Middle School Matters 10/2/2015

October 2, 2015

General Announcements Picture Day: is this coming Friday. Protecting Our Children from Online Dangers: Parents are encouraged to come hear and learn from Chris McKenna on Oct 8 from 7:00-8:30pm.  RSVP to the school office. Chris will be speaking with students in 5th - 8th Grade during the day on Thursday.  Parent Teacher Conferences: Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade does a "Round Robin" style of conference. You will find each teacher at a table in the Commons. You will have a chance to talk with individual teachers. There are no scheduled conference times unless you request them with a specific teacher in advance. We hope to see you Thursday, Oct. 15 from 5:30 - 8:30 or Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 4:30 - 7:30. 5th Grade News Band: We are playing pages 7-9 now - great progress!  Hopefully you are hearing regular, consistent practice, and even a mini-concert from your 5th grader! Orchestra: We are playing pages 10 & 11 now - great progress. I Hope you are hearing about 20 min of practice each day (or your string player will start to get lost)  Be sure to ask for a mini concert!  If your child needs to have a few lessons please call me. I teach after school on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays - right in the orchestra room! Spanish: 5B and 5W have their Numbers Quiz on Monday!  (This was rescheduled from last week.) 6th Grade News Band: We will continue to build skills and tone and work the fundamentals each day. Bible: We are continuing to work on the setting of the Bible. History: Finishing the Latitude Line Project, and continuing our study of geography. Language Arts: Next week we will continue to read Tuck Everlasting.  We are learning a lot of new vocabulary. Students will have a vocabulary QUIZ on Friday, October 6 on 10 words. Ask them to show you how they have been studying these words in class. Students  will also need to complete their weekly work #5 by Friday, October 6. Math: We will review what we have learned so far about converting decimals to fractions and fractions to decimals. We will also begin to convert fractions and decimals to percents. Orchestra: We are making good progress in our books as well as in our sheet music. Keep up the great work, and write down all practice times for Sept - in the front of your books! Science: Students finished up our measurement unit with a test this week.  We will begin a study of matter & scientific models next week. Spanish: There were several incomplete iMovie projects turned in; Students will be informed of who they are and what is missing. They will be given the opportunity to add missing requirements during noon room before re-submitting (10% late grade will be applied.)  (Unfortunately, I will not be able to grade late online projects until I return after my surgery.  Your patience would be appreciated.)  6th Grade Homework Log in as "Guest"   7th Grade News Algebra (7th): Next week Tuesday we will have a test over chapter 2. Band: This next week we will introduce the Solo Project. Stay tuned! (Pun intended…) Bible: Memory work (Psalm 89:1-4) is due on Oct 12. We're studying stories from 1 and 2 Kings and looking for God's faithfulness among these stories. Language Arts: Because of scheduling of Art Prize, some sections of 7LA will be taking/finishing their short stories test on Monday, Oct 5. Next week Friday, Oct 9, students have an independent reading project ("one-pager") due. Student can find the assignment description on Moodle. The beginning of the week will mark the beginning of our new unit and first class novel study of Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond. During this unit, we will continue our discussion of conflict as the characters we study are faced with problems with greater complexity. Pre-Algebra (Kiser): We will continue working with rational numbers; evaluating problems with integers and fractions. Pre-Algebra (Holtrop): Next week we will review how to solve inequalities containing integers and explore exponents and scientific notation. On Tuesday students will be taking a chapter quiz and there will be a chapter test early the following week. Orchestra: We will talk more about Solo and Ensemble and select some music to learn for this November event! Learn the 8th note passages in your sheet music Science: Continuing our study of plants on our school campus. Spanish: Our current focus is in combining the verb ESTAR (in all its forms) and locations vocabulary in and around the house.  7th Grade Homework Log in as "Guest"   8th Grade News Dessert Theatre: The librettos (scripts with songs included) are HERE!  There is a sign-up sheet for the musical in Mrs. Weaver's room, and each student will have his/her own libretto especially assigned to them.  CD's of the music are also available.  (We ask for a $5 donation per CD to help offset the cost of those.)  Audition and rehearsal information can be found the Dessert Theatre Website. Algebra (8th): We will wrap up our chapter on Integers: Monday - combining like terms, Tuesday - Division with integers, Wednesday - Review, and Thursday - Chapter Test. Students will receive review materials on Monday Band: Band Festival is in Nov. We are working on tunes for this, and also a show tune or two. Bible: This week we will be working on our early ministries of Jesus project. Students are working in groups on one story, and will be giving a multimedia presentation to their class the following week.   Geometry: Students will be taking a test this coming Monday. The test will be in two parts and will be finished on Tuesday. Please remind them to study! We will begin to study angles for the remainder of the week. Language Arts: Some adjustments have been made to the NHD calendar. Students will be receiving their outline drafts on Monday, and will have the entire week in LA to make revisions for the new due date of the final outline, Oct 9. More detailed information on the outline and the beginnings of the first draft will be sent to parents in an email shortly. Orchestra:  We will continue to polish Concerto in D, Rondeau, For unto Us and Hallelujah Chorus!  We will also focus on pages 4 & 5 in your books for a playing quiz on the shifting (3rd position). Science: We continue to study weather, including the physics and chemistry involved in changing weather.  Our focus next week includes convection. Spanish: Review and practice test next week!  There are some materials that can be looked over on Moodle to start preparing. 8th Grade Homework Log in as "Guest"   Wildcats Athletics Winter Basketball start dates are listed below.  Within the next 2 weeks you will receive an email introducing your son/daughter's basketball coach and listing practice days and times. 5th & 6th Grade – Week of Monday, November 9 7th & 8th Grade – Week of Monday, November 30   8th Grade Girls Basketball Open Gyms will be on Monday October 5 from 3:15-5:00pm. Sports Physicals are due on Monday, October 5.  Please note, after this date if your student is competing in fall sports they will no longer be eligible for the season.  If your student is playing winter basketball this must be turned in before the 1st day of practice. www.adachristian.org/wildcats If you would prefer not to receive further messages from this sender, please unsubscribe.