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Middle School Matters - Sep 15, 2017

General Announcements:

  • 5-8 Christmas Concert Tue Dec 19 7:00pm (add to your calendar!)
  • Health Counts For Kids - Mon Sep 18, 2017 at 6:00pm

Grade Level Announcements

General Announcements:

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

Health Counts For Kids - Mon Sep 18, 2017 at 6:00pm

The Ada Christian School PTO is happy to announce that Dr. William (Bill) Stratbucker and his team are joining us Sept 18 from 6:00 - 7:30pm to inform and encourage us about ways we can improve our children’s nutritional habits. Dr. Stratbucker is a pediatrician who is employed with the Healthy Weight Center for Children, a Helen Devos Children’s Hospital program. His team is made up of a registered dietitian, master’s level social worker, exercise physiologist, psychologist. On a daily basis, Dr Stratbucker and his team help children achieve healthy weight goals by offering a comprehensive program for children and adolescents up to age 17. This team will be speaking to us about tangible health goals and nutrition tips. Should you make a separate meal or let your picky eater skip a meal if they don’t like what you made for dinner? Come and find out the answer to this question and many more. This is a parent only event, please leave your children at home. All ACS parents are welcome to attend.

Following the presentation your Ada Christian School PTO will be hosting a brief all school PTO meeting. If you want to learn more about the PTO, please plan to stay! The all school PTO meeting will begin approximately, 7:45pm.

Fifth Grade:

Art: We will work to complete our first project next week by combining together our abstract painting and our landscape drawing focused on drawing the horizon lines.

Band: Playing quiz on Monday- any song from #1-#20!! We can finger 5 notes - - yay US! Students should know NAMES of notes, and what to do to FINGER/slide the notes. You can quiz them! Point to a note and have them tell and show you what it is. Answers are on the pages at the top. In the book you can connect online to a great online Practice Help website - - give it a try! Your student can hear and see the notes online and hear the pitches. Check it out in the band books - usually right in the back (some have it in front) - there is a code to enter for your instrument!

Bible: This week we have been talking about the life of Abraham. We began by talking about Abraham’s faithfulness, followed by God’s faithfulness in keeping his promises. We also realized that Jesus’ life and death are foreshadowed in the story of Isaac, as well as the promises from God.

Language Arts: This week we reviewed dialogue though BIG sentences, though books, and in a partner writing. We continue to read Sign of the Beaver as our read aloud. Through the book we will study character, plot, and vocabulary. Tomorrow is our first spelling test and THT#2 is due. Please encourage your 5th grade to read their survival books at home and school. Also, please note that we will be taking our MAP test for Reading next week.

Math: This week in math we finished our unit on Place Value with the Chapter 1 Test. Next week we will complete the MAP test and begin our next chapter.

Orchestra: Mondays - all cello players will have orchestra. Tuesdays- all violas and violins. Thursdays we will have full orchestra. We will continue with this schedule while we learn how to use the bow and get a great tone with the bow! Be sure to write down all of your practice minutes. We will practice arco on numbers 13 - 19. And pizzicato on the following page. Keep up the great work on all of the details!

PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit with some full field games! Students should be prepared for PE with appropriate shoes and clothing.

Science: We continue to revise and enhance our models about Earth and Sun. We will have a short test Fri 09.22. We will review in class. Students also have a few questions to guide their review at home.

Social Studies: We are finishing up the map unit. The kids took the test and we are working on a giant world map. Next week begins our study of US History and the beginning of Discovery 2 - our first big historical simulation. Ask your kids what country they belong to and how their travels across the ocean are going. We will be using the beautiful books “The Discovery of the Americas” and “Exploration and Conquest” by Betsy and Giulio Maestro.

Spanish: We finished our week with a test over our Unit: DICE. Next up, is TPR (Total Physical Response) to help us practice for our first story unit.

Sixth Grade:

Forms: Parent Homework, Service Project Volunteer/Permission Slip, and Computer Contract forms are due on Wed Sept 20. Thank you for taking the time to complete these.

Missing Work: Your child received a “Missing Work Report” this week. Homeroom teachers will continue to hand out these reports on Monday mornings. Please ask your child about this and encourage him/her to talk to a teacher with questions.


Art: Working on the first project and the pattern part of the project is looking good. 6th graders will next being working on part two of visually display how they see God at work in their life. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Band: Practice records are due every Thu. Regular practice at home is SO helpful. Great work during class!

Bible (Koetje/Westrate): We continue to learn about how we are all irreplaceable parts of the body of Christ. Students are learning I Cor 12:14-20 (4 activities due Mon) and should begin working on Outside/Inside bags at home (due Oct 02).

History: This week in social studies we have been learning about topography with Mr. Boerkoel. We started by creating topographic maps of a landform using water and food coloring. After we had an understanding of how topographic maps are created, we transformed the topographic lines into a mountain profile.

Language Arts: We continue to read and enjoy Tuck Everlasting. Next week we will find similes, metaphors, and personification examples in the novel and in music. Also, please note that the 6th graders will take one part of the MAP test in LA next week.

Math: Today students took their test on appropriate lengths and decimal operations. Next week students will complete the MAP test, spend some time teaching Kindergartners about appropriate tools, and start chapter 2 - fractions, decimals, and percent. You can help your child get a head start on chapter 2 by reviewing common fractions, decimals, and percents with them at home.

PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit with some full field games and a short quiz. Students should be prepared for PE with appropriate shoes and a change of clothing.

Orchestra: Show me your practice records on Thursday! Practice the first 2 pages of Muller Rusch because we will play these lines in class ( duets and solos). Keep up the great progress!

Science: We’ve begun on a mission to develop a classification scheme for living & non-living things. We’re making observations each class and will soon begin to learn about microscopes and how to use them to investigate potential life that we cannot see with our naked eye.

Spanish: We finished up the week with a test over our first Unit: DICE. Next, we will move on to a cultural unit about the Running of the Bulls. We will continue to build on vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

Seventh Grade:

Algebra (7th): We will have a quiz on Monday reviewing distributive property and combining like terms. We will plan to take the MAP test on Sept 26 and 27.

Art: 7th graders are working focused working on forms and creating sculptures inspired by the artist Henry Moore - it’s going to be messy in art form awhile. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Band: Practice records are due every Thu. Regular practice at home is SO helpful.

Bible(Wanner & Huttenga): 7th grade is working on the devotional unit and learning from other in our community about how they do devotions. A new Bible memory will be handed out next week.

History: Next week we will be preparing for our first test of the year. A review sheet will go home Friday and the test will be next Friday.

Language Arts: 7th graders will continue our short stories unit, focusing on concepts of plot and theme. Next week, we will begin some creative writing focusing on sensory detail and setting. Students will be given records for their independent reading, and should continue reading novels in class and in spare time.

PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit with a tournament and a soccer assignment. Students should be prepared for PE with appropriate shoes and a change of clothing.

Math: This week we will be learning about ratios and unit rates and everything that goes along with those concepts!

Pre-Algebra: We are wrapping up a quick review of Integers. Our Integer test is on Thursday, Sept 21. The study guide and practice test are on page 88 of the textbook.

Orchestra: Focus on 6/8 time and measures 1 through 64 in the English Carol Collage!

Science: We will continue our study of Milkweed bugs.

Spanish: We finished up the week with a test over our first Unit: DICE. Next, we will move on to a cultural unit about the Running of the Bulls. We will continue to build on vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

Eighth Grade:

8th Grade Yearbook Pictures: Our 8th grade students will have the opportunity to submit their own yearbook picture once again this year. If this is something that your family would like to do, we would just ask that you are able to submit the photograph to Mr. Witte before Thanksgiving Break. Please make sure that the photograph is a high quality image (300 dpi or more). Usually the file size of the image is at least 2 MB. Anything less than 2MB (and everything that is KB) in size may not work well in the yearbook and look pixelated. I will work with you to make sure we have the correct quality image, but if you are able to check before submitting, that is appreciated.

8th Grade Baby Pictures: To go along with the yearbook picture request, we also ask that you submit a baby/young child picture that we can use in the yearbook and at graduation. These images can be digital or actual photographs. If you would like to submit an actual photograph, please make sure your child’s name is on the picture or included with the picture. You can turn these pictures into Mr. Witte and he will scan the image and make it work. All digital photos can also be emailed to Mr. Witte.


Algebra: The students did a great job on their first test. We are working through chapter 2 this coming week.

Art: 8th grade continue to cut and test print their block designs. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.

Band: We have three numbers all going at once and it is GREAT to hear them. Really cool technique - - great style!! Practice Records have begun - GO BAND!

Bible(Huttenga): Students are working on completing the reading of The Last Battle by CS Lewis. Additionally, students are learning about Luther, a Reformed Christian’s call to action, and how that compares to the Reformation. As the week progresses, students will learn about the Holy Spirit, the birth of the early church and the book of Acts.

Bible(Van Noord): Rock presentation almost finished, the book of Matthew is up next. Mem work Matt 6:5-15 coming soon.

Geometry: The unit we will be studying this week covers the language and logic of geometry. The class did a great job on their first test!

History: Next week we will continue studying the American Revolution.

Language Arts: Students continue to work on the NHD project. The draft of the outline is due on Friday, September 22.

PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit with a tournament and a soccer assignment. Students should be prepared for PE with appropriate shoes and a change of clothing.

Pre-Algebra: We are wrapping up a quick review of Integers. Our Integer test is on Thursday, Sept 21. The study guide and practice test are on page 88 of the textbook.

Orchestra: Focus on 6/8 time and measures 1- 64 of the English Carol Collage. Remember B flat!

Science: We will continue our study of seasons we will likely have a test on Sept 26 or 27.

Spanish: We finished up the week with a test over our first Unit: DICE. Next, we will move on to a cultural unit about the Running of the Bulls. We will continue to build on vocabulary through reading and listening comprehension activities.

Athletics:

Be sure to check out the athletic website or this link for information about fundraising for our upcoming Purple Community event. We are partnering with Purple Community to raise money for the Van Andel Institute. This event will take place here at ACS on Sat, Sep 23. Our athletic teams will all be playing here and sporting some purple gear! Come support the VAI and our teams!

Our athletic teams are off to a great start! Check out the athletic website for a schedule of games.