Mrs. Eckert's Classroom: 2011

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Voice of the Martyrs

PrisonerAlert.com

Prisoner Profile

PRISONER NAME

LOCATION

ARRESTED

REVISED

Behnam Irani

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

May 2011

November 27, 2011

Behnam Irani, a 41-year-old pastor from Kraj, Iran, was convicted of crimes against national security in January 2011 and sentenced to one year in prison. After voluntarily surrendering to authorities on May 31 to begin his sentence, he learned that he would be forced to serve five years in connection with a previous conviction.

Officers from the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security (MOIS) raided Irani’s house church on April 14, 2010, and assaulted him before taking him into custody. Although he was released on bail two months after his arrest, he later received the one-year prison sentence.

When Irani voluntarily began serving his sentence in May 2011, he was prepared to spend one year in prison. But he received a letter in October stating that he must now serve five years from his previous sentence.

Irani was first arrested in December 2006 and tried for crimes against national security. He was released in January 2007 but was soon re-arrested, tried and sentenced to five years in prison. Irani was never called to serve the sentence that is now being held against him.

Irani became a pastor in 2002, 10 years after becoming a Christian. Please pray for his wife and two children as they wait for him to return home.

You may also write a letter of encouragement to Pastor Irani to let him know you are praying for him. Please do not speak negatively of the Iranian government in your letter or mention the name of the organization that provided this information.

Post this PrisonerAlert.com Prisoner Profile on the bulletin board in your church, Sunday School class or Christian school. Share a copy with your pastor, members of your Bible study group or other Christian friends.

Address for Behnam Irani
Ghezel Hesar Prison
Karaj, Albourz State, Iran

Circulation To Date for Behnam Irani

Prisoner Alerts Sent

106010

Prisoner Alerts Viewed

22625

Government Officials Emailed

231

Encouraging Letters Written

944

Please note
When writing a letter, never mention the name of the source of your information or the name of any organization such as Voice of the Martyrs or Prisoner Alert. It is not dangerous for a prisoner to receive letters from individuals, but if an organization is mentioned they may be accused of links with ‘foreign organizations’ and receive harsher sentences. Also, please do not state anything negative about their government. For the latest information, including letter writing tools and helps, please visit PrisonerAlert.com.

Excerpt from an actual letter created on PrisonerAlert.com

I gave thanks for you when I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray the eyes, ears and hearts of those who persecute you may open to Jesus. Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

a Maestro Technologies solution - powered by NCOL.com

November 28 Parent Letter

Parents,

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.

I will be sending home the children’s Christmas program parts in the folders again today. Your child’s part will be highlighted. Please practice their part with them. Their parts should have been memorized today. They need to speak slowly, clearly, and loudly. The more they practice, the better their performance. Besides wanting the children to look and sound their best, it is also important to share the message of Jesus and his birth with those in attendance. The students’ parts need to be understood by the audience.

Please continue selling the tickets for our Winter Fundraiser. Drawing will be after the Christmas Program. Let me know if you need more tickets!

Our Chapter 5 Social Studies Test is on Wednesday. Study sheets are in the folders today.

I’d like to share some information about an organization of which I’ve become aware. Voice of the Martyrs is an organization that supports by prayer and other means Christians being persecuted for their faith worldwide. The students are praying each day for both a country and an imprisoned Christian. You may learn more about this organization at www.persecution.com I will be posting on the classroom website the information about the prisoner each week. We will also send a letter of support to the person for which we’ve been praying.

Progress reports will come home NEXT Monday.

AR Cookie Pictures

Connor - 25 AR Points

Taylor - 25 AR Points

Monday, October 10, 2011

Tabletop Triops Science Project

Day 6 - It worked! We're alive!

Day 1 Environment Prepared - Eggs Deposited

October 10 Parent Letter

Parents,

This is the third week of the grading period. That means look for Progress Reports next week.

The Chapter 3 Social Studies Test will be on Thursday. Please look for the study sheet tomorrow.

We have the opportunity to attend the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra’s Children’s Concert at 10:00 a.m. on November 18^th. This is an awesome experience for the students. Before I RSVP and reserve our spots, I need to know if I have parents willing to drive us there. We would need to leave at 9:30 and would probably go somewhere for lunch at 11:00 and return after that. I can drive 3 students so I would need rides for 7 more students. Please return the bottom of the note tomorrow so I can make plans for this.

Something has been put in my pencil sharpener that has made it inoperable, so students will need their own sharpener or will have to make do with the not so great manual sharpener.

I will be at the Professional Church Workers Conference next Monday and Tuesday. Yvonne Trant, a retired teacher from Sarita, will be my substitute. Please encourage students to be on their best behavior on these days.

That’s about all this week. The students are doing great. Keep up the good work parents.

AR Cookie Pictures

Ayla - 50 points

Keaston - 25 points

Lance - 25 points

Maya - 25 points

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

August 29 Parent Letter

Parents,

What a great first week of school we had. Don't forget to call or stop by after school if you have questions or concerns. Things will continue to improve in the next few weeks while we iron out the wrinkles. Parents of second graders: please continue to stress the importance of sitting quietly and following along in class. I don’t read the textbook material to them, they read orally each day. Students should be following along and keeping up with what is being read so that they know what’s going on when we discuss the material.

Obviously, it is blazing hot outside, and my classroom gets rather warm in the afternoon. Students are welcome to bring a water bottle to school if they would like water in class.

A few things to remember:

Check the class web page weekly: http://mrseckertsclassroom.blogspot.com/

Be sure and fill in the church and Sunday school page each weekend in the student's folder. If no response is given, attendance will be recorded as 'no.'

I am sending home Scholastic book orders today. If you order books for your child, please make checks out to Scholastic. If at all possible, checks are much easier for me than cash. This month's book orders are due on Friday, September 3. You may also order online. I will attach instructions on how to do that to the order forms. Online orders will also be due by Friday.

Going home today are their crosses for Star Students. Please have them color and fill these out and return them with a photo.

Thursday will be our first Social Studies Test. A study sheet will go home on ~~Wednesday~~(Tuesday). I do give an extra 5 points to their grade if their study sheet is returned with notes written on it.

Thanks again for a great first week!

In Christ,

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Class Pictures

2011-2012 Second-Third-Fourth Grade Class

What is a group picture without a silly pose??

Monday, August 22, 2011

August 22 Parent Letter

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school! I am so happy to be teaching your child. I know that your child will have a successful year of school! There are some things to remember, which will help them to be successful and to learn many new things. Your child needs your help and support. Their work this year will be harder and will require new skills. Please make sure they have all their supplies each day, check that assignments are complete, and study with them before tests. Check their folders daily: homework, graded papers, notes from teacher or principal will be in the folders. The homework log requires a signature each day, even if no homework is assigned for that day. Classwork that has not been completed in class must be returned complete the next day, or no credit will be given.

I am always available to meet or talk with you. Feel free to call anytime. We are occasionally gone in the afternoon or evening, but leave a message, and I will return your call. If you call the school during the day, I’ll return your call at my first break. My number at home is 592-4095 – please do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns. My school e-mail is: stpaulblue@gmail.com

I reviewed the classroom, hallway, and lunch room procedures and my discipline plan today. You will find my classroom procedures and discipline plan in their folder. Please sign and return the back copy of the discipline plan.

I will send home our classroom schedule next week. I want to try it out before sending it home to make sure no adjustments need to be made.

I will send home a note each Monday alerting you to any extra assignments, tests, or things to return during that week. The student’s folder requires your attention daily. Please take out graded papers daily. In the student’s folder, you will find:

1) TREAT Sheet (needs signature)

2) Homework Log (sign each day!)

3) Church and Sunday School Attendance Sheet (If neither is circled, it will be counted

as ‘NO’)

4) Spelling List

5) Reading List (signature NOT required on this)

6) Writing Topic Assignments – (Coloring the picture is REQUIRED)

7) Religion Memory Verses (once a week – on Friday)

Nightly homework assignments are due the next day – not any time before Friday. They will lose a letter from their TREAT Sheet if their log is not signed AND if their homework is not turned in.

Our class web page will be much the same as last year. I will post my Monday class note each week as well as the week's memory verse. Web sites that may be of interest to you will also be posted, as well as any pictures of special activities. This will be a good secondary resource in case letters or schedules are misplaced. I will also need to have an e-mail address – that you check regularly – so that when unexpected things come up I can send a class e-mail rather than a paper note.

Our web page is : http://mrseckertsclassroom.blogspot.com

Reading requirements for trophies will remain the same. Second graders need to read 100 books at or above grade level. Third graders read 100 books at or above grade level including 6 chapter books. Fourth graders read 100 books at or above grade level including 6 chapter books worth 2.0 points or more.

Students will receive “Big Cookies” as follows: Second Grade – at 25 & 50 points and every 50 points thereafter. Third-Fourth Grade – every 50 points.

Student’s TREAT sheets will be used to determine your child’s conduct grade. Only letters marked with a ‘T’ (Talking) or a ‘D’ (Other Discipline Issue) will be counted for conduct. The scale is as follows:

0 letters lost in grading period – E

1-2 letters lost in grading period – S+

3-4 letters lost in grading period – S

5-8 letters lost in grading period – S-

9+ letters lost in grading period – N

(If a Discipline Form is filled out, the student receives an automatic ‘N’)

Since our school day ends at 3:00 this year, we will only have a morning snack, around 9:30. Please remember to send something healthy for your child to snack on. Also, be aware that there will be no microwaving at lunch this year so don’t send lunches that need heating.

Again, I am thrilled to be your child’s teacher. Do not hesitate to call with any concerns.