The Extreme Team

100 Years of Seminary

2012-01-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

We have learned so much in class since I last posted, too much to share in one post, so I think tonight I am going to share some of the reflections made by the students after watching the worldwide broadcast led by President Boyd K. Packer to celebrate and commemerate Seminary's Centennial Year.

(Note: You can watch this amazing broadcast about the seminary program over the last 100 years by visiting here.)

Reflections from the students:

1. Seminary can help you if you're willing to be here.

2. Teach other people what you learn.

3. Don't waste the years of seminary - seminary is fun!

4. Seminary is worth it.

5. Generations will be blessed because I came to seminary.

6. It is a blessing to get the opportunity to go to seminary. Embrace it.

7. I need to use seminary as a boot camp to help me survive the world.

8. I can't just stand around and wait for a chance to make the right choice, I need to step up and be a good example now.

9. I give up sleep for seminary, but it is worth it.

10. I hope that I can take what I've learned in seminary and allow it to help me be stronger.

11. Seminary can strengthen us in ways we can't really see.

12. Seminary changes people.

13. Coming to seminary is helping me follow the Lord's plan.

14. Sometimes I think "ugh" when I have to get up at 5 to go to seminary, but after seminary I know it's worth it.

15. In order to get the full effect of seminary we must actually apply what we learn in our life.

16. Attending seminary can change my morning attitude.

17. Seminary not only prepares you for the day, butfor the rest of your life.

18. Not everyone lived in a time or place where they could go to seminary. I am lucky that I have the privilege to.

19. Even when I don't feel like going to seminary, I know that if I go anyway it'll be worth it.

20. These few years of my life are very important - don't waste them up or it could affect the rest of my life.

21. With seminary in the morning, I can face the challenges of the day.

22. Don't waste what you're learning - APPLY IT!

23. The teacher learns too (Yes, Jarmo, yes I do!).

24. The sacrifice I make is waking up early in the morning but it's very worth it.

25. I need seminary.

What can I say to add to their reflections?

All I can say is that I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach an amazing group of high school students, who make that tough sacrifice of giving up sleep to come together at 5:45 am every day before school, to study and be strengthened by the gospel of Jesus Christ before they head into the challenges of the day.

These youth ROCK and I love being their teacher!

The 10 Commandments and... Punk'd?

2011-12-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the 10 Commandments, shall we.

We have learned a lot about the commandments and have had GREAT discussions in class about why the Lord would give us specific laws to follow and how we can be blessed by Him as we keep these commandments in our lives each day, even though it isn't always easy to do that.

So, something we have done to help us remember the order of the commandments as given by the Lord is an activity called "The 10 Commandments: at your fingertips." Check it out....

Now, let's move onto our topic of Punk'd. It actually has nothing to do with learning the 10 Commandments, but it happened as we were learning about the Commandments, so I figured I'd throw it in with this post to give you a glimpse into our class.

So, what exactly is Punk'd you ask? Well, words alone don't do justice to this unique event that occurs every so often in our class, so let me add some pictures and music to help paint a clear visual of what it means to be Punk'd: Seminary Style!

I LOVE teaching these... PUNKS!!!

P.S. Check out these other updates to our class blog: Our "In the Spotlight" page featuring the one and only Jelly Belly BenT and our class "Filing Cabinet" with announcements and other updates

Whew! Back on Track!

2011-11-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Wahoo! Our blog is back on track!!!!

I had some technical difficulties with the blog, so between that and a lack of time to work on it, the regular weekly post hasn't happened for several weeks.

But... have no fear! We're back to share what is happening in our early morning seminary class filled with amazing high school students who get up before the sun does so that they can come and study the Old Testament. Did I mention these students are a-maz-ing?!?

Let me show you highlights of their a-maz-ing-ness with a few visual treats of some of the experiences we have had in class as we have studied Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph (who faced his trials with incredible strength), Moses and the Israelites, and so much more! You'll see that no matter what we study, in our class there is always....

A-Lotta Learning Going On!

Things We Learn From Reading Exodus

Along with all of the learning that takes place in class, we also take time to celebrate each other with Birthday Bash days that are filled with fun, laughs, candy, and mad dancing skillz....

You can find even more great stuff in our class Filing Cabinet.

Check out these updates in The Filing Cabinet: Photo Gallery (several new albums AND updates in the Random Pictures have been added), Videos, Important Class Information (updates for Term 2 added), We Love Breakfast (December days added), Announcements and more.

Thanks for visiting our blog! Now that we're back on track, come back and visit again soon!

What a Week!

2011-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Whew! This was a whirlwind of a week filled with great things!

First of all, some quick class business. Term 1 ends October 31, and the deadline for all makeup work is October 28. Please check the updated Student Accountability Card for specific details on exactly what students do to earn their grade for the term.

Now, on to the great things from this week!

Highlight # 1 = An I RED Celebration!
(I RED = our "I Read Every Day" program)

Root beer floats are a great part of breakfast - especially to celebrate the successful progress students have made in their independent daily reading of the scriptures.

Students with 10 - 19 days of independent scripture reading in September included Poolside, Madsters, Dandelion, kTee, Beiber, and JesseJ.

Students with 20 - 29 days of independent scripture reading in September included Trouble, JDawg, Jarmo, and The Colbinator.

And our Extreme Team player that read ALL 30 DAYS in September... Mouse!!!

I know that reading our scriptures every day isn't always easy 'cuz life is so busy, but I also know that Heavenly Father blesses for making the time, even if we only read a few verses a night.

Highlight #2 = D-A-SH, Punch It, and Fakebook... what?

We participated in some fun learning activities this week as we focused on what we can learn from the Lord's prophets.

Our video highlights each of these activities:

Our Fakebook pages that we created highlight people and things we learned about in the Old Testament. Check them out here.

Finally, don't forget to read the Announcements for this coming week and enjoy your long weekend (remember, we don't have class on Monday because it is a school holiday for FWISD).

Oh, a couple of last thoughts to share from this week...

First: the Lord knows what He's doing... trust Him and:

Second: when the Prophet of the Lord speaks to us, we should listen or else we could miss something important:

Have a great weekend. See you Tuesday!

Why It Matters

2011-10-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

Wasn't General Conference great! So many great messages! So many great talks! So many inspiring moments! The talks are already available at the Church website for anyone to listen to or view, just click here!

So, because I spent the weekend enjoying the messages shared during each session of General Conference, this post is going up later than intended, but here are some spotlights from seminary last week. Enjoy!

Highlight #1: Why It Matters

We really focused on why the scriptures we are reading and study matter, meaning: Why are they important to Heavenly Father and why should they be important to us.

We made connections to why certain things in our lives are important to us personally:

Why It Matters to Me - 1 Thing

Why seminary is important:

Why It Matters to Me - Seminary

And most importantly, why Jesus Christ is important:

Why It Matters to Me - Jesus Christ

We also spent time discovering why the 25 scriptures selected for this year's list of scripture mastery verses are important as well and enjoyed participating in a favorite activity called BRING IT, which helps us become more familiar with these scriptures (in a fun and somewhat messy way!):

Highlight #2: We enjoyed celebrating Madsters birthday with a creative congo circle dance bash!

Speaking of Madsters... check out the new page on this blog called "In the Spotlight" and see the video highlighting her!

This new page will change regularly to spotlight one of our awesome Extreme Team players, our #1 Fans, or other people who play an important role in our seminary experience this year, so make sure to check it out often!

Oh, and don't forget to read the Announcements for this week! There are important things there like: no class on Tuesday!

Have an awesome week!

God's Plan

2011-09-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

This week included great activities and discussion about Heavenly Father's plan, including:

the Creation of the earth

the creation of man in the image of God
(Scripture Mastery = Genesis 1:26-27)

the Fall of Adam and the importance of that decision

the role of Jesus Christ's Atonement (the greatest gift we have been given!).

Read reflections from the students about God's Planbelow (you can view it fullscreen):

God's Pan (Sept 23, 2011)

We also enjoyed working on scripture mastery with these fun activities:

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' = a team competition that changes each round

Rhyme Time = using rhymes to help us remember what the scripture mastery verses teach (click here to download the rhymes)

Freeze Frame = a team challenge to portray a scripture with one picture pose (check out the video below).....

Other highlights from the week included:

Sharing Goals and Good Things - but you had to find your partner first using animal sounds only! (What sound does a bird make, Dandelion?)

Celebrating Trouble's birthday and watching KT and Colbinator bust out some quality moves for our Birthday Dance Bash! (Too bad the camera wasn't rolling!).

What a great week of learning!

FYI - several things have been updated or added in The Filing Cabinet, so check out:

Announcements (Sept 26 - Sept 30)

The Photo Gallery (Random Shots, Extreme Team, and Table Shuffle)

Video Page (collection of our class videos)

We Love Breakfast (October Breakfast Assignments)

Important Class Info (Required Reading for Term 1)

OT Scripture Mastery (Rhyme Time Phrases)

Oh yeah, did you notice our new page at the top called: "Meet the Extreme Team?" It includes snapshots of each class member, their nickname, and a blurb about one of the strengths they bring to our class.

Facing Goliath

2011-09-15T21:30:00.001-07:00

You know Goliath, right? The really tall, really strong, Philistine giant who wore some seriously heavy-duty armor and came out day after day to challenge and terrify the Israelite armies.

Well, Tuesday morning, September 13, we faced Goliath.

Not the Philistine giant Goliath... Daniel, the young shepherd boy, already took care him with a slingshot, some pebbles, and most importantly, the help of the Lord (you can read about it in 1 Samuel 17.)

No, we faced The Goliath Bug, and let me tell you, it was just as menacing as the Goliath of the Old Testament! See for yourself...

(Reminder, if the video doesn't load: refresh or visit this link)

Now, after our hearts stopped thumping from this Goliath experience (Okay, maybe it was just MY heart, but I have had one of those nasty cockroaches fly on me twice in my life, and let me tell you, IT IS CREEPY!).

Anyway, after this experience, we realized that there were some connections we could make to cockroaches, the challenges we face in life, and how much we need the Lord to help us.

That's right... we made Cockroach Connections!

Let me share some of the "Cockroach Connections" our Extreme Team Players came up with (class nicknames are in parenthesis):

"We have challenges in life and we need the guidance from the scriptures to get through them." (Dandelion)

"Like cockroaches on steroids, sometimes large creepy obstacles will be in our way, the gospel is the handbook on how to deal with these creepy obstacles." (Bandit)

"The roach can represent Satan and how he tries to distract us in our lives. It can also represent sin and how we need to get rid of it immediately through repentance." (K-T)

"The cockroach is like the unexpected trials that present themselves daily. It can also represent Satan and how he appears when you are least prepared." (Madsters)

"The tempation we feel to ignore adversity (the cockroach) instead of dealing with it is just another tactic Satan uses against us." (Poolside)

"We had to overcome it to learn from it. Things happen unexpectedly and we need to deal with them quickly by using the knowledge we have learned." (JesseJ)

"Sometimes large cockroaches of adversity show up on the ceilings of our lives and we have to ask God for His help to get rid the roach." (D.H.)

"God will never give us something we can't handle, even if it is a huge cockroach!" (Mouse)

And now, my own "Cockroach Connection," as the teacher who initially ran from the room and left these precious students to deal with the roach on their own (Hey, I would jump in front of a moving car for them, but they're on their own with giant roaches!).

As I reflected on my momentary flight from the room, I realized that these youth face "cockroaches" on their own every day, without a parent or a leader standing beside them to help them. We, the adults in their lives who care about them, have to help them prepare in advance to know what to do when "cockroaches" show up. This means we have to teach them that they can ALWAYS turn to the Lord - ALWAYS!

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said this,

"Adversity will come, but do not fear.
The Lord will fight for you!"

And that means the Lord will help us get rid of the cockroaches, which I know from my own life is true. (KSizzle)

Have a great weekend reading something from the Old Testament and make sure to visit the Announcements for the coming week.

Snippets from September 7 - 9

2011-09-10T19:59:00.001-07:00

This was a short week but it was still packed with lots of great learning!

As part of our Friday reflection process, students post responses to what we have learned on our class Twitter board (more details and pictures coming soon to show our Twitter board - or just ask a member of The Extreme Team to explain it!). The Friday Tweet asks students to suggest something to highlight here on the blog.

With that said, I am excited to share the thoughts and reflections of The Extreme Team with you and hope you enjoy the top 3 highlights from this past week.

Highlight # 1 = The Time Capsule

We started our week off opening the Old Testament "time capsule" and found some great treasures that relate to our life today! We discussed how the Old Testament is not just a dusty old book, but that there are many connections between its teachings and our lives today.

As we reflected on the importance of studying the Old Testament, the students shared great insights including that "the reason we study these scriptures is to understand what they mean to us" and that "studying the Old Testament will help all of us get better."

Highlight # 2 = Order Up!

Students enjoyed our "Order Up" activity, where they had to work together as teams to put all 39 books of the Old Testament in order - without using their Bibles!

Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No. Especially when you have a fun song to help you learn the order AND you color-code the books by the type of writing they contain!

To listen to the song that we are using to learn the books of the Old Testament, click here and open the "Books of the Old Testament" link. The song is sung by a group named, The Sons of Ammon, and they also give you the option to try it faster or fastest!

Highlight # 3 = The Power of One

The last highlight the class wanted to include was how much they learned from doing The Power of One, which was an in-depth personal study of one scripture mastery verse.

Background on Scripture Mastery (SM): This year we will work to master our learning of 25 specific scripture verses from the Old Testament. There are several components to SM, such as: knowing where the scripture is, being able to find it, understanding what it teaches, being able to apply it, and explaining it to others.

The 25 verses for this year have been divided out among the students to do a personal study of their assigned verse (or verses) with the purpose of teaching their verse to the class as part of our morning devotionals.

So, they worked on studying their scripture and have done a great job of preparing for their first SM devotional, as seen in these student examples:

Here are what students thought of The Power of One:

"It helps us understand the scripture better and makes us think about something we may have never realized before"

"You get more understanding of how to live that scripture"

"The value of studying one scripture at a time is breaking it down and gaining an understanding of God's word, verse by verse."

"We'll be able to share our thoughts with others."

"It's important that we individually study scripture mastery to gain a deeper understanding of what we're reading."

"Studying one Scripture Mastery in-depth helps us related it more to ourselves and we remember it better."

"When we learn just one scripture, we have more appreciation for what the Lord says."

Whew! What a great (short) week!

Thanks for visiting! We love hearing from you, so to open the comment box and leave us your thoughts click on the "Comment Love" phrase after this post.

Parents: please view the Announcements link for reminders and important information.

Let's get it started!

2011-09-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

To get things started on our Extreme Team blog, how about a video overview of the beginning of our seminary season:

Note: If the video won't load, try refreshing the page and then try clicking here to go to the actual video site.

Some of the highlights in this video come from the following photo albums in The Filing Cabinet (click on the highlighted words to see even more pictures):

Getting to know each other better on the 1st day
Learning about the importance of T.E.A.M.
An Old Testament Scavenger Hunt
Minute to Win-It Scripture Mastery Challenges

Now, you should check out The Filing Cabinet, where you'll find EXTREME-ly important stuff about seminary this year.

Parents: Go to The Filing Cabinet to download copies of the calendar, class policies (grading, attendance, etc.), the Student Accountability Card for this term, and to find more helpful information.

Don't forget to bookmark our blog site so you can come back often. You can even follow us or subscribe so that you get notifications when the blog is updated.

The goal is to update the blog every weekend and share what we are learning and the experiences we are having as a seminary class this year, so please share our address with others!

Oh, and comments are LOVED around here (good ones, of course!). So show us some love, after all, a little comment love makes the day brighter (even though we're up way before the sun!).

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon!