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Middle School Matters – Aug 29, 2018

General Announcements

Parent Information Night: This coming Thur, Sept 06, we will have our annual Parent Information Night beginning at 6:00pm. Come and learn about our middle school and the upcoming events throughout the year.

     6:00pm                       Welcome  South Gym
     6:10pm    Whatcha doin' out there? with Mr. Hoo  South Gym
 6:40-6:55pm                    K-4 Session One  Homerooms
 6:40-7:25pm                     56 Session One  Commons
 6:40-7:25pm                     78 Session One  Band Room
 7:00-7:30pm         OE Walking Tours & Farm Stand  OE Room
 7:00-7:15pm                    K-4 Session Two  Homerooms
 7:30-8:15pm                     56 Session One  Commons
 7:30-8:15pm                     78 Session One  Band Room

5/6 and 7/8 Recess Help: Many of you have helped over the years with Elementary Recess and now we are asking for volunteers to help with 5th - 8th Recess. Mon-Thu 11:35 - 12:20 and Fri 12:05 - 12:40. If you are able to help, please contact Sue Prins at

Mixer/Retreat Shirts: Please do not lose your retreat shirts! We will need them at other school events this year. Please wash and hang on to your retreat shirts when they come home today.

Farm to Table Club: In this club, students will learn how to use our ACS farm produce for canning, baking and cooking. Students will get to take home what they make! Join Mrs. Bosma from 3:00-5:00pm on Tuesdays this fall. 

Dates
Aug 31 - No School
Sep 03 - No School
Sep 06 - Parent Orientation Night at School 6:30pm

Fifth Grade:

Survival Camp: Reminder that camp is Sept 27 & 28. More information on food signups and parent volunteer opportunities will come out next week at Parent Night - Thur, Sept 06.


Art: Art is underway. We have begun by looking at abstract and realistic art with the end goal of creating some painted abstract landscapes. 

Band: We have begun - this is SO FUN! Schedule: Mon - brass and percussion. Tue - woodwinds, Thu - everyone. We have learned some of the very basics….please watch the videos that your books direct you to (either a link on the back cover or inside the back there might be an actual DVD) - these videos will help get things put together. DO NOT PANIC - we will gradually learn everything we need. To help with the process - anyone who would like to may stay after school Tues Sep 04 until 3:35 for a free extra band lesson time! Email me () so I know who is going to come!

Bible: This week we began studying archaeology! What is archaeology? How does archaeology help us understand the Bible? Where and how do archaeologists dig? In the coming weeks we will continue to learn about archaeology and our very own archaeologist - Neal Bierling - will join us in a dig on Ada Christian’s campus. Reminder that Who Am I? books are due Tues, Sept 04 (questions/answers transferred, pictures pasted, and color added).

Language Arts: We continue to work on our Melvin Bubble perspective projects. Also, we will delve into our survival unit with numerous activities and wonderful books. We will read My Side of the Mountain together as a class and students will choose another survival story to read independently.

Math: This week we reviewed place value, comparing numbers, and different forms of numbers, as well as how to write decimals as fractions and fractions as decimals! Ask your child about math fact incentives and encourage practice by playing Multiplication Drag Race as a family.

Orchestra: Wow - this is so much fun! We all learned good playing position and are practicing # 1 - 5 using pizzacato playing. Be sure to call me or e-mail if you ever have any questions or concerns.

PE: Please do not forget to bring your PE shoes to class. We will be starting a unit on soccer, weather permitting we will go outside.

Science: We’ve learned about safe practices and safety equipment. We’re beginning to understand the differences between observations and inferences. This will help us greatly as we make and use various scientific models this year.

Social Studies: Next week, students will continue studying geographic features, specifically landforms. We will begin learning about and exploring maps together.

Sixth Grade:

Art: Next week we will begin thinking about and creating patterns and also thinking about how to visually display how we see God’s hand in our lives.  Don’t forget to complete your 1st sketchbook assignment - making the cover of your sketchbook that has your name and class section on the front cover.  Please check the homework calendar for due dates.

Band: We have band Mon/Tue/Thu. We are reviewing in our method books and learning Everlasting God, one of our theme songs for this year. Ask for a concert of 10 songs from your band student!

Bible: We continue to explore our school theme and consider what it means to “Wait upon the Lord.” Ask your student about the new version of Duck-Duck-Goose that we played in class.

Social Studies: Students will continue to explore the five themes of geography next week. We will take a closer look at location, practicing latitude and longitude and reviewing maps.

Language Arts: Students are enjoying the novel, Fish in a Tree. The title of this book comes from the famous quote, “Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This book generates wonderful class/home discussions. For example, how do we define intelligence? We will also review the different parts of speech next week.

Math: We will continue working with accurate measurements in both the American and Metric systems. Students will also calculate area and perimeter of various shapes using the data they have collected.

PE: Please do not forget to bring your PE clothes and shoes to class. We will be starting a unit on soccer, weather permitting we will go outside.

Orchestra: We are reviewing many scales, arpeggios and songs in quite a few different key signatures.We will begin sheet music next week! Your children are a blessing.

Science: We’ve narrowed down some criteria for classifying things as “living” or “non-living.” We will investigate some interesting objects in some interesting habitats as well as learn to use a microscope in the coming weeks.

Seventh Grade:

Algebra (7th): Next week we will be finishing our first chapter with plans to take a test Friday or the following Monday.

Art: We have started this school year with learning about the art elements and principles.   Don’t forget to complete your 1st sketchbook assignment - making the cover of your sketchbook that has your name and class section on the front cover.  Please check the homework calendar for due dates.

Band: We have band Mon/Tue/Thu. We are reviewing in our method books and learning Everlasting God, one of our theme songs for this year. We are also reviewing fundamentals, tone and technique.

Bible (Holtop/Huttenga): 7th graders will be taking a quiz on the school theme, verse, and application questions on Tues, Septer 4. For the rest of the week we will be introducing our first full unit on the practice of devotions.

History: Next week we will be creating some presentations that show our understanding of the Five Themes of Geography.

Language Arts: 7th graders are continuing to learn about reading workshop procedures in the classroom and will be doing ample independent reading - make sure they have novels to bring to school and read at home! Students must turn in a Reading packet on Tues, Sept 04. The packet has a parent component, so be sure to ask your child about it. Stay tuned for emails with specific information regarding the reading workshop and expectations for reading in and out of class. 

Math (Holtrop):  Students will be taking a quiz on absolute value and adding/subtracting integers. We will continue to work on working with integers.

PE: Please do not forget to bring your PE clothes and shoes to class. We will be starting a unit on soccer, weather permitting we will go outside.

Pre-Algebra (Kiser): We will work with expressions, equations, tables and graphs next week. 

Orchestra: We have orchestra every Mon, Tue and Thu so be sure to bring everything that you need for orchestra. Bring in your practice sheets every Thursday as well.  Some students lost their new books that were handed out last May so see if you can find them.

Science: We will be looking into various ecosystems and what makes them unique.

Eighth Grade:

Algebra: Next week we will be working through and finishing our study of Chapter 1 of our Algebra text.

Art: We have begun the year with creating artist monograms using the artist initials and possibility incorporating his or her interests/passions.   Don’t forget to complete your 1st sketchbook assignment - making the cover of your sketchbook that has your name and class section on the front cover.  Please check the homework calendar for due dates.

Band: We are trying out 3 or 4 marches to choose songs for festival in Nov. We are also reviewing fundamentals, tone and technique.

Bible (Huttenga): 8th graders will be taking a quiz on the school theme, verse, and application questions on Wed, Sept 05. We will begin a unit on CS Lewis’s The Last Battle

Bible (Van Noord): We had our first memory work - Psalm 27:14. Everyone aced it, yay! We are journaling each day and doing a scripture rock project.

Geometry: Students will have their first quiz on Tues.

History: We are studying the events that lead into the “Shot Heard Around the World.”

Language Arts: Students have been getting acquainted with the National History Day project. Students will need to complete a Reading packet to be turned in on Wednesday, September 5 at the beginning of class. The packet has a parent component, so be sure to ask your child about it. Before the end of the coming week, please ensure that your child has a separate 3-ring 1” binder dedicated to the NHD project.

PE: Please do not forget to bring your PE clothes and shoes to class. We will be starting a unit on soccer, weather permitting we will go outside.

Pre-Algebra: We will work with expressions, equations, tables and graphs next week.

Orchestra: Remember to bring everything you need for orchestra on Mon,Tue and Thu. We are handing in all practice sheets weekly--every Thursday! Thanks for adding your parent signature to the practice records.

Science: We are continuing our study of the relationship between the Sun, Moon, and Earth.

Athletics:

Please turn in any previous team uniforms from the 2017-18 school year to the front office, or to Mr. Sanderson during PE class.

Look for athletic game schedules to be sent in an email to you before Mon, Sept 03.