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Middle School Matters – Mar 15, 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

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!


Art: 5th grade is wrapping up their study of Georges Seurat. Next up, glazing the coil pots that were built before Christmas.

Band: We need to keep working on the full band songs we have! Ask for a concert!

Bible: This week in Bible we read the parable of the Sower and the Seed. Students are writing four short vignettes for voice overs of each seed. Next 4-6 point Bible Memory quiz is due Wed Mar 27. If your child is leaving early for Spring Break, plan to have your child take his/her quiz prior to leaving for break.

Language Arts: These 5th graders are learning so much about punctuating dialogue correctly. We will continue to use this new knowledge to revise our paralytic writing as well as our mystery writings. Students will have a short quiz on dialogue on Friday. Next week Wednesday, the 5th graders will continue to work on their PSA for the non-profit organization.

Math: Chapter 9 Test is Tues Mar 18. Practice test is due Mon Mar 17. Next up - multiplying and dividing fractions! Linked here is the answer key to the practice test. Attached is a list of IXLs & videos associated with each math lesson for chapter 10. Keep practicing math facts by playing Multiplication Grand Prix.

Orchestra: We are learning 4 concert pieces. Always keep a steady beat when practicing and learn finger placements- so that all notes are played in tune! Warm up with scales and thirds on page 48. Please review slurs on page 30 and new notes numbers 113 - 116!

PE: We will begin a unit on softball. Please be sure your student is prepared to go outside if the field is dry enough.

Science: We’ve reviewed food chains and food webs and will now consider how food is used and transported within both plants and animals.

Social Studies: We are wrapping up our unit on the 13 colonies and will soon be exploring the road to the revolution.

Spanish: Do you like fish? We are reading about a boy who is a bit particular about his fish. It made for some interesting acting! I am so impressed with how much students are understanding!

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. This includes cleaning the coop, feeding the chickens and picking up eggs. 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. Questions? Talk to Mr. Hoo. We are counting on you!

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!

6th Grade Girls Read-aloud Club: We will be starting a new book on Thu Mar 21. Feel free to join us to read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:00-3:30pm in Mrs. Westrate’s room. Here is a snack sign-up.


Art: 6th graders have one class left to work on their torn watercolor landscapes. Artist statements for these torn watercolor landscapes is due Wednesday 3/19. All instruction for the artist statement is found on the art moodle page. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook homework.

Band: We are working on a collection of full band songs. Ask for a concert….we are trying to make our best possible sounds/tone.

Bible: We have begun a unit on biblical wisdom literature and poetry. Students will need to complete 2 interviews for an assignment. Please ask your student about these interviews...or don’t be surprised when they ask you!

History: We will begin exploring Ancient Greece together next week!

Language Arts: Research will need to be completed by Wednesday. They may need to do some research on their own over the weekend using pre-selected websites (CultureGrams, Country Reports, and CIA). Then, we will begin to WRITE, WRITE, and WRITE some more about all that we have learned. Display board requirements coming home next week Monday!

Orchestra: Thanks for sharing your music with the Kindergarten groups! That was so much fun and you sound just great!

PE: We will begin a unit on softball. Please be sure your student is prepared to go outside if the field is dry enough.

Science: We’ll specifically focus on the air in our atmosphere this week, considering its characteristics and the many ways that it impacts weather and climate.

Spanish: We have just finished our last unit for the year and will start our novel on Monday.  This book is called “Brandon Brown Wants a Dog.” Books will be kept at school. Notes and vocabulary will be posted on Moodle and paper copies will be kept in students’ folders.  Reading is such a successful way to acquire language.

Seventh Grade:

Algebra: 7th graders have 1 class left to work on their Lego self-portraits. This project is due Monday 3/25. Next up is learning about Louise Nevelson. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook homework.

Band: Dessert Theatre is next week - ask to hear your students piece(s)....we have a packet full of them. We hope you will love the performances!

Bible Huttenga: The students are halfway done with their Sanctification haikus. In the coming week they will be designing a poster pulling all of their work together.

Language Arts: The 7th graders are learning a lot about the technical aspects of research writing. We’ve been learning about the outlining process for a research essay, and students will be creating one of their own as an organizational tool as well as a means to learn what other research they may have to do to substantiate their claims. This weekend an assignment will be sent home with the kids - they will need to discuss their topic selection with a parent and get a signature.

Orchestra: We can’t wait to play our pieces for you at the Dessert Theatre! We are working on lots of great music. 

PE: We will begin a unit on softball. Please be sure your student is prepared to go outside if the field is dry enough.

Spanish: We have just finished our last unit for the year and will start our novel on Wednesday. This book is called “Secret Agents of Picasso’s Mural.” Books will be kept at school. Notes and vocabulary will be posted on Moodle and paper copies will be kept in students’ folders. Reading is such a successful way to acquire language!

Eighth Grade:

Dessert Theatre:  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.


Art: 8th graders will start glazing their ceramic pots on Monday 3/18. Artist statements for the family shape project is due and needs to be upload to moodle on Wednesday 3/20. The family shape project and a printed hard copy of the artist statement for the family shape project is due Monday 3/25. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook homework.

Band: We have some new music for future concerts to work on. In a few short weeks we have retired 50+ songs in the new book, which is great.

Bible: Work on the Plumb Bob project continues. Thank you for helping with the Parent/Elder interview process.

Language Arts: We will be tackling The Giver a bit more intensively this week. We will be taking a look at a documentary featuring a man named Clive Wearing who has severe amnesia - someone who has literally no memories - and compare that to the experiences of Giver’s protagonist, Jonas - who is receiving memories. We will have a discussion about how memories and shared experiences of others shape us as individuals as well as members of a community.

PE: We will begin a unit on softball. Please be sure your student is prepared to go outside if the field is dry enough.

Spanish: We have just finished our last unit for the year and will start our novel in a week. This book is called “Secret Agents of Picasso’s Mural.” Books will be kept at school. Notes and vocabulary will be posted on Moodle and paper copies will be kept in students’ folders. Reading is such a successful way to acquire language!