This week, the fifth grade had many opportunities to celebrate the Pascal Mystery in ways unique and special to HCA. Keep reading to learn about how we observed each day of Holy Week!
On Tuesday, fifth and sixth graders joined the nursery and Pre-K students in their annual Easter egg hunt. Fun was had by all, and our older students really stepped up as helpers for their younger friends.
On Wednesday, the class acted out the Passion of Christ as they reenacted Jesus' final few days on Earth. Later, they wrote Easter poems from the perspective of the apostles, which they later recorded. Please make sure to click on the 'Easter Poems' presentation below to enjoy their hard work!
Sean M., as Jesus, prays in the Garden of Gethsemane while his disciples await his return.
Jesus is betrayed by his followers and sentenced to death by Pilate.
Jesus is crucified at Calvary while his followers look on.
Jesus dies on the cross; the class pauses at this time to reflect in prayer.
Each student's written work is featured, along with a video of their poetry reading.
On Thursday, our Holy Week celebrations culminated in a Jewish seder, where the entire middle school community gathered together to learn about this sacred meal during Passover.
Middle school students gather in the MPR to take part in a traditional Jewish seder,
which is held at the start of Passover.
A traditional seder plate: shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable (karpas),
and a sweet paste called haroset.
Many students were selected to read special parts of the seder, which featured readings
from Exodus in the Old Testament.
Garrett D. held a special role, being the youngest person at the seder, he asked the Four Questions to begin the maggid, or storytelling of the Exodus from Egypt by the Jewish people.
The seder plate that each student tried: Maror– Bitter herbs (horseradish) symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery that the Hebrews endured in Egypt; Charoset– A sweet, brown mixture (apples and cinnamon) representing the mortar and brick used by the Hebrew slaves to build the storehouses or pyramids ofEgypt. Karpas– A vegetable (celery and parsley) other than bitter herbs representing hope and renewal, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder.
It was a busy, spirited week that ended with the perfect weather to start off the holiday break.
What a week we had in middle school! From health education to outstanding performances by our students, it was full of excitement. First, the entire class would like to give a big THANK YOU to our hardworking parents and family members who were able to join us for Grandparent's Day and Parent Visitation. It meant so much to them to have you visit them at school and take part in their daily routines. We know that your time is valuable, and it is so appreciated that you chose to spend it with us these past two mornings! On Wednesday, fourth through sixth graders visited Lankenau Medical Center for health education classes. Fourth and fifth graders learned about the importance of "Safety First," where they reviewed the best choices to make to lead a safe life. They went over everything from how to correctly wear a bicycle helmet to administering the Heimlich maneuver on others in crisis. As always, it was a lively lesson full of demonstrations and hands-on learning. ...
Fifth graders celebrated Fat Tuesday for Mardi Gras with a King Cake in Religion class! On Monday, the entire school took part in a Black History Month celebration. Here, Ms. Brown leads the middle school in a round of "Finish the Lyric," where they completed song lyrics by Whitney Houston, the Jackson 5, Bob Marley, Beyonce, and more! At another station, they were given iconic images in black history to recreate through illustration. The best work from each division will be chosen to be posted around the school! At their last station, middle schoolers answered trivia questions about famous figures in Black History. This weekend is the annual auction! We hope you can join us this Saturday evening, February 29 for "A Night in Philly" at the Springfield Country Club. The re-enrollment deadline is next Friday, March 6 ! Please remember to send your registration in by next week.
The fifth graders enjoyed a visit today from Lt. Lanni, who brought with him a surprise guest speaker, Brent Celek. The former Eagles tight end shared stories of his experiences in school, and the challenges he overcame as a student and athlete to get where he is today. His advice for our students? Respect others, work hard, and dream big. A big THANK YOU to Lt. Lanni for this exciting surprise! Mr. Celek's visit coincided perfectly with a STEAM lesson today, called "Passion to Purpose," where the class had to work together to identify a way to apply their passions in a way that would inspire real change. Their ideas are displayed in the slides below; they hope to expand on this project as they continue their work in the lab. There is no school tomorrow or Monday, Feb. 17. Tuesday will be a Day 1, which means that fifth graders will need to wear their gym uniforms to school. Thank you, and Happy Valentine's Day!
