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Middle School Matters - Aug 31, 2017

General Announcements

  • Parent Help Needed
  • Hot Lunch begins Sep 05

Grade Level Announcements

General Announcements 5-8:

56 and 78 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

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.

Fifth Grade:

HELP NEEDED: The PTO is looking for one 5th grade parent who would like to serve as Anika Slauer's room parent. Let's make sure this new teacher gets a warm welcome and a room parent, please. If you are interested, please email .


Art: The first project we will be working on is abstract landscapes.

Band: Full band Tue and Thu next week - all students should come with instruments, music, reeds, etc. Parents: Please help your student fill out their case tags with pen. This really helps us to tell the instruments apart! We can play the songs on the Full Band Page in our books! Private lessons are available - email info.

Bible: This week we began learning about the Pentateuch. We covered the stories of creation, the fall, and Cain and Abel. The students also began their own Pentateuch books where they create artistic interpretations of the stories of the Pentateuch through pictures and words.

Language Arts: This week we read the book, Who is Melvin Bubble? and worked on writing about ourselves from different perspectives. We also started our first read-aloud, Sign of the Beaver.

Math: We are learning about place value in whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. We have also talked about the different forms of writing a number: standard form, word form, and expanded form.

Music: We are working in the computer lab using software that helps us to learn our notes and clefs and rhythms.

Orchestra: Full orchestra next week Tue and Thu Sep 05 & 07. Be sure to bring your instrument, music etc. Tag the handles on your case so that you know which case is yours. Students were well prepared with their instruments and bow and we can play numbers 1 - 12 in All for Strings. Call me if you have any questions or concerns.

PE: We will continue our soccer unit. Students should be prepared to play soccer both outside and inside with appropriate clothing and athletic shoes.

Science: We’ve begun talking about what science is and what it isn’t as well as safety protocol in the lab. We’re hoping for some sunny days next week to go outside and make some observations about the sun to kick off our first earth science unit.

Social Studies: We’re starting the year exploring our world through maps! From whole-earth maps to maps of our neighborhoods - we’re learning about them all. All this is in preparation for the start of our journey through US History and our first simulation “Discovery 2.”

Spanish: I am learning lots of new names and students are learning introductions in Spanish. This week we also learned a song in Spanish. Students were asked to remember two things from the song: DICEN = they say, and that animals make different sounds in different languages.

Sixth Grade:

Art: 6th graders are working on creating new and unique patterns in class and also thinking about how to display how they see God’s hand at work in their lives. Please check the homework calendar as 6th graders have a sketchbook and a pattern assignment due next week.

Band: We are off to a great start, reviewing and learning new songs, including the school theme song. The first 6th practice record is due Sep 7, 45 mins= A.

Bible (Koetje/Westrate): We continue to learn and study our new Bible memory, 1 Corinthians 12:14-20. Students have THREE Bible memory activities to complete by Tuesday. Next week, students will also bring home a handout explaining their first project, outside-inside bags.

Choir: School Theme songs, military songs, all sorts of songs to sing!

History: This week we covered textbooks and began our Global Studies Weekly newspapers. We are also beginning our geography unit. To start the unit off, we will be discussing the five themes of geography.

Language Arts: We have been working through 5-a-day LA skills and learning the importance of knowing synonyms.We will begin our first novel next week, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit. Through this novel, we will study characterization, plot development, vocabulary, and figurative language (similes, metaphors, and personification).

PE: We will continue our soccer unit. Students should be prepared to play soccer both outside and inside with a change of clothes and athletic shoes.

Orchestra: We reviewed 2 pages in our Essentials Book as well as the first 3 numbers in Muller Rusch( the brown book) - all in the key of D Major. Sheet music - practice the first 4 lines. This was a fantastic beginning -Wow!

Science: We’ve begun talking about what science is and what it isn’t as well as safety protocol in the lab. Next week we will be talking about classification schemes, specifically developing a scheme to classify things as living or non-living (we often find that it can be harder than it seems!).

Spanish: I am learning lots of new names! This week students learned a new song in Spanish. Students were asked to remember two things from the song: DICEN = they say, and that animals make different sounds in different languages. Next we practiced introductions in Spanish. Additionally, students were introduced to StoryAsking. Ask your student!

Seventh Grade:

Art: 7th grade is learning about the art elements and principles in class and then will be creating an artwork based on some selected art elements and principle. Please check the homework calendar for due dates.

Band: Review, Fundamentals, books, new music, etc. Go band!

Bible (Huttenga and Wanner): Bible Memory quiz on 9.5.17 over Romans 1: 16 - 17. 7th graders will be learning more about Martin Luther and the Reformation. Meanwhile, they will also be designing the school banner for the 2017-2018 school year.

Choir: School Theme songs, military songs, Erie Canal song and many others.

History: Next week we will start learning and studying 50+ geography terms in preparation for a unit test. We will also spend some time reviewing different types of maps and map tools.

Language Arts: 7th graders should all have a novel picked out for independent reading. Soon they will be working on their reading logs and learning about book talks, an ongoing project they will be working on this year.

PE: We will continue our soccer unit. Students should be prepared to play soccer both outside and inside with a change of clothes and athletic shoes.

Math: We will continue to study integers! Students will take a short quiz on Tuesday and we will take time reviewing how to subtract and add integers. Later in the week we will review how to multiply and divide integers.

Orchestra: Review the first 2 pages of the new Muller Rusch book. This involves a new key signature! Go orchestra!

Science: We will finish our study of Mono Lake and prepare for our first I-Check the following week.

Spanish: I am learning lots of new names! This week students learned a new song in Spanish. Students were asked to remember two things from the song: DICEN = they say, and that animals make different sounds in different languages. Next we practiced introductions in Spanish. Additionally, students were introduced to StoryAsking. Ask your student!

Eighth Grade:

Algebra: This class has gotten off to a great start! I so appreciate their work ethic--especially with having 29 students in one class. Next week we will finish working through Chapter 1 and then we are looking ahead to our first test early the following week.

Art: 8th graders are working on using their initials to create design that reveal something about the artist. These design will be turned into relief print designs. Please check the homework calendar for due dates as sketchbook covers are due next Tue Sep 05.

Band: Review, Fundamentals, New Music! Go band!

Bible (Huttenga): As students grow more familiar with the theme, they will also be studying the concepts of reformation and transformation through a novel study of CS Lewis’s The Last Battle. A Bible memory quiz will take place on Wed, Sep 06.

Bible (Van Noord): First quiz of the year is done! Journaling and exploring the gospels beginning next week.

Choir: School Theme songs, planning music for chapel/retreat, learning new songs!

Geometry: Students will have a quiz on Tuesday and we will spend the rest of the week finishing and reviewing the first unit. A test will be coming up shortly!

History: Next week we will finish our study of Chapter 5 looking at the events that lead into the American Revolutionary War. By the end of the week we will start reviewing for our first test of the year in the following week.

Language Arts: 8th graders will continue working on the National History Day project. In the meantime, they will also begin doing independent reading and working on reading logs and book talks.

PE: We will continue our soccer unit. Students should be prepared to play soccer both outside and inside with a change of clothes and athletic shoes.

Orchestra: Work on the new sheet music! Nice work teaching all of the scales to each other!

Science: We will continue studying the moon, as well as studying the earth. Our first I-check will be the following week.

Spanish: I am learning lots of new names! This week students learned a new song in Spanish. Students were asked to remember two things from the song: DICEN = they say, and that animals make different sounds in different languages. Next we practiced introductions in Spanish. Additionally, students were introduced to StoryAsking. Ask your student!

Athletics:

Uniforms will be handed out next week before games begin on Sat, Sep 09.

Purple Community Event: 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!