Middle School Matters - Nov 30, 2017

General Announcements:

Parade Grades 6-8! Don’t Miss the Christmas Parade!!! Grades 6-8 - Christmas Parade in Ada Sat Dec 02! Fill out this form for details - ALL 6-8s invited! (And - - if there is a 5th grader with an older sibling - they may come too if parents fill out the form!) Note: students should be at the Fire Station at about 11:30am.

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

Concert Dress:

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

Secret Santa - All students grades 5-8 are allowed to participate in a Secret Santa exchange the final week of school before Christmas Break. This is optional and provided by the student council - - please talk with your student about it. Signups begin this week Fri Dec 01 and are due to the band room by 11:35am Dec 07. Here is a copy of the Secret Santa Form.

Dates for your calendar:

Dec 02 - Christmas Parade in Ada Grades 6-8
Dec 07-08 - PTO Christmas Gift Shop
Dec 18-22 Secret Santas (if your child signed up)
Dec 19 - 5-8 Christmas Concert 7:00pm at ACS
Dec 22 - half day of school, last day before Christmas Break
Jan 08 - School resumes
Jan 30-Feb 02 - 6-8 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!

Art: Working to complete relief printing.

Band: We will be having full band until Jan. Please plan to send that band instrument every Mon/Tue/Thu until after the break. See you at the concert Dec 19!

Bible: We are wrapping up our Global Awareness unit by finishing The Breadwinner and discussing the similarities and differences between life in Afghanistan and the United States.

Math: We know how to add decimals! Now we are moving on to subtracting decimals. The test will be Thurs Dec. 7. Keep practicing math facts with your child--they can earn auction points for saying their multiplication facts to me during breaks.

Orchestra: We will have full orchestra every Mon,Tue and Thur until after Christmas break so be sure to bring your instrument those days. Bring all of your music also!

PE: We have had a lot of fun playing Eclipse Ball Jr. this week! We will begin a short basketball unit next week.

Science: We will wrap up our Earth Science unit by exploring another important component of Earth’s surface and atmosphere: liquid water! A short test over what we’ve learned during Investigation 3 (air and water) will take place on Fri Dec 08. A review sheet will go home for the weekend.

Spanish: We have started our first Episode in the Adventures of Gabi. Students are reading, listening, and writing about this story.

Sixth Grade:

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: 6th graders will work on creating a Picasso inspired graphite self-portrait. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook assignments.

Band: We are hard at work on our concert music for the Christmas Concert Dec 19. Practice records continue to be due every Thu.

Bible: Students have been presenting their book boxes this week. We will focus on the season of Advent for the next few weeks leading up to Christmas break.

History: We are officially done with our first ancient civilization--Mesopotamia. Next stop is ancient Egypt! We will begin an ancient Egypt simulation next week to see which team will be crowned the pharaohs.

Language Arts: Short QUIZ next Friday, December 7 on similes, metaphors, and personification. We will also finish Tuck Everlasting next week and begin working on a writing assignment.

Math: We just began a unit on integers. We have talked about where to place positive and negative integers on a number line, as well as how to find the absolute value of a number.

PE: We have had a lot of fun playing Eclipse Ball Jr. this week! We will begin a short basketball unit next week.

Orchestra: We are adding even more new Christmas Carols with great melodies and harmony. Ask your string player to play some for you! They are learning new music so quickly!

Science: Our Electromagnetic Force unit has begun. We’re investigating pushing and pulling forces and how they interact.

Spanish: We are wrapping up Unit 3: Cierra la puerta. Next week students will have a test. See Moodle for more.

Seventh Grade:

Algebra (7th): We will continue with chapter 6. Test on Thursday

Art: 7th grader continue to design and prepare to create a sign for their woodlands organism. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook assignments.

Band: We are hard at work on our concert music for the Christmas Concert Dec 19. Practice records continue to be due every Thu.

Bible(Huttenga): Students will soon be drawing the unit on sermon evaluation to a close, and will then begin a unit on gratitude.

Bible(Wanner): Bible memory quiz on Lord’s Day 45 question and answer 116 from the Heidelberg Catechism tomorrow. Next we will look at being persistent in our prayers.

History: Next week we will continue our study of East Asia and SE Asia. We will be looking at some interesting events including the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Language Arts: 7th graders are working on a series of projects based on the book Trouble by Gary Schmidt. The date for the test will be announced in conjunction with the study guide.

PE: We have had a lot of fun playing Eclipse Ball Jr. this week! We will begin a short basketball unit next week.

Math: We will continue to study how to compute with decimals. A final test is scheduled for Thursday.

Orchestra: Remind your string player to practice 45 minutes per week-and hand in a practice record each week! We are polishing pieces for the Christmas concert, Dec 19.

Science: We will continue investigating chemical interactions and substances.

Spanish: We are wrapping up Unit 3: Cierra la puerta. Next week students will have a test. See Moodle for more.

Eighth Grade:

Dessert Theatre(Lion King) is underway. Our website is: www.adachristian.org/lionking or just go to the ACS website and type Lion King into the search bar. Rehearsal schedule is at this website and will also show up on Moodle for the students as well.

GRCHS Dates:

Jan. 11 GRCHS - Parent Night in the ACS Commons 6:30 pm
Jan. 12 GRCHS - counselor visit at ACS 10:40 am

Algebra: We are working through chapter 6. Next week we will be reviewing for a test.

Art: 8th graders are working on planning for their Frank Stella Family shape portraits. Students should be completed with Part 2 of the blue packet by next Monday for 8a and next Tuesday for 8b. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook assignments.

Band: We are hard at work on our concert music for the Christmas Concert Dec 19. Practice records continue to be due every Thu.

Bible(Huttenga): We’re reviewing aspects of the Reformation, and will soon be starting a unit on CS Lewis’s The Last Battle.

Bible(Van Noord): We are reading and studying the book of Matthew and the synoptic gospels. Your student might ask you what you think it means to be blessed.

Geometry: We are beginning a unit about congruent triangles and more proofs!

History: We have been looking at some key events that happened in the early 19th century. Next week we will focus on Andrew Jackson and then spend some time reviewing for a test.

Language Arts: Students are conferencing throughout the week as they edit and revise for the National History Day project. In the meantime, they will also be tackling some grammar before winding the project down near the end of December.

PE: We have had a lot of fun playing Eclipse Ball Jr. this week! We will begin a short basketball unit next week.

Science: We will continue studying acceleration and speed.

Spanish: Unit 3: Cierra la Puerta test this Friday. See Moodle for more info.

Athletics:

Uniforms: Please return all fall sports uniforms to Mrs. O’Brien as soon as possible.

Winter Basketball: The 5th and 6th grade teams have been practicing for a couple weeks now and begin their games this weekend! Check out the Wildcats Athletics website for the game schedules. The 7th and 8th grade teams begin practicing next week. Go Wildcats!