General Announcements
Parent Teacher Conferences: Dear ACS Parents, We miss seeing you! For parents comfortable meeting in person, we are offering in-person parent-teacher conferences Feb 16 and Feb 25. We understand there are a variety of family circumstances this year, so we are also offering virtual conferences with homeroom teachers.
Please read through the following information and then respond to a very brief questionnaire to let us know your preferred choice for conferences. It is important that we hear from each family no later than Jan 15 so we can plan and schedule appropriately.
Parking Lot Reminder: As a reminder please do not block the entrance off of Fox Hollow. If there is not room to pull forward fully into the bus loop please pull into the parking lot instead.
5th Grade
Upcoming Event: Students received a flier about a special “secret” event happening on Fri Jan 15. Parents received an email on Tuesday from Mrs. Westrate. If you’re not sure you saw the paper or the email, please let Mrs. Westrate or Mrs. Reidsma know.
Fundraising Totals: Wow! What a success! Students did an amazing job raising money for Water for South Sudan, as well as SEED Market. This year’s totals are as follows:
Water Walk Fundraiser = $983.20
SEED Market = $2,941.08
Art: 5th graders are spending time glazing both their ceramic coil pots and their multi-pinch pot vessels.
Bible: This week we read the story of Esther and took the BOB quiz. Your child received a baptism handout. Please take time to fill out this form and have a conversation with your child about baptism/dedication by Tues., Jan. 12. If you have pictures, special items, gowns, etc from your child’s baptism/dedication, your child may bring them in for a “show & tell” on Wed., Jan. 13. As a class we will talk about the differences between infant and adult baptism, as well as the significance of both. Whether or not your child has been baptized, they should complete the handout and be able to articulate what your church’s traditions are related to baptism, as well as why baptism is important.
History: We started our unit on the first colonies! Next week, students will be taking the Reading MAP Test in social studies class.
Language Arts: B.O.B. has officially begun! The fifth graders are ecstatic to start working towards their reading goals. Remember, BOB books can be found at our school library and the public libraries. While students have been reading and taking quizzes this week, we have also started reading our class book, The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA.
Math: We are wrapping up our unit on multiplying and dividing decimals. There will be a test next week Wed, Jan 13. 5th graders have already received a review sheet, but it is also posted on google classroom. (Note: if there are nights with little homework students can always work on ALEKS)
Music - Band: We are working on our method books; lots of different songs! These 5th graders learn so quickly - it’s awesome! Keep on practicing each song on each page and write down practice minutes on the calendar.
Music - Choir: We have 4 songs we are learning to sing, including parts and duets, we are learning a musical blessing and also back at the buckets a bit.
Music - Orchestra: We had a great first week back! The 5th grade orchestra students are hard at work playing in their technique books, Essential Elements for Strings, Book 1. In addition to reviewing some of their favorite songs, they have received a new song. Practice suggestions: First Scale March, Rigadoon
Science: 5th graders have done a few investigations about solutions and concentration this week. We will continue deepening our knowledge in the coming week.
6th Grade
Upcoming Event: Students received a flier about a special “secret” event happening on Fri Jan 15. Parents received an email on Tuesday from Mrs. Westrate. If you’re not sure you saw the paper or the email, please let Mrs. Westrate or Mrs. Reidsma know.
SEED Market: Wow! What a success! Students did an amazing job raising money for SEED Market. This year’s total was $2,941.08.
Art: 6th grade students will transition into their next project next week - watercolors. Students have to complete an artist statement for their emotion monster by next class and need to submit this statement to the art google classroom and turn in a printed out copy in class. All students have a photograph of this artwork on their ipad to look at while they write these statements. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.
Bible: This week we read The Case for Christ for Kids. Next week we will be watching the movie Case for Christ. Your child received a parent interview form that needs to be completed by Jan 14. Students will be writing a letter to an imaginary non-believer defending the Christian faith, as well as articulating the importance and hope that their faith brings.
History: We started our unit on ancient Egypt! Next week, students will be taking the Reading MAP Test in social studies class.
Language Arts: This week we began our unit on short stories. We previewed the literary elements of short stories and reviewed several reading strategies by reading “Zlateh the Goat.” Towards the end of the week, we analyzed the plot of “Dragon, Dragon.”
Math: We have been learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers this week. There will be a quiz next week Tuesday.
Music - Band: We have cleaned out folders and now added more songs; we continue to work on our method book songs.
Music - Choir: We have 4 songs we are learning to sing, including parts and duets, we are learning a musical blessing and also back at the buckets a bit.
Music - Orchestra: We had a great first week back! The 6th grade orchestra students are hard at work playing in their technique books, Essential Elements for Strings, Book 2. In addition to reviewing some of their favorite songs, they have received a new song. Practice suggestions: Out of Winter, El Toro
Science: Students will take a test over the first part of our weather unit on Wednesday. There is a review sheet on Google Classroom. A paper copy was also handed out in class. We will continue our study of weather with a look at seasons and climate factors following the test.
7th Grade
Art: 7th grade students are nearing the end of the organism signs project. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.
Bible: In Bible we started our unit on sermons. Students have been exploring the concept of a sermon, what they know about sermons already, and what the Bible has to say about sermons. Next we will be discussing the importance of scripture, context, and life lessons in sermons.
History: In this first week back from Christmas break, we had a final discussion about our Natural Resource Simulation from before the break and then jumped back into our study of Africa. This week we’ve focused on African geography, but next week we’ll dig a bit deeper into the history and culture of Africa, including exploring cause and effect relationships between historical events in that continent.
Language Arts: After comparing and contrasting Kit Tyler and Ebenezer Scrooge (the two protagonists of the stories we’ve studied so far), we will now begin a class study of Gary Schmidt’s novel Trouble. Parents, you will receive an email with some material to help you become a little more familiar with the story.
Math - 7th Math: This week we looked at terms and how we can simplify terms that are alike. Next week we’ll add, subtract, and factor linear expressions before having a quiz towards the end of the week.
Math - Algebra: This week we continued to review and learn more about systems of equations. Next week we will wrap up our chapter and end by learning how to graph inequalities. A test will be later in the week.
Math - Pre-Algebra: This week in Pre-Algebra we started off with review and then began Chapter 7 on Algebraic Expressions. This is our first unit that deals specifically with Algebra, we will have a quiz next week on the first couple of lessons.
Music - Band: The Chromatic Scale quizzes have gone quite well - yay! We have begun a great musical work entitled First Suite in E-flat for Military Band by Gustav Holst. It’s a challenge and full of amazing musical ideas.
Music - Choir: Our unit on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has begun; we will do a project relating to the 18050s pretty soon. We are also singing/bucket-ing, etc.
Music - Orchestra: We had a great first week back! The 7th grade orchestra students are hard at work playing in their technique books, Essential Elements for Strings, Book 2. In addition to reviewing some of their favorite songs, they have received a new song. Practice suggestions: Adirondack Sleighride, English Carol Collage
Science: We are diving into the tank with our salmon. This week we worked hard on making good observations and distinguishing between observations and inferences. We will continue learning about our salmon and the ecosystem they will be going to.
8th Grade
Art: 8th graders need to complete the glazing of their ceramic pots by the end of next week 1/15. Students may come to the art room to work before school, at lunch, and after school to complete this work. Next week during class we will be transitioning back to the family shape project inspired by Frank Stella. In reviewing ideas that students have for their project I was very impressed with the thoughtfulness and meaning students have built into their ideation. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.
Bible Huttenga: We have just concluded our reading of The Last Battle. Students have a FlipGrid assignment due Monday, and as the week begins we will begin a project tying together the various themes we have discussed in Bible so far this trimester.
Bible Sloterbeek: This week, students have been working on gaining a stronger understanding of what the Bible is as an ancient and sacred book and they’re developing tools to help them get more out of their Bible reading. We’ve been using video resources from The Bible Project to help us in our work, and we’ll wrap up the development next week and move into application.
History: In this first week back from Christmas break, students have jumped back into the Early American history timeline project they were working on before the break. Next week, we’ll be wrapping this project up, learning from each other’s timelines, and beginning our unit on colonial development in North America.
Language Arts: We are working on revisions and bibliographies and parenthetical citations for NHD. Soon we will begin a study of the stage-play The Diary of Anne Frank.
Math - Algebra: In algebra, we are learning multiple ways to find the solution to a system of linear equations. We will have a quiz early next week.
Math - Geometry: In geometry we are wrapping up learning about all the different relationships within a triangle. There will be a test on Wednesday and then we will spend some time reviewing chapters 1-6. We’re almost halfway through the course!
Math - Pre-Algebra: In class we have been learning about algebraic expressions and how we can combine like terms. Next week we will add, subtract, and factor algebraic expressions.
Music - Band: We have begun a great musical work entitled First Suite in E-flat for Military Band by Gustav Holst. It’s a challenge and full of amazing musical ideas.
Music - Choir: We are getting started on our musical. Information about process and procedure will come via email once we have news/dates and etc to share. We are figuring out how/when we will be able to perform and will keep you in the loop!
Music - Orchestra: We had a great first week back! The 8th grade orchestra students are hard at work playing in their technique books, Essential Elements for Strings, Book 3. This week they are exploring how to play in the upper positions, specifically third position. In addition to reviewing some of their favorite songs, they have received a new song. Practice suggestions: A Christmas Cannon, Mahler With a Twist
Science: We have a good understanding of light and the way light waves travel and reflect. We are moving into color, spectra, and how light combines.
Athletics
The girls basketball season is scheduled to begin practice the week of Jan 18. This is subject to change if the MDHHS extends its sport restrictions past Jan 15. Watch your email for more information coming on the upcoming season.
Please contact Casey Meyaard if you have any questions.