ACS Middle School Matters: Middle School Matters: 3/29/14

Middle School Matters

March 29, 2014

General Announcements

Student Appreciation day is fast approaching. Click here to read more about your part in this fabulous day. Your letter is due before Spring Break. Thanks.

Spring Break: 11:30 dismissal on Thursday.

6th Grade News

Art: Students are continuing their work on creating a torn watercolor landscapes. These artworks will be due shortly after spring break. Also student will be getting an email assignment for me after spring break.

Band: We will have a quiz on the C major scale next week Monday and Tuesday. March Practice Records are also about to be due.

Bible: Hebrews 11:13-16 is due on Wednesday. Also Bible open notes test on The Patriarchs Unit on Wednesday. If you are going to be gone on Wednesday, your child may come after school Tuesday and take the test in my room.

History: Jr. Scholastic Current Events activities this week.

Math: Students have done very well with Functions and Inequalities. To be ready for Monday's test students have been working to complete a practice test which is due at the start of class Monday. Tuesday we will switch our focus from Algebra to Geometry.

Orchestra: We have several new pieces that we will perform soon after Spring Break- --Sonata Vivant, Beach Spring and Shaker Fantasia-- so try to get all of the notes learned very well by Monday! Thanks for all of your great work!

Science: Energy!

Spanish: We are learning how to talk about family members, and will use much of what we have learned so far this year in conversational Spanish.

7th Grade News

Art: All class are working on creating their birds from science out of clay. Students are working hard to create form and texture.

Band: Dessert Theatre is such fun for us! Hooray! We have a quiz on the Chromatic Scale next week Monday and Tuesday. March Practice Records are also about to be due.

Bible:

Sanderson: Bible memory Isaiah 40:27-31 due April 3 (Thursday) OR before you leave for spring break, whichever is earlier.

VN: We have finished Micah. Next, Joel. Due dates are on the Google Calendar for Bible class.

Wanner: We are working on an art project related to the jealousy that King Saul experienced. After this project is complete we will continue in our study of 1 and 2 Samuel.

History: We have been working through our unit on Latin America. Next week we will be specifically looking at how a few Latin American countries are doing today.

Language arts: We are wrapping up the last days before the final version of the Paideia outline is due! Today, students had the first drafts of their outlines returned to them, with comments, questions, suggestions and corrections made to them. The final outlines are due next Wednesday, so if there is any conflict with leaving early for spring break, students or parents should contact me immediately to avoid any last minute stresses before vacation.

I will be sending another, more thorough email describing the outline that was just returned to the students, and the steps to take before handing in the final draft and receiving their final grade.

We also finished Trouble last week; however, with our focus now intently on Paideia, we will return to the book after spring break. I will be creating a very comprehensive review for when students return.

Pre-Algebra (Sanderson): We're working hard on graphing linear equations and are looking into scatter plots and lines of best fit.

Pre-Algebra (Kiser): Monday student have a test on Chapter 10 and Tuesday we will switch our focus to Angle Relationships.

Orchestra: Dessert Theatre is a wonderful event for the 7th grade string orchestra! Thanks to each and every one of you for showing up to play both nights. You are sounding just great and have learned sooo much! We have such great small groups playing also. Bring in snacks for an orchestra party on THURSDAY- APRIL 3!

Spanish: Our current unit is a combination of review and new vocabulary regarding areas in and around houses, along with taking a look at what is considered "home" to people around the Spanish-speaking world.

8th Grade News

Dessert Theatre: What an amazing group of students! We are so thankful for their hard work on a very challenging show; and even more thankful for their ever-positive and encouraging attitudes throughout the process. You can be very proud of your talented AND sweet-spirited children! We also must thank YOU, parents, for working your schedules around rehearsals, volunteering countless hours to help with the production in a myriad of ways, and providing generous quantities of food to keep their strength and spirits fed!

Algebra (Witte): We are working on understanding quadratic equations. This past week we introduced the graphs of quadratic equations and the quadratic formula. We will be finishing this study up next week.

Art: All 8th grade students are working on glazing their ceramic pots. The glazing of their pots needs to be completed by the end of next week.

Band: We will be giving a concert on Fine Arts Night, April 24. Please mark your calendar - - you will really enjoy hearing your 8th grade band play!

Bible: Huttenga: Now that we have finished the second semi-annual Paul Film Festival, we will now return to normal lessons regarding the growth of the church. Students have a map assignment due on Tuesday, but no quizzes or big projects.

Witte: We continue to study different stories from Jesus's early ministry. No quizzes this week.

Geometry: We have completed our study of analytic geometry in chapter 11 and the test on this unit will be given on Monday and Tuesday, March 31st and April 1st. We will pick up our study of size changes and similarity after spring break. The students are doing

well at integrating their algebra skills with new geometry concepts.

History: Civil War Project # 3 due on Wednesday or before you leave on Spring Break. If you are going to leave early, you need to turn it in BEFORE you leave. Also working on a Jr. Scholastic activity as well this week.

Language arts: Next week we continue our study of conflict and imagery in Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt.

Next week, students have a Lizzie Bright assignment due on Monday. Students also have their second chapter (essay) of the Book of Memories project due (uploaded to Moodle) on Wednesday. If there are any conflicts regarding spring break that will prevent students from uploading their essays on time, either the student or parents should contact me as soon as possible so that we can work out an accommodation.

After spring break, students will begin working on the 3rd installation of the Book of Memories project. I will be sending out more thorough information to parents and students this weekend in an email, in case folks want to start preparing ahead of time.

Orchestra: Mark you calendar--- WE WILL PLAY-- FINE ARTS NIGHT-- APRIL 24th!

Spanish: We resume our study of lunch and dinner vocabulary. Students will be heading to an authentic Hispanic restaurant on May 20th! (mark your calendars). We will need some parent volunteers to accompany us, so if you like REAL Hispanic food, you might be the volunteer for the job. Contact Mrs. Weaver for more information.