Middle School Matters - Nov 21, 2017 - End of the Trimester Edition

General Announcements:

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!! Have a wonderful break! Phil 1:3-6 - I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Grades 6-8 - Christmas Parade in Ada Sat Dec 02! See this form for details - ALL 6-8s invited!

5-8 Christmas Concert is Tue Dec 19 at ACS, 7:00pm

56 - wear blue retreat T-shirt, khakis or black pants or skirts.
78 - wear white dress shirts, black dressy pants or skirts (dark legs)

Dates for your calendar:

Nov 21 - End of Trimester 1
Nov 22-24 Thanksgiving Break
Dec 02 - Christmas Parade in Ada Grades 6-8
Dec 07-08 - PTO Christmas Gift Shop
Dec 19 - 5-8 Christmas Concert
Dec 22 - half day of school, last day before Christmas Break
Jan 08 - School resumes
Jan 30-Feb 02 - Exploratory! Details to come later

Fifth Grade:

Chicken & Goat Care Sign Up & Instructions: click to view the sign up and also the instructions for weekend animal care duties. Our goal is that each family signs up at least twice. If you see an opening that you are willing to fill, please sign up!

GOATS ON VACATION - No help needed this weekend. Thank you!!!!

Art: Working on Printing our cut blocks.

Band: Next practice record is due Nov 30. We can’t wait to play for you at the concert Dec 19!

Bible: Don’t forget to practice 10 points worth of Bible memory over Thanksgiving break. These verses are due Fri Dec 1 if you are in 5 Slauer. We are wrapping up our global awareness unit before the Christmas season begins.

Language Arts: The multicultural book is due on Mon Nov 27. This week we made spelling lists for a Dec 01 quiz for those who want to get a head start studying words.

Math: We began studying decimals this week. Next week will start adding and subtracting decimals! Chapter 4 math tests will come home on Monday.

Orchestra:Practice 45 minutes per week and hand in total minutes- due Nov 30. Work on new sheet music. Have your child play 2 or 3 songs for you! Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.

PE: We will be playing Eclipse Ball Jr. next week.

Science: Next up, we’ll be investigating some specifics about planet Earth including the composition of its atmosphere.

Social Studies: Next week, on to the American Revolution!

Spanish: Stories, stories, stories! We are reading them, listening to some silly ones, and acting out a few too. Students are accumulating an ever growing set of vocabulary. After break we will start our first “big story.”

Sixth Grade:

6th Grade Laptops: Laptops come home on Monday with your 6th grade child! Have you talked with your child(ren) yet? Please also look over some important information and details as you talk with your child(ren).

Devotions: Please sign up to lead our class in devotions on a Wednesday this year. Click this link for details and an opportunity to sign up.

Art: Working on drawing self-portraits and next we will draw a self-portrait in the style of Picasso. Check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Band: Next practice record is due Nov 30. We can’t wait to play for you at the concert Dec 19!

Bible(Koetje): Bible book boxes due on Tue Nov 28. Students will present these to the class.

Bible(Westrate): Bible book boxes due on Tue Nov 28. Students will present these to the class.

History: Mesopotamia projects are officially finished--you can celebrate a job well done with your child over break! We will continue learning about Mesopotamia over the next couple of weeks before we head to our next ancient civilization--Egypt.

Language Arts: We continue to study Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road not Taken.” This poem is a metaphor for our life journey. We have had many wonderful discussions about the Christian life journey. With this, we have been able to review other common metaphors and similes. We have discovered that they make writing much more fun and interesting to read. Next week, students will do several activities to help identify similes and metaphors as well as create a poem using these.

Math: We will be starting a new chapter on integers next week.

PE: We will be playing Eclipse Ball Jr. next week.

Orchestra: Next practice record is due on Nov 30. You should be hearing lots of Christmas music. Ask for a concert.

Science: We will be beginning a unit on electromagnetic force in the new trimester.

Spanish: ¡Cierra la puerta! This has been a fun unit! Students acted out and create a unique story ending to our short story “Close the door!” These can be found on Moodle if you would like to read them. We will continue to use our stories for more activities next week.

Seventh Grade:

Algebra (7th): We will begin Chapter 6 on Mon.

Art: 7th graders will be work on organism sign in class combining good graphic design skills with inspiration from the artist Julian Opie. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Band: Next practice record is due Nov 30. We can’t wait to play for you at the concert Dec 19!

Bible(Wanner): We will continue our study of the Lord’s Prayer next week. A new Bible memory will be coming home from the Heidelberg Catechism. Please begin working on learning this sooner than later.

History: We are learning about East and Southeast Asia in history class. Next week we will start taking a broad overview of some key events in history from this region.

PE: We will be playing Eclipse Ball Jr. next week.

Math: We will continue to study fractions and rational numbers.

Orchestra: Turn in your practice minutes on Nov 30. Practice sheet music for Christmas concert!

Science: We will begin investigating chemical interactions this week

Spanish: Cierra la puerta! This has been a fun unit! Students acted out and created a unique story ending to our short story “Close the door!” These can be found on Moodle if you would like to read them. We will continue to use our stories for more activities next week.

Eighth Grade:

Algebra: We will begin a new chapter next week focusing on inequalities.

Art: 8th grade will be learning about Frank Stella and beginning to think and create family portraits only base on shapes, patterns, and color. All unfinished and late ceramic pots must be complete by next Friday. Please check the homework calendar project due dates and sketchbook homework.

Band: Next practice record is due Nov 30. We can’t wait to play for you at the concert Dec 19!

Bible(Huttenga/Van Noord): Monday we begin with a new class - Huttenga’s folks will have Van Noord, and vice versa.

Geometry: After Thanksgiving we will be wrapping up Unit 6 and practicing more proofs. Test will be on Wednesday.

History: We are studying the first presidents in U.S. history. Next week we will also have our annual “Ode to George Day.” Students will be remembering all the different ways that George Washington impacted our country, we will play a few games, and even celebrate with a small feast--well, treats! :)

PE: We will be playing Eclipse Ball Jr. next week.

Orchestra: Turn in your next practice sheet on Nov 30th. Practice your sheet music for Christmas concert!

Science: We will wrap up space exploration and move into gravity.

Spanish: ¡Cierra la puerta! Students acted out and created a unique story ending to our short story “Close the door!” These can be found on Moodle if you would like to read them. Student’s used these stories to do a “blind retell” in Spanish. Next week we will continue to use these stories to improve language acquisition. Test on Dec 01. See Moodle.

Athletics:

Uniforms: Please turn in all fall sports uniforms to Mrs. O’Brien.