Happy Easter 2015!

Happy Easter 2015!

Hello Everyone! This is Siobhan, wishing you a very Happy Easter from all of us. We had a fun week full of crafts and activities, and I have lots of pictures to share with you today. 

~Easter Crafts~

Spring Chick Craft

We used this egg template for our first craft. I printed it out on cardstock so it would be really sturdy.

 First I had the kids use Do-A-Dot Shimmer Markers to decorate the egg templates. Then we cut them out.

Our Little Clown

 Next I cut out a chick for them from yellow construction paper, and we glued googly eyes and little beaks on to them. We cut the eggs at angles so they looked like they were cracked and then put a brad on one side of the egg. Then we glued the chicks onto the backs of the eggs.

Life of Christ Easter Bracelet

I do this with the kids every year. Tert made a bookmark with a pipe cleaner.  Click here for instructions and the card going with the bracelet. Each of the beads/charms symbolizes one aspect of Christ's life. 

 ~Easter Activities~

Spring/Easter Nails 

Filia loves having her nails done! We took advantage of a nice warm day outside to do our nails. 

 

Spring Rabbit Wreath

This wreath was really easy, and Filia absolutely loved it.

 First we traced the outside and inside ridges of large plate on a piece of cardboard. Then we cut out the ring.

Then I cut out paper strips, and Tert and Filia glued together the strips to make paper rings.

I hot glued the rings and the bunny template onto the cardboard. We did two rows of rings. 

These are such sweet Spring/Easter gifts.

Easter Egg Hunt

Rus and Tert put together an Easter Egg hunt that we did the day before Easter. 

:)

Easter Egg Dyeing

 Every year we dye Easter eggs. This year Mom hard-boiled the eggs in the slow cooker. They turned out amazing!

 

 Lux even joined in on the dyeing.

Mom made an incredible Easter dinner! (I didn't get pictures, but I am including all of the links to the recipes) We had ham, Gingered Sweet Potatoes,  Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Beans Gremolata, Pineapple Stuffing, Maple Oat Nut Scones, and Decadent Chocolate Sheet Cake.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Destination Imagination 2015 By: Siobhan

Destination Imagination 2014-15

This past year was my (Siobhan's) 6th year of DI and Leo's 5th year. I'll assume that most of you know what DI is by now, but if you need a refresher, here are the links to our previous DI year posts: 2008-9  and 2009-10 and 2011-12 and 2012-13  and 2013-14 

This year our team did something totally new and different-the projectOutreach challenge. It was called Brand Aid. We had to pick a community need and go about addressing that community need through a community service project. The 'Brand' aspect of the challenge was that we needed to brand our project using a team-created logo and jingle. We also needed to copartner with an organization which also addressed the community need we chose.

We chose to address the needs of NH refugees.

 We copartnered with Rise Again Outreach, which is an organization which collects items for refugees and hosts bus stops throughout NH where volunteers can hand out the items. Rise Again also teaches refugees English, helps them learn to adapt to a new culture, and shares the Gospel with them.

Our project was a huge success. We collected over $1000 worth of toiletries and volunteered at 3 Rise Again bus stops where we handed out the items. 

 

We branded our project Toiletries for Refugees. We had to create a presentation of our project, and we chose to do a game show style. Our above logo combined our project and presentation.

 Team 2015: The Bored Gamers

 Leo specifically worked on the project puzzle, which was a puzzle which we had to put together during our presentation. It had to incorporate five different aspects of our project. Leo and Elisa spent about 14 hours on it!

 

 

The puzzle was made out of luan wood. Leo and Elisa screwed brackets into wooden block supports on each corner. Leo cut out the different circles which went on the puzzle with a jigsaw.

 

The puzzle pieces were double sided. One side represented each of the five main struggles refugees face (persecution, getting a job, learning English, adapting to our culture, and poverty)

The other side represented the five ways our project addressed the community need of refugees (evaluating their needs, raising awareness for their needs through social media and announcements, branding our project and putting out donation boxes, volunteering at Rise Again, and raising $1000+ of toiletries.)

 Our Gameboard
 
 States Tournament!

 (Left to right) Poverty, Hope, Love, Noah, Siobhan, and Shanti, the Asian refugee

DI SKIT 2015:

Noah/Game Show Announcer: Welcome to the Game of Love and Poverty where your rolls determine the course of your life. The contestant today is Shanti, an Asian refugee.  One advantage Shanti has is that she has Love on her side. Yes folks, that’s right! The one who makes those terrible tasting chocolates and Hallmark cards. She also is assisted by Hope.

Siobhan: It looks pretty bleak for Shanti. Shanti has no family or friends. She has been forced to live in a refugee camp in Asia for 12 months. Shanti is here today to contest against Poverty, who has been her lifelong enemy. 

Noah: Poverty has five challenges that Shanti must overcome.  Shanti must overcome each challenge before she can proceed with the game. 

Siobhan: Will she prevail or be broken?

Noah: Let’s find out

Love: Well just don’t stand there like ze Eiffel tower! Here are ze dice. Now make sure you roll zem away from my outfit! It was designed by Coco Chanel in her prime and I do not wish to have to find anuzzer designer!

Shanti: My first obstacle.  I am forced to leave my country due to persecution.  I can’t do it on my own!

Love: Don’t be silly! All you need is a little Hope!

Hope: There are more than 16 million refugees in the world.  They are helped to leave their country by the UNHCR (an international refugee committee) which decides if a person can be classified as a refugee based on whether or not they face persecution due to their religion, political opinion, race, nationality, or membership in a particular social group. 

Love: See?  Hope has help you overcome ze obstacle!  Good job now here are ze dice again and remember!

Shanti: I know away from the outfit.

Love: Voila! Well done! Travail exceptionnel de mon ami!

Shanti: My second obstacle.  I must learn the new native language.

Hope: It is often very difficult for refugees to learn English, because they must work and go to school.  Programs like ESL (English as a Second Language) help the refugees to balance their work schedules and classes.

Love: We are doing well, oui?

Shanti: We?

Love: Oui (Love nods head as she says it because she thinks refugee is speaking French.)

Shanti: We as in us?

Love: No, no, no! Oui, not we.

Shanti: We?

Love: Just roll the dice.

Shanti: My third obstacle. I must get a job.

Hope: Refugees must quickly find work in the United States so they can support themselves.  Programs like IRC offer mentoring to the refugees and work with them to help them find jobs.

Love: Good job mon ami! Look how close you are to the end!

Shanti: Well then, let’s go.

Love: As you Americans say, (winks at the audience) I’m lovin it!

Shanti: My fourth obstacle. I must learn to adapt to a new culture.

Hope: Sadly, refugees often face discrimination because of their lack of experience and knowledge of our culture.  Programs like ESL not only teach refugees English, but also educate them on cultural differences. 

Love: Just one more roll till the end! We can victore!

Shanti: Oui?

Love: No we as in us.

Shanti: Ah, Oui (Refugee rolls dice)

Shanti: My fifth obstacle: I must overcome Poverty itself.

Love: I think you’re going to need a bit more than Hope this time.

Siobhan: How could six teenagers make an impact on our community? Our DI team took five steps in tackling our project. First, we evaluated the needs our community faces. (Flips first disk) We decided that the needs of NH refugees would be what our team would focus on. As Hope has shown us, there are many needs that refugees face, but Poverty is the underlying issue. Our DI team helped refugees overcome this obstacle by raising awareness for their needs through social media and announcements in church and by word of mouth. (Flips second disk) (Jingle plays) We made a difference…one box of toiletries at a time. We branded our project ‘Toiletries for Refugees’ and put out donation boxes with our logo. (Flips third disk) We gave all our donations to our copartner, Rise Again Outreach, which is an organization which collects items for refugees such as toiletries, clothing, and blankets and hosts bus stops throughout NH every month where volunteers hand out the items.  We volunteered at three Rise Again bus stops and handed out toiletries and hot drinks to the NH refugees. We supplied all the toiletries for two of the bus stops. (Flips fourth disk) We not only impacted our community by exceeding our goal of $1000 or four years' worth of toiletries, but we also impacted the refugees, the Rise Again volunteers, the people who gave, and ourselves.  As with any project, there is always room for improvement. Our team could have improved our project by pushing our brand more, putting our more collection boxes, and using more means to raise awareness.  Our team looks forward to continue to volunteer at Rise Again and raise awareness for the needs of the refugees.

Love: You did it, Shanti! You overcame all five obstacles!

Game show announcer: Okay everyone now to announce the winner. And the winner is Shanti!  Congratulations on the win! Anything you want to say Shanti?

Shanti: I would like to thank everyone that helped me along this journey. Thank you for believing in me and welcoming me to America.

Game show announcer: And here is your prize, a lifetime's supply of toiletries! (Hands Shanti the logo) Congratulations and good luck in your new life.

Game show announcer: Well that’s it folks! That’s our game! Thank you audience for silencing your mobile devices and again we are not a movie theatre so if you have spilled any popcorn or soda you will need to pick that up before you leave. A big thank you to our production team and to our sponsor, Toiletries for Refugees. (Full Jingle starts playing)

Love and Hope, singing the jingle: The Game of Love and Poverty; Making a Difference, One Box of Toiletries at a Time; Help Refugees with Toiletries.

 Game Show Announcer: See you next...

Everyone: TIME!

Our team was very excited to score 206 out of 240 points! We've had such an incredible year together and made so many amazing memories.

 ~Our Team~

Testimony of Onesimus to the Churches of Ephesus By: Leo

Onesimus, servant of Jesus Christ and shepherd of his flock.  To the churches in

Ephesus.  Greetings.  As Paul, our faithful brother in Christ, and prisoner in his name, has recently been put to death for his faith, it seems fitting that I should give a testimony to you of his guidance in my life. 

      As you may know I was once a slave both to man and to the devil.  Though my master, Philemon, being a Christian, was kind to me and my fellow slaves, I often longed to be free of him.  While I cleaned his house after one of his church meetings, I began to plan an escape.  I eventually decided that it should take place on the following Sabbath Day.  As Philemon’s house would be crowded with people, it would not be difficult to slip off.

      My escape, however, came sooner than I had expected.  It was the day before Sabbath.  Being one of his most trusted servants, Philemon sent me with a sack of gold to the market to buy the food needed for his Sabbath meal.  I was delighted with my fortune.  I approached the market place, but not as a slave.  I was free. 

      Perhaps it was providential that I had spent my money so frivolously.  One day after finding that my money sack was empty, my heart sunk.  I began going door to door, begging for food.  I was often turned away.  My condition now was worse than it had been as a slave.  In addition to all of my other troubles, I began to feel guilt weigh down upon me about how I had wronged Philemon.  I would have to find work.

      As I walked down the street with these thoughts weighing on my mind, I saw the house of an old man.  His door was guarded, yet I approached it in my desperation.  The man came to the door and beckoned me to come in.  He was dressed quite modestly, and I doubted whether he would have the funds to employ me.  He spoke kindly to me however and my spirits lifted somewhat.  He listened patiently to me as I recounted my story of bondage to Philemon.  He asked me if I knew who he was.  I told him I did not.  “I am Paul a servant of Christ and friend of your master’s.”  My heart sank.  I began to leave, but he assured me that he meant me no harm.  He told me that I was welcome in his house. 

      In the weeks that followed he treated me very graciously.  He taught me what it was to be a Christian.  He recounted to me his great experience.  He said that, like me, he was in bondage to sin.  He had fled from God, his master.  He was converted, however, after seeing a great vision.  He turned from his sin and began teaching others to do the same.  It was in this work that he had met Philemon and built him up in the faith.  Finally, the day came when I asked him if I might be baptized.  He granted my request with great joy.  He told me then that he believed that my coming to him was not mere chance, but it was ordained by God that I might return to Philemon, not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.  He also expressed these hopes to Philemon, along with the promise that he would pay all my debts.

      The day came when I had to return home.  I waited until I was sure that letter had reached Philemon before departing.  Paul thanked me for my great service to him and bid me farewell.  I reached Philemon’s house with dread, yet when I entered, I was surprised with a joyful welcome.  Far from expressing his anger at my dishonesty, Philemon expressed his joy at hearing that I was a Christian.  Within the next week, he freed me. 

      For many years I assisted both Philemon and Paul in the great work of spreading the gospel.  I was eventually appointed to the position of a minister in a small church in Ephesus.  Through the gracious donations that I received during my time there I was able to establish more churches in that region.

      I now conclude, wishing you the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ which he has graciously bestowed on me, thanking him for you, and praying for the bestowal of his Spirit among you to guide you until his final coming.
By: Leo Age: 13 Grade: 8th

Fieldtrip to the Currier Art Museum 2015 By: Rus

 Currier Art Museum Field trip 

      Hi I'm Rus. We went to the Currier Art Museum. We first saw a large statue in the parking lot. We then went to a class room were we got together into groups. We almost got the group to ourselves. Some of my favorite paintings and other art work that I saw are these. We first saw a picture of a family that was at a house and were caring for a baby. We told our hypothesis to every body and saw if they were right or wrong. This is called the scientific method. After that we saw a picture of New Hampshire with different scenes packed into one picture. One other thing I loved is we saw a case with Paul Revere's work. We went to a couple more things and then went back to the classroom to do some art. We learned how to do art using the scientific method. Then we did a black and black and white picture of whatever we were drawing. Then we did a colored picture and experimented with colors. Finally we used our imagination to make a fun picture. You can try this too. I loved this field trip because of all the art we got to do ,and we used our imagination. 

Report by Rus: Age 9 
Pictures by Stella aka Siobhan