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Middle School Matters – Oct 05, 2021

Middle School Matters

General Announcements

Change Game

From Nov 08-15, the MS hallway will participate in a friendly competition to help raise money for our school’s sponsored Compassion International children. Students can earn points for their grade by bringing in and donating change into their designated tubs; students can “sabotage” other grades by dropping in dollar bills into competing tubs. All proceeds will go to Compassion International.

Stuff-a-Bus

Nov 17-23 we will be stuffing a bus again, this time in partnership with Degage Ministries. Please read through the list of items needed and encourage your students to participate.

Dates to know:

Nov 17-23 - Stuff-a-Bus
Nov 24-28 - Thanksgiving Break
Dec 09 - Christmas Concerts for all 5th-8th grade

6:00pm 5th Grade
6:30pm 6th Grade
7:00pm 7th Grade
7:30pm 8th Grade

56: Theme T-Shirt and khakis, or dark slacks/skirts
78: White on the Top, Black on the bottom (no jeans)

Dec 16 - Advent Walk (5:30-7:30pm)
Dec 18-Jan 02 - Christmas Break

5th Grade

Rice Week (Nov 15-19): We need your help! If you are willing to help out with Rice Week, please sign-up on this Google Doc. This letter contains more information.

Water Walk (Nov 23): Please read this letter for more information.

Bible: This week we talked about Biblical justice, characteristics of developed vs least developed countries, and students began to research their assigned countries. Ask your child about what verses they plan to memorize this month (they have choices)! The first Bible verse is due Fri, Nov 12 all 50 points are due Dec 14.

Language Arts: This week we continued to draft, revise, and edit our descriptive paragraphs. The final paragraph needs to be turned in on Google Classroom by Mon, Nov 08. Next week we will start the language arts component of our Global Awareness unit by reading A Long Walk to Water. 

Music - Band: Great work on the videos and practice assignments! Keep checking Google Classroom for specifics. Some students are trying the IPS app on their iPad - email Mrs. VN if you need any help with this. A video of Michael Finnegan is due by Nov 12. Our Christmas Concert is Dec 09 at 6:00pm at ACS. 

Music - Choir: We are making projects that have to do with the story behind the song “It is Well With My Soul”. Projects are due next week Wednesday. Remember, if there is an actual fire planned, a parent must be in the fire video with their vocal stamp of approval!

Music - Orchestra: Many students still need to turn in their October practice record. Keep practicing from the book!

Science: Students have spent time learning about our solar system and creating a scale model of the solar system in class!

Social Studies: Students investigated how different groups of Native Americans were affected by their environment, focusing on the Pacific Northwest. Next week, they will complete a shape poem and begin learning about the Arctic region.

6th Grade

Bible: This week we looked at the characteristics compassion and self-control. Students put these characteristics into action by writing letters of encouragement, waiting to eat an oreo all class period, and writing self-control verses on bookmarks/binder covers that they need to work on,

Language Arts: This week we discussed the important themes of Tuck Everlasting and wrote responses of how these themes are shown throughout the story. We also started our Tuck Character Project. On Thurs, Nov 11, we will have a Tuck Everlasting test. Students received a paper copy of the study guide, but it is also available on Google Classroom.

Music - Band: Practice assignments are on Google Classroom. Great work on the recent videos - wow. We are getting started now with Christmas Music. (Go snow!) Christmas Concert Dec 09 at ACS at 6:30pm.

Music - Choir: We are learning 5 military songs in honor of Veterans’s Day on Nov 11. We are remembering this day as Armistice Day as well.

Music - Orchestra: Christmas music is in full swing! Make sure that you are working hard on the music for our concert Dec 09. 

Science: This week students have been creating a project on a type of extreme weather. They are hard at work and will be presenting their projects on Monday. 

Social Studies: Students participated in two simulations this week! In the first simulation, students learned the importance of building levees, channels, and reservoirs to control the flooding of rivers. In the second simulation, students learned the importance of written laws. Next week, we will learn about Hammurabi’s Code. 

7th Grade

Bible: Seventh graders are starting their unit on devotions. We will be researching and practicing different devotional methods over the coming weeks

History: Next week we start a brief unit on the age of Jackson, the first “common man” president, and the spread of democracy as well as some problems he faced.

Language Arts: We will continue our study of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and help expand our understanding in Reading Groups. We are learning about dependent and independent clauses as well as subordinating and coordinating conjunctions, and practicing their uses by incorporating them into a class Snapshot Story titled “The Two Kings”.

Math - 7th Math: This week we have finished up our chapter on percentages. Students have learned about using percents in real world situations such as finding the cost of a tip or the amount of a discount. Next week we are starting a new chapter on the topic of rational numbers.

Math - Algebra: In Algebra we will be wrapping up our Chapter on graphing linear equations. The last two sections in the chapter will stretch their thinking a bit! It will probably take a few class periods to really reach mastery. A test is scheduled for Friday. 

Math - Pre-Algebra: Pre-Algebra students are beginning Chapter 5 on ratios and proportions. 

Music - Band: We perform our solos on Nov 16 during the school day. All students have been practicing and filling out the checklist - we are also working with our accompanists - one came this week, another next week, and a third pretty much lives at school (haha…Mrs. VN). The schedule for solos should be ready by next Tuesday. Christmas Concert Dec 9 at 7:00pm. Dress code for Nov 16 - dress really nicely OR white on top/black on the bottom - Christmas Concert dress is white on top, black on the bottom.

Music - Choir: Erie Canal projects are being presented now…I’ve Got a Mule, and her name is Sal…..(go ahead and belt out the rest….)

Music - Orchestra: Make sure that your student is continuing to follow the practice guide for Solo and Ensemble. They should be working at least 1-2 hours a week on their instrument. Solo and Ensemble is Tues, Nov 16.

Science: Next week we are diving into different models of how to draw atoms.

8th Grade

Yearbook Pictures and Baby Pictures: Reminder Yearbook and Baby Pictures are due Dec 01, 2021. Picture dimensions and details. 

Bible Schaefer and Van Noord: In 8th grade Bible we are working our way through Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ. Some of the questions students have been thinking about are: Is it ok to ask questions about our faith? Does Jesus match the identity of the Messiah? Can we trust the biographies of Jesus?

History: Having finished looking at the Industrial Revolution in the North, we turn our eyes to the South and explore why the South went in a different direction during the same time period. We’ll look at King Cotton and the growth of slavery. 

Language Arts: We will continue our study of The Giver and help expand our understanding in Reading Groups. NHD is going well, and some students may be able to begin drafting an early version of an essay next week. Students will be practicing sentence structure and variety.

Math - Algebra: This week in Algebra we concluded our chapter on solving linear inequalities and have dived into the topic of functions. A key concept in this chapter is determining what is a function. We are also working to find the domain and range of a function and identify the independent and dependent variables of a function.

Math - Geometry: In Geometry we will be wrapping up our Chapter about transformations. We have learned about translations, rotations and reflections. This coming week we will also talk about dilations. There is a test planned for Friday. 

Math - Pre-Algebra: Pre-Algebra students are beginning Chapter 5 on ratios and proportions. 

Music - Band: We will be playing for judges on Nov 16. We are actually close to ready - - just polishing at this point. TONE is important. Another video will be due prior to Nov 16.

Music - Choir: We know what our show is and will be looking at different versions of it, trying out parts of it, and considering what parts to try out for. We are also just beginning to watch Fiddler on the Roof and learn about Jews in Russia in 1905, and also what a Mezuzah is. Hopefully we will find time to make one, too.

Music - Orchestra: The 8th graders have very difficult ensemble pieces that they should be working on at home. Keep practicing!

Science: Next week we are looking at more than just the Sun, Moon, and Earth but the whole solar system, what is there and how far away it is.