Middle School Minute
April 27 - May 2, 2025
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📕 ELA 📕
Mz. Estelle
Honors English: We continue with our novel study and its comparison to the Hero’s Journey. Our novel is Miles Morales: Spider Man by Jason Reynolds. We have slowed down a bit and continue with chapters 9, 10 & 11. A calendar of readings is posted to Google Classroom. Students are using literary analysis to complete discussion questions, write short essays based on a novel prompt and taking short quizzes. Students continue to be responsible for work on iReady. iReady is accessible via Clever. Students should be completing 45 minutes of iReady per week in addition to two passed lessons (70 or better).
***Please know that classwork must be completed ON TIME. Per our class syllabus, no late work is accepted with the exception of excused absences. If your child is absent and misses work, all work should be completed within five days of return.
Ms. Stricklin
Regular ELA - This week students will have assignments on Schoology, AcceleratedReader (AR), and i-Ready.
i-Ready - Students are required to complete 50 minutes of i-Ready Reading and two passed lessons. The more lessons they do and pass with an 80 or better; the more tickets they get to spend at the i-Ready store.
Accelerated Reader (AR) - Students need to be reading and taking AR tests. The only way to grow in reading comprehension is to practice.They need to look at their individual goal through Clever on Renaissance Learning.
Schoology -
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: We have just completed reading Ch. 8-10. We have not only learned about Percy Jackson but Greek Mythology as well. Students will participate in vocabulary, figurative language, text-dependent questions, and arts integration activities as we follow Percy Jackson through a heroic journey.
Next up:
Reading ch. 11-14
Quiz
Vocabulary
Figurative language
Comprehension Questions
Honors ELA - This week students will have assignments on Schoology, AcceleratedReader (AR), and i-Ready.
i-Ready - Students are required to complete 50 minutes of i-Ready Reading and two passed lessons. The more lessons they do and pass with an 80 or better; the more tickets they get to spend at the i-Ready store.
Accelerated Reader (AR) - Students need to be reading and taking AR tests. The only way to grow in reading comprehension is to practice.They need to look at their individual goal through Clever on Renaissance Learning.
Schoology -
Schoology -
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief: We have just completed reading Ch. 8-10. We have not only learned about Percy Jackson but Greek Mythology as well. Students will participate in vocabulary, figurative language, text-dependent questions, and arts integration activities as we follow Percy Jackson through a heroic journey.
Next up:
Reading ch. 11-14
Quiz
Vocabulary
Figurative language
Comprehension Questions
Ms. Hurst
Updates coming soon . . .
Ms. Fletcher
➕➖ Math ➖➕
Mr. Moore
Ms. Whitney
Updates coming soon . . .
Ms. Cuff
🧪 Science 🧪
Mz. Estelle
Science: We continue investigations in AMSTI’s Weather and Climate Systems. We will be tying our knowledge of weather and climate with our project from the beginning of the year, DETECTS weather balloon. Investigations will include making clouds, modeling heat transfer and convection, and human impact on climate trends.
Our science text is available online at carolina science online. The link is posted to the Google Classroom. Username: Estelle Student; password: password123.
***Please know that classwork must be completed ON TIME. Per our class syllabus, no late work is accepted with the exception of excused absences. If your child is absent and misses work, all work should be completed within five days of return.
Mrs. Thrasher
6th Grade
We are presenting our Climate Graph Research on Monday. For the rest of the week we are using AMSTI to learn about human impacts on the environment.
7th Grade
We are learning about how plants grow and will be monitoring seeds on how they begin to grow. We will also be learning about how plants adapt to their environments.
Ms. Plummer
📜 Social Studies 📜
Mrs. Hester
6th Grade Social Studies:
- Civil Rights Flocabulary - Past Due
- Thurgood Marshall Flocabulary - Due March 4
Mrs. Maynard
Dear Parents,
As a reminder we are coming to the end of our Cultural map projects. Below are the due dates for the appropriate classes.
- A Day Classes: Projects are due on Tuesday
- B Day Classes: Projects are due on Wednesday
This project will be our last test grade for the year, so please encourage your student to complete it and submit it on time. Instructions and the rubric for the assignment can be found on Schoology.
Thank you for your support!
Mr. Hughes
🎭 Fine Arts 🎭
🤡 Clowns - Ms. Stricklin 🤡
HUGE SHOUT OUT FOR THE GALA!!!! Stars and Clowns were magical. This week we talked about why the gala was so important. Former faculty and staff, alumni, current students, current faculty and staff came together to celebrate the 40 Years of Magic that is AAA. Stars and Clowns are part of this magic, and they were incredible. They performed for a crowd of almost 300 with professionalism beyond their years. I couldn’t be more proud of them. Thank you to everyone who sacrificed their time to make this happen. I appreciate you more than you know.
Clowns - JOIN THE REMIND This is how I get a lot of information out. Information is shared in a variety of ways, but I need your help. You have to check Remind, your email, the website, and/or read the middle school newsletter.
Performance Dates:
May 1-4 Music in the Parks: St. Louis
May 15 ACT Night: AAA Theater
May 20 Last Day Performance: AAA Theater
Competition Clowns - After some recent cancellations, I only have 15 out of 36 Clowns going to competition. I have found a way to alter the partnerships, choreography, and the restructuring of the voice parts to make it work, but the kids are going to need extra help. I am willing to put in the work if you are. I want them to feel good about their competition pieces, and this is the only way that I have come up with.
Extra Rehearsals:
April 18 12:00pm-3:00pm (E-Learning Day)
April 25 3:30pm-5:00pm (After School)
🤩 Stars - Ms. Stricklin 🤩
HUGE SHOUT OUT FOR THE GALA!!!! Stars and Clowns were magical. This week we talked about why the gala was so important. Former faculty and staff, alumni, current students, current faculty and staff came together to celebrate the 40 Years of Magic that is AAA. Stars and Clowns are part of this magic, and they were incredible. They performed for a crowd of almost 300 with professionalism beyond their years. I couldn’t be more proud of them. Thank you to everyone who sacrificed their time to make this happen. I appreciate you more than you know.
Stars - JOIN THE REMIND This is how I get a lot of information out. Information is shared in a variety of ways, but I need your help. You have to check Remind, your email, the website, and/or read the middle school newsletter.
Performance Dates:
May 1-4 Music in the Parks: St. Louis
May 15 ACT Night: AAA Theater
May 20 Last Day Performance: AAA Theater
✍🏻 Creative Writing - Mrs. Hester ✍🏻
Creative Writing:
- Playwriting Lessons 3 & 4 - Past Due
🎭 Theatre - Mr. Feemster 🎭
Tickets are now on sale for Outdoor Movie Night Friday, April 25 at 7:00. Click the link below to purchase tickets today!
Summer Theatre Scholarship Opportunity
I am delighted to share an incredible opportunity for our talented students! The TROY University's Department of Theatre and Dance, in collaboration with AAA Theatre, is offering a Summer Spotlight Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship covers the full cost of attending the Summer Spotlight Intensive at TROY University, valued at over $500.
Scholarship Details:
- Eligibility:
- Must be a current AAA 8th grader
- Must be involved in Theatre, Tech Theatre, or Stars and Clowns
- Must be attending Lee High School in any magnet program
- Must be 14 years old by the end of July
This scholarship will provide the selected student with the opportunity to spend a week on TROY's campus in Troy, AL. You will stay in a dormitory with peers in your age group, participate in engaging workshop classes, and rehearse for a variety of performance pieces. The week will culminate in a family performance, showcasing your hard work and talent.
TROY University is committed to offering a rich learning experience, bringing in guest artists from around the country and the world to work with students during the intensive. This is a fantastic chance to learn from the best, enhance your skills, and make lasting memories.
Please, please, please apply! This is an amazing opportunity to advance your theatre education and gain invaluable experience.
To apply, visit WhyAAA.org/MS-Theatre and complete the application form. Don’t miss out on this chance to shine in the spotlight!
We look forward to seeing your applications and helping you embark on this exciting journey.
Thespian Application - 7th and 8th Graders
We are excited to announce that the application window for Thespian Troupe 89345 is now open for current 6th and 7th graders! Students interested in joining can apply and submit their resumes online at WhyAAA.org/MS-Theatre. The deadline for applications is May 2nd.
To qualify, students need to accumulate 10 points, with a minimum of 5 points earned through participation in AAA activities. Points are awarded for various contributions, including performances and other related activities.
We encourage all eligible students to apply, even if they feel uncertain about their accumulated points. It's always worth applying, as every experience counts toward their growth and involvement.
Thank you for supporting our students' theatrical endeavors!
💃Dance - Ms. Fuqua 💃
Tickets for The Tale of the Princess and the Frog are on sale now! Visit the link below to purchase your tickets today!
🎻Strings - Mrs. Peck🎻
Hello AAA MS Strings! We are going into the 33rd week of school this year! That means we have less than 2 weeks for CONCERT DAY/NIGHT:) Please do the following: Prepare all of your music to the 'T', get your uniform prepared ASAP (no pieces scattered or wrinkled or not in their uniform bag either at home or at school right now), and get yourselves organized even further.
St. Louis participants will be called for some code purples TBA. Thank you to all students so far, working on their e-learn recordings:)
We could've been doing this fun type of practice projects all year, since it really gives us great feedback for details and improvements to ensemble playing, and personal techniques in playing. I look forward to working with you finishing out our year April/May 2025.
Sincerely, Mary Peck-AAA 3rd-8th Magnet String Orchestras Artististic Director/Educator/Maestra
🎤 Choir - Mr. Snodgrass 🎤
🎨Art - Mrs. Jackson 🎨
Art shirts will be delivered soon!
📚 Library 📚
Congrats to Our Middle School AR Superstars!
Hanna Briley, Gabrielle Bryant, and Avery Schussler all met the requirements for the library AR Challenge and were handsomely rewarded Thursday of this week! We are proud of them for their dedication and their love of reading!
📆 Attendance 📆
6th Grade Updates
6th Grade Updates
Make sure you have signed up for the 6th grade Remind CLICK HERE
Have students read at home for 30 minutes every day.
Students need to be more mindful of the expectations here at school. Students are starting to bend and break the rules and procedures.
7th Grade Updates
iReady in ELA and math will be graded based on work completed Monday - Friday going forward. Time and lessons completed on Saturday and/or Sunday will not count toward their iReady classwork grades.
Please encourage your students to complete their classwork at school. The goal is for students to not have much homework and to use their classroom instructional time efficiently. This should also help decrease the number of missing assignments students have in PowerSchool.
8th Grade Updates
8th Grade Parents/Guardians: The 8th Grade Bridging ceremony is quickly approaching. It is a special ceremony with a unified look. The girls are to wear white dresses or a white pants suit and dress shoes. The boys are to wear blue, black, or khaki dress pants, a button down shirt, and a tie or bow tie and dress shoes. If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Fletcher or Mr. Jones.