Middle School Matters – Oct 02, 2020

General Announcements

Parent Teacher Conferences – Oct 13-20

Partnering with parents is an important part of our ACS culture. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, homeroom teachers will be using Google Meet to connect with parents. The appointment slots are 15 minutes long with an expectation of conferences taking about 10 minutes (allowing teachers time to connect in for the next appointment).

Parents should watch for communication from homeroom teachers to sign up for a date and time

Wildcats of the Month

Congratulations to our September Wildcats of the Month:

Charley Laufer, 8th grade
Luke Olney, 7th grade
Will Gruennert, 6th grade
Elyssa Haley, 5th grade

5th Grade:

Art: 5th graders continue working on the printmaking process. Next week 5th grade will practice cutting on block materials and so students will begin cutting their transferred designs.

History: Applying what they’ve learned in previous weeks, students created their own country and designed a map. Ask your student about this project!

Language Arts: This week, we learned about the imagery used in our novel Hatchet. We also made connections between Hatchet and our experiences at Survival Camp. Next week, we will continue to practice using imagery to prepare for writing our own descriptive paragraphs.

Math: Earlier this week we looked at multiplication patterns and making tables to solve problems. We continued to learn about the distributive property and how it allows us to multiply large numbers by breaking them down. Chapter 2 test will be next week Friday.

Music - Band: Yay Band! So much great work is happening. Band meets EVERY Mon, Tue, Thur with all students. See Google Classroom for assignments/pages to work on and for a practice form as well. Students should be practicing at least 3x per week - please help them to set a regular place and time where they could practice at home, with a stand and chair so they can sit properly. Thank you so much! Keep supporting their fine work!

Music - Choir: We are learning a lot of songs….ask what a Kookaburra sounds like. We are working hard on theory and bucket drumming on songs as well.

Music - Orchestra: 5th Graders should have turned in their signed practice record for the month of September. They have a new copy for October, but it can also be printed from their Google Classroom. Practice in the book pg 8- 14. Keep practicing 30-45 minutes a week.

PE: We have been training for our mile run, along with learning the basics of throwing a frisbee and applying it to games like ultimate frisbee and disc golf.

Science: We made some scale models of the Earth, Sun & Moon system this past week. We will continue zooming out to the Solar System (our “space neighborhood”) in the coming week.

6th Grade:

Art: 6V and 6W will be working on a Picasso inspired portrait next week. 6Z will be working on finishing up adding shading and value to the traditional portrait and learning about Picasso. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

History: We’ve continued studying and researching the five themes of geography. Next week, we will create a brochure to display all that we have learned.

Language Arts: This week we practiced identifying and interpreting figurative language as we read Tuck Everlasting. Next week, we will study how figurative language is used in other works such as the Bible and music as we continue to read Tuck Everlasting.

Math: This week was spent preparing for the archeological dig next week. We learned how to scale up, scale down, and had some “life size” practice in our classroom!

Music - Band: Our second assignment- this time it’s a playing video - is due Oct 12 - it’s posted on Google Classroom.

Music - Choir: We are learning a lot of songs….ask what a Kookaburra sounds like. We are working hard on theory and bucket drumming on songs as well.

Music - Orchestra: 6th Grade should be practicing for their FlipGrid video due on October 9, measures 17-41 in Burst.

PE: We have been training for our mile run, along with learning the basics of throwing a frisbee and applying it to games like ultimate frisbee and disc golf.

Science: We are wrapping up our Mixtures & Solutions Unit. We will take a test on Wed, Oct. 7. Our next short unit of study is Electromagnetic Force.

7th Grade:

Late & Missing Work: All late and missing work must be turned in by Oct 20. If work is not turned in by the 20th, it will be marked as a 0.

Art: 7th graders are learning about various color schemes in preparation for painting their sculpture. Sculpture must be carved and gesso by the end of the day Monday. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

History: Students had an assessment on class themes, tools, and vocabulary last week. Grades will be coming soon. This week, we’re really digging into our work with maps, geography, and timelines. We’ll be building spatial and chronological context for the eras and topics we’ll study for the rest of the year.

Language Arts: What makes a great story? We are breaking down literary devices and elements of plot while studying mentor texts, and creating take-aways to implement in our first developing narrative. We’ll wrap up exposition and move on to rising action and turning points after. We will continue having Reading Inventories and spelling quizzes on Mondays and Thursdays, respectively.

Math - 7th Math: We continued our unit on rates and proportions by learning how to tell if relationships were proportional by looking at tables and graphs, in addition to setting up and solving proportions in word problems. Students can expect a quiz mid week before learning about slope and direct variation.

Math - Algebra: We are going to be learning a lot about inequalities as we work through chapter 2. There will be a quiz in the middle of the week to check understanding!

Music - Band: We have a pile of sheet music and just completed a review assignment over the course of this past month. We are revisiting fundamentals and techniques, and playing a LOT of music as well. Our second assignment- this time it’s a playing video - is due Oct 12 - it’s posted on Google Classroom.

Music - Choir: [IMAGE '1703' /]We are finishing a project centered upon “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modeste Mussorgsky. Here are some project pics. (Children in park, Ballet of Chicks in Shells (actual egg), Great Gate of Kiev Kleenex Box Holder!)

Music - Orchestra: 7th grade should be practicing their songs for the Flipgrid due on October 9.

PE: We have been training for our mile run that is happening next week, along with playing frisbee throwing games such as ultimate frisbee and disc golf.

Science: We took a test today on erosion, weathering, and deposition. Next week we are moving into types of rocks and the cycle that creates them.

8th Grade:

Late & Missing Work: All late and missing work must be turned in by Oct 20. If work is not turned in by the 20th, it will be marked as a 0.

Yearbook Pictures and Baby Pictures: Please read the details below (due Dec 01, 2020).

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 (gro.naitsirhcada@nanahcubd)

"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 are wrapping up the initial printmaking project this week and will transition to preparing for the ceramic slab box project. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Bible Huttenga: We have just finished The Last Battle, and students will soon begin a project in which they draw connections between the allegory and the Reformation Worldview.

Bible Sloterbeek: This past week, we spent some time learning about heaven and earth and the Kingdom of God. We saw how the book of Mark presents Jesus as the one who is bringing heaven to earth, and we looked at some ways in which he did that. Next week, we’ll move from Mark into Matthew as we continue uncovering the gospel of the God who is with us to change our lives.

Language Arts: Full steam ahead with the National History Day project! Students can expect LA periods to work on the project and receive resources and mini-lessons on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the foreseeable future. We will continue having Reading Inventories and spelling quizzes on Mondays and Thursdays, respectively. 8th graders can expect to start receiving feedback on their memoirs later this coming week.

Math - Algebra: We are working through chapter 1. We are solving literal equations and then taking a test. Stay tuned to the homework calendar for a firm date on our test.

Math - Geometry: We are looking at math in a different way as we study reasoning and proofs. There will be a quiz early this week to make sure we’re on track as we learn to think through problems in a different way and learn a lot of new terms!

Math - Pre-Algebra: We began our unit on rational numbers this past week, and studied how to multiply and divide different types of rational numbers. We’ll end this short unit next week, where kids can expect a test by Friday.

Music - Band: Special event Oct 08 in Downtown Ada - check your email for details. Not all students will be able to attend due to soccer/VB. Check parent emails for details (it is a surprise). Our second assignment- this time it’s a playing video - is due Oct 12 - it’s posted on Google Classroom.

Music - Choir: [IMAGE '1702' /]We are finishing a project centered upon “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modeste Mussorgsky. Here are some project pics. (Children in park, Ballet of Chicks in Shells (actual egg), Great Gate of Kiev Kleenex Box Holder!)

Music - Orchestra: 8th grade should be practicing their songs for the Flipgrid due on Oct 09.

PE: We have been training for our mile run that is happening next week, along with playing frisbee throwing games such as ultimate frisbee and disc golf.

Science: Students are studying the moon’s phases, when they rise, set, and how to tell them apart.

Athletics

The 5th-8th grade boys basketball sign-ups are now officially open.

Once team lists are final we'll send you an email with additional information regarding the start of your sport season. We are optimistic that the basketball season will proceed as scheduled, although the MHSAA COVID-19 Guidelines will be followed (a lot may change in the upcoming weeks).