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Ada Connection – 03.27.24

A Note From The Principal

A Note From The Principal

Jesus Is The Savior!

If you seized the opportunity to worship with us on Wednesday morning at our Easter chapel, you might recognize this picture from one of our second graders in Mrs. Overbeek’s class. 

As we look forward to Good Friday and Easter, let us never forget the price Jesus paid for us. His death and resurrection are the pinnacle events in our Christian faith.

Oh, what a glorious day it will be when we get to see Him face to face in heaven!

This Week

ACS Literati Book Fair

The Literati Book Fair is coming! Join us for a great big story safari on March 21-27, or shop online at The ACS Literati School Store. The online store is open until midnight tonight. 

Please share our link with family and friends to purchase for themselves as well! Every purchase benefits the ACS Library!

Do Grandpa or Aunt Pam want to support the book fair but don't know how? Ideas for family members and friends - Digital Gift Cards and age-based Literati Book Club Memberships are available online. 

Now You Know 

    Society Meeting

    Dear Ada Christian Parents and Society Members, 

    Our virtual meeting was a wonderful opportunity to discuss and celebrate another year of Ada Christian School’s faculty, staff and parents partnering in equipping students for service in God’s world. 

    Our Finance Committee and our ACS Education Foundation have been working very hard to offset increasing operating costs while maintaining the excellent education and environment our children enjoy. Our proposed budget, tuition and fees passed last evening. 

    Volunteering for a leadership role and a three-year commitment to the school board is a significant commitment. Our gratitude goes out to everyone who agreed to participate in the board nominee selection process. The following candidates were chosen to represent us on our School Board: 

    • Steve Biel
    • Alissa Hollander
    • Matt Hudson
    • John Kuiper

    Principal Sall reflected on our commitment to educate the whole child - mind, body and soul in community and our dependence on Christ for wisdom and knowledge. 

    Thank you for your continued support of Ada Christian School. Our school is in a very strong position and is a blessing to our students, families, staff and community because of your commitment. 

    Blessings to you and your family, 

    Joe Keilen, President
    Ada Christian School Board of Trustees

    Solar Eclipse Party

    Big deal alert!

    At 3:15pm on April 8, the Monday after spring break, Grand Rapids will be in the 0.01% of the world experiencing 94% darkness. The next time this will happen in Grand Rapids is 2099! Because of this, we are going to celebrate! Dismissal will occur at 2:45pm* and we invite parents and their children to join us on the baseball field for a solar eclipse party! Glasses have already been ordered for the whole school and extras for parents to purchase.

    *Dismissal for our preschool will happen at 2:20pm. Preschool families are also invited to join the party!

    Joy In the Gym

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

      School Lunch Program - April 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,

      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

      Mother Son Event - Apr 12

      Get your neon outfits ready!  PTO invites you to our Mother Son Event on April 12 at Craig’s Cruisers.  We hope you can join us for an evening of fun!

      Check out the details

      Athletics

      PurePlay (K-4th)

      Track and Field

      What: Track and Field Club
      Students will be given the chance to try a wide variety of track and field events
      Who: 1st-4th graders
      When: Wednesdays, April 17, 24, May 1, 8    3:00-4:15 pm.
      Where: ACS track
      Why: Because exercise is FUN! 
      Cost: Nothing...but must be ready to work hard 
      Help: Volunteers are needed to help at stations
      How: Sign up by emailing Coach DK ()
      Deadline: April 12

      Soccer

      Rosters and schedules have been sent. First event: Saturday April 13.  Girls @ 9:00; Boys @ 10:30.

      Mark Your Calendar

      Mar 28-Apr 7 - Spring Break
      Apr 8 - Solar Eclipse Party - Dismissal at 2:45pm
      Apr 25 - Fine Arts Night 6:00-8:00pm

      Looking ahead: 24-25 Calendar

      Whatcha Doin' Out There!? - Nov 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.