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Middle School Matters – Feb 21, 2020 February 21st, 2020

General Announcements

Dates for your calendar:

Feb 27 - Conferences in the Commons 4:30-7:30
Feb 28 - No School, in service
Mar 02 - No School, Winter Break
Mar 26 & 27 - Dessert Theatre Shows

Exploratory Week - Feb 24 - 27

Parent Volunteers Needed for Exploratory Week!

Next week is going to be a great week in our middle school. ACS students are going to enjoy a wide variety of activities both here on campus, and off campus. To make this possible, we need parent volunteers to help chaperone and drive students to some of these locations.

Can you please help us? Needs and times for next week. Thank you!

Fifth Grade: 

(Sssshhh!): Next week is Top Secret for our 5th graders. They don’t know about this yet and we would love to keep it a secret. While the 6th-8th graders participate in “Explore” classes next week, the fifth graders will have a theme week in which they will have the opportunity to UNCOVER some MYSTERIES in each of their classes as well as DISCOVER their IDENTITY in CHRIST.

Other happenings next week: 
*All band and orchestra students need their instruments on Monday Feb 24!

Mon Feb 24 at 2:15: Band Concert

Tue Feb 25 from 10:30-12:30: Symphony field trip - please fill out this digital permission slip

Wed Feb 26 at 12:20 BOB “prizes” (recess, movie)

Thu Feb 27 from 10:30-2:30: BOB Extravaganza

Sixth - Eighth Grade: 

Hot Lunch Next Week:

Due to a different schedule for the day, 6th - 8th grade students are unable to order from the regular hot lunch menu. However, we do have two “bag lunch” options that students can order from each day next week. This will also be available to students who are going away for Winter Adventures. 

Lunch Option #1: Lunchable with turkey, cheese, crackers, and cinnamon round crackers, fruit, chips, juice box, and vegetables.

Lunch Option #2: Turkey sub sandwich, mini rice krispie treat, fruit, chips, and juice box.

3D Printing: Next week Mr. Musch and Mr. Kiser are really excited to join these students in designing and printing 3D creations. 

Students will need their charged laptop each day
Students will use tinkercad as our design tool. 
The items students design to print will need to be pretty small - 4” x 4” or smaller.
Students should email Mr. Kiser and Mr. Musch before Monday with an idea of something they want to design in tinkercad and print.  

Babysitting Certification: Next week you will be working with Instructor Jamie to earn your Babysitting Certificate. Please come to class with your binder and computer or iPad on Monday. Your instructor will then let you know if you need these the whole week or not.  

Beauty and the Beast: We practice all 4 days of exploratory week during school! Base Layers are DUE - we are missing some, please send them in very soon. 

  • Base Layer Information. Note the need for a handled bag and for everything to be labeled as well.
  • Schedule Link. No after school practice Wed Feb 26.
  • Parent Sign Ups for Show Week and beyond. We practice every day of Exploratory week first thing. Pray for great practices! SO FUN!
  • Ticket information will come from the office during Exploratory Week - 8th grade families get first dibs on tickets. (next week!)

Bowling: Next week we will be bowling at Eastbrook Lanes. If you have a bowling ball or shoes that you would like to bring and use, feel free to do that. Otherwise, come ready to have a fun week learning how to improve your bowling and to see if you can beat Mr. Witte.  

But, Will it Burn?: Be sure to be wearing closed toe shoes and get pumped. 

Chronicles of Narnia Film Study: Be ready to travel to another world and feel the excitement of God’s presence and your place in the stories of Narnia.  While we watch and discuss these films we will have the opportunity to express ourselves with art. Students are welcome to bring in their own art supplies such as colored pencils, markers, drawing pencils, watercolor paint, brushes and paper.  Only watercolor paints will be allowed.  Some supplies will be provided if you do not choose to bring in your own.  

Creative Bible Illustrations: Students should bring their iPad & Bible - if they would like to create illustrations directly in their Bible, make sure the Bible is one they are willing to cover the pages (preferably with journaling margins). Scrapbooking/art supplies are encouraged (pens, washi tape, colored pencils, watercolors, stickers, stencils, fun paper, etc). Basic supplies will be provided, but it’s always fun to add your own flare! To get an idea of what Bible journaling is, scroll through pictures here.

Criminal Justice: You will receive a waiver today that needs to be filled out and returned next week so that you can participate in the Escape Room activity. Please give the waiver to your HR teacher or Mr. Witte. 

Crazy Games and Wacky Sports: We will be running and playing all kinds of games. Be sure to wear athletic clothes and have your PE shoes at school ready to go. 

Culinary Arts: Students, please check your school email account for a link to a sign-up page. Your class needs to bring a variety of cooking and baking supplies on Wednesday to school. Use the link in the email to sign-up today and to help the group have a great class on Wednesday. 

Film Study: We will be critically assessing a handful of films. What’s the difference between a studio film and an independent film? What criteria do people use to judge a film to be quality or a bomb? Do animated movies have a duty to do things that live-action films cannot? While we discuss each movie, we will also be considering how filmmakers can work to bring about Christ’s Kingdom, and how film-watchers can do the same.

Karate and Self Defense: Please come to class wearing athletic type clothing and please bring a water bottle.  

Lego Robotics: Students do not need to bring their computers. We will use school devices and the Lego Mindstorm software to code and program our robots. 

Scrapbooking: Students need printed photos, an acid-free photo album, acid-free double sided tape, and scrapbooking supplies of their choice (paper, stickers, pens, washi tape, etc). Some supplies will be available, but it’s always fun to add your own flare!

Strategy Games: Students will think critically, take chances, and vie for victory and fun in this session. During our four days, students will be encouraged to try many new types of strategy board games and develop skills in discerning rules, planning ahead, and creative thinking. We will also discuss how to take a game seriously without taking ourselves too seriously. We will have more options of games than can be listed here, but Risk, Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, and many more will be available. If you have games you’d be willing to loan to the class, please email Mr. Huttenga.

MVP Fitness: Please come dressed ready to work out and bring your water bottle. 

Outdoor Adventures: On Monday we will be ice skating and playing broomball at Eagles Ice Arena. If you would like to bring your own skates on Monday you may, but there will also be skates available. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will ski and snowboard at Cannonsburg. If you have your own equipment that you would like to use you may bring it on Tuesday. On Thursday come prepared to be outside. A hat, gloves, and boots are required. Please bring a sack lunch Monday-Thursday. 

Paint, Paint, Paint: You might have guessed this, but come to this activity with some old clothes and shoes on in case you spill a little paint on yourself. Be warned, the likeliness of this happening is quite high. 

Yearbook: Next week students should bring their computer or iPads to school as we need these tools to work on the yearbook. Looking forward to a productive week!