)? the crucifixion of Jesus.?The building even seem to be lamenting or weeping for Jesus’ death on the cross.? One detail is that the people could be looking through their windows at Jesus getting crucified like the people from Jesus`s time.? Another is the blood of Jesus dripping on the community.?The gloom that is spread across the community as Jesus dies.? It looks as if Jesus is standing over the earth.?It looks as if the cross has a smirk on it.? Cameron claimed that the following verse reminded him of the picture, Matthew 10:21-22? ” Brother will betray brother to death; and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death”.”When they persecute you in one town flee to the next”.? Excellent?work Mr. Hall!?

February 1, 2008–Joshua Middleton made an excellent point during OT and exhibited very close reading skills when he pointed out that one of the tribes of Israel, Asher, is also the word in the middle of the phrase from Exodus 3:14–EHYEH ASHER EHYEH, which we translate best as God calling himself, I Am Who I Am. ?Joshua discovered that the meaning of the name Asher is “blessed” or “fortunate.” In the Bible, Jacob predicted that his eighth son, Asher, would have a life blessed with abundance.?? He grew up to become a leader of one of Israel’s twelve tribes. ?Do you think that Asher as a proper noun or name meaning “blessed” or “fortunate” is also implied in the subject-verb clause of EHYEH ASHER EHYEH?? Way to get us thinking, Joshua Middleton.

January 31, 2008–Dustin Hayden was the first to discover that Moses was 120 years old when he died.? Did Moses make it to the far side of the Jordan before his death?? What do you know about his grave?

Jordan Schuler discovered that Methuselah was the oldest man in the Bible.? We learn from Genesis 5:27 that he died when he was 969 years old.? Makes Moses’ 120 years not seem like so many.

January 28, 2008–”Del Castillo…Del Castillo.“? Elmer Del Castillo’s name is worthy of the chant because he was the first sixth grade science student to appropriately identify: ESP as Extra Sensory Perception and ESPN as Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.? While Sanders, Walden, and Lloyd-Robinson make up the back right corner of the classroom, and may mysteriously have ESP, they do not have ESPN–except on T.V.

January 11, 2008–Brendan Harrelson asked a great question in Old Testament. Could God have put Jesus in Eve?s?womb rather than in Mary?s womb?? This was great because the?Church has often thought of Mary as the New?”Eve.”? See if you can search online for the famous statue of Mary in Quito, Ecuador.? What does she have under her foot and why is that a connection to Eve?? Good work Brendan!

January 10, 2008–Jordan Schuler and Jose Martinez for excellent work in Old Testament.? Jordan came prepared with excellent work to class.? Our homework assignment raised the questions: How does the Law in Exodus affect the relationship between God and God’s people?? Jordan said, “Exodus shows God making a covenant with the Israelites.? God expected Israel, as his covenant nation, to live according to his holy Law.? The first and most important law was to have no other gods before your God–to have an undivided loyalty.? This principle is still true.”? In the same class, Jose, remarked that the Mercy Seat, a detail of the Ark of the Covenant,?which is described in Exodus 25, reminded him of a confessional booth.? This is an excellent connection because it was at the Mercy Seat that God delivered instruction to Moses like a Priest might offer acts of penace to a confessing believer.

January 8, 2008–Maurice Troy.? Clearly “came to play”?for his Matthew test on the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5.? And guess what?? His happiness and success were directly proportional?to his committment to studying for the test.? Studying for the test was his endeavor.? Maurice was thinking critically about the text.? Keep it up!?

St. Matthew teaches us that two particular groups of people will be given the kingdom of heaven.? Do you know those two groups mentioned in Matthew 5:1-12?

January 8, 2008–Dessa Raymond.? He offered? as part of our final work in cellular biology a chromosomal disorder?known as Angel Man Disorder.? This disorder?presents when?Chromosome 15 is?defective.? People with Angel Man Disorder exhibit speech loss, facial abnormalities, and slower brain development.? Good research, Mr. Raymond!?

January?3, 2008–Mikael Walden.? Today in Science we had general consensus that there are four major?oceans on planet Earth–Atlantic, Pacific, Indian,?and Arctic.? But Mikael pointed out?by careful study of?his Earth Science text book that there are actually?FIVE oceans.? The fifth is the Southern Ocean.? It is defined geographically as being all the ocean 60 degrees south latitude, but it does not occupy a separate ocean basin.? Did you know that the Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean and it is 724 million cubic kilometers?? That’s a lot of agua.?

January 3, 2008–William Watson.? Today in Old Testament William read beautifully, Exodus 15:11-15…

?Who is like you, O?Lord, among the gods?
???Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
???awesome in splendour, doing wonders?
You stretched out your right hand,
???the earth swallowed them.

?In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed;
???you guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
The peoples heard, they trembled;
???pangs seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed;
???trembling seized the leaders of Moab;
???all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.

?William has an excellent rhythm to his reading and his pronunciation is very strong.? Keep up the great work!