General Announcements
Wildcats of the Month:
Congratulations to our December Wildcats of the Month: Brinley Jung (5th), James VandenBosch (6th), Mia Roe (7th) and Alexandra Osborn (8th).
Parent Teacher Conferences: Dear ACS Parents, We miss seeing you! For parents comfortable meeting in person, we are offering in-person parent-teacher conferences Feb 16 and Feb 25. We understand there are a variety of family circumstances this year, so we are also offering virtual conferences with homeroom teachers.
Please read through the following information and then respond to a very brief questionnaire to let us know your preferred choice for conferences. It is important that we hear from each family no later than Jan 15 so we can plan and schedule appropriately.
Parking Lot Reminder: As a reminder please do not block the entrance off of Fox Hollow. If there is not room to pull forward fully into the bus loop please pull into the parking lot instead.
5th Grade
Upcoming Event: Students received a flier about a special “secret” event happening on Fri Jan 15. Parents received an email on Tuesday from Mrs. Westrate. If you’re not sure you saw the paper or the email, please let Mrs. Westrate or Mrs. Reidsma know.
Fundraising Totals: Wow! What a success! Students did an amazing job raising money for Water for South Sudan, as well as SEED Market. This year’s totals are as follows:
Water Walk Fundraiser = $983.20
SEED Market = $2,941.08
Art: 5th grade will complete glazing next week and transition on to their next project. The next projects in art students will learn about various 20th century artists.
History: Students completed the Reading MAP Test in social studies class. Next week, they will continue learning about the 1st colonies!
Language Arts: This we read many books and took many quizzes for B.O.B. We also read The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA and The Story of Ruby Bridges. We focused on analyzing character traits and identifying evidence to support our ideas. Next week we will continue B.O.B. and complete the Language Arts MAP Test.
Math: We just completed multiplying and dividing decimals. We will now be working on expressions and patterns.
Music - Band: We had a quiz this week on #83 - the B-flat concert scale. We are finishing page 23. Ask for a mini concert and encourage students to practice and write down their minutes on the practice calendar. :)
Music - Choir: We are singing worship songs, a Sound of Music song, doing body percussion and bucket drums, and getting ready for a virtual concert performed by the Grand Rapids Symphony.
PE: This week we are finishing up our time playing floor hockey in class by applying our skills to a floor hockey tournament. Next week we will be starting up a jump rope unit!
Science: Students have been mixing up many solutions in class. We are learning about concentration and saturation and crystals and more!
6th Grade
Upcoming event: 6th graders will soon learn about an exciting event that is taking place on Friday, Jan 29. Look for an email from the 6th grade teachers this coming week with more information.
Art: In class student’s are starting a watercolor unit. Students have to watch and take notes on 12 watercolor techniques video that are posted on the art Google classroom by the next art class. In class next the emotion monster project will be collected. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook homework.
History: Students completed the Reading MAP Test in social studies class. Next week, they will continue learning about ancient Egypt!
Language Arts: This week we learned more about plot and the types of conflict by reading “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “The King of Mazy May.” Next week we will complete the Language Arts MAP Test and learn more about setting in short stories.
Math: We are starting to learn about expressions and the distributive property. In this chapter Algebra is introduced!
Music - Band: We began working on an African piece with a lot of percussion parts. It already sounds cool! We are going to be doing a solo unit soon. Each 6th grader has a solo in their band book to practice.
Music - Choir: We are singing all sorts of different songs, doing body percussion, buckets, and also learning about a number of different instruments as well.
PE: This week we are finishing up our time playing floor hockey in class by applying our skills to a floor hockey tournament. Next week we will be starting up a jump rope unit!
Science: 6th graders took a test this week over our Weather unit so far. We are continuing our study with a focus on the impact latitude has on weather and climate.
7th Grade
Art: 7th graders have started exploring creating non-traditional self portraits in class. Ask your students what style their portraits are going to be. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook and project due dates.
Bible: In Bible Class we are working on our sermons unit. Students are beginning to answer big questions about sermons, why we should listen to them, and the importance of Scripture.
Language Arts: We will continue our study of the novel Trouble by Gary Schmidt.
Math - Algebra: We are wrapping up our chapter on systems of equations with a test tomorrow. (We will complete this test in two parts - part A will be completed on Friday and part B will be completed on Tuesday.) Next week we will also be taking the MAP test and reviewing Chapters 1-5 before beginning chapter 6.
Math - Pre-Algebra: We worked through a quick Chapter on Linear Expressions and will be reviewing for a test next week. Wednesday, Jan. 20 we will be taking the math MAP test, and that will go until Thursday or Friday.
Music - Band: We had a quiz on a choice of two songs this week. Some students chose to do both, which is so awesome. We also have two major works we are beginning to learn - First Suite in E-flat and Harrowgate Festival. These both need practice time at home.
Music - Choir: We are continuing to work on the Seven Brides unit and also bucket drumming/rhythm and singing songs as well.
PE: This week we are finishing up our time playing floor hockey in class by applying our skills to a floor hockey tournament. Next week we will be starting up a jump rope unit!
Science: Students are looking into the ecosystem that our fish will be diving into this spring: The Grand River and then Lake Michigan. We are comparing water samples from multiple places with our tank water and discussing how it would affect our fish.
8th Grade
South Christian High School - Explore Night
Eighth grade students and their families are welcome to join us to Explore South Christian on February 1st or February 3rd from 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Please enter the Main office entrance (Door A), grab a map and Explore the SCHS campus! Masks are required. If you have questions or concerns please contact Sherri DeVries (gro.shcs@seirveds).
Grand Rapids Christian High School Scheduling Night
Ada Christian 8th grade students and their parents are invited to attend a virtual 8th grade night with the Grand Rapids Christian High School counselors. We are so excited to show you what GRCHS has to offer! Please join us on Thursday, January 21st at 7:00 PM, when Renee Hartman, GRCHS Counselor, will lead a virtual scheduling event over Zoom. We will begin with an information portion followed by a Q & A where she will assist you in selecting your child’s classes for their freshman year. We appreciate your attendance at the Jan 21 meeting as you contemplate this transition from middle school to high school! If you cannot attend the meeting, you may call the GRCHS Counseling Office, 616-574-5650, or email janderson@grcs.org and we can assist you in finding another virtual night to attend. If you have any additional questions about the enrollment process or variable tuition, please contact our Director of Admissions, Vickie Fischer (gro.scrg@rehcsifv). We hope that you can join us!
Zoom link
Meeting ID: 264 623 7593
Passcode: 150453
Art: 8th graders are working to take their ideation work to the next level in the Frank Stella inspired family shape project by creating their ideas out of cardboard. Please check the homework calendar for project due dates and sketchbook homework.
Bible Huttenga: Students are working on a poster tying together the Reformation Worldview and important scenes from The Last Battle.
Language Arts: We are close to wrapping up NHD! Parents, you will be asked to assist in an aspect - more information will be sent in an email. This coming week, we will start reading the theater adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. In the time following, we will begin further installments of the Book of Memoirs project as well as language/usage studies as we draft these creative nonfiction essays.
Math - Algebra: We have our chapter 5 test coming at the end of next week. We are becoming pros at working with linear functions and systems.
Math - Geometry: We are currently reviewing chapters 1-6. It’s hard to believe we are halfway through the course! On Tuesday we will begin chapter 7 and learn more about quadrilaterals and other polygons. We will also be taking our MAP test.
Music - Band: We had a quiz on L’Arlesienne; a beautiful piece by Georges Bizet. We continue to work on our major work: First Suite and also Harrowgate. Lots to practice in the First Suite for sure.
Music - Choir: We are working on our musical. SO FUN to see them develop their characters.
PE: This week we are finishing up our time playing floor hockey in class by applying our skills to a floor hockey tournament. Next week we will be starting up a jump rope unit!
Science: We are studying light and what we see. Specifically we are learning about additive light- when you add the colors of light together- and subtractive light - when you take away the colors of light you are seeing.
Athletics
We are scheduled to start up 5-8 Girls Basketball practice next week. After the recent announcement from the MDHHS, we are allowed to begin with “non-contact” practices with our teams. Watch your email for more information on this soon.
Please make sure that you have turned in your child’s 20/21 Sports Physical form OR 20/21 Sports Health Questionnaire by the first scheduled practice.