General Announcements:
Exploratory Week: Attention Middle School Parents: Exploratory Week is coming Jan 26-29 and we need your chaperoning/driving help to make it successful! This is a great opportunity to see your kids in action during their sessions OR volunteer in a different session because you just want to learn something new yourself. For some sessions, we simply need an extra adult in the room, and for others, we need drivers and chaperones. To simplify transportation needs this year, we are using 15-passenger vans and would like 2 adults in the vans at all times. If possible, please sign up for more than one day. Please sign up by Jan 18. Thank you for your help!!
Scrapbook Materials: Do you have any extra or unused scrapbooking materials? If so, we would love to have them/borrow them for the scrapbooking exploratory class. Please bring them to the office. If you want something returned, please note that as well. Thanks in advance.
Fifth Grade:
Art: 5th grade is working on drawing self-portraits in the style of Modigliani.
Band: Practice pages 18 and 19! Remember to mark practice time on the Jan calendar.
Bible: The 5th graders have begun an in depth look at Jesus’ life and work here on earth. Either through illustrations of the teachings of Jesus, written accounts of “modern day implications” of the parables, or discussions on His miracles, we are knee-deep in exploring who Jesus was/is and what He came to do.
Language Arts: The 5th grade did an excellent job in the Wax Museum today! Thank you so much for practicing with them at home. Acting talent and expression abounds in this class.
Math: It’s all about fractions! Students are simplifying, ordering and beginning to understand fractions. In the coming weeks we will be converting fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa.
Orchestra: We will review pages 24/25 and 26- one more week (due to snow day and Blue Lake information day). Practice 4 favourite songs out of either book and we will celebrate song 100 soon!
PE: Students will learn a new game called Speedball this coming week! It is a mix of football, soccer, and basketball.
Spanish: Memory Verse in Spanish is due next week! 5H on Wednesday (20th) 5B on Thursday (21st) and 5DW on Friday (22nd) Students have a handout with the verse on it, and we have been practicing daily, too. They should also be able to say the verse in English. (Whichever translation they already might know is fine.)
Sixth Grade:
Art: 6th grade continues to work on the self-portrait project. Next week will be the last week of in class time to work on the Egyptian self-portrait. Also next week the 6th graders will receive a sheet where they will summarize in their own words how to complete various watercolor techniques from video that they watch. This sheet will be their homework for the next few weeks. Please check the homework calendar for assignments and due dates.
Band: We have music from Star Wars! Life is good! Practice records are due at the end of Jan.
Language Arts: Students will have a large TEST on Friday, Jan 22. I will send home a detailed review sheet on Tuesday. The test will include our unit on short stories (including vocabulary), capitalization, and adverbs. We will review in class next week Wednesday as well.
Math: We continue to learn more about math expressions and order of operations. Next week we will begin reviewing the concepts we have learned and students will take their test on Friday.
PE: The Super Snow Bowl will be on Friday, Jan 22! Details are posted on Moodle. We will spend time in class continuing to prepare for it.
Orchestra: Practice Lesson 31- (in Muller Rusch book) and Night Rider. More new sheet music next Monday!
Science: We’ve begun a study of water (a very important molecule)! Students will learn about the polarity of water and how that impacts various things it can do.
Spanish: Students did very well on their memory verse in Spanish. I especially appreciated their attention to proper pronunciation! We will be learning more physical descriptions next: hair color, length, texture and how to describe eye color.
Seventh Grade:
Algebra (7th): Chapter 7 test on Jan 21.
Art: 7th graders are working on self-portraits as Lego’s next week we will work on painting these projects in. Please check the homework calendar for due dates on project and sketchbooks.
Band: Pirates of the Caribbean, Fundamentals, Dinner Theatre Music. Go team!
Bible: Memory work Isaiah 55:1-5 due Friday. We continue to study the book of Isaiah.
Language Arts: The coming week will have a large focus on the Paideia project as students select their research topics on Tuesday morning during our flex period. Throughout the rest of the week, students will learn even more about the project, and we will start learning about how to research, what to research, and how to take effective notes. During this time, we will also continue our study of the book Trouble by Gary Schmidt.
PE: We will be playing Speedball this coming week! It is a mix of football, soccer, and basketball.
Pre-Algebra (Kiser): We just started ch 7 on Expressions. Many review topics from last year; however, now with integers and fractions included.
Pre-Algebra (Holtrop): We will end our chapter about area, volume and surface area. Students will be taking their test this coming Wednesday.
Orchestra: Focus on Night Rider-, Beach Spring and Moonlight Tango - intonation and steady tempo!
Science: Butterfly Identification test on Jan 18 and a quiz over butterfly facts on Jan 21.
Spanish: For our next unit, we move into the kitchen. We will also be learning how to conjugate regular - ar verbs (this CAN be fun!) Students continue to have semi-regular assignments on Quia, which they can do multiple times prior to the due date for the best grade possible.
Eighth Grade:
Dessert Theatre: Please note that Friday rehearsals go until 5:30 p.m., whereas Wednesday rehearsals ends at 5 p.m. VERY SOON there will be an updated link on the website so the students will be able to log in to review more choreography! For more information: http://acsdesserttheatre.weebly.com/
Algebra (8th): Continuing with Inequalities. Next week might stretch some outside their comfort zone.
Art: 8th graders are working on completing the plastering and gessoing of their family shape projects by the end of next week. Also the 8th graders will need to complete part 3 of their blue family shape project packets. Please check the homework calendar for due dates and sketchbook assignments.
Band: We are working many pieces in multiple genres, playing chorales and working on fundamentals.
Geometry: We’re taking a break from proofs! Students just completed their chapter 7 test and we will begin studying area and perimeter.
Language Arts: How difficult is it to create a perfect society? The 8th graders are exploring the concept as we learn about Utopian/Dystopian societies in literature. In the coming week, we will be wrapping up our Utopia presentations, and begin reading Lois Lowry’s The Giver. The first “chapter” of the Book of Memories will be due Friday.
PE: We will be playing Speedball this coming week! It is a mix of football, soccer, and basketball.
Orchestra: Work on increasing speed and learning all of the notes in Blue Fire Fiddler!!!!
Science: An open-note iCheck over “Seasons” will take place on Monday. Our next topic of study is the moon.
Spanish: We continue with table settings and fruits, possessive pronouns and verbs that require direct object pronouns. Students have semi-regular assignments on Quia, which they can do multiple times prior to the due date for the best grade possible.
Wildcats Athletics
Basketball night at Grand Rapids Christian High School: GRC is hosting a youth basketball night on Friday, Jan 15. The girls varsity start playing at 6:00 and the boys at 7:30pm. Both teams will be competing against EGR. Student cost to attend the game is free for elementary and MS students if they wear a game jersey or school apparel. Adult cost is $5.00.