General Announcements
Thank You
We would like to take the opportunity to say thank you for the many phone calls, emails, cards, notes of encouragement, meals, and other ways of showing us how much we are loved. Our lives have been changed in many ways, but we also know that our Father has us in His hands. We are very thankful that Scott is now home and that we are back together as a family, and we have been so blessed by all of your words and your prayers. So we thank you again for your kindness, and Scott looks forward to the day where he can see many of your faces back at school!
- Scott & Becky Schrotenboer
Parent Teacher Conferences:
Feb 16 4:30-7:30pm
Feb 25 4:30-6:30pm
Locations
K-4 Teachers Classrooms
Specials Teachers Commons
56er Teachers North Gyms
78er Teachers South Gym
*Mrs. Van Noord, Mrs. Osborn and Mr. Schrotenboer in-person only on Feb 16 (Due to request for numerous virtual conferences).
5th Grade
Winter Gear: Please be sure that your child comes to school with appropriate winter clothing each day for outdoor recess and potential OE experiences.
Art: 5th graders will be working to create a self - portrait inspired by Amedo Modigilani.
History: We will continue our study of the 1st colonies!
Language Arts: This week we took the Language Arts MAP Test. We also continued working on our B.O.B. goals. We are officially halfway through B.O.B.! Please review your child’s Weekly Report #3 to see his/her progress in meeting his/her goal. Next week we will continue B.O.B. and analyze the settings of stories.
Math: MAP tests next week Tuesday and Wednesday. We are continuing to learn about Expressions and Patterns. There will be a test the first week in January.
Music - Band: We are working in our books - pages 24 and 25. Song of Remembrance is really nice and Boogie Blues sparkles - this is a test song for us next week. We are learning about accidentals - naturals, flats, sharps and key signatures.
Music - Choir: This week we focused on Little Fugue in G minor by JS Bach. We will be hearing this piece at our online Symphony Concert in March. We heard a number of arrangements of this piece.
Music - Orchestra: The 5th grade orchestra students continue to work in their Essential Elements Book 1. This week we reviewed holding out our notes by using more bow and meters. We also started to learn about slurs and ties. (Page 29) Suggested practice: First Scale March and continued practice on the first half of Rigadoon. January practice cards are due on Monday, Feb 01
PE: We have started working on our jump roping skills this week. We will continue to practice our skills and play different jump rope games next week!
Science: We continue to study mixtures and solutions. We’re reviewing some of the many vocabulary words we have learned and will do a little bit with some simple chemical reactions in the coming week.
6th Grade
6th Grade Winter Camp: Parents of 6th graders should have received an email early this week regarding a special 6th Grade Winter Camp experience we get to have this year. Please review the letter and fill out the digital permission form. We are looking forward to an excellent day on Friday (Jan 29) at Camp!
6th Grade “No New Homework Week”: Due to this class’ most excellent participation as 5th graders in off-campus-learning last spring (2020) and all the auction points that they were able to save up during that time, teachers have declared the upcoming week (Jan 25-29) a “no new homework week” for 6th grade only. This means that 6th grade teachers have planned ample time for students to complete their school work in class for this week. Students may expect to have no newly-assigned homework. However, if students have missing assignments that need to be turned in for late credit or if they do not use their class time appropriately, they will be asked to complete assignments as homework to catch up with their peers. Congratulations on your hard work, 6th graders. Enjoy a little break this week as a reward!
Winter Gear: Please be sure that your child comes to school with appropriate winter clothing each day for outdoor recess and potential OE experiences.
Art: 6th graders are working on try out various watercolor painting techniques in colors that match their landscapes photographs. This is a time in art class of experimentation and creativity, it is very cool to see unfold. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.
History: We will continue our study of ancient Egypt!
Language Arts: This week we read the short story “The Dog of Pompeii” to study the literary element of setting. We also took the Language Arts MAP Test. Next week we will read more short stories to analyze the literary elements of character and theme.
Math: MAP test next week Tuesday and Wednesday. We are continuing to learn about Expressions. There will be a test the first week in January.
Music - Band: We are working on 2 full band pieces in our band books and also a solo for each instrument. We will have a quiz on the solo the first week of February.
Music - Choir: We have done loads of listening, drumming, singing, body percussion….etc.
Music - Orchestra: This week in orchestra we worked in our Essential Elements Book 2. They reviewed the C Major scale and are now working on songs composed in that key in the book ( page 7). Suggested Practice: El Toro (first half). Due: Tuesday, Feb 02, video assignment to be sent to Mrs. Dykeman on Google Classroom: El Toro (Beginning-31)
PE: We have started working on our jump roping skills this week. We will continue to practice our skills and will organize/present a jump rope routine next week!
Science: 6th graders continue to study weather and water, specifically focusing on how climates vary from place to place on Earth as well as the reason for our seasons.
7th Grade
6th - 8th Grade Exploratories: Can you help?
We are excited that plans are moving forward for our annual 6th - 8th Grade Exploratories. Several modifications are being made to follow C-19 protocols. Watch for more details in the coming weeks. For now, if you have any nail polish you would like to donate, we are planning a session that could put it to good use. Please have your son or daughter drop off the nail polish to Mrs. Quist.
Art: 7th graders are starting on creating they self-portrait as a Lego mini-figure. Today in class we laid out the starting shape for the mini-figure head. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.
Bible: In Bible class we are learning about good qualities of sermons. Next week we will work through listening to sermons and dissecting their qualities.
History: For the first three days of next week, students will be completing the reading MAP test in class. At the end of the week, we’ll wrap up our study of African history with a focus on more recent events.
Language Arts: We will continue our study of the novel Trouble.
Math - 7th Math: We will begin our next unit on equations and inequalities on Monday. Students can expect to see a quiz on the first three lessons of chapter 6 on Friday.
Math - Algebra: On Monday we begin chapter 6 and we will spend time learning how to solve different problems using exponents, radicals and exponential functions. There will be a quiz on Friday.
Math - Pre-Algebra: On Monday, Jan 25 we will be taking the Chapter 7 test. We will start Chapter 8 on Solving Equations later in the week.
Music - Band: We have been working in our book p. 26 - likely a quiz next week on 115 March of the Toreadors. We also have a major work: First Suite in E-flat for Military band - a challenge.
Music - Choir: We continue with our Seven Brides for Seven Brothers musical unit. Soon there will be a project that relates to life in the 1850s in Oregon Territory. We also have been drumming and singing as well.
Music - Orchestra: This week the 7th grade orchestra students worked out of their Essential Elements Book 2. They reviewed the B flat major scale and are practicing songs composed in that key in their book. They have been introduced to a new meter. (Page 26) Suggested practice: English Carol. Due Monday, February 1 video assignment to be sent to Mrs. Dykeman on Google Classroom English Carol (measures 24-61)
PE: We have reviewed/practiced our jump roping skills this week. We will continue to practice our skills and will organize/present a jump rope routine in small groups next week!
Science: We will continue studying our fish and the ecosystem they will be living in once we let them go.
8th Grade
South Christian High School - Explore Night
Eighth grade students and their families are welcome to join us to Explore South Christian on Feb 01 or Feb 03 from 7:30pm - 8:30pm. Please enter the Main office entrance (Door A), grab a map and Explore the SCHS campus! Masks are required. If you have questions or concerns please contact Sherri DeVries (gro.shcs@seirveds).
6th - 8th Grade Exploratories: Can you help? We are excited that plans are moving forward for our annual 6th - 8th Grade Exploratories. Several modifications are being made to follow C-19 protocols. Watch for more details in the coming weeks. For now, if you have any nail polish you would like to donate, we are planning a session that could put it to good use. Please have your son or daughter drop off the nail polish to Mrs. Quist.
Art: 8th grade students are close to wrapping up the cardboard construction of their family shape project with the goal of being done by the beginning of class Wed, Jan 27. Next Tuesday in class there will be a demonstration on working with plaster strips. Students might want to consider wearing old clothes on art days for the remainder of this project as the materials we will be working with are messy. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.
Bible Huttenga: Students will be completing their posters by the end of class on Tuesday. They will then begin an essay comparing the events of The Last Battle to Luther’s Protestant Reformation
Bible Sloterbeek: This week, students have been using the tools for Bible reading that they developed last week. Each student chose a passage to dive into more deeply, and used a series of information and questions to interpret the meaning of the passage with more attention and care. Next week, we’ll wrap up this project by sharing what we learned, and we’ll move into studying the gospel books specifically.
History: For the first three days of next week, students will be completing the reading MAP test in class. At the end of the week, we’ll continue learning about the American colonies and working on a brochure project about particular colonies.
Language Arts: We will continue our study of The Diary of Anne Frank as well as putting in the finishing touches/revisions for the NHD research project
Math - Algebra: We took a test today on chapter 5. Next week Tuesday and Wednesday we will be doing MAPs testing. Chapter 6 is Exponential Functions and Sequences which we will be working on next week also.
Math - Geometry: In Geometry we will continue to learn about quadrilaterals and other polygons. On Friday we will have a quiz on the first 3 sections of chapter 7.
Math - Pre-Algebra: We will begin our next unit on solving multi-step equations and inequalities on Monday. Students can expect to see a quiz on the first three lessons of chapter 8 on Friday.
Music - Band: We are working in our band books on page 10, (we are in the third book of our band series) and also a major work: First Suite in E-flat.
Music - Choir: We are working on our musical. News about performance plans and dates will be forthcoming soon to parent emails.
Music - Orchestra: This week the 8th grade orchestra students continued learning about playing their instruments in 3rd position. In their book, Essential Techniques for Strings (3), they are now exploring short exercised using different patterns in this advanced position and harmonics. ( page 4-5) Suggested practice: Mahler With a Twist and Christmas Cannon (Vibrato) Due Monday, Feb 01 video assignment to be sent to Mrs. Dykeman on Google Classroom: Mahler With a Twist (Beginning through J).
PE: We have reviewed/practiced our jump roping skills this week. We will continue to practice our skills and will organize/present a jump rope routine in small groups next week!
Science: We will finish up light waves with a test in the middle of next week. Then we will be jumping into our second kit of this trimester: Gravity and Kinetic Energy.
Athletics
Girls basketball practice has officially started. We are expecting games to start the week of Feb 01. Please watch your email for more information coming soon.