Middle School Matters - Feb 08, 2018

General Announcements:

Thank you so much for your help with Olympics and Exploratory classes! We have had such a wonderful time and we really appreciate your help!

Mothers & Sons: Come join us for an Amazing Adventure on Fri, Mar 02 from 6:30-8:00pm. It will be a night designed to test your wits with team challenges, "Survivor" type puzzles, and creative games! Tickets are on sale online or in the office. Couples tickets for $20 and family tickets for $30. Registration deadline Feb 22.

Softball: Is your daughter interested in playing softball? Coach DK would like to offer a softball club for skill development. Email her at sdekleine@adachristian.org for more information.

Dates for your calendar:

Feb 15 - 5th Band and Orch concerts during school
Feb 20 - BOB ends
Feb 20 - 5th grade to GR Symphony
Feb 23 & 26 - No school, winter break
Mar 02 - End of trimester 2
Mar 02 - SEED Market
Mar 22 & 23 Dessert Theatre performances
Jun 07 - 8th Grade Graduation at Thornapple Covenant Church

Fifth Grade:

Chicken/Goat Care - Please click here to sign up. Updated instructions are linked here and also on the sign up. Thanks to all of you for your help!

SEED update: SEED market day is coming up on Mar 02! Let Mrs. Witte or Mrs. Westrate know if you have questions.

BOB: There is almost two weeks left (including two weekends) to finish strong with BOB tickets. We are so excited to see so many 5th graders reading up a storm and trying new genres of books. The last day of BOB is Tues Feb 20.

Music Field Trip: The 5th grade gets to go see the Grand Rapids Symphony on Tue Feb 20. We leave school about 9:00am and will return by 11:00am. Please fill out this digital permission slip so that your child will be able to attend.

Art: Working on Modigliani inspired self-portraits. Next up is pointillism.

Band: Full Band All Three Days next week! A Blue Lake rep will be at ACS Tue Feb 13 to talk about summer arts camp at Blue Lake, and Feb 15 is our concert in the band room from 10:55-11:15 followed by cupcakes from Mrs. Walters! Thank you so much!

Bible: Be sure that your child is practicing and memorizing their scripts! We are getting our parable plays ready over these next few weeks. 5S should also be sure to stay on top of their Bible memory. 20 points are due by Spring Break.

Language Arts: By the end of next week we should be done writing and working on typing out our nonprofit persuasive essays. There will be a spelling quiz next Fri Feb 16 on your child’s individualized word list coming home today.

Math: Fractions! We just began our unit relating division and fractions. Fractions are fun, but can be tricky. Please encourage your child to draw pictures and slow down so that they better understand their solutions.

Orchestra: Two events next week: Tue Feb 13 is a visit from a Blue Lake Arts Camp rep. Then Thu Feb 15 is our 100 song celebration. Orchestra will play at 11:10am in the orchestra room. We hope you are able to celebrate with us! Our concert will be short and we will have some treats afterwards. Thanks again for all of your support! Full orchestra all 3 days next week.

PE: We will be playing Broomball.

Science: Solution concentration and saturation are our focus right now. Students are doing some pretty complex scientific thinking!

Social Studies: OHHHHHHH CANADA…… We are leaving our study of US History for a month of studying our neighbors to the north and the south.

Spanish: Due to Winter olympics we have not met yet this week, but next week we will continue our vocabulary building and complete a few nuggets with Senor Wooly.

Sixth Grade:

Chicken/Goat Care - We are short on families to care for the chickens and goats in the next few weeks. Please click here to sign up. Updated instructions are linked here and also on the sign up. Thanks to all of you for your help!

Devotions: Please sign up to lead our class in devotions on a Wednesday this year. Click this link for details and an opportunity to sign up.

Valentines: Sixth graders may, if they choose, bring valentines to pass out to each person in their morning class on Wed 02.14. Participating students should bring 18 valentines to be sure that each student in their class receives one.

Art: 6th graders are working on phase 2 of the watercolor unit. Students will now use their watercolor experiments to create a torn landscape. Check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Band: A Blue Lake rep will be at ACS Tue Feb 13 to talk about summer arts camp at Blue Lake. Students may audition - anyone who does is guaranteed a scholarship.

Bible: Due to our wonderful Special Activities (Exploratory/Olympics/World Fair Speakers) we have had a break from Bible. Next week we begin with regular studies again. First Bible Memory Work will be Psalm 8. Due date TBD.

History: This week we focused on world culture to kick off our World Fair Project. Students should have their Culture Web rough drafts done by Fri Feb 16. Next week we will kick off our study of Ancient Greece with another simulation!

Language Arts: We have learned so many fun and interesting things about cultures all over the world. We have listened to speakers, read stories about culture, and went on a website scavenger hunt to help familiarize ourselves different cultures and countries around the world. Students will receive a packet next week explaining the World Fair Project and country choices.

Math: Next week we will use our knowledge of solving equations to solve and graph function and inequalities.

PE: We will be playing Broomball.

Orchestra: Blue Lake summer Arts camp scholarship auditions will be on Tue Feb 13 during class time. Anyone who auditions will receive some scholarship $. Information about the camp is online.

Science: We’ve begun a unit on Weather and Water. Our focus is on severe weather to start. We will then think about the processes that drive Earth’s weather.

Spanish: We have started Unit 5. This week we are introducing and acquiring our new vocabulary. Some classes will complete a few “nuggets” with Senor Wooly. This is not an assignment but may be worked on at home.

Seventh Grade:

Algebra (7th): Chapter 8 Test Tuesday. We will begin Chapter 9 on Wed.

Art: 7th graders are working on painting their Lego self-portraits. Check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Band: A Blue Lake rep will be at ACS Tue Feb 13 to talk about summer arts camp at Blue Lake. Students may audition - anyone who does is guaranteed a scholarship.

Bible(Huttenga): 7th graders are continuing to learn about sermons. Ask them about the terms “Biblical”, “Authentic”, “Contextual”, and “Life-Changing”.

Bible(Wanner): Bible memory quiz on Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 45 Question and Answer 116 on Tuesday 2/13.

History: We are finishing our unit on Africa. We will hopefully take a test on this unit next Friday.

Language Arts: The 7th graders will be focusing on selecting one of the novels they’ve read so far this year to write an in depth literary critique.

PE: We will be playing Broomball.

Math: We will continue to study equations and begin learning about inequalities.

Pre-Algebra: Chapter 7 Expressions Test on Tuesday. A practice test on Moodle.

Orchestra: Blue Lake Summer Arts Camp scholarship auditions will be on Tue Feb 13 during class time. Anyone who auditions will receive a scholarship.

Science: Investigation 4-6 I-Check on Mon. We have already begun an introduction to solutions and will continue working with solutions as well as phase changes.

Eighth Grade:

NorthPointe Personalized Learning Community: FAQ Luncheon NPLC - NorthPointe Personalized Learning Community - is taking a radically different approach to education, putting high school students out in the real world on a regular basis and emphasizing individual interests. Come hear directly from students and NPLC Program Director during our NPLC Luncheon on Feb 14 at 12:00pm. There will be a time for Q&A to have your questions answered about this unique way of learning. Open enrollment for 9th grade students begins Feb 15. Space limited. RSVP and details available at: npchristian.org/admissions or by contacting Brittany Noll - gro.naitsirhcpn@bllon, 616.942.0350 x276

Algebra: Next week we will be taking a test on Chapter 8 on Wednesday covering exponents and exponential expressions and functions.

Art: All students should be working on painting of their family shape portrait. Sketchbook for next week is an artist statement for the family shape project. The artist statement must be uploaded to moodle and be printed off to hand in a hard copy. Check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Band: A Blue Lake rep will be at ACS Tue Feb 13 to talk about summer arts camp at Blue Lake. Students may audition - anyone who does is guaranteed a scholarship.

Bible(Huttenga): Students will be finishing a group video project about the life and adventures of Paul from the book of Acts. After the project is done, we will begin reading The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel.

Bible(Van Noord): We are reading the Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

Geometry: We are beginning to learn about solid figures.

History: Next week we will finish our study of Manifest Destiny and prepare for a history test at the end of the week or early in the next week.

Language Arts: 8th graders will be wrapping up NHD this week! They will continue working on Book of Memories. We will also be starting The Giver soon.

PE: We will be playing Broomball.

Pre-Algebra: Chapter 7 Expressions Test on Tuesday. A practice test on Moodle.

Orchestra: Blue Lake Music camp scholarship auditions will be on Tue Feb 13 during class time!

Science: Gravity and Kinetic Energy INV 3-4 I-Check Mon. We have begun an investigation on Waves and will continue studying waves throughout the next few weeks.

Spanish: We are almost ready to wrap up Unit 5. The TEST will be on Feb. 16. Student can begin to review by going to Moodle.

Athletics:

Congrats to our 5th and 6th grade basketball teams on their tournament play!

Uniforms should be returned to Mrs. O’Brien.