Skip to main content.
Middle School Matters – Oct 01, 2021 October 01st, 2021

Middle School Matters

Fifth Grade

Fundraiser: We are trying to raise at least $5,000 to help keep Spring Camp costs low. Please encourage your child to collect cans to help us reach our goal! Please bring the money you’ve raised to the front office by Oct 19.


Art: In class next week we will plan to start our printmaking insect or fish unit. 

Bible: This week we looked at the stories of Rachel and Leah, as well as Joseph. Next week we will wrap up Genesis and move into Exodus. The 10 Commandments (Bible memory) are due Oct 19.

Language Arts: This week we took the LA MAP test and continued reading more of Hatchet. On Friday, students received a list of spelling words, and the list is also posted on Google Classroom. We will have a spelling test this coming Fri, Oct 08. 

Math: We are starting to wrap up our chapter on multiplying whole numbers. We will have a quiz next week Monday and a test next week Friday. The students have a review sheet that can be found in their green note packet. 

Music - Band: We need ALL instruments on Mon, Tue and Thurs from here on out. Please make a note of this. Please continue to encourage your student to have a regularly scheduled practice time at home. 

Music - Choir: We continue to work on notation, singing and now some listening as well.

Music - Orchestra: 5th graders first signed practice record is due Mon, Oct 01. From now on all instruments will meet Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday every week. 

OE: Goat Duty starts next week! If you have not filled out a commitment slip, you will receive an email. Reidma’s class is up first! We will have an official training on Friday during Focus time (if your student is on duty next week, we will have a small early training Tuesday at lunch). Please encourage students to wear barn clothes, gloves, and boots and chore weeks! Please put your student’s weeks and Saturday chores in your calendar and email ms leah if conflicts arise: ’t wait to get to work!

PE: Students have been preparing for their upcoming fitness testing, including their mile run. The mile run and other fitness testing is expected to take place next week! We are still eagerly waiting for PE uniforms to be delivered for all 5th grade students. In the meantime, students should be bringing extra “athletic” clothes to change into for class. 

Science: In science this week, students completed their investigations they created on goat behavior. Students were able to spend time with the goats and study how they react to human mood and certain types of food. 

Social Studies: Students have been applying their geography skills and designing a map of an island! This map project is due on Mon, Oct 04. Next week we will wrap up our geography unit with a test on Fri, Oct 08. 

Spanish: Students loved making their own Spanish videos using Green Screen technology.  Gracias Ms. Frens for your help and support!

6th Grade

Art: 6th grade students worked adding value to their traditional self-portrait. Next week will work on a non-traditional portrait that does combines some prep work that happened in LA class. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Bible: This week students presented their Outside Inside Bags to the class. We also prepared for the archaeology dig that will begin next week! Psalm 139:23-24 is due Fri, Oct 08.

Language Arts: This week we took the LA MAP test and continued reading more of Tuck Everlasting. On Friday, students received a list of spelling words, and the list is also posted on Google Classroom. We will have a spelling test this coming Fri, Oct 08. 

Math: We spent this week preparing for the archeological dig in Bible class next week. We practiced scaling up and scaling down. Next week we will jump back into Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. 

Music - Band: Our first playing video is due by Oct 14. Our first paper assignment was due this week. Student new to band need to be doing some extra practicing at home to catch up to us - - keep it up, you can do it!

Music - Choir: We sang a LOT this week. :) SO nice.

Music - Orchestra: I moved their September video to be due Thurs, Sept 29 (yesterday) due to camp. Make sure that this is turned in so you do not fall behind. There are no longer practice records and these take the place of them so they are very important to your students' grade.

OE: Chicken duty starts next week! Your students had job training this week to prepare for their upcoming shifts. Encourage your Caretaker/Collector to wear barn clothes, gloves, and boots on their chore weeks and weekends. Here is a copy of their work schedule. Please note your student’s weeks and especially weekends on your calendar + email Miss Leah with any conflicts or questions: you!! We also have room left in our December-January egg club. You can claim your spot here!

PE: Students have been preparing for their upcoming fitness testing, including their mile run. The mile run and other fitness testing is expected to take place next week! We are still eagerly waiting for PE uniforms to be delivered for all 5th grade students. In the meantime, students should be bringing extra “athletic” clothes to change into for class. 

Science: This was an exciting week in 6th grade science. Not only did students complete their investigations on chicken eggs, but we received 42 CHICK EMBRYOS. (Chicken Eggs). Students have been working hard to research how to incubate chicks well, and help them hatch in a few weeks. If you would like to keep an eye on our eggs, you can go to the Chicken Cam. This will probably be more exciting in a few weeks when they begin to hatch!

Social Studies: Students have been applying their understanding of the 5 themes of geography by creating a brochure! Next week we will wrap up our geography unit with a test on Fri, Oct 08.

Spanish: Students are starting a new unit this week. They worked on their picture dictionaries and will create their first class collaboration story which they will act out in class. 

7th Grade

Art: Students will work to complete their texture paintings next week with painted details and highlights. Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Bible: The Seventh graders are learning about people in the Bible who stood on the promises of God through prayer. They have been given an assignment to interview a family member on a time when they were seeking help through prayer and how God answered their prayers. Students will be coming to you (or a close family friend who is at least 5 years older than them) to interview you for a story. This Prayer story is due Fri, Oct 08. Bible Memory is Psalm 145:18-20 and is due Thurs, Oct 07

History: We finished our look at George Washington and the challenges he faced with an analysis of a political cartoon and the way an artist can make a big statement with almost no words. Next week we look at the beginning of political parties and the presidency of John Adams to conclude our unit on launching a new nation. A test on the first couple of presidents will likely be Mon, Oct 11.

Math - 7th Math: This week we learned about proportional and nonproportional relationships. Students took a quiz on Friday covering the first four concepts of this chapter. Next week we will continue learning new concepts related to ratios and proportional reasoning.

Math - Algebra: We are beginning a new chapter about inequalities! There’s a good chance there will be a quiz later in the week. 

Math - Pre-Algebra: Pre-Algebra students are working on Rational numbers. This includes completing math operations with Fractions. As we get into the rules it can become confusing of the rules for adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing fractions. Students should have their notes with them while doing their homework. There are also some math facts that they need to have memorized, one is a list of common fraction/decimal/percent worksheet that we filled out in class and the other is the type of number categories that numbers can be apart of (natural, whole, integers...) Ask them about the song :) We will plan to have a test either Wednesday or Thursday of next week.

Music - Band: We have made solo packets. All 7th graders will be learning at least one solo to play for a judge in November. More news coming soon - for now, a band video is due next week on Google Classroom.

Music - Choir: We will be listening to many genres of music, and also begin a project soon.

Music - Orchestra: Hey 7th Grade! Continue to work on the music in your folder. More information about Solo and Ensemble will be coming to you soon.

PE: Students have been preparing for their upcoming fitness testing, including their mile run. The mile run and other fitness testing is expected to take place next week! We are still eagerly waiting for PE uniforms to be delivered for all 5th grade students. In the meantime, students should be bringing extra “athletic” clothes to change into for class. 

Spanish: Some 7th graders had class this week on Tuesday. These students worked on a Senor Wooly assignment called “No Lo Tengo”

8th Grade

Yearbook Pictures and Baby Pictures: Please read the details below.

Yearbook Pictures 

  • 8th graders may submit a different image for the yearbook than the traditional school photograph.
  • It should be a portrait image (vertical, not horizontal).
  • The image should mostly be a "head and shoulders" or "waist up" shot.
  • Please no pets
  • If a digital file...300 dpi or more, image size should be equivalent to a 8 x 10, the image file size should be between 2 MB and 10 MB
  • Please send the images to Dani Buchanan ()
  • Due date: Dec 01, 2021

"Baby Pictures" for Yearbook and Graduation

  • Each student needs to submit one "Baby Picture" that we can use for both the yearbook and at graduation.
  • You may submit either a digital image or an actual photo. (The picture will be returned quickly and safely.)
  • The "baby picture" can be from the time your student was a baby or up to a young child. 
  • These pictures can be fun, sweet, cute, and all of that! 
  • Please send the images to Dani Buchanan (dbuchanan@adachristian.org) or have your student drop off the photo to Miss Buchanan in the office.

Art: 8th graders will have a printmaking quiz next week Tue, Oct 05. All materials for the test are found on the art google classroom. Study the chop and monogram history, printmaking tools, and how to mark a print. Next week Wednesday 10/6 we will wrap up our printmaking unit by mounting our best pieces.Please check the homework calendar for project and sketchbook due dates.

Bible VanNoord: We spent some time reading Matthew 18 and talking about conflict resolution the way that Jesus recommends. If we could just live our lives the way that Jesus taught us - - it would be amazing for us.

Bible Schaefer: Due to the short week we did not have Bible class this week. Next week we will continue reading Matthew--we are getting close to the end of the book, but so many exciting things are yet to come!

History: We spent time this week looking at how political ideals affect how presidents handle issues that come up. We will finish looking at the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine next week and conclude the week with a test on Friday.

Math - Algebra: This week we worked more on solving absolute value equations. We will continue this topic into next week and take a quiz on the main concepts on Tuesday.

Math - Geometry: We continue to work on chapter 2 and logic. Students will have a quiz on Monday and we will be reviewing the chapter at the end of the week. 

Math - Pre-Algebra: Pre-Algebra students are working on Rational numbers. This includes completing math operations with Fractions. As we get into the rules it can become confusing of the rules for adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing fractions. Students should have their notes with them while doing their homework. There are also some math facts that they need to have memorized, one is a list of common fraction/decimal/percent worksheet that we filled out in class and the other is the type of number categories that numbers can be apart of (natural, whole, integers...) Ask them about the song :). We will plan to have a test either Thursday or Friday of next week.

Music - Band: We have more new music we are working on, including festival music. More info on that soon.

Music - Choir: No class this week due to the Service Project.

Music - Orchestra: We have been asked to play for the Foundation Dinner at Ada Christian School’s campus on Thur, Oct 07. Students will not be attending the event but will be playing before the event begins. Please have your student arrive at 5:45 pm. Students may wear nice “church” clothes that are school-appropriate. They will be playing from 6:00-6:30ish and then will need to be picked up by 7:00 pm. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

PE: Students have been preparing for their upcoming fitness testing, including their mile run. The mile run and other fitness testing is expected to take place next week! We are still eagering waiting for PE uniforms to be delivered for all 5th grade students. In the meantime, students should be bringing extra “athletic” clothes to change into for class. 

Spanish: Running Dictation is an activity that gets students up and active using kinesthetics to help the brain acquire and retain language.  Students must take turns running, finding, and memorizing a sentence.  They dictate that sentence to a “secretary.”  Once all sentences are gathered, they are organized into a chronological review of the story we made and acted in class.  

Athletics

5-8 ACS Boys Basketball sign-ups are now open, sign-up deadline is Friday, Oct 15. Click here to sign up. The season is scheduled to run from Oct 25-Christmas Break.

We are in need of more workers for volleyball games this fall. If your son/daughter (⅞ grade or older) is interested in please fill out this form. 

Please check your TeamSnap account for your team’s full game schedule.