Challenge III

We had a great week! Nathan and Evie both did an amazing job on their debate. They were well prepared and both presented convincing arguments. Nicely done! Here's a recap of our day:

Devotion

We wrapped up our study on denominational beliefs. I have not yet decided what I'm going to cover for the next two weeks-- if anyone would like to lead, please let me know. Also, on week 15 I lead opening. If anyone would like to lead a devotion for the whole challenge, let me know that too.

Poetry

We discussed sonnets, and we wrote an original haiku. This week write your own haiku (SS 78) at home-- those really can be fun! You also have SS 80. For blue book, you have a quiz on the literary terms, so if the last quiz was a struggle, you'll want to review!

Shakespeare

We introduced Macbeth and had a Socratic discussion on whether or not CC should have us study a book with so much witchcraft. This week read Act 2. For Blue book you will have a choice to write either a short essay on a given prompt or to take a multiple choice test on the plays we have read.

History

We first watched the debate between Nathan and Evie and then we went over the questions for the chapter. You have no questions this week because they've given you space to work on the debate. On week 15 we are scheduled to go through chapter 10 in class. I can provide you with blue book questions to do at home if you need another grade for the class.

Chemistry

We did a review game today. Next week we do experiment 8.1. I do not generally do a blue book for chemistry because the curriculum provides you with a quarterly test.

Music

We wrapped up the book today! Your presentations week 15 are your blue book. Let me know if you need help knowing what to prepare.

Tentative schedule for next week-- if you need me to change this, let me know:

8:45 Devotion

9:00 Debate between Kora and Josh

10:00 Poetry and Shakespeare

11:00 Chemistry experiment

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Debate between Jocelyn and Tristan

2:00 I am hoping to plan a scavenger hunt

2:45 SAT

Let me know if you need any help this week. Everyone should send me their debate by the end of next week so I can be sure you are on track. Have a nice week off!!

Ack! I was rushing too much on my email. Josh and Kora debate week 15. Anna and Declan debate week 14. Sorry!!

Looking ahead to the next debate-- it is week 5 of second semester. As always, the guide has a paper due the week before. According to what CC wants me to do, I am supposed to assign teams but not sides and then have the students flip a coin right before the debate to determine the side. This means the expectation is that the teams should be fully prepared to debate both sides given only a week to prepare. There is a disconnect somewhere between the level of prep our students are doing and what CC must expect! I propose this for the next debate:

I'll divide them into two groups in January, with two different debate topics. Each student will prepare a 1AC and 1 NC based on their 1 AC-- so have quotes to refute their own contentions. Then the morning of the debate, I will draw names from a hat to determine partners and sides. The teams will then be given an hour of prep time to finalize their research. I'll bring a printer so they can print out any extra quotes or documents they need. Then we'll debate, with it being a bit more impromptu than usual.

I checked with Professor Britt from CC plus, and he verified that students are only graded on the 1 AC or 1 NC, so students submitting for CC plus can just record their 1 AC after the fact if their part of the debate goes badly. My hope in this is to dramatically reduce the level of work they need to do in preparation for the debate and to focus on a different set of skills-- less on extensive preparation and more on "thinking on their feet." This also feeds into what they will do with Maria next year. What are your thoughts on this idea?

It was nice to have the Thanksgiving meal this week and see so many dads on campus. Here are some upcoming reminders:

November 18 - Wreath Orders due ($22 each)

November 25 - Wreath Pick up and Thanksgiving Break

December 9 - Week 15 Blue Book for Challenge

December 12 - Operation Christmas Child volunteer packing day (Bus trip to Charlotte)

January 6, week 1 – 2nd semester tuition due $715

January 20 - Submissions for writing contest due ($5 entry fee, can enter up to 2 papers- one each genre). All of you should submit both a poem and a paper! This is a great resume booster.

Here's a recap of our week:

Devotion

We started to work through a general overview of what common denominations believe. We will finish that up next week.

Poetry

We took our poetry quiz today. These are cumulative for the year, so if you missed something be sure to study it! Parents, do not count the part where they label the feet as part of the grade if they didn't do well. That is a new skill, and a lot of kids struggle with that. This week do SS 75. You are going to write a sonnet!

Shakespeare

We heard some great presentations this week. We heard some of the speeches from Julius Caesar, learned about the kinds of knives that might have killed him, and learned about the use of manipulation in the play. Next week we start Macbeth. Read Act 1 and chapter 1 of BHI. There is no one currently leading next week. If anyone wants extra honors credit, let me know if you want to lead.

History

We took our history quizzes today and went through the layout of the L/D debate. We also worked through our history pages. I had a video I meant to show you this week about the history of elections-- help me remember next week. *****This coming Monday you will do your timed writing. I have attached the pages you need to read in advance. This is instead of the paper due week 13. (For AP students, this will replace one of your synthesis essay assignments early next semester.) In class you will be given a prompt and write your essay. You need to have the pages printed and lightly annotated so you have a good idea of the main points of each. Please bring a laptop because reading handwritten essays is miserable! I also have a short history page to fill in for the rest of chapter 9. Be sure you are working on your debates! Everyone debates on week 14 except Kora and Josh who debate week 15.

Chemistry

We conquered experiment 7! This class got the closest answer to the answer key in Clemson CC history-- so congratulations on that. Be sure you are keeping up with your tests and lab reports.

Music

We have now completed the three songs they needed to complete for their final project. Here is a link to Jonathan's music project so you have an idea of what it can look like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3-I4i0BVbo

Evie and Kora are presenting on When I Survey

Tristan is presenting on the Doxology

Declan is presenting on Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring

Anna and Josh are presenting on a song of their choice.

Your presentation can include a history of the song and composer and an overview of how we analyzed the piece.

SAT

We did a lot of math and a little reading today.

Next week we may have an adjusted schedule, but I will get back to you on that. Have a great week!

We missed Evie today and hope you are feeling better! A big shout out to Katrina for her bravery during Critter Cares. The boys thoroughly enjoyed your suffering!

A number of you were interested in doing the Clemson swing night. I will leave that ball in your court to plan!

For those of you hoping to earn scholarships outside what is offered at the university you attend, we should consider taking a group to the national beta club state convention. The kids can enter contests for all kinds of subjects from cake decorating to music to engineering. Click on the link below for more info and let me know if you are interested.

Next week is our school wide meal! Please join us, and sign up to bring something!

Here is a recap of our week:

Devotion

we discussed the Nicene Creed. Next week I’m going to do a run down of generally what is unique about each denomination.

Poetry

we took a practice quiz and worked more on feet. You have the real quiz this coming Monday! Be thinking about what poem you would like to submit for the writing competition 😊

Shakespeare

Evie had a fun game planned for today, but I sort of threw a review together when she realized she wasn’t going to be well enough to come. Next week your papers and presentations are due. Let me know if you need help on your thesis.

History

we looked at past election maps and then worked through the ch 8 questions. This week is the first half of chapter 9. I’ll send you the handout when I get home from gymnastics. Your quiz is this coming week. Your parents should have your review sheet and a copy of the quiz so they can help you prepare as they see fit. Be sure you are working on your debates!

Chemistry

We did experiment 6.4. This makes an easy lab report. We also practiced balancing equations. This week start module 7. Be sure to read through the experiment before class.

Music

we took a quiz on the circle of fifths, and I had the kids self correct their papers. We also continued working on our final projects.

SAT

we did more reading comprehension today but did not do math due to critter keepers.

Have a great week!

I have a study guide for those who want to put events in order and a different one for students who want to focus more on definitions. You could combine both to make a longer test. Look at the two quizzes and decide which one you want to use. Then give your student the study guide that matches the quiz. This is for week 12, not this coming Monday.

Jocelyn, we hope you are feeling better! Haley Berry is in charge of the writing competition this year. All of you should absolutely turn in one of your papers from class. I would love for all of you to also submit a poem OR you could do one of the prompts from common app to prep for writing college submission essays.

Here's a recap of our week:

Devotion

We talked about infant vs "believers" baptism. Next week we will look at some of the creeds commonly recited in many denominations.

Poetry

Today I enjoyed looking at your "feet"! Some of those were really funny. This week do SS 67 and 68. For 67 you have to try to write a poem with an actual rhythm. That's where the poetry gets tricky! You have a literary term quiz on week 12-- so begin studying for that! I will pull some parts of the quiz directly from the sheet we went over today where you labeled the feet.

Shakespeare

Anna did a nice job leading us through Act 3. Next week Evie covers Acts 4 and 5, which finished out the book. Your essay and presentation are both due week 12. If you need help picking out an essay topic or deciding on lines or an idea for your presentation, let me know. Learning a portion of Luke 2 where it mentions Caesar Augustus would be an easy tie in and a nice passage to learn leading up to Christmas. Any part of the speeches by Brutus or Antony would be good. You could also present some information on the Roman Empire in general.

History

Nice job on your impromptu presentations! I sent feedback sheets home with everyone. This week read chapter 8. You have a timeline quiz week 12. Note this is also the week that you have a literary term quiz and your Shakespeare paper/project due. Don't wait until the last minute to prepare. This is good practice! Parents, I'm sending you two different study sheets and two different quizzes so you can decide what you want your student to study. We also had some time to work on debate. Be sure you are keeping up with your prep for that! ****Note**** the paper due week 13 will be timed writing that we will complete in class. I'll give you more info on that closer to the date, but do not start writing that paper on your own.

Chemistry

We made observations about the egg shell after it had soaked all weekend in vinegar. We also went over the difference between chemical and physical changes. This week finish module 6. You should have submitted 3 lab reports by now. If you are doing honors, you should choose one of the labs from module 6 to write report on. I'd recommend the one we will do next week.

Music

We did a good bit of work from chapter 11, and we started our second song for the final project. Nathan chooses our song to sing next week.

SAT

We had some time to work on linear equations in the morning and evidenced based reading in the afternoon.

Have a great week! And get started preparing for everything due week 12!

Today was a busy day! Hopefully we all looked fabulous in our pictures. Here's a recap:

Devotion

We started talking some about different denominations. We only got as far as looking at maps showing where different denominations are primarily located. We will discuss baptism next week.

Poetry

Today we wrote a lovely poem about cacophonous girls:

"When girls get together, they walk and they talk.

They often play dominoes, dolls, and then blocks.

Then to the trampoline, it's time to tumble.

Starting to fight, they shriek and then stumble."

We also introduced the types of meters. Be sure you know those as they will be on every literary quiz for the rest of the year! This week do SS 66. This is the strange one about the feet, and the non-artsy students tend to choose this as a skip. It can be fun though if you are the creative type!

Shakespeare

Declan led us in a nice lesson of Act 2 of Julius Caesar. This week read Act 3 and do BHI lesson 3. Anna, you lead next week.

History

Good job on your papers! Joceyln, Evie, and Nathan all did their impromptus this week and did great. Everyone else will do their impromptus next week, and we'll use the remaining time to talk about the debate. By now you should have a good number of sources for your research. In Ch 3, I am not supposed to assign due dates for the different stages of the debate. I am only supposed to see the final presentation. However, I strongly, strongly encourage you to check in with me as you complete your research and start writing your AC/NC. Be sure you let me check your value and criterion as many students need help with those. You do not have a chapter to read this week, so this is the week to put some good time into your research.

Chemistry

This week we had a very short experiment and Declan led a round of jeopardy as a review. This week you need to read the first half of module 6. You should write a lab for either lab 5.1 or 5.2. You need to submit a minimum of 3 labs this semester, with 4 being preferred for honors.

Music

We went over the information in chapter 9, but instead of doing the exercises, we started on our projects. Be sure you save the sheet we worked on today and bring it back next week. I will quiz you again on the circle of fifths on week 10. Evie chooses a song for this week.

SAT

We did some math, working on solving systems of inequalities.

My son Eric came and talked about presentations for a bit. Here is a recap of his main points:

1. Know what your professor wants and give it to him. Not every professor will have the same expectations, and it is up to you to find out what his expectations are.
2. Choose your project partners carefully. Be sure they all bring something to the table. Your friends might not be your best choice of partners.
3. Canva is a really good program for making business presentations.
4. Know how to do citations. He shared how he got a D on a paper because he had his citations in the wrong format, and his professor took off one point for every citation. (Really pay attention when I tell you where the period goes in your citations! I promise I'm not trying to harass you-- I just don't want you to fail a paper for avoidable mistakes.)
5. Come really well prepared. If it is a team project, know your partner's part too. Have your presentation mostly memorized so you can focus on eye contact. Have extra facts stored in your brain. He will research his professor's background so he can throw in comments to directly relate to his professor such as mentioning his professor's college or his first job.

Then he gave some general pointers about getting ready for college and succeeding once you get there. A lot of his advice involved building connections with people. He has been an alpha leader for the past two years, which means he helps new student get oriented to Anderson.

1. He encouraged everyone to go to Boys or Girls state if given the opportunity. One reason is for the money as it comes with a scholarship package. The other is it gives you the opportunity to expand your circles and make friends you would not have normally met. He still keeps up with his Boys State friends.
2. Make connections with your professors. He said after the first class to go up and ask a question or introduce yourself to your professor. Be sure your professor knows your name.
3. Intentionally build connections with the people on campus. He encouraged you to stay on campus on the weekends to build those intentional relationships. The more you are at school, the easier it will be to build friendships.
4. He encouraged you to know how to use social media to your advantage before you go to college. A huge amount of communication between college students and even from the college itself comes through social media. It helps you screen your roommates and make friends before you even get to school. Obviously it has downsides, but knowing how to take advantage of the positives of social media can help you make easier connections at school. Creating social media specifically for job purposes is also important. He mentioned linked in, but he also has a facebook account specifically to show potential employers.
5. Know how to use AI to help you study. Proper use of AI can save you lots and lots of time. Improper use of AI can get you in serious trouble. Know what is allowed and not allowed. Schools are now often having students write essays in class (and sometimes by hand) due to improper AI use. Your teacher will know your writing style and compare your papers with what he knows you can write. If it is wildly different, you will be questioned.

I hope you found his presentation helpful! Have a great week!

Impromptu presentations are scheduled for week 10 (next week), but it has been called to my attention that some of you have them due for dual enrollment this week. I’ll bring some prompts tomorrow so anyone who needs to do theirs this week can do so.

Here is Monday's schedule:

8:30 Opening

8:45 Devotion -- we are starting on what different denominations believe and we'll be talking about infant baptism, so come prepared to voice what your church believes.

9:00 Declan leads Shakespeare

9:30 Pictures

9:45 Poetry

10:15 History

11:15 SAT

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Music

1:45 Chemistry

2:30 Eric presents on presentations

Depending on when that ends we may do more SAT at the end of the day

We need to start planning our interview protocol. One year we just did simple interviews in pairs. Last year we did a lunch interview, which is obviously more complicated. I need a parent who is willing to organize that! Let me know if you are willing to take that on. Thanks!

Evie sent me this debate planner for L/D that is very thorough and easy to follow. It has space for all portions of the debate. Notice it does not go in order-- it has all the affirmative first and then all the negative. Thanks Evie!

We missed Nathan today-- we hope you had a very productive day helping hurricane victims. Don't forget that we do not have school on Monday!! I am hoping that Eric will be able to come week 9 to give us a presentation on presentations as a marketing major. Pictures are also week 9. See Mandi's email about the coffee fundraiser. Nathan, if you can send me your self-report this week, that would be great. I'll write up my mid-semester feedback for eveyone this week.

Here's a recap of our day:

Devotion

We finished talking through TULIP and the points of Calvinism. Continue talking with your parents to see what your church believes. Next week we will start talking about commonly held beliefs in different denominations, starting with infant vs believers baptism. If any of you would like to present one side or the other, let me know.

Poetry

I am still waiting on poetry journals from a few of you-- snap pictures of what you've done so far and send those to me so I can finish writing your progress report. This week do SS 61 and 62. Keep reviewing the literary terms.

Shakespeare

Kora did a nice job introducing Julius Caesar. Next week Declan leads. Read BHI Lesson 2 and JC Act 2. Be thinking of your essay topic and presentation plan.

History

We spent a good bit of time going through debate. I believe everyone is settled in their resolution and side. Start researching your points. After you have your main points, send me your general outline, and I'll help you with the value and criterion. You have a paper due for history this Monday. Be sure you are using at least 3 sources and citing each of them in your paper. You need one quote per paragraph, ideally about a line in length. Also read chapter 7. Your sheet is attached. I've also attached some handouts to help in your debate prep.

Music

Chapter 8 is hard! We got through the lesson, but we did not have time to go through all the weekly examples. Those examples are tricky if you do not play the piano. I gave everyone a sheet on how to figure out the intervals, but it is a bit involved. For next week, Anna chooses a song.

Chemistry

Today we played a game to learn the polyatomic ions. You really, really need to memorize those. You also need to memorize the bond angles and shapes. We also did experiment 5.1. Yay for Anna having staticky hair! You should write a lab report for this one. Take a minute tomorrow and send me any lab reports you may have forgotten to submit. I went through who needed to submit what in class today. This week finish M 5.

Here is the photo you can use for your lab

SAT

We focused on grammar today.

I was so glad to hear that everyone is back to normal after the hurricane. Be praying for people in Florida!

I am attaching a self assessment for you to complete and return to me. Then I will write my own comments on the bottom. I really want you to think about it as you fill it out-- don't just rush through it. Most of you will ask me to write you recommendation letters next summer. Think about what you want me to say about you and then go do those things!

I'm so sorry I'm late getting this out! I've had a house full of college students, a volleyball tournament last night, and continued car trouble that has thrown my schedule into chaos. A big thank you to the Banksons for hosting yesterday!

Here's a recap of our week and what is coming up:

Devotion

We started discussing TULIP, which is the acronym for the principles of Calvinism. We will continue that next week-- that is a really interesting topic to continue discussing at home.

Poetry

We had our poetry party and took our quiz. I'm attaching the quiz in case your parent requests that you re-take it. This week do SS 54. This one is fun-- you close your eyes and listen and then write down a description of what you hear. I'll look at your poetry journals this week. Please send me your journal if you have not already done so.

Shakespeare

Next week Kora introduces Julius Caesar. I will not be available to help you over the weekend, so be sure to ask for help by Thursday if you don't know what to do. Read BHI Intro and Lesson 1 / Act 1.

History

We spent a bit of time on debate this week, but I will focus on that a lot next week when we are back to normal and Tristan is with us. I am attaching your ch 6 study guide. You have your next timeline quiz on Monday. The list of events you need to know is on your study guide from this past week. Parents, I will send you the two quiz options so you can let me know what you want them to take. You also have a paper due week 9. I know that's a lot! Please send me your thesis statement before you start actually writing the paper.

Chemistry

We did not have an experiment this week, so we went through chapter 4. I have received a few lab reports from Lab 3 which I will look at this week. That is one that you should write a report on. You should take your 1st quarter test in chemistry after finishing mod 4. This week do the first half of mod 5.

Music

We went through chapter 7 on transposing. It is tight getting through the material for the week in class. We are basically covering it, but I have to move quickly. You really need to go back and fill in some gaps at home. After we cover chapter 8 we can start working on analyzing pieces for your final project. Nathan, you choose the song for next week.

SAT

we did not attempt that this week.

Here are some upcoming events:

• Coffee Fundraiser: CC families can ask friends and family if they would like to buy any coffee (whole bean, ground, or k-cup) or just place an order for themselves and fill out lines on the order form. This is not required...just an option for folks who would like to participate.
• Return your order form and money to me (checks made out to Mandi Campbell with "coffee" in the memo) no later than Monday, 10/16
• Coffee will be available for pick-up at CC no later than Monday, 11/14
• Oct 7 – Picture Day for Challenge students
• Oct 14 – Fall Break, No CC

My oldest son Eric was going to be coming this week to give a talk on presentation skills he has learned as a marketing major. However, his schedule is all a mess because of cancellations this past week. We will schedule a date when we know better what his school schedule looks like.

I hope everyone gets power back soon!!!

I don’t know that you can open this link, but this would be a great debate topic. Apparently a bill is being introduced that bans locals from forming their own militias. The article then raises the question— does that mean we can form our own militias now? There is a lot of historical research in this one that should meet your history requirements, but it also has modern significance. Just a thought.

In class we had decided on this: The confederacy was justified in seceding from the union.

However, I was gathering a few articles to use in class to show how to begin preparing for L/D debate, and I was reading up on the topic a bit. I'm wondering if it would be better to go with this:

The Union was justified in invading the confederacy to prevent them from seceding.

Thoughts?

We are going to go through this video series together in class, but there are some helpful videos on CC connected if moms and dads wanted to watch them at home. Here is a link to the first.

https://ccconnected.com/learning/learning-content/6457

The presentations today were great! Everyone is doing a really good job this year. A few reminders:

The coffee fundraiser is ongoing. Mandi has been sending out information on it. You are not obligated to participate, but it does help our community.

I am going on the camping trip this weekend, so my availability will be limited. The following weekend, I am going to PA for my friend's funeral. I will be driving all day Friday, at the funeral Saturday, and driving all day Sunday. I will be largely unavailable that weekend, so try to reach out with questions before I leave.

Devotion

We read some rather horrifying statements of faith made by a progressive church.

History

These are the L/D debate topics and partners:

Nathan vs Evie: The Confederacy was justified in the leaving the Union.

Jocelyn vs Tristan: same

Anna vs Declan: A gap year is beneficial

Josh vs Kora: Schools should have the right to ban students from kneeling during the national anthem.

You can decide which side you each want to debate, or I can decide for you if you both want the same side. I will look through some L/D resources this week and send them to you.

This week read the rest of chapter 5. I am not home to attached your study guide, but I will do that tonight. Please remind me if I don't send it by tomorrow morning.

Shakespeare

This week we heard thesis statements and presentations. Next week bring your poetry journals to turn in to be checked. Also bring snacks to share! If you have to read your poetry and take a poetry quiz, we might as well make it a party by having snacks. Your poetry quiz is on terms through chapter 4.

Poetry

I accidentally combined it with Shakespeare. This was for poetry: Next week bring your poetry journals to turn in to be checked. Also bring snacks to share! If you have to read your poetry and take a poetry quiz, we might as well make it a party by having snacks. Your poetry quiz is on terms through chapter 4.

Chemistry

We did experiment 3.2, and it was a lot of fun. I will attach the picture from my phone is just a minute. This is one I recommend writing a lab report for. Really any of them are fine except the module 7 lab. Please do not write on that one!!

Music

I had the students self correct their circle of fifths. We will do another quiz including the minors in a few weeks. Most of the kids finished all of chapter 6 in class. This coming week Kora picks a song for us to sing. It has to be something most kids will know or you will end up singing a solo :)

SAT

We did some inequalities and began working on evidence based passages.

Have a great week! For those of you going camping, work hard tomorrow and Wednesday!!

We are having our coffee fundraiser again this year. I've attached a copy of the order form above. These make great Christmas gifts!

Everyone did such a good job in their presentations this week. I have been so impressed with this class for their promptness of turning in papers/projects and the quality of the work they are doing. Great job! Be sure you are taking advantage of the website https://www.johnsonwall.net/ChallIII It is an amazingly organized place to find everything I've ever sent you.

Here's a recap of our rather confusing day:

Devotion

We did not have a proper devotion today, but we will discuss progressive Christianity next week.

We began our day by observing the first part of the Ch 2 debate-- we bailed before the rebuttals. The Ch 3 kids all had some helpful feedback for the Ch 2 kids.

History

We then went out of order and watched the history presentations. Everyone did a great job!! I sent an evaluation home with each of the kids. I've attached your study guides for history for this coming week. You need to read the first half of chapter 5. Next week we also need to start discussing your L/D debates. Come to class with some topics that you want to debate. I know the kids taking dual enrollment will have some limitations. Dual enrollment-- be sure you look at the rubric you will be graded on. I have found that the people who make the rubrics for debates have likely never actually seen a debate-- it tends to be the same rubric used for essays. I've attached the evaluation sheet I made for when Jonathan had to submit my evaluation for his 1 NC for history. See if what I have already made will meet the qualifications of what you need for speech and/or history classes. Pay special attention to your sources requirement for the history class.

Shakespeare

Tristan led us in our wrap up of Much Ado. He did a good job asking questions and leading a game. Next week your papers/presentations are due. Be sure you really, really read the MLA checklist I use to grade your papers and include all of those elements. Also let me know what your presentation will be on and if it needs to be recorded and evaluated using a specific rubric.

Poetry

After lunch we finished poetry. We went through the poems you were assigned to look at last week. You do not have new poetry assignments this week, but we have our first poetry party week 7 where you will take your quiz on chapters 1-4 and present your favorite SS assignment. You will have to analyze the literary devices you used in the poem. You will also turn in the SS you have done for me to evaluate. I'm looking for completion and reasonable effort. Everyone should bring snacks to share on week 7!

Chemistry

We took the chemistry quiz on the periodic table. Those were corrected and were given back to students. We finished Chemistry after lunch. We did not have an experiment this week, so we played a jeopardy game to review the first few modules. This week Finish Module 3.

Music

We introduced the circle of 5ths. The link that says "Image" is a picture of the circle of fifths we wrote out in class. You have a quiz on that next week. We did not get to finish all of the exercises for chapter 5 in class, so the kids need to do those at home this week. We did finish the hardest one though.

SAT

We spent some time on SAT grammar at the end of the day.

This was a long day, but everyone held in there well! Let me know if you need help on your papers or if you have any questions. Have a great week!

I forgot to email you about clothes for Monday. If you are submitting your presentation for a dual enrollment class, you need to dress up. If you are just presenting it for us, it doesn’t matter. I require kids to dress up for the formal debates, but we do so many presentations in class that I don’t require it for a normal presentation.

I told the class I was going to bring them a treat for next week because they have been the first class ever to have everyone submit their history papers before class, and they were all well written. Great job!!

Next week I'd like for us to watch some of the challenge 2 debate. That will be first thing after opening. We won't watch every rebuttal because that would take up too much of our day. Our day will look like this:

8:30 opening

8:45 Devotion

9:00-9:30 we will watch Lindsey/Victoria verse Blake/Joseph

9:30 Poetry

10:00 Shakespeare

10:30 history presentations

11:30 SAT. Realistically we may still be doing history.

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Chemistry

1:45 Music

2:40 SAT

Here's a recap of this week and what is due next week:

Devotion

We used the 5 common topics to discuss how to handle situations where you have to defend your view on young earth Creationism. Going forward, we are going to spend a week or two on progressive Christianity and then shift into what denominations believe. If any of you would like to present what your own denomination believes, you would be welcome to! A lot of the differences tend to surround baptism and different points of Calvinism, so I will likely cover TULIP before we go into the denominations.

Poetry

We had some excellently terrible similes today. For poetry this coming week, I want Josh and Tristan to analyze p 48 Ozymandias. Kora and Jocelyn, you look at "The Writer." Declan and Nathan, you look at "Is My Team Ploughing" on p 49. Evie and Anna, you look at "Mother's Love" and "Keep of the Vines" on p 50. (Sorry you get two, but you are supposed to compare them.) Come to class with some background on the poem and be prepared to discuss the prompt in the book before the poem. You can work together on this. Your poetry notebooks are due week 7, and you have a quiz that week on literary terms through chapter 4.

Shakespeare

Josh did a great job leading discussion this week. Tristan, you wrap up the play next week. Send me your thesis statements for your paper before you write the whole thing. Be sure you include a few quotes from the actual play in your paper. The papers and presentations are due week 6. If you are doing something other than reciting lines, please let me know what you are going to do.

History

This week we took our quizzes and spent some time analyzing opinions presented as fact. We also talked through our history questions. You actually don't have a chapter to read this week!!! I've attached the paper for the following week in case you want to get ahead. I've included the evaluation I'll use for the speeches next week. For those of you submitting to CC plus, I'll look at their rubric more closely this week and make one that matches what they are looking for.

Music

We conquered the dreaded chapter 4! That chapter is hard because it teaches material differently than we do in private lessons, and it requires some redefining of terms. Next week we cover scales, which is more useful. Declan, you choose our song for next week.

Chemistry

We did two experiments today. You do not have to write lab reports on these, but if you are getting honors credit and need more labs, these are easy ones to write about. Next week you have your quiz on the periodic table.

SAT

We did some linear systems and some comma review.

You are all doing a great job! Let me know if you need any help.

We got a lot done today! This is very long with lots of info! Here's a recap of our day:

Devotion

We talked about the temple symbolism in Gen 1 and how it relates to what was believed about deities in the Ancient Near East. Essentially, Genesis is written to especially contrast God with the false gods of the ancient world.

Poetry

Nice job today in poetry! This week do SS 36. In addition to the assignment, google "terrible similes," and you will find many examples of horrible similes that high school students have used. Choose a few that you think are funny to bring to class. Then on 40-41, do the one about the man made object-- that one is fun. We'll do the Poem to Consider together. Then attempt the Figure the Figures, but we will go over that together. You have a lot of vocab in this lesson. Be sure you are using the literary term sheet to study the definitions. This book clumps metonymy and synecdoche together, which is not correct. That's like defining a metaphor and simile the same way. Synecdoche is part to whole. Metonymy is an associated word. This week in class we also read some funny poems that were written to be ironic.

Shakespeare

Nathan led us in a review of act 2 and a discussion on whether it is ever alright to deceive someone. This week read BHI Lesson 3 which covers acts 3.4-4. Joshua leads next week-- be sure to send me an outline of your plan by Friday night so I can check it Saturday morning. Everyone, be sure you are working on your papers and presentations. Each body paragraph should have a quote. You should quote the play at some point. BHI and one other source should also be cited-- either as a paraphrase or a quote. For your presentations, the guide says to memorize 30 lines. If you would prefer to memorize scripture and then talk about how it relates to the play or if you would like to present a powerpoint about something related to the play, those are also good options. Both are due week 6.

History

These are the items you need to know for your timeline quiz next week:

Columbus (1492), Cortez (1519), Jamestown (1607), First Africans arrive in VA (1619), Plymouth (1620), Puritans, Pequot War, Salem witch trials, First Great Awakening, French and Indian War (1754), Proclamation Line of 1763, Stamp Act (1765), Boston Tea Party (1773), Battles of Lexington and Concord, Paine’s Common Sense, Declaration of Independence (1776), Articles of Confederation (written in 1777), Cornwallis Surrenders at Yorktown (1781), Treaty of Paris.

Parents, I have two versions of the quiz and a study sheet that I am sending directly to you. One focuses more on putting events in order. The other focuses more on definitions. Please look at them this week and let me know which one you want them to take.

In class this week we examined different thesis statements, reviewed old history sentences, and we went through the material on the study guide. This week read chapter 4. I have attached your study guide. Just jump to the questions on chapter 4. We will discuss the 1619 project and the fact vs opinion in the piece in class.

Your papers are due on Monday. If you are submitting it to a CC plus professor, please let me proof it before you submit it. Your paper should have at least one quote per paragraph. Material that is commonly known does not need to be cited. Material that is summarized or quoted from a source does need a citation. All works on your works cited page must be cited in your paper.

For your project due week 5, a power point is ideal. It should be on something related to early government. The material you display to the viewer should be visually appealing. You can have notecards to help you remember what you are going to say about your slides, or there is a feature in powerpoint that lets you put additional notes that you can see but your viewer cannot. I've attached the rubric I will use for the week 5 speeches. Those of you in CC plus will need to record your presentations, so ideally be sure you have a phone with you so I can record it straight on your device. Those of you in CC plus-- this is a new assignment to submit to cc plus. Please let me know if I have to submit an evaluation. If I do, please send me the rubric they are using to grade you.

Music

We managed to finish all of chapter 3, but I had to move along rather quickly to accomplish that. Students should go back and review that material. Reach out if you are confused on anything.

Chemistry

We completed lab 2.1 Everyone should have a partial lab report that we filled out in class. Be sure you keep that for your portfolio-- even if you do not write a lab report on this one, you still want evidence that you completed the lab. This week finish module 2. You have a quiz week 5.

Please be in prayer for the Kiker family. Catherine was in a rather bad accident this afternoon. Both her sisters and a friend were in the car. Her youngest sister was taken to Greenville Memorial, but it was mostly precautionary. She is expected to be ok. They were all banged and bruised, and I fear they may all be quite sore tomorrow. Please be praying for a quick recovery for all of them.

Also my friend who we have been praying for is expected to pass any day. Her mom messaged today and said she's fading quickly now. My friend's name is Barbara. Her husband is Tony, and her children are Sarah and David-- they are both in their 20's.

These are only for you to look at so you know exactly what the quiz looks like. You can let me know if you want your student to take the one with the definitions or the one with putting events in order. Or maybe you want them to do both. If you want them to do the quiz with the definitions, be sure you give the study sheet of definitions.

I'm getting ready for Monday, and I wanted to remind everyone of what to bring to class. Please be sure that you have your history sheet printed and in class on Monday. Also check that you've packed your SAT book, and be prepared to share at least one of your Stepping Stone assignments in class. You also need to bring Brightest Heaven, Much Ado, Roar on the Other Side, your history book, your music book, and your chemistry book. A few of you have turned in your lab reports, but everyone should try to finish those up this weekend to submit by Monday. Also, I am happy to check your outlines for your history papers before you write the entire essay to be sure you have a solid thesis and supporting main points. Have a great weekend!

I just wanted to be sure everyone understood what to do for the upcoming papers.

Shakespeare:

Your thesis needs to make a point-- even though you are not technically doing lost tools, you still need to basically follow the lost tools format. Choose your thesis now even while you are still reading the play. Some common thesis statements have been:

• While Hero and Claudio are presented as a happy couple, Benedict and Beatrice actually had the better relationship as evidenced by.... then list three reasons that you plan to expand on.
• Shakespeare used women in Much Ado About Nothing as props and foils rather than leading characters as demonstrated by... then list three examples of how the women were very flat characters or used only to progress the storyline of the men.
• Claudio and Benedict were similar in that they...... , but they demonstrated different depths of character when....

Once you have your thesis and an idea of your three (or four) main points, you need to be on the lookout for quotes from the play of BHI to support your points. You need a total of at least three sources-- BHI, the play itself, and at least one more. Your intro should include some brief background of the play-- including the title and author-- and then state your thesis at the end in one sentence. I generally encourage students to write their thesis first, their body paragraphs second, and then complete their intro and conclusion last.

Then for your presentation, the guide says to memorize 30 lines of the play and present them dramatically. If memorizing lines is dreadful for you, turning your paper into a powerpoint-- so don't read your paper but present the information from it in an appealing way-- is a good alternative. Memorizing a bible passage that compliments the play and then reciting it and explaining how it connects is also a great presentation.

History

Again, your thesis needs to make a point. The following is not a good thesis statement: The constitution gives the states rights, it creates a balance of power, and it has held the county together for over 200 years. There is no point to that-- it is just a report. A better thesis would be: The constitution is superior to the Articles of Confederation because.... then list three reasons. Here are some of thesis ideas we discussed in class:

• The founders have been accused of creating the constitution to perpetuate slavery, but this accusation is false because.... (then address the 3/5 policy and the other accusations).
• The ideas of John Locke were highly influential in the creation of the constitution as evidenced by.... then list some of his ideas that were included.
• The Mayflower Compact was one of the most important early American documents because ....

Once you have your thesis, sketch out your three or four main points. Look through Patriot's History for a quote and then do some outside research. If you have American Journey, there is an entire section on early American government. You need at least one quote per body paragraph. You also need at least three sources, and each source must be cited in your paper. Once you have your body paragraphs fleshed out, you can go back and write your introduction and conclusion.

I've attached a sample outline I made that might be helpful. Be very intentional with your concluding sentences in each paragraph to tie it back to your thesis.

This was a fun day. I hope you all enjoyed the slide show from Friday! Please be sure to take advantage of https: //www.johnsonwall.net/ChallIII where Joe has all the files for the year in one place.

Here's a recap of our day and what is coming up:

Devotion

We continued discussing Gen 1-4, this time from a literary perspective. We talked about parallelism in the text.

Poetry

I enjoyed hearing the grim grandeur and bric a brac poems-- they were all great! This week do SS 30-31. There are a number of assignments on those pages. You need to do two of them. Also be sure you are reading the pages between the stepping stones. Be sure to be memorizing the vocabulary as you go.

You have all been a joy to work with this year! Everyone is participating well in class, and I think that while we miss all the kids who left this year, the smaller group has allowed for more participation by the remaining 8 kids.

Have a great week! Touch base if you need anything.

We had a great day! This is a fun class,and I enjoyed getting to spend the day with them. The first day is always a lot of me talking, but hopefully next week we will have more activities and more opportunities for student leadership. Here's a recap of the week and what you need to be working on:

Devotion

Today we started with the traditional 6 day creation view, discussing its strengths and potential weaknesses. Next week we will look at some of the "Old Earth" creation views. I told the kids that young earth creation has some hurdles-- like how did the continents spread so fast and how did the sloth migrate to South America after the flood? However, at least we are not trying to explain where the continents came from and how the sloth is alive. Next week we will add a time of singing to devotion. Jocelyn will choose the songs-- please let me know by late in the week what you want to sing so I can get music together for us.

Poetry

Be sure you bring your weekly stepping stones to class each week. This week work on SS 26. Those are both really fun. Bring the ROOS book each week.

Shakespeare

Today was a lot of information on citations and going over the MLA checklist. Always be sure you go over your paper compared to the checklist before you submit it to me. I am attaching some resources on citations. I know you are going to need some help learning to cite correctly on your first few papers. Jocelyn is leading the strand next week-- I've attached the leading guide below. Everyone needs to read BHI (Brightest Heaven) Intro to Much Ado and Lesson 1 which covers Act 1-2.1. Be sure you write out the answers to the review questions-- you don't have to write out the thought questions. Read a whole book summary and then a chapter 1 summary. Then read the actual play. Pick out a topic for your paper, and gather quotes as you read. You must have at least 3 sources for your paper. The papers are due week 6 along with your presentations. The presentation can be memorizing lines from the play, or you can do another kind of presentation, as long as it adds to our knowledge of the play.

History

Today we revisited the joys of old history sentences. It really would be beneficial to review your old foundations timeline from Age of Industry on. Please be sure to bring a printed copy of your history questions to class each week. I've attached your questions for this week below. At home, read chapter 2 and work through the study guide. Memorize the US presidents, first and last name, and ideally date of inauguration. Begin thinking of your first paper topic and presentation. For those of you not in CC plus, write your paper on what you are doing for your presentation. For CC plus people, be sure you get your topics approved by your professor, and be sure to submit your papers to me for feedback before submitting them to your professor.

Music

Today we went all of the way through Chapter 1. Next week we will work through chapter 2. They should not need to do any work at home this week, but a review of note reading and identifying notes on the piano would be good for those who are not currently playing the piano.

Chemistry

Today we read through experiment 1.1 and 1.2 that I know everyone will diligently complete at home... We also worked through significant digits. I had significant difficulty mastering this concept at first. Maria has a resource she is going to share with us from the original Apologia author. At home this week, read the rest of module 1 and complete the study guide (and ideally the test.) We will do experiment 1.3 in class next week. This is one that I encourage the kids to use for a lab. We will write a lot of it together. I have sheets printed for the kids to take notes on.

SAT

We did some algebra review and some punctuation practice. We went over the strategy of eliminating grammatically equivalent answers such as a semicolon and a period/capital letter.

Let me know if you need any help this week!

Our numbers for the pool party on Monday are fairly low, so I have space for younger siblings to attend. I just need to be sure enough adults stay to help chaperone them. Please be sure to let me know if you are coming because I need to send you a pass. I also need to send expected numbers to the POA. Here is the address for the pool: 1341 Chickasaw Dr, Westminster, SC 29693

Our numbers for the team building day look good! That is going to be a really fun day. We will start out with worship at 9:00 led by challenge 4 students, followed by a short devotion by Pastor Cale of Utica Baptist. Then we will shift into games from 9:30-12:00. Our games this year will include some from last year and some new ones too: the cup challenge, "gorilla" warfare, corn hole relay, pickleball relay, "telephone" pictionary, beach ball challenge, baby match up, and Save the Queen dodgeball. We'll wrap up with individual competitions for the obstacle course. There will prizes for the top class and the winners of the obstacle course. At 12:00 we’ll have lunch, and then the students can take advantage of the activities available on site— swimming, the water slide, volleyball, and more! For the baby match up, I need for everyone who is coming (kids and adults!) to send me a picture of you when you were about 2 years old-- so old enough that we have a chance of recognizing you, but not too easy. The more people we have send in pictures, the more fun the game will be! Here is the address for the team building day: 280 Hughes Bend Rd, Central, SC 29630.

School starts back for most students on Thursday!! Here are some dates you need to be sure you have down:

• August 5: Pool Party from 1-3 at Chickasaw Point. Please RSVP if you have not already because I need to send you a pass. The cost is $3 a person.
• August 12: First day of class!
• August 13: Deadline to tell me if you are taking the CLT. I'll have a sample book at the pool if you want to look at it before deciding.
• August 16: Challenge fun day. Be sure to RSVP to this as well. The cost is $20 per person.
• September 9: Money for Beta Club is due
• September 18: CLT. It will likely be at Utica Baptist at 9:00, but I need to confirm both the location and time.

Mr. Johnsonwall has created a hub for us to keep track of emails and handouts!! It will be a really helpful tool this year. He already has the handouts and emails I have sent so far gathered in one place! Here is the link: https: //www.johnsonwall.net/ChallIII

I've re-attached the assignment sheet I included in your orientation materials. It is like the "semester snapshot" sheet in your guide but with a bit more information. I have one of these printed for each student to keep track of what you have submitted to me. Here is what you need to have ready by August 12:

Chemistry: Read module 1 up to "Making Measurements." We will spend some time in class going over that material, but most of our class time will be spent introducing the second half of module 1, which is scientific notation and significant digits. We do not have a lab this first week. I have attached a lab report Jonathan wrote for dual enrollment. This was the format and level of content they expected. We will practice writing labs together, especially gathering background material and putting our data into a chart or graph.

Poetry: Skim chapter 11 in Roar on the Other Side (ROOS). This is a good overview of what we will be doing this year. Then read the intro and chapter 1. On pages 18, 19, and 21 you have Stepping Stones writing assignments. Orange You Glad is a fun one to share in class-- write in such a way that we have to guess your fruit. Word Vibes is another fun one to share together. You do not need to do all 4 assignments on those pages, but you should choose at least 2. Be prepared to share what you have written. Also, I need to collect your Stepping Stones a few times a year, so have them in a separate place so you can submit them-- don't have them mixed in with your notes on Shakespeare. Start learning your literary terms from chapter 1-- there are only two of them. That handout was in your orientation packet, but I've reattached it here.

Shakespeare: Try to watch a play or read a whole book summary of Much Ado About Nothing. In class this week, we will do an overview of the strand and work on citations. We will also have sign ups for when you want to lead the strand this semester. Choose your essay topic early on. I require a minimum of one quote per paragraph to support your main points. It is easier to gather quotes as you read! Also keep in mind that you must have 3 sources for your paper, so be looking for outside sources that are helpful.

Music: This week we will start working through the intro and get as far into chapter 1 as we can. My hope is that we can do the vast majority of the work for this strand in class.

History: Read the intro and chapter 1 of your book. Begin memorizing the presidents. The study guide was in your packet, but I've re-attached it here. Think about bias as you read-- what perspective does the book have?

Let me know if you have any questions! This is going to be a great year!

The Classical Learning Test is an SAT style standardized test that is accepted by most Christian schools. While students cannot qualify for state scholarships like Palmetto with the CLT, they can use it to qualify for scholarship cut-offs at Christian colleges. Many CC students find that the CLT aligns very well with what they have learned in Challenge. The test is lighter on math and heavier on reading and grammar, and the math portion is more based on logic and reasoning than the SAT. I am going to proctor the CLT on Sept 18 for CC students. You need to let me know by August 13 (the day after our first day of CC) if you want your child to take the test. The scores will be available by Sept 25, so seniors can use these scores for their college applications. I've attached a link where you can learn more about the test and take a practice test. The cost is $59. I need one other adult to help proctor. I would encourage you to take the SAT, ACT, and CLT each at least once because they each highlight different strengths. Let me know if you have any questions.

We will plan on orientation on July 22 at 6:00 at Utica. I'm so sorry I had to cancel. I am much, much better today. I am going to send you the handouts that I am going to go over with you during orientation. You do not need to look at any of this now, but since orientation is so late this summer, I wanted to give you the information ahead of time in case you are wanting to get started early. The most important item is the 2024-25 assignment sheet. It has all of your assignments laid out for you for the semester. The other most important paper is your sheet of poetry terms. It is hard for parents to give number grades to poems, so much of your grade for poetry will come from your term quizzes. We will memorize all of those terms throughout the year. I'm also re-attaching your first week of history questions. Having the study guide makes the reading very manageable. If you are wanting to get started on something over the summer, I would recommend watching your Shakespeare plays, starting the Stepping Stone assignments in Roar on the Other Side, and reading some of your history. You could also memorize the US presidents (first and last name and ideally year) as well as review your old cycle 3 history sentences and the timeline from Age of Industry to the end. You do not have to anything now if you are not ready to start, but watching the Shakespeare plays and doing the Stepping Stones can be fun if you aren't rushed. Let me know if you have any questions!