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News & Announcements

Ada Connection - May 01, 2024 May 01st, 2024

A Note From The Principal

  • Chicken Duty

This Week

  • Grand Friend's Day
  • Moms In Prayer

Now You Know

  • Staffing Update
  • Joy in the Gym
  • School Lunch Program - May Menu
  • Host Families Needed
  • Travel Opportunities

Action Needed

  • Electronics Policy

Summer Opportunities

  • Summer Campus & Tutoring
  • Summer Covenant Care

PTO Happenings

  • Walk-a-thon

Athletics

  • PurePlay

Mark Your Calendar

Requested Announcements

A Note From The Principal

Chicken Duty

We have great facilities for sure! Walk our campus and be amazed at all that God has blessed us with.

The people that work in our spaces are also fantastic! In this particular case, I am talking about our students :). They were mucking the chicken stalls as I was heading to the track from the hoop house. I thought it was pretty awesome to just listen to them chatting with each other about the work they were doing and watching Mrs. Merrill working alongside them. They exhibited such great attitudes and took things in stride while they worked. Great job, students!

This Week

Grand Friend's Day

We look forward to welcoming Grand Friends to our school on Friday. There will be a chapel, fellowship, classroom visits and a time to explore the school and grounds. We've included a digital copy of our invite for your convenience as well as an FAQ to ensure smooth coordination for our guests. We're eagerly anticipating this memorable day!

We are looking for several volunteers to help us welcome and serve our Grand Friends. 

Volunteer Sign-Up

Moms In Prayer

Join us for Moms in Prayer on Thursday, May 2 from 8:00-9:00am in the back ACS conference room. Our attribute this week is "God Sustains". We will be praying specifically for our specials teachers and staff. Contact Kristen Yeh at any questions. Younger siblings are always welcome.

Now You Know 

    Staffing Update

    Dear ACS Family,

    I can’t begin to thank you all enough for the love and support you have shown me over the last 5 years. I have been blessed, both professionally and personally, during my time here at ACS and have sincerely enjoyed being a part of the ACS family. Therefore, it is difficult for me to share with you all that I have accepted a position at Byron Center Christian School next year. This opportunity is not something I was pursuing, but rather feel strongly that it is the Lord’s calling for me and my family at this time in our lives. I will always hold ACS close to my heart. 

    With heartfelt gratitude,

    Tom Stepanek 

    We trust God's calling in the lives of those that are moving on from ACS, as well as for those that will follow God's calling to Ada Christian next year. ACS has a bright future and the ACS Board and Administration remains committed to our mission of equipping students for service in God world and providing academic excellence with a distinctively Christian perspective. 

    Joy In the Gym

    Another month has flown by! Here are some Y5-3rd Grade Physical Education highlights from April.

      School Lunch Program - May Menu

      Check out the menu and plan for the month of April!

      Visit adachristian.org/hotlunch for details or to apply for lunch assistance. For questions on your hot lunch account please contact Jill Zondag,

      Host Families Needed 

      Dear Ada Christian School Community:

      Our school has been part of an amazing cultural exchange program for Guatemalan students for years, and we're excited to keep it going!

      Faces And Our Cultures provides Guatemalan students with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in our community for eight enriching weeks. Throughout the years, our campus has welcomed some Guatemalan students, many of whom have created a special bond with their host families.

      We're currently looking for new host families that are willing to open their hearts and homes to our wonderful students.

      During their stay, these ambassadors will fully integrate into our school community and participate in all school activities. The program runs from Sunday, October 20th, through Saturday, December 14th.

      To become cultural ambassadors, participants undergo a thorough selection process and extensive preparation throughout the year. Each child will be matched with a student close in age and same gender.

      The host family provides  homestay  for 8 weeks, making them part of the routine, activities, rules, curfews, house chores as another member of the family. Ada Christian provides lunches, school materials, and school related activities.    

      For those interested in learning more about the Faces program, we invite you to fill the following link to join an individual virtual meeting or join us for an in-person informational meeting with Sandy Cardona, Program Coordinator scheduled for: 

      Date: Thursday, May 16
      Time: 8:00 am.

      Travel Opportunities - Australia, New Zealand & South Africa

      Has your family always wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand? Perhaps you have dreamed of going on safari to South Africa? 

      Join fellow ACS families for an adventure of a lifetime!  

      The trips will be taking place the following dates:

      - June of 2025 is Australia and New Zealand
      - July of 2025 is South Africa

      There will be an informational meeting, hosted by World History teacher, Betsy Rybarczyk, on May 7 at 6:00pm in the library for those who are interested in learning more. Many people have already enrolled on the trip, so there are limited seats available.

      Please RSVP!

      *Please note that travelers must be 7 years or older to join the trip.

      If you have any questions before the informational meeting, please feel free to contact Betsy Rybarczyk at .

      Action Needed

      Electronics Policy

      Please help us in enforcing our electronics policy. If a student needs to contact parents during the day they are required to call from the school phone. We also ask that parents contact students through the office.

      Cell phones, headphones, iPads, smart watches or any electronic devices are not to be in use by students during the school day without special teacher permission. If your student needs to take any of these items to school they must be silenced and out of sight. Teachers will take any items in use and bring them to the office where the item will remain until the parent comes to pick it up from the principal.

      Summer Opportunities

      Summer Camps & Tutoring

      Every year it seems like our list of summer opportunities grows even bigger! Led by ACS teachers camp activities will ordinarily take place at ACS unless special approval has been granted.

      Several Ada Christian teachers will be offering tutoring this summer. These tutoring sessions will be hosted at Ada Christian School.

      Details, Dates & Signups

      Summer Covenant Care

      In Summer Covenant Care students will experience the summer alongside friends and participate in enriching activities. Care will be available Mon-Thurs, June 10-August 8.

      Sign-up

      PTO Happenings

      Walk-a-thon

      The annual Walk-a-thon is coming up on Friday, May 10! Grab a Volunteer Spot for this fun event!

      We have a fundraising goal of $30,000, which we can reach if each student gathers $50 in donations. You can send checks in the donation envelopes or give online! Donations are due Wednesday, May 8.

      Check out the great prizes students can earn:

      • The top-earning middle school homeroom gets to douse their teacher in color powder!
      • The top-earning grade earns a popcorn party! (Highest per-student average.)
      • Classes with 100% participation in collecting donations earn a pajama day!
      • The top fundraiser from each grade earns a $20 Target gift card! (Ties broken by drawing.)
      • For every $50 brought in, students have their names entered in a drawing for the top prize of four tickets to Michigan’s Adventure!
      • Thank you for your generosity, which allows the PTO to support the staff and sponsor a variety of events and programs that enrich the student experience.

      Athletics

      PurePlay (K-4th)

      Soccer

      Saturday, May 4

      Boys @ 9:00; Girls @ 10:30

      Track

      Wednesday: 3:00-4:15pm

      Mark Your Calendar

      Apr 25 - Fine Arts Night 6:00-8:00pm
      May 3 - Grand Friend's Day
      May 6 - No School (Teacher In-Service)
      May 10 - Walk-a-thon
      May 27 - No School (Memorial Day)
      June 4 - 8th Grade Graduation
      June 5 - Last Day of School (Dismissal @ 11:30am)

      Looking ahead: 24-25 Calendar

      Requested Announcements

      Free Mile Race for Kids!

      Ages 5 TO 14 Tuesday, May 21 - start time 7pm
      Grand Rapids Christian High School Track - 2300 Plymouth Ave. SE Grand Rapids
      All Kids Receive a t-shirt, backback & medal.

      More information

      Whatcha Doin' Out There!? - Nov 2023 December 05th, 2023

      OE News

      November was a month in which the weather transitioned quickly. There were many very warm days in November, but we also found ourselves in some cold, rain, and snow. As the weather turns we are able to consider what happens as creatures get ready for winter. We also wrapped up some of our fall activities like cider and began the transition into Christmas preparation. K-2nd grade made ornaments that will be on display at the Festival of Trees at Legacy Park in Ada for the Christmas season. Check out the ACS tree and the others if you're in town.  

      Kindergarten - In kindergarten we began November with a review of recent letters of the week A,D,S,L. Activities included Act like animals, Dig in the sand, Strolling, Skipping and Sprinting, and Launching Leaves. Later in the month we took a look at wind and made pinwheels as instruments to measure wind, just like an anemometer.  We then shifted to making ornaments that will be displayed at the Festival of Trees in Ada.  First we made a triangle shape out of sticks and then the sticks were wrapped with yarn and decorated with mini ornaments of their own.  

      1st - First grade took a turn with cider making one week and a couple weeks later had a special visitor. Johnny Appleseed met them in the woods to read about his life and enjoy some of the great cider that they made. First grade also learned about animal shelters and made some small places for animals to hide in the woods. To end the month they began Christmas preparations by making ornaments. Students made ornaments by decorating pine cones with ribbon and bells. The ornaments will be on display in the “Festival of Trees” in Ada.  

      2nd - A big theme in second grade was Pioneers. They began with a turn at the cider press. Then they enjoyed some pioneer games to see what kids did for fun long ago.  They also pushed their wheelbarrow wagon through the woods during the Oregon Trail simulation facing many challenges along the way. Lastly they used their pioneer skills to make candles which will serve as ornaments in the Festival of Trees in downtown Ada. Go check it out!

      3rd - Third grade took some time to review the great lakes in an activity where we put the numbers into perspective. Volume of water, perimeter and depth were all compared with the lakes and we reflected on the importance of 20% of the world’s surface fresh water that is in the 5 great lakes. We began to learn about the Native Americans by learning about the three sisters' planting method and clearing out that section of our garden so it is ready to plant in the spring. Lastly, we played games that the native americans played to practice balance and strength.   

      4th - Fourth graders had multiple science connections in OE. To begin we did a simulation that looked at food availability affect population size by searching for food in the form of colored straws. The next week we considered how animals used their senses in an activity in which students had to find animals of their own species by listening for the same sound while blindfolded. It was a challenge to listen to the specific sounds while others were also making sounds and predators were on the prowl. We introduced the topic of Community Supported Agriculture. We took inventory and decided to attempt our first Farm Fresh Box for thanksgiving. They were able to produce enough products for 12 families! Lastly, we talked about soil temperature tolerance and its practical application on the farm. The students learned how to take soil temperature samples and determine by reading the back of a seed packet if the seed would germinate in that environment.

      5th - This month we took a deep dive into the internal anatomy of a chicken. We studied the path of digestion and egg production. We learned how chickens break down their food and absorb nutrients. We learned what the “grade” of an egg means on the outside of an egg carton. Then we cracked some ACS eggs and studied the color/ shape/ and consistency of the yolk to decide what grade eggs our chickens lay. We rounded out the month with some Fun Farm Games. Kids learned how strong you need to be to do daily farm tasks in a fun and silly competition.

      6th - Our 6th graders have spent the month learning external anatomy of a goat. To encourage them to really understand the shape and muscle structure of a goat we learned how to draw one realistically. Now we have a great base understanding as we get more specific with anatomy in December. We rounded out the month with Farm Games and learned how to set product prices for SEED Market.

      7th - November in 7th grade OE involved students mapping out the memorial trees on our campus which will later be available as an interactive map with links to more information on the trees. We then turned our attention to composting. Students began learning about composting. We talked about the importance of composting as well as the basics of what materials are best including a balance of browns and greens. We are now collecting lunch scraps from 7th and 2nd grades for a compost bin here at school to put what we learned into practice.  

      8th - November was a month to transition to the Legacy Project for 8th grade. We began with a tour to see projects from previous grades and considered how well they met the needs of the school and what they offered to students. We then presented students with some potential legacy projects for this year. Now students are researching these topics to see what logistics will be necessary to make this happen.