General Announcements
Geography Bee: The Geography Bee Competition will be held on Tues, Jan 08, at 10am in the commons. Our final contestants can prepare using these study materials.
Spelling Bee: The Spelling Bee Competition will be held on Wednesday, January 10, at 8:15am in the commons. Bee competitors and their parents will be emailed study information and rules very soon.
We have very festive Middle School students today!
Fifth Grade:
Headphones/earbuds: All 5th graders are expected to have headphones or earbuds. Please make sure that your child has a pair. Thanks!
SEED Market: Your students learned of an exciting project called “SEED - a day of Service, Entrepreneurship, Education and Design.” Here is a copy of the information sheet that was sent home and signed. Your child may want to use Christmas break to get started on their products! SEED money will be sent home after break. Thank you for your support in this project. Please direct questions to Anika Slauer or Jessica Reidsma.
Reproductive Education: As you have some extra time with your child over Christmas break it may good opportunity to discuss Reproductive Health. At the end of May, after Spring Camp, the 5th grade team plans to begin a short unit on Reproductive Education. Miss Slauer and Mrs. Reidsma will be meeting with the girls while Mr. Hoo will be meeting with the boys. In addition to going over the physical aspects of puberty, we plan to include discussions on God’s design for our bodies and reproduction, as well as treating our bodies with dignity and respect. Please have a conversation with your child before we have this conversation at school. If any parent would like more information, let one of us know and we would be happy to talk with you.
Art: Coil pots have been completed and next we will be learn about the art of Amedeo Modigliani.
Band: What a great 2018! We will continue to practice and learn and develop new skills in 2019.
Bible: This week we read through different Christmas stories and compared them to the Christmas story in Luke 2. Students wrote down different misconceptions that we have surrounding the Christmas story. Please be sure to fill out the “Baptism” sheet that was sent home. This assignment is due Mon Jan 7 and it is the first item of our Jesus Project, so be sure to help your child complete it neatly as it will be part of a book. If you have pictures or items from your child’s baptism, please feel free to send those in as we will be presenting on our baptisms in class.
Language Arts: We will continue to read The Breadwinner after break. Also, we will begin researching a non-profit organization.
Math: We wrapped up our Chapter 6 Multiplying and Dividing Decimals unit with an Escape Room and a chapter test. Next up - expressions and patterns! Practicing math facts over break will help your child come chapter 8 and on as we will be dealing with fractions. Here is a fun resource that kids love to practice math facts with - make it a family friendly competition!
Orchestra: Enjoy playing the extra Christmas music and new sheet music during your Christmas break!
Science: We will continue our Mixtures and Solutions unit when we return from break.
Social Studies: We learned so much about the age of exploration through our class simulation. Ask your child about their adventures at sea! We will return from break and begin our unit on the first colonies.
Sixth Grade:
SEED Market: 5th and 6th graders will be, once again, participating in “SEED - a day of Service, Entrepreneurship, Education and Design.” Please read the information sheet. Applications were due this past Monday. Mrs. Reidsma and Ms. Slauer are still missing some sheets from 6th graders!
6th Grade Girls Book Club: We will meet in Mrs. Westrate’s room from 3:00-3:30pm this week Mon and Thur. We will be reading/listening to Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern.
Devotion Sign-up: Sign up to lead devotions for our 6th Graders on a Thur (8:00-8:10am) this school year. We love to have parents and guests come to share a story, song, verse, prayer or devotional with us. We have many open dates for the next several months!
Chicken Checkup & Got Yolk?: Is your child’s team “on duty” for Chicken Checkup this week? It is important to share the responsibility of taking care of our chickens on the weekend. After determining which Team your child is on, please sign up to take care of chores on Saturday and/or Sunday at some point this trimester (be sure to ask your child which team they are on to get to the correct sign up). If your child has questions, he or she should contact the “Eggsecutive Council” member on his or her team.
Art: The portrait project will have one more in class period to work on these portraits. Next up will be watercolor.
Band: What a great 2018! We will continue to practice and learn and develop new skills in 2019.
Bible: We’ve enjoyed thinking about advent together. In the new year we will spend some time studying and discussing characteristics of Christ.
History: After break, we will begin our unit on Ancient Egypt.
Language Arts: We will begin reading Tuck Everlasting after break. Through this novel, we will study characterization, plot development, vocabulary, figurative language (similes, metaphors, and personification), and so much more.
Math: After break we will continue to study expressions. Have a Merry Christmas!
Orchestra: Enjoy working on your new music!
Science: We will continue our force unit when we return from break, focusing on magnetism and electromagnets.
Seventh Grade:
Algebra (7th): We will be starting chapter 8 when we return.
Art: 7th grade will continue working on the organism sign project when school resumes.
Band: More music and more skill building to come in 2019!
Bible: Bible classes will be switching when we return from the break! Huttenga will be teaching about sermons and Holtrop will be teaching about prayer. Enjoy your time reflecting on the wonder of Christ’s birth.
Language Arts: When the students return from break, we will begin writing our first literature critique letters and also begin tracking our weekly reading goals. After that, we will also begin our second novel study: Trouble, by Gary Schmidt.
Math (Holtrop): We will spend some time reviewing chapter 1-5 and then begin our chapter on equations! Merry Christmas!
Orchestra: Enjoy working on your new music and have a very blessed Christmas!
Science: We will continue our chemical interactions unit looking at properties of solids, liquids, and gases.
Eighth Grade:
GRCHS Academic Advisor Meeting: Thur, Jan 10 GRCHS 8th Grade Scheduling 2019
ATTENTION parents of Ada Christian 8th Graders! You are invited to an 8th grade scheduling meeting with the Grand Rapids Christian High School Academic Advisors!
Please join us on Thur, Jan 10 at 6:30pm at Ada Christian to learn about exciting things happening at Grand Rapids Christian High School. Academic advisors from Grand Rapids Christian High School will meet with parents and students to provide valuable information about the Grand Rapids Christian High School curriculum, graduation requirements, and freshman courses.
Please register at www.grcs.org/advisory
Even if you are not sure which high school your child will be attending next year, we encourage you to attend this event and complete all of the scheduling forms. There is no cost to complete the paperwork and it does not serve as a commitment to enroll, by attending however, you will have the very best chance of getting the courses your student selects for their freshman year at GRCHS.
We appreciate your attendance as you contemplate this transition from middle school to high school and we look forward to meeting you soon. If you have any questions, please contact the Grand Rapids Christian High School Counseling Office at 574.5651.
If you are unable to attend this scheduling night, please contact Vickie Fischer, Director of Admissions, at vfischer@grcs.org or 616.574.5605 to make alternate arrangements.
Art: 8th grade students will continue to work on creating their Frank Stella family shapes out of cardboard when school resumes.
Band: More music and more skill building to come in 2019!
Bible (Holtrop): Students will be working on a project using The Chronicles of Narnia as an allegory for the Reformation worldview.
Bible(Van Noord): We will complete our study of Matthew in January.
Geography: There will be a test shortly after break about triangle proofs and missing angles.
Language Arts: Students will receive feedback on their NHD essays from Huttenga and Witte upon their return to school. We will then commence wrap-up on that project and shift our focus to creative nonfiction for the “Book of Memories” project. Students have already begun brainstorming for the first chapter titled “Who Am I?”
Orchestra: Enjoy working i your new music and have a very Blessed Christmas!
Science: We will be continuing our waves unit by looking at the electromagnetic spectrum.