General Announcements:
Did your student forget something? To help us keep classrooms as free from distractions and interruptions as much as possible, we are asking students to come to the office at an appropriate time to pick up lunches, practice clothes, computers, instruments, assignments, and other forgotten items without an announcement being made in the classroom. As you can imagine, calling classrooms for the numerous deliveries made to ACS each day can equal several interruptions to instruction, quizzes, tests, labs, prayer time and the like. If students are expecting a delivery they need to check at the office at a convenient time. Thanks for your help and understanding. Parents -- if you are making a delivery, please tell your students you will be leaving the item(s) in the office rather than delivering them personally or having your student called to the office.
Small Groups for all students in grades 5-8 begin Wed, Sep 21. Students are placed into small groups (9 students or less) with a leader. There are 5th/6th girl and boy groups and 7th/8th girl and boy groups. Small groups will meet 16 times during the school year, about twice per month. Please pray for the leaders and participants as they study and explore God’s word together in community.
Fifth Grade:
ACS Service Team - there are still 15 spots open and the deadline for sign-up was Wednesday. If you are interested please refer to the most recent Ada Connection for contact information. T-shirts will be ordered on Monday!
Art: We continue to work on our abstract art unit.
Band: We are off to a great start. Students should be practicing songs 1-27 - - particularly songs 17-27. Have your student show you what they know! We will have a mini test on the “test” songs in the book soon, to check progress.
Bible: We continue to review the stories in the Pentateuch. The second part of our Bible Memory will come home next week.
Language Arts: We continue our lessons leading up to our first formal writing. This week we focused on the ideas and organization of writing. We also did some writing for our Survival unit and we continue reading our Survival books. DEA testing began this week as well.
Math: We took a quiz yesterday on place value, standard and expanded form, and changing decimals into fractions. Next week we will dive into chapter 2 - exponents and exponential notation.
Orchestra: We are off to a super start. We are putting fingers down on the D string. Pages 6&7.
PE: We will finish our soccer unit next week with a lot of game play!
Spanish: Students have a QUIZ on our food unit this coming Tuesday. They received a Review Sheet to take home.
Sixth Grade:
Art: In class we will be working on pattern hands. This week’s sketchbook is focused on preparing the students for part two of the hand project. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignments.
Band: We have had a few quizzes already - check Power School for grades. The first practice calendar is due at the end of this month, and 300 minutes is an A - - please encourage regular practice at home. Ask for a hymn concert - we have a great sound on our hymns.
Bible: Outside/Inside bags will be presented on Tuesday. Please help your student make sure his or her bag gets to school on time. We have seen and read and discussed some amazing things about God’s character. We will be compiling our noticings into a project this week.
Choir: We have an interesting open project assignment about the song “It is Well With My Soul.” If your student wants to build and burn Chicago, parent supervision is mandatory (and all Chicagos must be burned at home with safety first!) Hmm. Ask Mrs. VN if you have any questions - and ask your student how the SS Ville du Havre, the Great Chicago Fire, Medical Jurisprudence, pneumonia and Dwight L. Moody connect to the story.
Language Arts: We have been working through 5-a-day LA skills. We are also reading Tuck Everlasting. Through this novel, we study characterization, plot development, vocabulary, and figurative language (similes, metaphors, and personification).
Social Studies: We will continue to look at maps next week, focusing on topographic maps.
Math: On Monday students will be taking their test on measurement and decimals.
PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit next week with a soccer test. We will be looking through the review sheet that is posted on Moodle together. Students should come prepared for activity both inside and outside.
Orchestra: Review pages 20 and 21 and F Major. New pages are 22 and 23. Be sure that you are comfortable playing all of these flats.
Science: A test over measurement, equipment, and science safety will take place on Thurs 09/22. Students have been given a paper review sheet.
Spanish: We will have done our first online “homework” assignment in class today on a site called “Quia.” We are learning about different descriptive words and will start being able to describe ourselves and others next week. We also talked about two cultural events this week: Mexico’s Independence Day (today!) and Hispanic Heritage Month, which began yesterday.
Seventh Grade:
Algebra (7th): Continue Chapter 3. We will have a short quizzes on Tuesday and Thursday followed by a Chapter 3 test on Tuesday 9/27.
Art: In class we continue to work on our art element and principle project. Nice results are starting to appear. Soon students will review the project rubric and be given a due date. Please check the homework calendar for project and homework due dates.
Band: We just began to explore and discuss Solo and Ensemble - packets came home. We already have a lot of music in our folders to practice. 300 minutes is an A. Go team - you can do it!
Bible: (Huttenga) In class we will continue our study of spiritual discipline of devotions. A new Bible memory passage was handed out today and will be due a later date. Please check the homework calendar for due dates.
Bible: (Wanner) In class we will continue our study of spiritual discipline of devotions. A new Bible memory passage was handed out today and will be due a later date. Please check the homework calendar for due dates.
History: Next week we will begin our study of South Asia. We will be focusing on the geographical qualities of the region and how that has impacted the people of the region. We will also start learning the names of the countries in Asia as we prepare for our first map quiz.
Language Arts: The students are incorporating what we’ve learned about conflict and plot structure by writing their own short stories. Their drafts will be due Wednesday, September 21. Students will also be having a test on the short stories unit - the potential date is September 27; stay tuned.
PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit next week with a soccer test. There is a review sheet posted on Moodle. Students should come prepared for activity both inside and outside.
Math: We will continue to study ratios and proportions.
Pre-Algebra: Wow, this is a hard working group with great attitudes. We have completed our integer review and will have our Ch 2 Integer test on Tuesday.
Orchestra: Practice Fantasy and Pacem Noel
Science: We will begin investigation 3 on Monday studying cells. There are 4 parts in this investigation and it will last us about 2 weeks.
Spanish: We had some great discussion about two cultural events this week: Mexico’s Independence Day (today!) and Hispanic Heritage Month, which began yesterday. We touched on Immigration and why people may wish to leave their own countries, yet still have pride in their heritage. It is not an assignment, but students were encouraged to research further on their own if interested. We continue to work with the verb ESTAR as it pertains to locations in and around the house. A test is coming up on Wednesday, September 28.
Eighth Grade:
8th Grade Pictures and Baby Pictures: Each year, several families choose to submit a “professional” picture for the yearbook instead of the traditional school picture. This is a choice and not something that has to be done. However, if you would like to submit a picture, we would like to collect those over the next two months. Please send the images to Mr. Witte. Each student also needs to bring in a baby picture for the yearbook. This can be a digital image or an actual photograph (all photos will be returned lovingly). Thanks.
Requirements for yearbook picture:
- Head and shoulder shot
- High quality resolution--300 dpi
- File size--at least 1 MB or more
Algebra: We will be finishing some lessons in Chapter 2 next week and taking a quiz. We will also take the DEA test on Tuesday and Wednesday in class.
Art: In class we are now working on cutting our prints out of our blocks. Students should be preparing for a printmaking quiz within the couple of weeks. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignment due dates and the quiz date, which will be posted soon.
Band: We have 4 Chorales learned and the 4 corresponding scales, we have 2 marches well underway and a pile of other music in progress as well. Practice on our festival songs would be great - - Prelude and Fugue...Silver Star...Rough Riders...
Bible: (Huttenga) This week we will be concluding our reading and discussion of CS Lewis’s The Last Battle. We will unpack it as an allegory and begin our exploration of the development of the church.
Bible: (Westrate) We’ve begun our study of Jesus’ life and ministry after looking at the question “Why are there four Gospels?”
Geometry: We will continue to study chapter two.
History: Next week we will continue our study of the American Revolution. We will watch a video in class that will help us learn about the challenges that Washington’s army faces at the end of 1776 and how the Battle of Saratoga is a turning point in the war.
Language Arts: The National History Day project continues: the due date for the first draft of the outline is Wednesday, September 21. Parents you will receive a separate email regarding this portion of the project. Also, you were sent a calendar of the project via Google Docs - please let Adam Huttenga know if you have any questions regarding that file.
PE: We will wrap up our soccer unit next week with a soccer test. There is a review sheet posted on Moodle. Students should come prepared for activity both inside and outside.
Pre-Algebra Enhanced: We will complete our Integer Review next week and have a test on Thursday.
Orchestra: Practice Fantasy and Pacem Noel!
Science: We’re studying reasons for seasons this week and are continuing to make observations about the moon.
Spanish: 8th graders have a TEST next week on Thursday. There is a “Ropa Test Review” posted on their Moodle site. As a reminder, going back through their Quia assignments and Quizlet Flashcards are also big helps for studying. We had some great discussion about two cultural events this week: Mexico’s Independence Day (today!) and Hispanic Heritage Month, which began yesterday. We touched on Immigration and why people may wish to leave their own countries, yet still have pride in their heritage. It is not an assignment, but students were encouraged to research further with you or on their own if interested.