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Middle School Matters – Mar 08, 2019 March 08th, 2019

General Announcements

Dates to know:

Mar 21&22 - Dessert Theatre

Mar 27 - Last day before Spring Break

Mar 28-Apr 07 - Spring Break

Apr 19 - All School Chapel led by 56 - Good Friday

April 25 Fine Arts Night and World Fair

May 03 - GF Day (times?)

May 09 - Spring Concert grades 5-8  - 56 green Wait Upon the Lord shirt and dark or khakis, Black and White for 78

May 22-24 - 5th Grade Spring Camp

Report Cards: Today, Mar 08, report cards will be sent home digitally via email and posted to your PowerSchool parent portal. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Fifth Grade:

Help Needed: We are out of paper towels and Clorox wipes in our classrooms. If you are willing to donate these items, they can be given to your child’s homeroom teacher. Thanks!

Reproductive Education: At the end of May, after Spring Camp, the 5th grade team plans to begin a short unit on Reproductive Education. Miss Slauer and Mrs. Reidsma will be meeting with the girls while Mr. Hoo will be meeting with the boys. In addition to going over the physical aspects of puberty, we plan to include discussions on God’s design for our bodies and reproduction, as well as treating our bodies with dignity and respect. Please have a conversation with your child before we have this conversation at school. If any parent would like more information, let one of us know and we would be happy to talk with you. 

Art: In art 5th graders continue their pointillism next week with more dots.

Band: Lots of music is happening, we are learning what it is like to play “full band” music with multiple parts all over the place. They are doing well with this. Please encourage them to turn in their practice minutes - they know how/where/when. Go band!

Bible: We looked at the story of the Demon-Possessed Man. Students are working on re-writing this account from different perspectives focusing on similes and metaphors. Another 4-6 point Bible memory verse is due Fri, Mar 15. Your child may pick any 4-6 point verses off of the attached list. Also, ask your child what they decided to fast from or “take on” during lent in order to spend time refocusing on God.

Language Arts: We continue to write creative, intense, suspenseful, and mysterious stories.  We focused on pre-writing phase of the writing process this week by brainstorming and making a plot diagram. Then, we learned about hooking our readers with attention-grabbing beginnings. We will continue to write these stories and concentrate on punctuating dialogue correctly and using synonyms for the word “said”.  In tech time this past Wednesday, students started making a “Public Service Announcement” about their non-profit organization. They used the coding program “Scratch”. Ask your child about these projects!

Math: This week we started chapter 9 - adding and subtracting fractions. We are celebrating Pi Day Thurs, Mar 14! If you are willing to contribute plates, napkins, forks, or pie please sign-up here. Looking for a way to give your child extra support? Attached is a list of IXLs & videos associated with each math lesson for chapter 9. Keep practicing math facts by playing Multiplication Grand Prix.

Science: We’ve begun a study of Earth’s living systems. We made food chains and food webs this week and will continue to explore how energy flows through systems and what non-living factors support life on Earth.

Social Studies: We’ve been studying the 13 colonies together! This past week we learned about the middle colonies. Ask students about their commercials! Next week, students will be focusing on the southern colonies.

Sixth Grade:

Help Needed: We are out of paper towels and Clorox wipes in our classrooms. If you are willing to donate these items, they can be given to your child’s homeroom teacher. Thanks!

Chicken Checker & Got Yolk: Mr. Hoo has assigned each family to chicken chores for 1 weekend between now and the end of the school year. Please look at which weekend you have been assigned to be sure you are available. If you are not, please work with another family to make a switch. So that we know you have seen the weekend chore assignment list, please return the explanation sheet with a signature. It is critical that our chickens get fed and watered on the weekend and that their coop gets cleaned regularly. Questions? Talk to Mr. Hoo. We are counting on you! So that we know you have seen the weekend chore assignment list, please return the explanation sheet with a signature. 

Please look at the sign up to indicate when your family will be taking a turn to help out on the weekend. We ask that all families take at least 1 turn per trimester.

Devotion Sign-up: Sign up to lead devotions for our 6th Graders on a Thur (8:00-8:10am) this school year. We love to have parents and guests come to share a story, song, verse, prayer or devotional with us. We have many open dates for the next several months!

Art: 6th graders continue work on their torn watercolor landscapes. 2 more classes remain to work on these projects. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook assignments.

Band: We have a book full of concert music we have been using - it is going well. They can accomplish a lot! Please encourage them to turn in their practice minutes - they know how/where/when. Go band!

Bible: We are wrapping up our investigation of the character of Christ this week with a book club discussion.

History: Next week student will have time to research for their World Fair Projects in social studies.

Language Arts: Next week we will spend much of the time researching our countries and writing our culture poems.

Math: Next week we will solve and graph inequalities.

Science: Our focus was on severe weather this week. Next, we will be investigating the driving forces behind our planet’s weather and climate.

Seventh Grade:

Dessert Theatre: Next week students will learn more about the Dessert Theatre and all that’s involved. It’s a lot of fun and they do a great job every year! Here are a few reminders:

  • We plan on students being able to attend both evenings, if there is a schedule conflict please communicate this with Mrs. Holtrop so she can plan accordingly.
  • Students are asked to dress in black and white and look professional.

Algebra: We will wrap up chapter 9 with a test on Tuesday.

Art: 7th graders continue to work on painting their Lego self-portraits. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook assignments.

Band: We performed for 2 groups of kindergarteners recently - “I is for Instrument” - -  It was SO FUN to see your seventh graders with the little ones! Dessert Theatre Music - we are working on this a lot now, we perform Mar 21 and 22 at night. You should be hearing songs from musicals and movies often right now.

Bible Huttenga: Students are beginning to learn about the concept of Sanctification. We’ll be exploring a few passages of the Bible relating to Sanctification and then begin poetry project based on what we discover.

History: We are preparing for our unit test on Africa. Students are working through a review sheet in class. Flashcards are available on moodle to help with reviewing too. The test is on Wednesday.

Language Arts: We are underway with the ProCon research project! Students have been exploring various issues and are in the process of narrowing down what they’d like to choose as their research project with some preliminary investigation. Kids are already asking good questions about bias and valid sources! Students will need to have a “Selection & Initial Arguments” document completed and submitted by Tuesday, March 12. Because of the nature of some of the possible topics, I will also be giving students a small assignment in which they will need to have their selected topics “cleared” by a parent.

Math (Holtrop): We will continue to study angle relationships. There will be a test next week.

Pre-Algebra (Kiser): Next week we will solve and graph inequalities.

Science: We continue to understand chemical reactions. We will be diving into the different types of reactions and the products made through these reactions.

Eighth Grade:

End of Year Dates for 8th Grade:

  • Exams - May 23 and 24.  8th grade students only dismiss at 11:30 am.  
  • Class Trip - May 29 - 31. Students will need to be at school at 6:45 am on the 29th.  We will be back by 3 pm on the 31st.
  • Last week of school - 8th grade students will have a full day of school on Monday and Tuesday June 03 and 04, and a half day on Wed, June 05.  No School for 8th grade students on Thursday and Friday, June 06 and 07.
  • Graduation - June 06 at Thornapple Evangelical Church.  Students will need to be dropped off by 6:15 pm and the ceremony starts at 7:00 pm.  

Dessert Theatre: Tickets are available online. We are hard at work. Check the schedule for who comes and when. Here is the parent signup sheet for show week/makeup, etc. Ask Mrs. VN for a poster if you would like to put one at your church or somewhere! We can’t wait to show you what we can do! It’s a whole new world.

Algebra: Next week we will start a new chapter focusing on solving quadratic equations.

Art: 8th grade students continue to work on painting their Frank Stella inspired family shape projects. Next week students will be working on writing an artist statement for these project for their sketchbook homework. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook assignments.

Band: We continue to work on a variety of genres during band - it is SO COOL to hear them play.

Bible: We have begun the Plumb-bob project and have a number of things we are working on regarding this project. Your 8th grader needs to have a meeting with a parent/elder soon; they should be talking to you about this in the very near future.

Geometry: We will wrap up surface area and volume with a test next week.

History: Next week we will finish up our chapter on Western Expansion by focusing in on the California Gold Rush. Later in the week we will review and prepare for a test by the end of the week.

Language Arts: We are underway with The Giver. An email introducing the novel will be sent to parents. We are using literature to discuss the Reformed Christian perspective, specifically regarding how we as individuals can transform our community to better mirror Christ’s Kingdom. The next Book of Memories memoir is due on Friday, March 15.

Science: We will be wrapping up our Gravity and Kinetic Energy unit next week by looking into Newton’s laws.

Athletics:

ACS is looking for a 5th-8th grade Track and Field Coach.  If you are interested in coaching or know someone who may be please contact Angela VanDuyn at .  

Responsibilities would include:

  • Practices 2-3 times per week for 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Coaching at 4 meets
  • Season Starts 2nd week in March and ends before Memorial Weekend.
  • This is a paid position