General Announcements
Spiritual Retreat - A letter and permission slip went home with your student this week. Please read it over and returned the signed permission slip to your child’s homeroom teacher by Friday, Sept 11. If the slip seems to be missing, click this link to print another copy. Stay tuned for more information about how to support our retreat in prayer.
5th Grade News
Art: 5th graders are working on creating abstract artwork in acrylic paint and then will head outside to do some landscape drawing which focus the shapes in a landscape and on the various horizon lines within landscape perspective.
Band: We have begun to play! Brass players can work on pages 4 and 5. Woodwinds page 4! Here we go - - SO fun.
Bible: We start the year reviewing the stories from the Pentateuch. Our stories this week reviewed the creation stories found in Genesis 1. Our first Bible memory is our theme verse found in Philippians 4:8. It can be said on or before Friday, Sept. 11.
Language Arts: We started with a bang and have already finished our first writing! We are also spending time reviewing CAFE reading strategies learned in 4th grade and reading our survival books. Spelling lesson 1 homework and tests are due next week Friday, Sept 11.
Math: The first couple weeks have been a review of several of the concepts they covered in 4th grade - place value, factors, long-multiplication/division - to make sure we are all up to speed on everything. Using that as a foundation, we will move on to studying the relationship between whole numbers and decimals next week.
Orchestra: Wow , we are off to a wonderful start. We learned all of the parts of the instruments and how to hold them for playing and resting position. We also played through the first 2 pages- pizzacato! Ask your son or daughter to play a few songs for you. Next week we will have violins and violas on Thursdays and celli on Tuesdays.
PE: We are off to a great start in PE! It has been so fun to meet the 5th grade students. We will continue with our soccer unit next week.
Spanish: We are working with numbers to 100! Students have been creating math problems for each other and saying/solving them out loud in Spanish. They may want to hone their skills before our next class as we will be having some friendly competition.
6th Grade News
Art: 6th graders will be explore pattern in part one of their first project. Please keep on the homework calendar for due dates.
Band: We are beginning with review and building musical muscular endurance. The first practice assignments will be sent home next week. Watch Moodle calendars for due dates.
Bible: Monday the instructions for the Inside/Outside Bag went home with your child. The brainstorming sheet is due next Wednesday, and the overall bag is due Sept 23. Bible memory is Psalm 139:13-14 due on Sept 19.
History: We are beginning our unit on maps and geography!
Language Arts: We have set up our email accounts and have learned proper emailing etiquette. The 6th graders were very excited about this! Next week we will continue with our Auto-Bio poems and begin reading our first novel, Tuck Everlasting. Enjoy your long weekend with your kids!
Math: It’s been a really great start to the school year. We have spent time reviewing area, perimeter, measurement and decimals. Now we are all set to begin our classroom measurement activity. Next week we will begin using these skills and applying them to real world situations!
Orchestra: We are beginning with lots of review- which is going just GREAT! We also sight read some new orchestra pieces- and will vote on which ones to keep working on. Thanks so much for remembering to bring in instruments and music every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday!
PE: We are off to a great start in PE! We will continue with our soccer unit next week. Students should be prepared to go outside.
Science: Students had a safety quiz today; ask them about their first quiz of middle school...perhaps it wasn’t exactly what they expected, although I’m confident they were all prepared! We’ll learn about some lab and technology tools this week.
Spanish: 6th graders are working with partners on their iMovie projects this coming week. They should bring all necessary PROPS to our next class! (6D Tuesday; 6K Thursday.)
7th Grade News
Algebra (7th): Continuing our study of chapter 1. So far the material of study has primarily been review.
Art: In class we have complete learning and review the art elements and principles and student will now select three art elements or principles to work with in their first project. Please check the homework calendar for due dates.
Band: We are beginning with review and building musical muscular endurance. The first practice assignments will be sent home next week. Don’t panic - these will be very doable and fun. Watch Moodle calendars for due dates.
Bible: Memory Work Quiz on Revelation 21:3-5 on Friday, Sept 11. Students will write or recite these verses and will answer several questions in response to the passage. The questions have been and continue to be available on our class moodle page. Feel free to take a few minutes to discuss the passage together with your 7th grader.
History: We started working on a Keynote Project this week that helps show an understanding of the 5 Themes of Geography. These Keynote projects are due next Thursday. Next week I will also be introducing the students to a list of geography terms that they will have to learn before our first test.
Language Arts: Students have a reading assignment and worksheet due to be completed by Tuesday, Sept 8.
We have officially begun our short stories unit. As we continue, we will continue our discussions regarding the different types of conflict present in literature and in life, as well as the many possible resolutions that can be found in each. We will also be reviewing elements of plot, and prepare to write our own short stories as well.
PE: We are off to a great start in PE! We will continue with our soccer unit next week. Students should be prepared to go outside.
Pre-Algebra (Kiser): We will be wrapping up our first chapter with a test on Friday, Sept 11. A study guide and practice test is located on page 42 of the student textbook.
Pre-Algebra (Holtrop): We will be continuing to work through chapter 1. Students will be taking a quiz on Wednesday and will be taking their test early the following week.
Orchestra: We are off to a great beginning with lots of review of scales and bowings etc. This group of 7th graders are watching the details and doing good ensemble playing. We have page 73 and 74 to polish and will also sight - read lots of new songs.
Science: This past week we studied Spotted Knapweed, Poison Ivy, and Joe-pye Weed. Next week we plan to study some more plants on our campus. Students are learning to be careful observers of detail.
Spanish: 7th graders are creating “Fake Familiy Photo Albums” in class. Details are on Moodle, and due dates for each class are posted on the calendar. They will present to a partner first, with the opportunity to tweak before uploading to Moodle by the end of class on their respective due date.
8th Grade News
Algebra (Witte): Next week we will finish working through Chapter 1. So far students are off to a good start to the year.
Algebra (Kiser): Next week we will continue our refresh and review of Algebra Connections (Chapter 1). Our Chapter 1 test is scheduled for Sept 15.
Art: Wow! what creative and interesting designs are appearing through just the just of the student’s initials. For the next couple of weeks 8th graders will work on creating and printing these design they are planning in class. Please check the homework calendar for due dates.
Band: We are off to a great start. We have a piece written specifically for us to learn to play by two of our very own ACS students! Hopefully we will begin rehearsal on it next week. March for a Festiva Occasion is one of our festival pieces - we are working on this, too.
Bible: We are continuing our study of The Gospels this week and next. We will look at the books of Matthew and Mark this coming week. Bible memory - Philippians 4: 6-8 is due on Sept. 30.
Geometry: Next week we will be finishing chapter 1 and preparing for the test.
History: Next week we will continue to look at the first events of the American Revolution. We will mix this in with also taking some time to do more research for NHD.
Language Arts: 8th graders did a phenomenal job working at the Grand Rapids Public Library. Many were able to come away with a lot of resources and note pages - a good start to this project.
When we return to school, students can expect to use the majority of the week’s Language Arts periods to continue reading, researching, and taking notes. We are currently in the “grunt work” stage of the NHD project, which will simply take a lot of dedication, patience, and good work ethic. During this week, though, I will be explaining the first graded portion of the project: “the Outline”. The draft of this will be due Sept 23, the final due Oct 7.
I’ll be sending another email later detailing how parents and students should approach this phase of the project, both practically and (in some cases) emotionally.
PE: We are off to a great start in PE! We will continue with our soccer unit next week. Students should be prepared to go outside.
Orchestra: WOW- we have an amazing group of string players in the 8th grade! We started with some scale review and are now tackling a brand new piece- ( high school level !) with lots of shifting and many 16th note parts.
Science: We’re studying weather. We will continue to explore our new science curriculum and develop more scientific notebooking skills throughout this unit.
Spanish: 8th graders have a worksheet due for their next class. (I have extras, if anyone needs it!)
Wildcats Athletics
Winter basketball – Sign-ups for grades 5-8 are now open. You can find the registration form on the ACS 5-8 Athletic website under Winter Sports.
The fee per student to play basketball this winter is $50.00. The deadline for sign-ups will be Sept 24.
If you have any questions regarding your son or daughters sport season please contact:
5th & 6th Grade Athletics – Carly Prins (gro.naitsirhcada@snirpc)
7th & 8th Grade Athletics – Angela Van Duyn (gro.naitsirhcada@nyudnava)