General 5-8 Announcements:
Middle School Matters comes out once per week. Information about all things Middle School will be found in this email. MSM is also posted on the ACS Website under News and Announcements, sorted by date.
5/6 and 7/8 Team Parents: We have a new request for your help this year. Many of you have helped over the years with Elementary Recess and now we are asking for volunteers to help with 5th - 8th Recess. M-Th 11:35 - 12:20 and Friday 12:05 - 12:40. If you are able to help, please contact Julie DeKoster at gro.naitsirhcada@retsokedj
Hot Lunch begins Tue Sep 05. Please send a lunch and a snack for your student each day! In order to choose hot lunch you will need to sign up for a NEW account this year.
Mandatory Digital Forms - Several forms which used to come in your August mailing have now been digitized and are ready for you to complete. (emergency authorization, chaperone agreement, media consent, etc) These forms must be completed by Wed, Aug 30. NOTE: MS students may not attend the retreat on Aug 31 if these forms are not completed.
To complete the forms:
- Log into your PowerSchool parent portal.
- Select Ecollect Forms
- Complete all forms under the category Back to School Forms.
- Pay special attention to the submission instructions at the bottom of each form.
7th and 8th Grade Retreat
This coming Thursday our 7th and 8th grade students will be heading to Camp O’Malley for the MS Retreat. Please remember that each student will need to bring a sack lunch on Thursday. Students will be back at school by 3:00pm on Thursday afternoon.
Fifth Grade:
School Pictures: 5HW will have pictures on Tues 8/29 and 5S has pictures on Wed Aug 30.
56er Mixer: During the afternoon of Thurs Aug 31, the fifth and sixth grade students will participate in a mixer on campus at ACS. More details coming home next week.
Art: Starting the year we will be creating abstract paintings and drawing outside creating simple landscape drawings to go on top of our abstract paintings.
Band: Meyer Music is coming to ACS with instruments on Mon Aug 28 at 3:00pm in the Commons. If you still need to rent an instrument, this is a great time to do it. The book we use comes with the rented instrument, too! We hope to begin with instruments on Tue Aug 29 with anyone who has their instrument! We will hand out school instruments on this day as well. We are so excited to begin!
Bible: This week we will begin studying the stories of the Pentateuch.
Language Arts: We will start out the year getting to know one another, learning about the classroom and expectations, setting up our writer’s notebooks, and picking out books.
Math: Our first math unit is on place value.
Orchestra: Meyer Music is coming to Ada Christian School with instruments for rental. They will be here Mon Aug 28 at 3:00pm in the Commons. If you have not yet rented an instrument for the year be sure to go to their store to get your instrument or come to this rental meeting. They also include a free stand and a free book- so get All for Strings Book 1! We hope to begin with instruments on Tue Aug 29 with anyone who has their instrument. We are excited to see you and begin orchestra!
PE: We will kick off the year with a soccer unit! Can’t wait to get started!
Science: We’ll be getting to know each other, setting up our notebooks and learning our way around the lab this week. Our first unit will be called “Earth and Sun.”
Spanish: Hola! In the first month students will engage in learning about one another in Spanish! In order to do that, we will be focusing on questions words and activities each student likes. Additionally, students will also acquire their first “super verb”: DICE (s/he says). Folders will be distributed the first week in class. These folders will stay in class unless otherwise directed.
Sixth Grade:
School Pictures: 6th graders will have school pictures on Tue Aug 29.
56er Mixer: During the afternoon of Thur Aug 31, the fifth and sixth grade students will participate in a mixer on campus at ACS. More details coming home next week.
Art: The 6th grade student will start the year learning about and creating unique patterns and then also thinking about and creating a visual display of how the artist see God’s hand in their life. Check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignment due dates.
Band: Our first day with instruments is Mon Aug 28. We can’t wait to get started!! All band students have band on Mon, Tue and Thu each week. Go band!
Bible: We’re starting off the year discussing the unique gifts that we each bring as we do God’s kingdom work. Both 6W and 6K will be doing the same activities for the first few weeks. Our memory work for the month will be 1 Cor 12:14-27.
Social Studies: We are beginning a unit on geography this coming week. Throughout this unit we will be working closely with Mr. Boerkoel for some outdoor education activities.
Language Arts: We are learning a lot about each other, how to organize our binders, daily schedules, procedures, and classroom expectations.
Math: In math we will be learning about measurement and computing with decimal numbers.
PE: We will kick off the year with a soccer unit! We will need to be prepared with appropriate shoes and clothes for playing both inside and outside. Weather permitting we’ll be outside!
Orchestra: Meyer Music will be here in the Commons on Mon, Aug 28 at 3:00pm so if you need to get a larger sized stringed instrument this is a good opportunity! Our first day with instruments is on Mon, Aug 28! Orchestra meets Mon, Tue, and Thu every week!
Science: We will be starting off the year with a unit called “Diversity of Life” in which we investigate amazing features of both the living and non-living things in God’s creation. We’ll start by learning our way around the lab and getting our notebooks set up this week.
Spanish: Hola! In the first month students will engage in learning about one another in Spanish! In order to do that, we will be focusing on questions words and activities each student likes. Additionally, students will also acquire their first “super verb”: DICE (s/he says).
Seventh Grade:
School Pictures: 7th graders will have their pictures taken on Tue Aug 29.
Algebra (7th): We will have an assessment on Monday to check where we are at after our summer of Pre-Algebra. All summer work must be turned in on Mon Aug 28.
Art: 7th graders will start the school year in art by learning about all the art elements and principles of art. Check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignment due dates.
Band: We begin to play on Mon Aug 28! We cannot wait to begin to play and develop our musicianship - - we plan to take things to the next musical level and beyond! We will begin with review and fundamentals, and new music!
Bible (Huttenga): 7th graders will become acquainted with 7th grade Bible procedures & expectations, our school’s theme, and a creative approach to creating this year’s school banner.
Bible (Wanner): 7th graders will become acquainted with 7th grade Bible procedures & expectations, our school’s theme, and a creative approach to creating this year’s school banner. Please know that our first Bible memory, Roman 1: 16 - 17 is due 9.5.17.
History: Next week we will begin the year with a unit focusing on what the term geography means and why it is important to study geography.
Language Arts: Students are learning about one another and will soon begin reviewing the elements of a plot during a unit on short stories.
PE: We will kick off the year with a soccer unit! We will need to be prepared with appropriate shoes and clothes for playing both inside and outside. Weather permitting we’ll be outside!
Math: We will begin our year reviewing integers and solving problems using integers.
Orchestra: Bring instruments, bows and books on Mon, Aug 28- our first day of orchestra! We will have review groups and also new music!!!!
Science: We will begin our year by studying Populations and Ecosystems. Please be sure your student has a science notebook/composition book.
Spanish: Hola! In the first month students will engage in learning about one another in Spanish! In order to do that, we will be focusing on questions words and activities each student likes.
Eighth Grade:
School Pictures: 8th graders will have their pictures taken on Tue Aug 29. Come photo ready - all students will be photographed.
Algebra: We will begin an introductory unit into Algebra next week.
Art: 8th grade will be starting the year with a project using their initials and graphic design. Check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignment due dates.
Band: We begin to play on Mon Aug 28! We cannot wait to begin to play and develop our musicianship - - we plan to take things to the next musical level and beyond! We will begin with review and fundamentals, and new music!
Bible (Van Noord): We will begin learning about our school theme, a little about the history of the Reformation, and will begin to learn, study and internalize scripture. Gal 3:26-28 is the first memory work. Students need a spiral-ish notebook for use as a journal.
Bible (Huttenga): 8th graders will begin learning about the school theme, Solus Christus. Our first passage for memory will be 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Geometry: We will begin our year by learning about the basic concepts and terms used in Geometry.
History: Next week we will focus on the start of the American Revolution.
Language Arts: 8th graders will start getting prepared for the NHD (National History Day) research writing project.
PE: We will kick off the year with a soccer unit! We will need to be prepared with appropriate shoes and clothes for playing both inside and outside. Weather permitting we’ll be outside!
Orchestra: Bring your instrument, bow and books on Mon, Aug 28!
Science: We will begin the year by studying Planetary science. Please be sure your student has science notebook/composition book.
Spanish: Hola! In the first month students will engage in learning about one another in Spanish! In order to do that, we will be focusing on questions words and activities each student likes.
Athletics:
It’s busy in the gyms and on the fields as our sports teams are beginning their practices! Games will not begin until Sep 09. Schedules should be released soon and will be posted on the Wildcats Athletics website.
Also, be sure to check out the athletic website or this link for information about fundraising for our upcoming Purple Community event. We are partnering with Purple Community to raise money for the Van Andel Institute. This event will take place here at ACS on Sat, Sep 23. Our athletic teams will all be playing here and sporting some purple gear!