Middle School Matters – 01.14.21 | Ada Christian School

General Announcements

Parent Teacher Conferences:

Parents of students in middle school will have the opportunity to visit with each of their student’s teachers in the commons or Gym on Feb 15 or 24 4:30 - 7:30pm. No sign up is necessary for Middle School.

Our 5 - 8th grade teachers conduct a “Round Robin” style of conference, with each conference lasting about 4 minutes. You will find each teacher at a table in the Commons or Gym. If you feel that this timeframe will not be sufficient, you are welcome to reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher to schedule a longer conference.

5th Grade

PowerSchool Grades

We have worked hard this year to establish healthy routines as students have adjusted to Middle School. Friday, Jan 21, Mr. Kiser will be talking with all 5th grade students about how they can view grades in real time on PowerSchool. Please read this important parent letter about viewing grades on PowerSchool.

SEED Market: (Jan 28) A final SEED Market update was sent home today. Please review this update with your child. We are also in need of plastic grocery bags. If you have extras at home, please have your child give them to Ms. Gerig. This year all SEED money is going to Mission India and World Vision. See the note below for more information about our partnership with Mission India:

Ada Christian Schools is partnering with Mission India to help boys and girls in India hear the Good News of the gospel and learn of Jesus’ love for them! Through Ada’s SEED Market, students will be raising funds to send students to Mission India’s Year-Long Bible Club program. It costs $24 to send a child in India to one of these programs where they will be discipled for an entire year! The students’ goal will be to raise $960 to sponsor a Club of 40 students by January 28. When their goal is met, there will be a 6-Month Progress Report and 12-Month Final Report to let them know how their gift is making an impact in the lives of the Indian children. Parents, we would love for you to engage this effort through your prayers and support as well. For more information or to give an online donation, visit the following link: missionindia.org/ada For more information on Mission India, please read this letter.

Art: The first day of final printing went well. Next week 5th grade students will continue final printing in single colors and spend part of class learning how to do multiple color printing in preparation for the following week.

Bible: This week in Bible we finished reading Daniel for the BOB challenge. We also learned about both Jesus’ baptism and our baptism. It was fun to hear about how different families and churches celebrate this sacrament!

Language Arts: Week two of BOB is complete! The fifth graders have been working so hard to earn quiz points and reading tickets. Today they received progress reports (paper copy) of their current quiz points and reading ticket totals. We will continue onward with BOB next week!

Math: Students are finishing up their lessons on dividing with decimals. There will be a test next week Thursday. A review sheet can be found on google classroom and students will receive a hard copy next week Tuesday.

Music - Band: Our first long solo video project was due yesterday. There have been some great videos handed in and some great live performances as well! Next up we will learn four full band pieces where each instrument and each family of the band has individual parts.

Music - Choir: We are drumming and singing and continuing to work on reading notes and learning theory.

Music - Orchestra: Continue to practice your fiddle tunes and work from the book.

PE: Students are learning the rules of floor hockey and applying their hockey skills to a game setting.

Science: This week we focused on the periodic table of elements by creating baseball cards for one specific element! Next week, we will focus on physical and chemical changes through a variety of activities.

Social Studies: Next week we will be taking the Reading MAP Test in social studies class.

Spanish: Students continued acquiring their new vocabulary words in a larger language context. Students enjoyed a team listening and drawing activity this week. They also enjoyed or maybe better said, were disgusted by, the newest Senor Wooly song: Que Asco.

6th Grade

SEED Market: (Jan 28) A final SEED Market update was sent home today. Please review this update with your child. We are also in need of plastic grocery bags. If you have extras at home, please have your child give them to Ms. Gerig. This year all SEED money is going to Mission India and World Vision. See the note below for more information about our partnership with Mission India:

Art: 6th graders will continue working on creating their emotion monster with the goal of completing work by the end of class next week. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates. For the next sketchbook assignment students need to bring in a landscape photograph that they or a family member has taken for use with our next project. These pictures will be returned to you if needed.

Bible: This week we finished reading The Case for Christ for Kids and we watched The Case for Christ. Next week students will be writing a letter to a non-believer articulating their faith, as well as evidence for what they believe. The parent choice verse is due Fri., Jan 21. Students should be prepared to recite their verse for the class and articulate why this verse is important.

Language Arts: This week we continued reading short stories and focused on analyzing setting and theme. Next week we will partner with Bible class to write our letters for The Case for Christ.

Math: Students are finishing up their unit on integers. There is a “final quiz” next week Tuesday. Students should have pages 22, 23, 25, and 26 completed in their packet. They can also review integers with IXL’s that are listed on the front of their packet.

Music - Band: We are working our way through our method books, and also playing a variety of music including songs ranging from Pachelbel’s Canon to the Muppet Show. :)

Music - Choir: We are singing and drumming and beginning a unit on The Sound of Music.

Music - Orchestra: Continue to practice your fiddle tunes and work in the book. Your google video for January is due on Thursday.

PE: Students are learning the rules of floor hockey and applying their hockey skills to a game setting.

Science: This week, we focused on the characteristics of minerals, specifically, birthstones. Next week, we will explore weathering and erosion through a variety of activities.

Social Studies: Next week we will be taking the Reading MAP Test in social studies class.

Spanish: This week students created and performed a class story called: Cierra la Puerta. It is about a student who refuses to close doors…always opening, never closing them, and the trouble s/he gets into.

7th Grade

Art: 7th graders have 1 more week of class time to work on painting and adding painted lines to their sculptures. After next week, if the sculpture is not finished students will have 1 week to complete the project before or after school or during lunch before it is collected for grading. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Bible: We are looking at the importance of sermons and some of the characteristics that go into a good sermon. Next week we will spend much of our time listening to sermons and taking notes on what the messages have to offer.

History: Students taught classmates about inventions of the Industrial Revolution this week. We take a 3-day break to take the MAP reading test Friday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Then we keep learning about the Industrial Revolution, taking a look at the factory system.

Language Arts: This week we will continue our study of the book Trouble, and also learn a little about the History of the Cambodian Civil War as it pertains to the story. We will be revamping reading groups. The Language MAPs will be taking place Jan 24 and 25.

Math - 7th Math: We have completed chapter 5 on expressions and were MAP testing this week. We will begin chapter 6 on Equations and Inequalities Friday. Students received their chapter 5 tests back and are able to do corrections.

Math - Algebra: Students are showing a really good understanding of systems of equations. We will complete chapter 5 next week with a test on Friday.

Math - Pre-Algebra: Pre-Algebra students are working through Chapter 7. We will take a quiz on the first part of the Chapter on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Music - Band: The 7th graders did great work on the band videos this past week - WOW.

Music - Choir: We are beginning our musical unit - this year we will be watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and learning more of the songs from it.

Music - Orchestra: Continue to practice your fiddle tunes. Your google video for January is due on Thursday.

PE: Students are reviewing the rules of floor hockey and applying their hockey skills to a game setting.

Science: We have spent some time working on microscopes. We have looked at all sorts of stuff- yogurt, yeast, hair, eye lashes. We plan to go searching in different water sources for water bears and whatever else we can find next week!

Spanish: This week students created and acted a class story called: ¡Búscalo! This story is about a child who is looking for a precious lost item and can’t find it anywhere. There were very interesting items lost and found as well as places that were searched.

8th Grade

Grand Rapids Christian High School:

We are looking forward to welcoming the ACS 8th graders to campus in the new year. We have three campus visit days dedicated just for them on Feb 02, Feb 09 and Feb 16. You may register and select the day that works best for you and your student here. We are also hosting additional Future Eagle Day campus visits monthly through the end of the school year and you are welcome to attend one of those if you would prefer.

Please save the date for Mar 03, 2022, when our high school Counseling Office team will be meeting with you and your student to complete course scheduling for the 2022-2023 school year. More information will be sent to you directly from the Counseling Office after the first of the year.

We are excited to partner with you as you consider the next step in your children's educational journey. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if we can support you in any way, Vickie Fischer, gro.scrg@rehcsifv

NorthPoint High School:

You are invited to experience a day as an NPC mustang! Shadow a high school student for the day! Shadow days are Feb 03 and Apr 28.

Parents are invited to stay for their own Preview morning. Come hear about our Christ-centered commitment, dual-enrollment opportunities, and our Big Picture Learning internship program!

Details and RSVP to Kim Lowitzki: gro.naitsirhcpn@snoissimda, 616.942.0363

South Christian High School

Do you have an 8th grade student who is considering South Christian for next year? Join us this year for Curriculum Night, Jan 24 @ 7:00pm.

The goal of the evening is to give parents more specific information about our course offerings. We will look specifically at the freshmen course requirements, graduation requirements, and the academic opportunities for students. Parents will interact with a PowerPoint presentation and get the information needed to help their 8th graders make course selections for their freshman year.

If you are unable to attend this event in person, please contact Sherri DeVries (gro.shcs@seirveds) and we will email a recording of the evening the following week. All documents will also be linked in the email for 8th grade parents.

A few weeks after Curriculum Night, the registrar and counselors will go to the middle schools or schedule appointments to meet with the 8th grade students and collect the Course Selection forms worked on at home with parents. Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing Mrs. Wierenga (gro.shcs@agnereiwr) or calling the main office (616.455.3210).

Art: 8th grade students have all of class Tuesday 1/18 to work on completing the glazing of their ceramic pot. If your student is not confident that they will be completed by then the art room is open for glazing before or after school and during lunch. Next, 8th graders will transition back to the family shape project. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Bible: We are continuing with our study of the reformed worldview in C. S. Lewis’ The Last Battle. Students are learning to look for the good, the broken and the transformed in the story. We do not have a new memory verse this week.

History: We continue our study of the Civil War. The test will (likely) be Thursday, Jan 27.

Language Arts: NHD is due on Tuesday, January 18. The students are looking forward to being done, and they should be proud once they are! We will be continuing with The Giver in full force. The Language MAPs will be taking place Jan 24 and 25.

Math - Algebra: We are working our way through chapter 5 which is all about solving systems of linear equations. Students have been learning the new information well and should anticipate a quiz on Tuesday. We will be starting our winter MAP tests next week Thursday.

Math - Geometry: We are wrapping up our chapter about relationships within triangles with a test on Wednesday. Students will be completing their MAP tests next week Thursday and Friday.

Math - Pre-Algebra: Pre-Algebra students are working through Chapter 7. We will take a quiz on the first part of the Chapter on Tuesday, Jan 18.

Music - Band: Hostrauser’s march went well! We are working on our final band exam and also learning a number of new pieces!

Music - Choir: We are adding choreography to our musical numbers gradually.

Music - Orchestra: Continue to practice your fiddle tunes. Your google video for January is due on Thursday.

PE: Students are reviewing the rules of floor hockey and applying their hockey skills to a game setting.

Science: This week we had a whole lot of fun with a Ruben’s tube. Ask your kids all about it! They should be able to tell you what one is and how it works. We have a test coming up on Wednesday about sound waves and wave vocabulary in general. There is a study guide on Google Classroom.

Spanish: This week students created and acted our longest class story yet. It is about a boy who is a kleptomaniac. Oh the interesting things he steals! At the end, his girlfriend reveals she is the real kleptomaniac! The stories are in the process of being filmed and posted on Google Classroom. QUIZ! Vocabulary quiz is coming soon. See the Homework Calendar!

Athletics

Girls basketball is officially underway. Please see TeamSnap for your team’s full schedule.

We are still looking for more workers for girls basketball games this year. If your son/daughter (7th/8th grade or older) is interested in working, please fill out this form.