General Announcements
Middle School Christmas Concert: All Middle School Students will be participating in the Middle School Christmas Concert at ACS on Tuesday, Dec 15 at 7:00pm. All students need a white shirt (for boys: not a T-shirt, golf shirts are ok, button downs are even better, for girls: a pretty white shirt that meets dress code) and black pants or skirts (must fulfill dress code) and dark shoes/socks. Hopefully this gives you plenty of time to find clothes that will fit for the concert. These middle schoolers are growing fast!
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Tues, Oct 20th from 4:30-7:30pm. Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade teachers conduct a “Round Robin” style of conference, with each conference lasting about 3-4 minutes. You will find each teacher at a table in the Commons. If you feel that this timeframe will not be sufficient, please contact the specific teacher in advance to request another time for a longer conference.
5th Grade News
Art: 5th grade work on printmaking continues. This project will take awhile to complete and currently we are in the process of transferring our designs to the block and then cutting the blocks in preparation for printing.
Band: We are going to have our first ever quiz on Monday and Tuesday, playing Jingle Bells! (Maybe it will snow early because of us!) Extra practice on this song would be great. Also regular practice on pages 9-12 would be fabulous. Songs should be played slowly at first, measure by measure as your band student works through each note. Go Band Team!
Bible: We continue to work our way through the Pentateuch. We look forward to our next unit on Hunger Awareness. New Bible Memory will come home after CEA convention week.
Language Arts: We are working very hard on writing and typing our survival newspapers. We are also working on learning strategies for becoming better writers, especially in personal narratives. Spelling unit 5 activities packet was due today! Please turn it in on Monday if you haven’t already!
Math: We start a new unit on long division this week. This is a great time to be practicing your math facts!
Orchestra: We worked through pages 12, 13 and 14 this week so have several new songs to learn. Mozart Melody, Jingle Bells, and Old McDonald should be under the fingers this week. String players might need to practice a bit more because of all of these new songs.
Science: We start a new unit on Living Systems. This is a great unit for going outside! :)
Social Studies: A new unit began here too! We are learning about Colonial America.
6th Grade News
Art: 6th graders are all engaged in working on part two of the first project. The artwork/images being drawn to display how the students see God’s hand in their life are looking great. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignments.
Band: We will be having a band quiz next week Tuesday on either March Slav or Silver Moon Boat - they get to choose.
Bible: Continuing our study of the land and geography of the Bible. Books of the Old and New Testament due Wednesday - Oct 28.
History: Learning all about landforms. Check out the posters in the hallway summarizing our latitude line project. Quiz on landforms on Friday, Oct 30.
Language Arts: The sixth graders did an awesome job on their quizzes today. This coming week, I will return graded paragraphs. The students worked hard to incorporate a topic sentence, detail sentences with transitions, and a concluding sentence to this paragraph. We did Weekly Work #5 together in class, but Weekly Work #6 is due on Tuesday, Oct 20.
Math: We will be spending time on Monday preparing for our chapter test that is on Tuesday. Please remind your student to have their practice test complete for class on Monday!
Orchestra: We will continue to work on the Bell Carol and Advent orchestra pieces this week. Be sure to practice the measures with 8th notes and slurs- slowly at first and then gradually increase the tempo.
Science: We’ll continue studying matter this week.
7th Grade News
Art: Wow! it has been a whirlwind exploration of texture this week in class. The next time the seventh graders come to class we will be completing their texture project by going back into their “paintings” and adding painted detail with acrylic paint. Please check Moodle for sketchbook assignments.
Band: Solos are out, now students must try them, choose one, and get to work on mastering it. This means - you guessed it - practice! Go Team! We will be providing accompanists here at school. Some students would like to do a solo and also an ensemble - totally fine!
Bible: We’re doing a project about the kings of Judah and Israel this week.
History: We will be focusing on some key events that have happened in South Asia over the past 100 years, including an introduction to Mohandas Gandhi.
Language Arts: Students need to make sure they read through chapter 9 of The Witch of Blackbird Pond before Monday. We will spend our two days in class talking about characterization, the dangers of prejudice, and learning about adjectives to help with our own descriptive writing.
Pre-Algebra (Kiser): Due Tuesday is a cumulative review for chapters 1-3.
Pre-Algebra (Holtrop): This week start learning about rational numbers.
Orchestra: Solos and duets have been selected so be sure to play all the way through your pieces and then work on musical details--accidentals, dynamics, accents, slurs and all bowings. Also, be sure to get the piano parts to your accompanist.
Science: Finishing up our nature study. We have a visual plant identification on Oct 20. Facts part 1 on Oct 27 and facts part 2 on Oct 28.
Spanish: TEST for all classes on Tuesday. All study materials are on Moodle: Flashcards for vocabulary, and a couple resource sheets for the verb ESTAR. Students may re-do their practice test (which is graded) and other Quia assignments for more practice.
8th Grade News
Dessert Theatre: Auditions are about one month away! acsdesserttheatre.weebly.com
Learn about Willing to Wait: The Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) comes each spring to speak with our 8th grade students, presenting their “Willing to Wait” program. Laura Champion, one of our moms, is a board member for the PRC and would love to share more about this "Willing To Wait" program. If you are interested in attending the PRC's 30th anniversary Gala on Thursday, Nov 5 at the JW Marriott to learn more about the organization, their mission, and their work please email Laura Champion so she can save a seat for you.
8th Grade Yearbook Pictures: Each year many families have decided to submit a different photograph for the school yearbook than the traditional photograph taken here at school. This is an option again this year. If you would like to submit a photograph for the yearbook, please email Mr. Witte with the digital image of the picture you would like.
What works best…
- The image needs to be a high quality, high resolution image. Usually the file size of the image should be greater than 1 MB for it to work.
- The image still needs to be a fairly traditional head and shoulders image
- The image should have a vertical composition...otherwise I will do some cropping to make it work.
Once you submit an image, I will send you an email response back letting you know if the image will work for the yearbook. The deadline for these images is going to be Nov 24, the beginning of Thanksgiving break. Thanks.
Algebra (8AE): Students are doing a nice job solving equations and showing their work. We will be getting ready for our chapter 3 test which will be during the week of Oct 26. More info in next week’s Middle School Matters.
Algebra (8th): These students are doing so well. We continue to solve multi-step equations.
Art: 8th graders are in the process of exploring calligraphy. Please check Moodle for homework and project due dates.
Band: Christmas music has just begun. Festival music is still going. We are working hard in class, and sounding festive!
Bible: Continuing our study of the early ministry of Jesus.
Geometry: Students will be taking their Chapter 3 test this Monday and Tuesday.
History: We will be looking at how our founders created the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Test from this past week will go back on Monday.
Language Arts: The 8th graders will spend their short week preparing their 1st draft of the NHD essays. These will be due on Monday, Oct 26. The essays will be submitted via Google docs; specific instructions/expectations/explanations will be given to students and sent to parents to keep them in the loop. Keep in mind: when we return from the break, we will be shifting our time in the classroom towards literature, and student will then need to start scheduling their editing time at home. This will also mean more “normal” homework - and grades in the book. Refer to the “2015-2016 NHD Calendar” to help plan ahead!
Orchestra: Solos and duets and ensemble pieces have all been selected - so - 4 weeks before the big event! Be sure to get your piano parts to your accompanist! If you have any questions or concerns feel free to call or stop in the orchestra room.. I am here to help in any way that I can.
Science: We’re looking at Heat Transfer this week. We will have a quiz during the week following the break.
Spanish: We are beginning our new unit, a favorite among middle schoolers: “Chores around the house!”
Wildcats Athletics
Winter Basketball: Start dates are listed below. As the season approaches you will receive an email from your child’s coach with specific team information.
5th & 6th Grade – Week of Monday, November 9
7th & 8th Grade – Week of Monday, November 30
If your child is playing winter basketball sport physical forms must be turned in before the 1st day of practice.