Moving Up Breakfast 2016

The Moving Up Breakfast for my Seminary students is a wonderful tradition.
Students are seated at tables by grade.
At the end of the breakfast, the Seniors march out the door with everyone cheering for them. I give the Seniors their Scriptures, Journals, and any other supplies they have used during the year. (and I cry)
Once the Seniors table is empty, the other students "move up" to their next grade table.
We invite the incoming Freshmen and the current students give them advice on how to prepare for Seminary. Most of the advice involves sleep, getting enough sleep, going to be early, etc. along with some sweet testimonies of the blessings of Seminary.
The 8th graders love moving up to the Freshmen table. This builds their excitement for starting Seminary and introduces them to the morning routine in a fun way.
Click HERE for information on Moving Up Breakfasts from past years.

Classroom Order and Storage

Each student in my class has a plastic storage box.

Order in the classroom brings the Spirit and these storage boxes have contributed to our classroom routine and order that welcomes the Spirit.
Each box is tall enough to hold any size quad scripture set. ( 10 1/16" x  13 15/16"  x  4")
The width and length are just the right size for holding regular size notebooks, folders, binders, etc.
I have looked on-line at the IRIS site but have not seen this specific size, which is the best.
The high quality and dimensions make these ideal for student's classroom supply storage

The Scrapbook/Hobby storage container section at Michaels in the store, not-on-line, is the best place to find these. I have not seen IRIS brand plastic boxes with these dimensions, on-line or any place other than Michaels. With coupons, I usually pay a little under $5 per box. Regular price, they are around $8. They are high quality and worth the price.

As students graduate, they leave their box and it is assigned to a new student for the next year, unless it is broken, which I have only had one fall apart and it was due some accidental stepping on the box. They are sturdy, which is important. I have seen others for less money but they were low quality. These boxes get a lot of rough and tumble use, which is a consideration for quality. I have seen, in the past, Rubbermaid brand boxes just like these but not lately.


Each student receives a large sticker (I use the large shipping stickers from Office Depot) to cover the original product description sticker.
If they want a new one each year, I give them one. It feels like a "fresh start" and gets them excited about a new year of study.
They decorate the stickers with their names, doodles, etc.
This year, many of my students are writing their Hebrew name on their sticker.

Our room stays set up all week and when everyone cleans up their seat area at the end of each class and we can leave the room orderly (see photos below), we generally don't have issues with people coming in and moving, touching, taking, breaking, etc. our "stuff".

On Fridays we store them all in a locked cabinet, however, many weeks they have been stored out in the open, unlocked, and no one as touched them. I don't like to keep them unlocked or out over the weekend as their scriptures and journals with personal writings in their boxes. I am aware of another Seminary class that stores theirs in the meetinghouse library on weekends and long breaks.

This would be an ideal consideration for those who share their room in a busy meetinghouse and must pack up their supplies every day. The clean up is quick and the kids take responsibility for their own supplies.

Temple Socks

This morning, my  students LOVED  receiving their new Temple Socks so much that they could not wait to wear them. As they were putting them on, they were naming all the times and places they plan to wear their new socks.
One student said, "I am going to have the coolest socks in my entire school.. I will be the only person in my school with Temple Socks!"
A fellow Seminary teacher introduced these on the LDS Seminary Teacher Facebook group as an idea for an end of year gift. (I love that Facebook group and these socks!)

I reminded them to "Stand in Holy Places" and of this counsel from President Thomas S Monson
on the eternal importance of Temples:

"Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? 
Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. 

There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, 

or too much discomfort to endure. 

They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort."

Order your own pair(s) HERE

Happy Teaching!

Our Seminary Book of Testimony

Each student wrote their testimony on a "plate of gold" and we compiled it in to our own 

"The Book of Palm Beach & West Palm Beach Seminary"

Most of their thoughts were based on the 

"I Know..... Because...." statements we have discussed.

We displayed this on the day of our Seminary Sacrament Meeting and

at our End of Year Breakfast.

The Sacrament

A few weeks ago, I taught a lesson on preparing for Sacrament Meeting and partaking of the Sacrament. I used an idea shared on the Facebook group for LDS Seminary Teachers to hold the lesson in the chapel. I adapted it for my class and it was one of our best classes of this entire Seminary year. (if you have not joined the LDS Seminary Facebook group administered by Jenny Smith -I highly recommend it. I have an entire support community of Seminary Teachers who "get" my life and share incredible ideas. It is, many times, the only reason I look at Facebook. This time of year, as I am dragging to the finish line, it is nice to associate with others who are in the same situation, other times, someone will post a lesson idea that I needed at that very moment)

I took my class in to the chapel and we met around the Sacrament table for the entire lesson. It was a beautiful experience. We used the cloths and trays as we discussed the sacredness of this ordinance and the symbolism.
I had the young men in my class who are Priests and Teachers prepare the table, sit in the seats they sit in to to bless, etc.

We discussed arriving early, starting the prelude music early, staying in your seat the entire meeting, grooming and dress, etc. Being in the chapel brought this lesson straight to their hearts and provided an opportunity to discuss personal preparations.

At the end of the lesson, we sang the Sacrament Hymn #181, Jesus of Nazareth (referenced in John Bytheway's message). In our chapel, our organ can be programed to play the hymns, so one of my students went right up to the organ and started the hymn as another led us in singing. It was a beautiful way to end a very effective lesson.

I gave this lesson on a Friday so that I could challenge my students to prepare for Sacrament Meeting and partaking of the Sacrament that coming Sunday. On Monday, I followed up with asking about their experiences and thoughts.

In addition to the Scriptures, the two best resources for this lesson were:
1) John Bytheway's presentation on Sacrament symbols taken from his message, "The Best Three Hours of the Week". Found HERE (there is a "glue-in" hand out from John Bytheway and one from Elder Oaks' message, reference below.
2) Elder Dallin H Oaks General Conference message , "Sacrament and Sacrament Meeting", found HERE (this is one of my all time favorite Elder Oaks' messages)

Elder Holland's Witness

The first week of our Seminary year, I showed THIS video clip from Elder Holland.
I had my class read in Ether 12:37-38 just as Hyrum Smith read to the Prophet Joseph Smith right before they were martyred.
Just as Hyrum Smith did after he read that passage, I had my students fold down the corner of that page as a reminder of the sacrifices made so that we are blessed to have the Book of Mormon in our  day.
Once in awhile, I have referred to the "Ether 12" folded down page as we have discussed standing up for what we believe in, defending  and sharing our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ, etc. I have seen my students turn to that page and noted that the corner of the page is still turned down.

As we are approaching the end of our Book of Mormon study, I am showing this as a follow up. We are spending a few minutes each day viewing various testimonies recorded on Mormon Messages as well as the testimonies of latter-day Prophets and Apostles.
This video from Elder Holland is one of the most powerful messages we have heard all year.

Experiment Upon The Word

We studied Alma 32 this past week.

This morning, we planted sunflower seeds to represent

our seeds of faith.

We chose an area we felt would be protected, yet get the best light, nourishment, etc.

We compared this to nurturing our testimonies.

By the end of the Seminary year, we  should have some 

large sunflowers, if we carefully nurture them.