Middle School Matters – Apr 26, 2019

General Announcements

Grand Friend’s Day: All of the bands and orchestras are performing May 03 for GF Day. 56 should wear the green retreat shirts dark pants/skirts/capris, and 78 should wear black and white concert attire.

Grand Friend’s Day Invite: Please share a few items with your Grand Friends. We look forward to their visit!

Spring Concert 5-8 is May 09: 56 wears retreat shirts/pants or skirts, 78 wears black and white.

Fifth Grade:

Attention Parents: The Middle School Support Committee is looking for two parents (representing one boy and one girl from 5th grade) who is willing to serve a 3-year term on MSSC starting this June.

MSSC consists of 6 parents--2 from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
MSSC helps coordinate with teachers the Fall Spiritual Retreat, Exploratory Week, and Graduation
It’s a great way to get involved in MS life at ACS.
Availability during the school day is very important for this committee

If you are interested, please contact Beth Cowden, (moc.liamg@nedwochteb)

Chemistry Field Trip: Please fill out this form to give your child permission to attend our chemistry field trip to Calvin College on the afternoon of Thu May 16. We will leave school at 12:00 and return at 2:00. No hot lunch will be available for 5th grade on this day due to our travel time.

Action Items: Are you spring cleaning? We welcome gently used items to be donated towards our end of year auction. These items should be given to Miss Slauer or Mrs. Reidsma.

Spring Camp: Will be held at Camp Tall Turf May 22-24.

Reproductive Education: Please have a conversation with your child regarding reproductive health before the week of May 27. Reproductive Education will take place May 29-31.

Art: 5th graders are learning about the work of Wayne Thiebaud and create a piece of art inspired by his style and subject.

Band: Full Band Monday and Tuesday - we are getting ready for GF Day! We perform on May 03 for GF day, and also on May 09 at our Spring Concert. 56 wears green retreat shirts and dark or khaki pants/capris/skirts.

Bible: Students are plugging away at the Jesus Project. We have had lots of in class work time, but some students may need to spend time at home to catch up on some pieces to the project. Upcoming due dates are as follows: another verse is due. is due Thurs, May 02; Pilgrim’s Progress Reflection due Tues, May 07; Lost Comic due Wed, May 15; Parable of the Sower due Tues, May 21. All of these writings should be located in your child’s Google Drive (login is gro.naitsirhcada@emanresu) if they would like to access them at home.

Language Arts: We are learning so much! Next week students will pick out a biography book. They will read about this person’s childhood, schooling, career, obstacles, and accomplishments. The “Who Is/Was?” books work really well for this project. I have many in my classroom as does the ACS library. Later in May, the 5th graders will dress up like this person (with a prop or two, nothing extravagant necessary) for a wax museum and give a short speech as if they are this person. I will let you know more specifics later.

Math: We just wrapped up Chapter 11 Measurement with a test. Next up Chapter 12 Geometry! This is the last chapter of the book and we will be taking MAPS tests over the coming weeks.

Orchestra: We will have full orchestra on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and play on Friday for Grandfriend’s Day so have your instrument and all music at school all week. We are also getting ready for May 9- our Spring concert! Dress code is above!

Science: We’ve been busy studying seeds, plants and pollinators - very fitting for spring!

Social Studies: Next week, we will continue to study the events of the American Revolution.

Spanish: Students are working on our story “The Shepherd Boy” in Spanish. We know this story as “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” We will try a few twists to this story next week.

Sixth Grade:

Chicken Checker & Got Yolk: Mr. Hoo has assigned each family to chicken chores for 1 weekend between now and the end of the school year. This includes cleaning the coop, feeding the chickens and picking up eggs. Please look at which weekend you have been assigned to be sure you are available. If you are not, please work with another family to make a switch. Questions? Talk to Mr. Hoo. We are counting on you!

Devotion Sign-up: FIVE spots left. Time is running out and we would love for you to consider signing up here to lead devotions for the 6th Graders on a Thursday (8:00-8:10am) this school year. The students love to have parents and guests come to share a story, song, verse, prayer or devotional with us.

Art: 6th graders are working on their clay effigy animals. Ceramics terms quiz is coming in 2 weeks. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Band: We perform on May 03 for GF day, and also on May 09 at our Spring Concert. 56 wears green retreat shirts and dark or khaki pants/capris/skirts.

Bible: We’ve been focusing on creation Psalms this week and are writing some of our own, praising God for his amazing creation which is bursting to life at this time of year!

Choir: All students are singing on May 09 at the Spring Concert and should plan to wear retreat shirts and dark or khaki pants/capris/skirts.

History: We will have our Ancient Greece Test on Wednesday. Students have been busy finding ways to study and review in class. Here is their study guide!

Language Arts: Wow! What a fabulous Fine Arts Night! Congratulations to the the sixth graders who worked so hard! The displays were beautiful and the food was delicious. Thank you, parents, for your encouragement during this project! Next week, the students will finish up the newspapers and work on writing a persuasive paper.

Math: We have been working on our study guide and reviewed a lot this week for our test on Monday. The last few days we have been specifically working hard to improve our accuracy with perimeter and area computation. Next week we will switch our focus to Surface Area and Volume.

Orchestra: We perform for our Grand Friends May 03 and the following week on Thur, May 09. We have wonderful music to share with you.

Science: We will have a test over investigation 3 and 4 on Tuesday.

Spanish: WTEST Monday April 29th. See Moodle for a study guide and more info. Sixth graders completed their first 5 minute timed writing in Spanish this year and they were fenomenal! So proud of these students! Many of them exceeded our goal of 50 words in sentence form.

Seventh Grade:

Rollerblading Club: Do you remember the 1990’s? Wasn’t rollerblading fun? Wouldn’t you love for your kids to experience that fun as well? Now they can. Next Tues, Apr 30, Mr. Musch and Mrs. Quist (with the possibility of other teachers) will be Skating to Scoopers! If your child is interested, please fill out this google form to grant permission for your child to join us. We will leave at the end of school and plan to return around 4:15. Please send your child with skates, any protective gear you require your child to wear, and money for the ice cream.

Algebra: We will begin chapter 13 on proportions next week.

Art: 7th graders are working on create art about themselves, their family, and their faith. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Band: All of the bands are performing May 03 for GF Day and May 09 for the Spring Concert. 78 should wear black and white concert attire for each event.

Bible: We have been leading some of our younger friends in ACS in devotions and prayer using the devotionals we wrote earlier in the year. We’ve also been helping Mr. Hoo outdoors with various tasks - currently we are helping to achieve the goal of getting a mound of mulch and chips moved and spread throughout our landscaping in time for GrandFriends day. Because of scheduling restraints, the MAP Language test will take place during Bible - we will begin the Language test on Monday, April 29 and continue into the next day if necessary.

Choir: All students are singing on May 09 at the Spring Concert and should plan to wear black/white to the concert.

History: We have started a unit on the Age of Exploration. Next week we will be finishing it up and hoping to take a test on Thursday afternoon.

Language Arts: We have completed The Westing Game! There will be a quest on the novel, but due to MAP testing and GrandFriends day this will not take place until the week of May 06. We will be looking at the finer points of introductions, transitions and conclusions for ProCon. We recently took a quiz on bibliographies and parenthetical citations - next week there will be a re-quiz for those who want to master the concept further and get a few points back. We will begin the MAP reading test on May 07 & 08

Orchestra: All string groups will play May 03 at Grand Friend’s Day and also at the Spring Concert May 09. Plan to wear black and white concert attire.

Pre-Algebra (Kiser): We are now studying measure of center and variability.

Science: We continue studying earth history by looking into fossils.

Spanish: We are starting the second half of our novel. We have 7 more chapters and this will take us to the end of the year. Hard to believe!

Eighth Grade:

Dates to know:

May 03 - GF Day - half Day (done at 11:30) Wear Black and White if 78 band or orchestra

May 06 - No School - Teacher Work Day

May 09- Spring Concert 7:00pm

May 23 & 24 - Exams - half days (done at 11:30)

May 27 - Memorial Day - No School

May 29-31 - Class Trip (Cedar Point and all!) back to school by 3:00pm Friday

June 05 - half day (done at 11:30)

June 06 - Graduation (no school during the day) Pictures at 6:15pm

Algebra: We are working through chapter 11 next week focusing on Rational Expressions and Equation.

Art: 8th graders are working on a street art project inspired by the work of artist Bern Bataclan. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Band: All of the bands are performing May 03 for GF Day and May 09 for the Spring Concert. 78 should wear black and white concert attire for each event.

Bible: Willing to Wait finished on Apr 24. Ask your 8th grader about their experience in this course. Critical conversations! We continue with our plumb bob project as regular Bible class begins again.

Choir: All students are singing on May 09 at the Spring Concert and should plan to wear black/white to the concert.

Geometry: We will be completing chapter 13 with a test on Wednesday next week.

History: Next week we will continue to study the U.S. Civil War. Highlighting next week’s topics will be the Battle of Gettysburg.

Language Arts: We’ve completed The Diary of Anne Frank and have already begun studying for the quest we will have based on the play - because of GrandFriends Day scheduling, though, we won’t be able to do this until the week of May 6. 8th graders will be working on several aspects of their BOM projects, and soon we will begin our final novel study and prepare for the final exam!

Orchestra: All string groups will perform for Grand Friend’s Day, May 03 and also for Spring Concert, May 9. Black/white concert dress is required.

Pre-Algebra: We continue graphing linear functions. Our test will be on Thurs, May 02.

Science: We are investigating heredity and genetics. We will be starting next week with Punnett squares.

Spanish: We are starting the second half of our novel. We have 7 more chapters and this will take us to the end of the year. Hard to believe! Our last test will be May 17, and if all works out, our Pinata Party on May 22.