ACS Middle School Matters: Middle School Matters: 4/14/14

Middle School Matters

April 14, 2014

General Announcements

HOT LUNCH ORDERS DUE ON TUESDAY AT MIDNIGHT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY!

Bus Driver Appreciation: The Bus Driver Appreciation Committee is in need of your help! On Friday, April 25, ACS will be hosting a breakfast for all ACS and Forest Hills bus drivers to show our thanks for the invaluable job they provide to those families who use the busing service. To make this a success, we are in need of Fruit trays and Breakfast baked goods (store bought or homemade). If you are willing to provide, please contact Stacie Marsman at stacie.marsman@gmail.com by Monday, April 21.

Staff Appreciation: Thursday and Friday, April 24th and 25th, 2014. Thank You Notes: Help us shower our staff and teachers with special notes/cards made by you and your children. Buckets for each teacher will be in front of each teachers' doors on Thursday, April 24th and Friday, April 25th. We also encourage your child to write a thank you note to at least one of their "specials" teachers or a staff member.

Staff Continental Breakfast and Luncheon: We will be showing our appreciation to our staff with a Breakfast on Thursday, April 24th and a Salad Bar Luncheon on Friday, April 25th. Please sign up to bring food athttp://vols.pt/skFvZr.

Athletics:

This week spring sports practices begin for 5th-8th grade track and field, 5th-8th grade girls soccer, and the 5th and 6th grade girls softball team.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Van Duyn at avanduyn@adachristian.org.

Currently the league is working on the soccer and softball schedule. As soon as we have received the final schedule we will be emailing it out to each team. In the meantime, for all up to date athletic information for 5th-8th grade please check the 5-8 ACS Athletic website which can be found thru the link below.

http://bit.ly/ACS-Athletics

th Grade News

Art: 6a has a torn watercolor landscape project due by the end of class this week Thursday. All projects that are not completed will either sent home to be completed or worked on in noon room. 6b has a torn watercolor project due by the end of class next week Tuesday. All projects that are not completed will either sent home to be completed or worked on in noon room. Also homework for this week will be writing an artist statement for the torn watercolor landscapes.

Band: Upcoming concert dates: Friday, May 2 - GrandFriends Day Concert during school. Thursday, May 15 - Spring Concert! We will wear black and white for both of these events! Please make sure that your child's black and white still fits (looks to me like some have grown!) :)

Bible: Bible verse choices sheets should be turned in by Friday. Working on music videos this week.

History: Congratulations to Megara on their Olympic victory in the 6th Grade Ancient Greece Games. Ancient Rome activities begins this week.

Language arts: We are working hard! Students are finishing up their newspapers and they are AWESOME. Please ask your child to show you it! Also, students are creating a cover page for their portfolios and a bibliography page. We will begin working on our persuasive papers this week. Due to missing so much school with snow days, we are a bit behind. Persuasive papers may not make it in the portfolio on, but we will continue to work on them after Fine Arts night! Many display boards came in before spring break and they are gorgeous. If your child has not turned in the display board, it is due on Wednesday, April 23.

A FEW DETAILS about FINE ARTS night:

The night begins at 6:30 and ends at 8:00. Students should arrive around 6:15 wearing nice clothing. Parents often help students set up and put food in SMALL portions. Any extra "stuff" can go under the table. (Students should let me know if they need an outlet. If so, also bring an extension cord.)

At the end of the night, all food and artifacts can go home, BUT PORTFOLIOS AND DISPLAY BOARDS MUST STAY AT SCHOOL. Students will need to stay by their board until 7:20. At that point, they may wander around. Students may leave at 7:45.

These students have worked SSSOOOO hard and have learned so much. Thanks for your support in this valuable project. It should be a fun night. Bring your camera and appetite!

Math: We continue to calculate area of shapes (trapezoid, circle, irregular figures) this week. Next week Monday and Tuesday we will review and will test on Wednesday, April 23.

PE: This week in PE we will be learning about pickleball. The students will have a test on pickleball in 2 weeks. The review sheet is posted on moodle if they would like to study ahead of time.

Orchestra: This week Friday-- Good Friday- the 6th grade string players will play the prelude music for the all school chapel.. So bring instruments and all music four days this week -- LEAVE ALL STRING INSTRUMENTS AT SCHOOL - FROM THURSDAY TO FRIDAY- this week only!-- Thanks so much.

Science: We'll be studying energy transformations, various energy sources, and how we can be good stewards of God's creation in our use of energy.

Spanish: 6th graders look forward to creating their árbol geneológico (family tree) this week! They have much flexibility with these, but if you have any concerns about the project for your child please contact Mrs. Weaver to discuss.

7th Grade News

Art: 7th graders are completing the building of their clay birds project and will transition to a project working on how to symbolize the students faith, family and self. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook homework.

Band: Upcoming Concert Dates: Friday, May 2 - GrandFriends Day Concert. Thursday, May 15 - Spring Concert. We will wear black and white for both of these events! Please make sure that your child's black and white still fits (looks to me like some have grown!) :)

Bible:

Sanderson: Students will wrap up a study of the journey of the Israelites during the time of the judges. Next up, a focused-look at our own journeys with Jesus.

Van Noord: We will be working on the book of Isaiah together. This book is absolutely PACKED with amazing verses and prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah.

Wanner: We will present our jealousy monster creations to each other in class this week and then begin our study of 2 Samuel. Remember to study for Bible memory Roman 12: 9 -12.

History: This week we are going to transition into our study of American History. We will start by reviewing the Age of Exploration and examining the reasons for the exploration and the results of this exploration. Depending on how things go, we may be looking at a quiz on this material by the end of the week.

Language arts: Students will begin working on the first drafts of the Paideia project, which will be due this Friday. The second draft will be due next Friday (More thorough emails about drafts and the rest of the project to come soon). Students' Trouble projects are due next Monday. Trouble test will be next Wednesday. These two weeks will be busy, so students should work a little bit each night to stay on top of things!

PE: This week the students will be playing and reviewing pickleball. They will have a test on pickleball in 2 weeks. The review sheet is posted on moodle if they would like to study ahead of time.

Pre-Algebra (Sanderson): We will work on collecting, displaying, and analyzing data. (Holt Chapter 4)

Pre-Algebra (Kiser): We will continue to work with geometric figures this week. Specifically rotations, reflections and translations on a coordinate plane.

Orchestra: Upcoming Concert Dates---- Please put these on your calendar--

Fine Arts Night- April 24th-- all 7th and 8th strings-- arrive to tune at 6:45 Perform at 7:00PM in the Commons--casual dress for Fine arts night only

Grandfriends Day-- May 2

Middle School Concert- Thursday- May 15th

Science: This week we will finish our study of amphibians. We will have a quiz on Monday. We will start a study of our senses next week.

Spanish: We will be learning more about the different uses of SER and ESTAR as we continue to learn about areas in and around the home.

8th Grade News

Pirates of Penzance: All of the 8th graders are receiving an order form today to buy a DVD of the Pirates of Penzance. If you would like to print off an order form now, you may click here. Order forms are due in the office or to a homeroom teacher by this Friday.

Spanish Lunch: All Spanish students will be having a Spanish immersion lunch experience on Tuesday, May 20, and will not need to order hot lunch that day.

Algebra (Witte): During algebra this week we will finish up looking at Chapter 9 and take a quiz on Wednesday. Then we will begin our study of factoring quadratic equations.

Art: 8b is working on their family shape projects. 8a students will need to have their ceramic pot glazed by the end of class Friday or they will be marked late. Please check the homework calendar for sketchbook assignments.

Band: Upcoming Concert Dates: Thursday, April 24 7:30 p.m. (call time is 7:15) - Fine Arts Night Concert in the Commons (8th band only - special time together - - please come and enjoy! - - students will dress a little more casual for this night) Friday, May 2 - GrandFriends Day Concert during school. Thursday, May 15 - Spring Concert at night. (our final gig together) We will wear black and white for GF Day and also May 15. Please make sure that your child's black and white still fits (looks to me like some have grown!) :)

Bible: This week in Bible the 8th graders will be participating in the Willing to Wait program.

Geometry: We have finished our unit on analytic geometry and are working on similarity, size changes, and proportions. The next test is scheduled for April 23-24.

History: Final Week of our Civil War Unit. Final Civil War projects due on Friday. All extra credit due on Friday too. We will end the unit with an open notes "quest".

Language arts: This week we continue to study Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt, and we will likely have a test next week (the exact date will be finalized soon).

Students will also continue to work on the Book of Memories project: chapter 3 (early childhood memories) are due next Monday (April

PE: This week the students will be playing pickleball in class. Next week we will start on our Badminton unit. The students will have a quiz over Badminton in 2 weeks. The review sheet is posted on moodle if the students would like to study ahead of time.

Orchestra: Please put 3 concert dates on your calendar!

Fine ARts Night - April 24th - tune at 6:45 and perform at 7 -- in the commons

Grandfriends Day-- May 2

Middle School Concert - Thursday May 15th

Science: This week we will finish our study of the atmosphere. Next week we will begin our study of weather.

Spanish: Students have been saying the Lord's prayer in Spanish (el Padre nuestro) and should start working on memorizing it for next week. This will be worth a quiz grade. Resources for the memory work are on Moodle.