September 22, 2023
Dear Parents,
This week we worked on MAP testing and completed both the reading and the math portions of the test. The kids understand that this fall test is simply a baseline so that we can see how much growth they make throughout the year. We will be able to talk about these results at conference time in early November and perhaps use them to set some goals for your child. We will continue testing next week on Tuesday from 8:15-10, and Thursday from 10-11:30, so please try to avoid pulling kids for appointments during those times. Also, please remind your child to bring a charged laptop on testing days – well, every day!
We completed our nouns unit, spending the majority of our time on possessives and appositives (add-ons, as one student aptly called these). The kids showed a good understanding of these and I told them that I expect them to use nouns correctly, especially possessives, in their writing from here on out. Our Latin test will be on Thursday next week.
In literature, we are reading our way through The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We are nearly finished and are enjoying the plot twists and turns. I have been recommending Charles Nordhoff’s Mutiny on the Bounty for those interested in reading a higher-level book of this topic. The kids have been learning a lot of new vocabulary and have been discussing the elements of literature as they pertain to our novel. This would be the weekend to finish up the two book reports that are due on Friday, September 29th. Your child should ask you to sign their reading log, which is due on Monday.
In social studies we finished learning about the early Spanish explorers, what they were looking for, and the effects they had on early empires and indigenous peoples. We are moving into a study of the French, Dutch, and English explorers and will focus on the first permanent European settlements in North America. One component of this new text is its use of project-based learning (PBL). We previewed the “Quest” for this new topic (European Exploration of North America) and explored what it is asking for and how we might complete it as we work through the material. It will be interesting to see if this type of work leads to greater engagement with what we are learning.
Next week we will walk to the WeGrow Garden on Monday. We leave at 12:30 from the playground and return by 2:00. I don’t have any parent volunteers so far and could really use one more. Please use the Signup Genius I sent this week to let me know if you can come along with us.
On Friday of next week we have our Fall Retreat. I am still in need of seats for 6 kids to and from the retreat. If you are able to help us with this, please let me know right away. Lunch will be provided for the kids, so please don’t pack one that day. If your child has special dietary needs, please let me know or provide a safe lunch for him/her to bring along. Our plan is to have pizza for lunch.
Please sit with your child this weekend and log in to FACTS to check grades and missing work. This really helps the kids to get in the habit of working to better themselves. Some kids told me they were having trouble getting into FACTS and I will look into it next week.
I am pasting news from specialist classes below:
PE 6-8:
This week in PE we practiced various skills needed to play spike ball and learned the official rules and regulations in order to play the game.
Spanish 8th:
Una nota de Señora Anna- This week in Spanish we reviewed verbs and had our first quiz of the semester. We also learned the phrase ir+a+infinitve to talk about future plans. We listened to the song Vivir Mi Vida to hear this phrase in context. All students received an email with a link to the Spanish agenda (to see we are working on each day) and a link to the Quizlet (for practicing vocabulary with online flashcards). These links can also be found on the homepage of the ACS Spanish K-8 – Assumption Catholic School Site.
Middle School Orchestra:
This week in Advanced Orchestra we –
• Learned the difference between F sharp and F natural (and C sharp/natural as well)
• Turned a song in a major key, into a minor key
• Began working on the back up parts of the fiddle tune Sourwood Mountain
Have a great weekend!
Chris