News

Dear Parents,

Every year it seems like once we are back from spring break the time until graduation flies by! I am trying to slow down in class and enjoy these kids before they leave me. I got a lot of joy from reading their Legacy Project biographies over break. I told them how proud I was of their ability to write and to tell the narrative of their relative. Their next project, rough draft due for peer review next Thursday, is the autobiography. We have already brainstormed how to break this into manageable parts so that they can write a bit each day. This should not be overwhelming at all since they should be quite familiar with their own lives! Along with studying our Latin lessons, we also finished up our study of pronouns (personal, possessive, interrogative, indefinite, demonstrative, reflexive, and intensive). Who knew there were so many? We will review and take a short test on Monday.

In literature we began reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. We began by researching and learning more about the author before beginning our reading. This is a powerful novel that deals with issues of racial justice, fatherhood, integrity, preconceived notions based on gossip, and other social issues. I hope that reading this novel will help the kids to have a deeper understanding of these themes and how they present themselves not only in literature, but in life. Please remind your child to turn in a reading log on Monday.

In religion, we finished a chapter on the Eastern versus the Western Church. We continued preparing for the ACRE test which will take place next Friday, April 19^th. Finally, we put our knowledge of social justice to work by visiting the WeGrow Garden. We performed a variety of tasks including prepping beds for planting, composting, weeding, and planting both seeds and seedlings. The Bellingham Food Bank is undergoing a food shortage crisis and will be grateful for whatever fresh food we will be able to provide them with this summer. We are still in great need of volunteers to accompany us to the garden. We had to enlist Mr. Anderson’s help last Monday, so please see if you can sign up this Monday or another Monday on the SignUp Genius. If we do not have at least one extra person, we cannot go.

Your children brought home a white 5-gallon bucket this week. Please help them to drill several holes in the bottom for drainage, and another several about an inch from the bottom around the sides. They should bring these buckets to school on Monday. We will carry them to the garden Monday afternoon and will fill them with good soil and bring them back for a Kinder buddy planting project.

We have been focusing on the growth of our nation and its push westward in this history unit. We learned about Jackson’s presidency and the Indian Removal Act with its consequent Trail of Tears. Kids worked in groups to create buffalo hides with pictograms to tell the Trail of Tears story. They learned that early Native Americans did not have an alphabet (a syllabary) system until Sequoyah, a Cherokee, created one in the early 19^th century. We will finish this Westward Movement topic and test next week.

SAVE THE DATES:

April 16 – Class pictures, 8^th graders have free (appropriate) dress

April 24, 6PM – D.C. trip planning meeting in gym with parents and students (immediately prior to general PTC meeting)

April 29-May 3, then May 20-24 – MAP testing, please be sure your child has plenty of sleep and good, nutritious food/snack

May 6 – May 10 – 8^th grade trip to Washington, D.C.

May 28-29 – 8^th grade retreat at Camp Lutherwood (overnight)

May 31, 7-8:30PM – Multicultural Fair, 8^th graders share LP albums in classroom

June 3, 10AM – 8^th grade graduation farewell assembly in gym (parents welcome)

June 5 – Last full day for 8^th graders (free dress, party in afternoon – students plan this)

June 6, 8:30-10 – Graduation rehearsal in the church

June 6, 10:00-11:30 – Brunch in the gym (for graduates and two adults only)

June 6, 5PM – Graduation in church (students arrive no later than 4:40 to Stafford Room to get lined up and ready – don’t forget robes!); sharing of Legacy Projects, photo ops, last goodbyes in gym afterwards

Have a great weekend!

Chris

Hi Parents, 

We have been working hard this week to learn new words using the Latin roots that are becoming second nature to us. We finished a unit on sentences (simple, compound, and complex) and clauses (independent and subordinate [aka dependent]) and the conjunctions that join them. We tested today and have returned the graded tests to the students.

In literature we continue to analyze our Civil War novels. We learned about direct and indirect characterization this week. We also learned how story elements like setting, characters, plot, and conflict can help to support the theme of a novel. Today we reviewed what inferences are and viewed a “Mr. Bean” video to see if kids could recognize when they were making inferences from the video. We’ll wrap up our Civil War novels next week. Please remind your child that only one book report is due this month and it can be about the Civil War novel to save time for work on the Legacy Project. The book report is due next Friday but can be turned in earlier (recommended). 

In religion we have been learning about the early Church and how Canon Law was formed. We learned that Pope Gregory united Church and state into one society known as Christendom. We have also been busy studying for the ACRE test (coming in April). Fr. Moore would like to have more Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC’s) and has reached out to any interested 7^th and 8^th graders. There will be a training during religion class time on Tuesday, April 9^th for those interested. Please have your child let me know if they would like to participate in the training. It will prepare the to be EMHC’s not only for school Masses, but also for weekend ones.

In social studies we started our next unit on Jackson and Westward Expansion. We learned about the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears. We played an interactive game about the Oregon Trail today and, sadly, we all died. We will resume our Westward Expansion unit when we return, making an art project that tells a part of this story. 

As you know by now, the biography portion of the Legacy Project is due next Wednesday in class. The kids will be doing some peer editing and will then fix up their biography, print it at home, and turn it in on Thursday. Please do print it at home as it would be too cumbersome for me to print more than 200 pages (19 students X min. 10 pages). Of course, if you have extenuating circumstances, I am happy to print it for you. 

Our service-learning project at the WeGrow Garden continues this spring when we return from break. We will be going to the garden each Monday from 12:30-2PM. We will continue learning about organic and sustainable gardening, food insecurity, at-risk youth, and the benefit of community gardens. We will also get the garden ready to produce approximately 500 pounds of vegetables for the Bellingham Food Bank right across the street. I will send a SignUp Genius next week asking for parent helpers to walk us to the garden and provide some supervision and support. Please look for the permission slip I am sending home today so that you have it back to me early next week. This will be important, since we go to the garden the day we get back from break. Remember that your child may wear casual uniform (non-ripped jeans and the blue ACS t-shirt) on garden days.   

Have a great weekend, 

Chris 

Dear Parents,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day early! We had lots of fun dressed in all shades of green on Wednesday, then today we celebrated by having a second breakfast of Lucky Charms. They were magically delicious!

In language arts we finished a Latin lesson and tested today. We learned about conjunctions and how they join compound and complex sentences this week and listened to the old “Schoolhouse Rock” song to reinforce it.

In literature we started reading through a variety of Civil War novels in small groups. The kids read according to their agreed-upon schedule in order to finish the book by spring break. They discuss and then respond to a variety of literature tasks. Next week, we will review some important literary elements with them and have them respond to those each day.

In social studies we have been studying some precedent-setting Supreme Court cases. Kids worked in pairs to study a Supreme Court case and then presented it to the class. They presented what was at issue, the background of the case, the decision handed down, the amendment or article of the Constitution that the case refers to, and why it matters to us today. The kids wrote a short essay telling which case interested them the most and why. Most have been graded and are in FACTS, although a few will turn theirs in on Monday.

The Legacy Project is in full steam. The kids have already completed several components of the project and are saving them to insert into their Legacy Project albums. Their albums can be a scrapbook style (with glued in corners that hold each item – lots of work), a photo album type, or a binder (most prefer this type). If they choose a binder, they will need sheet protectors to insert their writing and artifacts into. Please remember that they need to have at least 50 pages total (many will have more). This means a minimum of 25 sheet protectors, since each side of a page counts as one page. The biography is due Thursday, March 28^th for peer review/editing in class, and March 29^th printed out and turned in to me for grading over spring break. If your child has not made much progress, you might want to light a fire under him/her this weekend to get a goodly amount done.

Have a great weekend!

Chris  

Dear Parents,

We had rain, snow, sun, snow, and more sun this week. What could be next?!

In language arts, we have started a new Latin unit as well as a unit going over sentence structure focusing on subjects and predicates and learning the difference between simple, compound, and complex versions of each. The kids have done a great job understanding the subject so far and we will continue to build on it next week!

In literature, the kids have written a paragraph explaining who they believe was responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death and used text evidence to support their claim. I’ve noticed that everyone has really improved their writing abilities over the year! As always, everyone is always welcome to turn in a revised essay with corrections for an even better score.  Today we are beginning our Civil War novels unit where they have gotten a chance to read through a small portion of several novels to see what interests them. On Monday, we will assign the novels based on their preferences. Please remind your child to turn in a reading log on Monday!

In religion this week we learned about the Church in the east and the west and that there are 24 Catholic Churches: the Latin Church (Roman Catholic Church) and twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches – each one recognizing the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church on earth and believing that the Church is “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic”. The kids researched some of the different rites (liturgical heritages) of the Church and presented to one another today.

In social studies we have begun a unit learning about the Supreme Court, what function it plays in our government and why its decisions are so important and affect all of us as citizens. We had some open discussion talking about a few particular cases such as Riley v. California and Board of Education v. Earls. The kids really got into the discussion about how the court made its ruling on these cases, and they got to provide their own opinion and ideas about it! They finished the week working in pairs on a presentation of a specific Supreme Court landmark case assigned to them and will present them next week.

The Legacy Project is in full steam. The kids have already completed several components of the project and are saving them to insert into their Legacy Project albums. Their albums can be a scrapbook style (with glued in corners that hold each item – lots of work), a photo album type, or a binder (most prefer this type). If they choose a binder, they will need sheet protectors to insert their writing and artifacts into. Please remember that they need to have at least 50 pages total (many will have more). This means a minimum of 25 sheet protectors, since each side of a page counts as one page. The biography is due Wednesday, March 27^th for peer review/editing in class, and March 28^th printed out and turned in to me for grading over spring break. If your child has not made much progress, you might want to light a fire under him/her this weekend to get a goodly amount done.

Next Wednesday, March 13^th is “Green and White Day” to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! Thursday, March 14^th is Pi Day (3/14) so “Dress like a Scientist Day”. Alternatively, kids can wear their school uniforms if they choose not to dress in green and white or like a scientist. Lastly, don’t forget that Bellingham Schools is hosting a presentation to private school families from 2-3PM on Friday, March 15^th at each of the schools. Please let the office and me know if you are taking your student from school early to attend that presentation. If you are arranging for another parent to escort your child, you will need to provide us with that information as well; we will not release students with a non-family member without written permission.  

Have a great weekend!

Chris

Dear Parents,

We had a busy week with all kinds of weather causing indoor and gym recesses. Hopefully, we’re done with the worst of it and can bring in the spring weather!

In language arts we finished a unit in Latin and took a test both on that unit and on a unit about adverbs. Most kids have already corrected their mistakes, but those who haven’t have two weeks within which to do so. I always recommend making corrections, because that is often where the learning finally happens.

We finished reading “Romeo and Juliet” today. Since we just finished writing an essay (“Is Man Basically Good or Evil?”), I will ask the kids to instead write a paragraph telling who was responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death using text evidence to support their claim. On Monday we will brainstorm at least eight different people who could be to blame, then talk out our reasoning. Finally, using the ideas we heard and contributed, we will write. Please remind your child to turn in a reading log on Monday. Book reports were due yesterday for the month of February. I am missing a few, and these will be deducted a “late fee”.

In religion we finished a chapter about early Church councils whose goals were to firm up the beliefs of our faith and to combat heresies. We learned about Arianism – that heresy put forth by Arius that taught that Jesus was fully human and not divine. Another heresy denied the goodness of humanity and creation. I brought up the essays the kids wrote and reminded them that humans couldn’t possible be anything but good, since they were made in the image and likeness of God. We are good, but we make mistakes!

In social studies we finished learning about the new republic under the first few presidents. We learned about the two-party system (which included Democratic Republicans and Federalists), how trade and commerce were so important to our young economy, and finished with James Monroe’s presidency and the War of 1812. We took the Topic 5 test yesterday and the kids will be allowed to make corrections.

During our Legacy Project work time today we shared our family crests. We also shared some of the most interesting information we’ve found so far. As the kids learn more about their relative, they can add a few main ideas to their initial legacy paragraph to help create a great thesis statement (a statement that guides an essay, somewhat like the topic sentence of a paragraph).

Please check FACTS with your child this weekend. We are still early in the semester and have time to correct some bad habits. If you feel the need to have a conference with me, please let me know as I have set aside next Friday morning from 8 to 11 for these. Simply email me and we can find a time that works.

Have a great weekend and see you at the auction on Saturday!

Chris

Hi Parents,

This was a short week, but despite that the kids still got a lot done. They used their interview facts this afternoon to start writing a portion of their Legacy Project biography. Writing about each part of their relative’s life while it’s fresh in their mind is helpful. They can always go back and add to a particular part of the story as they discover more.

One of the things I asked the students to do was to think about one of the hardships their relative went through. They should think about what was happening in the world, nationally, or locally that led to that hardship and then explain the historical context. Once done with that, they can tell how their relative overcame the hardship and how they were changed by it. This is just an example of how they can elaborate and tell the complete story. Context is so very important to any story.

By now, the kids should have their family tree completed and checked off along with their interview questions and interview completion sheet. By next Friday they will need to have a completed family crest (they can design their own, if there isn’t an official one), and bring the notes they’ve taken so far to show what progress they’ve made. This is not a project that can be completed last minute, so please be sure they are putting time in at home on this.

Fr. Moore finished his lessons on morality and began his unit on the sacraments this week. He introduced the different types of sacraments (initiation, healing, and vocation) and let the kids ask preliminary questions about them. These questions were a great way to satisfy their initial curiosity. Fr. Moore will spend the remainder of the year covering the sacraments in depth.

In U.S. history, we learned about the War of 1812. We will have a discussion next week about whether the war was beneficial or harmful to us. This may lead to a more generalized discussion about wars and whether, in the end, they are helpful or harmful.

In language arts class we finished our adverbs unit and will test next Tuesday. We also began another Latin lesson. We should be on track to finish the Latin book by the end of the year – at least, that is my goal.

In literature we finished reading act 2 of “Romeo and Juliet” and discussed what was going on and how Romeo felt when he fell madly in love with Juliet “at first sight”. We ran out of time, but it would be interesting to see how many eighth graders believe in love at first sight. (The right answer is: they shouldn’t know anything about love yet because they are WAY too young!)

There is a possibility that we will walk to Bellingham High School next Thursday to see a preview of their musical “The Sound of Music”. I haven’t heard back from their director yet, but please note that I may be sending a walking field trip permission slip home on Monday with a quick turnaround time.

Have a great weekend!

Chris

Dear Parents,

We celebrated Valentine’s Day with treats provided by the kids. They decided what they wanted to do for this special day. The boys broke off into their own group and played poker, and the girls played a rousing game of charades (and never the twain shall meet). 

Speaking of valentines, we continue reading “Romeo and Juliet” and are learning about a variety of literary devices such as irony, puns, and foreshadowing. The language in this play is difficult to understand, so I told the kids that they are welcome to look up translations or summaries of each act online using such sites as Spark Notes or Lit Charts, but they are still expected to read the actual play. Please remind your child that two book reports are due on the last school day of the month (turning them in earlier is always appreciated), and a reading log is due (signed by a parent) each Monday.

In language arts, we began our adverbs unit and learned that adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They tell how, when, where, and to what extent (how much). These last are called intensifiers (e.g. They spoke very quickly.) We learned how to form adverbs, where they should be placed in a sentence, and how to use them to compare two or more actions. We also finished a Latin lesson and tested today.

In religion we started learning about how the Roman Empire had two different centers: one in the west (Rome), and one in the east (Constantinople). Because these two centers were surrounded by different cultures, the Church started to develop different styles of liturgy. We will dive deeper into these differences next week. We took some time to learn how to speak up or start a movement when we see bullying. We had a frank discussion about why kids don’t speak up. I reminded them that we have a duty to stop others from getting hurt (physically or emotionally),if we can do it safely. Remember that what we don’t confront, we condone.

We have been learning about the early presidents and about the two-party system in our U.S. history class. The kids have been having debates in class and have been doing a variety of other activities such as “jigsaw” and “four corners” to break up the monotony of book learning. They seem to enjoy this movement and variation.

Your child should now be gathering information about their relative for the Legacy Project. As I have said before, they may keep their information in any format they choose. I recommended that they have a document started and divided into different life eras (birth, early life, marriage, etc.) so that they can add notes to those sections. Then they can use the notes that are right there to start writing up the narrative for each section. Next Friday they will need to bring in their Interview Completion Sheet so that I know they have completed at least one interview to gather facts. If they do multiple interviews (and many will), I do not need completion sheets for those. Next Friday I will also explain some helpful ways to keep notes. I will also look at some samples of family crests, since both those deadlines are coming soon (fact check-in and family crest both due Friday, March 1).

This is a reminder that your final payment for World Strides is due on Feb. 21^st. At this point, we have 15 students going on the trip and two adults (me and Pete Lockhart). I’d love to have one more adult along with us, if possible, so that our ratio is 1:5, so if you are considering coming along, please make that decision soon. If you decide to come along after the 21^st, you may have to be on the waiting list as World Strides will start making flight arrangements for us.

Have a great, long weekend!

Chris

Dear Parents,

I hope you had time to look at your child’s report card that came home in the Wednesday envelope yesterday. If you are concerned about performance in a particular class, the best person to ask first is your child. Kids at this age are aware of how they are doing and, most often, why. An honest talk with them and a home support plan can often make a huge difference. Of course, do ask me if you have questions your child can’t answer.

In language arts class we began a new Latin lesson and also a short unit on another type of modifier – the adverb. We will learn about the function of adverbs, what questions they answer, and how to use them effectively to improve our writing. The kids turned in their essays about Lord of the Flies and wrote about whether Golding was stating that humans are basically good or evil. We went over some of the challenges the kids had in their writing and how they might improve. Of course, like any writer, they may re-write to improve their essay (and their grade).

We began our Shakespeare unit by reading the prologue and first two scenes of “Romeo and Juliet”. We learned about Shakespearian language and about the characteristics of a sonnet. The kids were surprised that Shakespeare gave a summary of his play in his fourteen-line prologue, but I assured them that it was not too much of a spoiler. I told them that they may use online resources like “SparkNotes” or “Lit Charts” to help them understand the play, but they may not use those as a substitute for actually reading the play. Please remind your child that he/she is to read 250 pages each week and record the reading on a reading log, due Monday. They also continue to have two book reports per month, due the last school day of the month.

During religion time we learned about the environmental factors that lead to bullying. Some kids said that bullying “is just a part of life.” I was surprised by this, especially as we have spent so much time in history class learning that if you don’t like the state of things (especially injustices), you’ve got to call for a (hopefully peaceful) revolution. Bullying is something that should incense the kids and have them calling for a stop to it. We will continue our discussions about bullying. Any support you wish to give from home is always appreciated, even if simply a discussion around the dinner table about bullying and the peer pressure to engage in it.

We began our next history unit that focuses on early U.S. presidents and the challenges they faced in leading our young nation. We have been participating in debates in class, the most recent being a debate to defend either the Federalist Party or the Democratic Republican Party. The kids seem to enjoy this form of synthesis of their learning. We started to assign roles so that each person has something to be responsible for in preparing for the debate, and this has led to greater participation.

The kids turned in their Legacy Project interview questions today. They should now be using these questions to interview family members and relatives to find out as much as they can about their relative (the subject of their research). Do have them look at the next deadline – the interview completion – on their due dates list as some were caught off guard by the interview questions due today and had to scramble to write some good interview questions.

Have a great, sunny weekend!

Chris

February 2, 2024

Dear Parents,

We made it through the first semester! Your kids should feel proud of what they have accomplished. As we begin the second semester, the kids and you should notice that I have “taken off the training wheels” and will be giving fewer reminders about missing work. I want the kids to be responsible for checking their grades and keeping up with their work on their own. If their bike crashes and they skin their knees once or twice in the coming semester, this is the safest place it could happen – before they get to high school. I hope you support nurturing responsibility.

With only three days of school this week, and those punctuated with assemblies to celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we got through only a few key lessons. We finished reading Lord of the Flies last week and I introduced our essay topic: Based upon your reading of the novel, do you think the author is implying that humans are basically good or evil? To get our thoughts flowing, we started with a debate in class. The kids chose sides and took notes during the debate so that they might use any good ideas they heard in their essays. I provided a template (outline) so the kids could organize their ideas and be sure they had all the parts of a good essay. They then had four class periods to finish the essay. I will be grading these this weekend. The kids know that they can revise their essay based upon my feedback to improve their writing and grade. The only thing I will not allow them to correct for a better grade is their conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitals, and grammar), since I did the correcting for them.

Today we spent time talking about how to break up a large project like the Legacy Project into manageable sections. We talked about what stages of life/categories people would like to find out about and came up with: Birth, location (describe place, time period), Parents (brief history), siblings, Stories of childhood (What was life like where/when they were growing up?), Education/school life, Historical context during different periods of life, Interests/hobbies, Marriage/children/family life, Career, Extended family, coming to U.S. (how/why did that happen in history?), Your relationship with that person (if any), Celebrations/struggles, Inspirations/Dreams, Family traditions, Faith, Death

I had the kids make a Word document with these categories listed. As they find information about these different categories, they can write notes (bullet points are fine) in the section where they belong. Once they have enough information for a section, they can type it up into a narrative format. Having the categories already listed on the paper reminds them which areas of their relative’s life they still need to research. Of course, they may add categories, if they think of different ones.

I have checked the family trees for the Legacy Project and have noted who the kids are researching. If your child begins researching and then realizes there just isn’t enough information to put together an in-depth biography, please let me know right away so that they have time to change who they research.

The next due date is next Friday, February 9^th, when they will need to turn in the Interview Questions sheet. This sheet asks them to come up with some helpful questions to ask about their relative, so that they can gather as much information as possible about them. Good luck and thank you for guiding your child and keeping him/her on track!

Have a great weekend,

Chris

Dear Parents,

We survived this cold day but continue to pray for those who don’t have shelter, adequate clothing, or food today and through the weekend.

We completed an adjectives and a Latin unit and took tests on both. Please always ask your child to see their completed work on weekends. Another good idea, especially this close to the end of the semester (last day January 26^th), is to sit down with your child and look at FACTS for any low grades or missing work. If it is within the two-week deadline, I always allow kids to re-do or make up missing work.

In literature we continue to read through Lord of the Flies. This is a challenging book and I spend a good amount of time reading aloud in class so that we can discuss what is happening and have a better understanding of literary elements like themes and symbolism. Some kids are still having trouble understanding the book. If this is the case for your child, you might consider doing some reading aloud at home. While this is a higher-level text, it is so rich in topics that tie to other subjects we are studying (abuse of power, bullying, nature of humans, and good versus evil), that I find it worth the challenge. I told the kids (and it was in last week’s parent letter) that they need to have one of their January book reports done by January 24^th so that I can include it in this semester’s grades. The second book report is due on Wednesday, January 31^st. Some kids are still not turning in their reading logs on Mondays. Please remind them of this so that they can get full credit.

We spent some religion time understanding bullying and harassment. We talked a lot about what motivates people to bully others and how important it is to report it. I also emphasized that reporting should never take on the term “snitching”, because it is not meant to get someone into trouble but out of trouble. Reporting helps protect the victim and also gets help for the bully (who is probably suffering in some way him/herself). Remember that we will have our Friday Mass next week at 10:30 rather than 8:20 so that we can honor our former principal, Bill Attebury. This will be his funeral Mass.  

You should have seen and returned the permission slip for your child to view “Hamilton”. I am still missing about half the class, so please be sure and return it next week. We have reached the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and are learning about the Bill of Rights (first ten) and other amendments to the Constitution. We talked a lot about citizens’ rights and responsibilities, and we all agree that if we have rights, we need to be responsible. The more we study the way our government was put together by our Founding Fathers, the more we realize how smart they were and how logical the system is.

We started working on our Legacy Projects in class this week by discussing what a legacy is and why it’s important. The kids used the notes they took from that conversation and wrote what will become the introduction to their ten-page biography about a relative. I will look at these paragraphs over the weekend and return them on Wednesday (don’t forget that we have both Monday and Tuesday with no school). They should be working on creating a family tree, finding or designing a family crest, and choosing a relative (grandparent, granduncle/aunt/cousin, or older). If they have decided on a relative, they should start finding as much as they can about that person in whatever ways possible. I had the kids create a Legacy Project folder on their desktops so that they have all the information, writing, links to resources, etc. gathered in one place.

Other News:

8^th

Una nota de Señora Anna- This week in Spanish, we practiced using family words in context and learned adjectives to describe our family members. We practiced the vocabulary with a game of adivina quién (Guess Who)! There will be a family and adjective quiz next Friday.

Advanced Orchestra: This week in orchestra we are…

• Reviewing music we have learned so far this year
• Beginning the learning of new music: Impulse and Appalachian Hymn
• Focusing on bowing technique 

“Students in the ACS Band reviewed “Ode to Joy” in their “Measures of Success” Book, and discussed the ways in which band instruments, and the way they are played, emulate the human voice. We also reviewed music theory concepts in preparation for our end-of-semester music theory test.”

Have a warm weekend!

Chris