May 11th - May 15th




GRADUATION - IT’S ON!
After much thought, we have decided to move forward with graduation on it’s regularly scheduled time: Thursday, May 21st at 6:00pm.  This will help both the teachers and graduates bring closure to a great, but unusual, school year.  We will do the ceremony by Zoom.  It will be preceded by the awarding of 8th grade honors.  We will follow the traditional format so that the advisors can share memorable moments with each graduate.  

ST. VINCENT’S ACADEMY STUDY SKILLS COURSE
SVA will be holding a study skills course June 2nd through June 5th.  Click HERE for the parent letter and HERE for registration form.

ASSESSMENTS CALENDAR
THIS LINK leads to a Google Sheet that will have the next 2 weeks of assessments.  The link below will lead to the 6th grade assessments, but by using the tabs in the lower left corner (shown below), you can navigate to 7th grade and 8th grade assessments as well.
History/black, Science/green, ELA/blue, Spanish/red, and Math/pink.
Dates are subject to change; teachers will keep the calendar updated.


Each middle school student is required to complete ten hours of community service over the course of the school year.  Please remember to list hours worked on a daily basis, do not log the total sum of hours worked over an extended period of time.  See below for a few upcoming service opportunities.  Click HERE for a log form.
SECOND HARVEST VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Second Harvest is in need of volunteers to box food, especially during the week.   Volunteers must wear a mask. Shifts are 2 hours.  To sign up please email: Bryce@helpandhunger.org
Some Second Harvest Fun Facts:
From 3/23/20 - 5/1/20:
136,618 Grab & Go meals to children
2,596,786 pounds of food to mobile food pantries
70% increase in food demand
79% decrease in food donations from retail and vendors
110% increase in emergency food distribution
SHELTERED IN PLACE COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
The best opportunities for service during these times come through supporting family.  Student service to family that goes beyond normal expectations will be recognized for community service hours.  This might include helping grandparents, tutoring younger siblings or cousins, or baby sitting so parents can work from home.  When these hours are earned please communicate that to Mrs. Mannarino following the standard protocol.  


Please reach out to me for student support: tguggenheim@hancockdayschool.org. I am always happy to provide strategies for any student who would benefit from additional support. Also, encourage your child to make use of the tutorial/extra support that the teachers offer each day. It’s a great time to ask for clarification, review material, or to ask for feedback on assignments. It is from 11:15 - 12:00  every Monday/Tuesday/ Thursday/Friday and by appointment on Wednesday. Additionally, many teachers schedule review sessions before assessments.
Please help remind students to check their school email and Google Classroom daily.
-Tricia Guggenheim, Learning Coach



Zoom Lunch Bunch Check Ins are happening after the regular school day between 12:15-12:45) with small groups of students. Students will be emailed a link for their group.
As we continue to go through this pandemic, many caregivers continue to seek information about how to stay emotionally healthy for both themselves and their children.  Here are some resources:




I am available to students and parents at amaher@hancockdayschool.org.  If needed, I can provide video support to you or your student.  Please feel free to reach out!  
-Allison Maher, School Counselor


Algebra 1 - Mr. Cargile
Next week in Algebra 1 class we will have a quiz on Thursday assessing skills and concepts from 8.3 Zero and Negative Exponents, and 8.4 Scientific Notation. On Monday we will have a review of the concepts to prepare for the Thursday quiz. 
Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 12 by learning how to find the surface area and volume of spheres (12.6) and learning the relationship of surface area and volume of similar solids (12.7).  There will be a mandatory review session on Wednesday, 5/13 at 1:00 PM where we will go over the previous homework assignment and review for the Chapter 12 test.  The Chapter 12 test will be Thursday, 5/14 during our regular class meeting.
Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Advanced Algebra, we will complete learning how to solve systems of linear equations by learning how to solve by elimination when you must multiply one or both equations by a number before eliminating a variable.  There will be a mandatory review session on Wednesday, 5/13 at 11:30 AM where we will go over the previous homework assignment and review for the systems of equations quiz.  The quiz covering systems of equations will be Thursday, 5/14 during our regular class meeting.
Physical Science - Ms. Hoffman
This week we began our last science unit on Electricity by learning about the Law of Electric Charge and electrical insulators/conductors.  We investigated static electricity and completed a lab demonstration during class showing the various ways it can be produced.  We also discussed static discharge and how to protect buildings from one dangerous example--lightning.  Students will use this information to include in their short electricity report project that is due Friday 5/15/20.  Next Tuesday, we will cover the remaining material for their report, including voltage, parts of a circuit and parallel/ series circuits.  Next Friday, we will have an in-class lab on voltage and batteries and will have our final quiz on electricity during our last science class Tuesday, 5/19/20.  We will have a short optional review session on Monday 5/18 from 11:30 - noon.
If anyone IS having trouble with assignments and submitting work on time, please let us Zoom with you to help you better navigate Google Classroom. Remember that communication is key when you are having technology issues or need clarification on an assignment or something discussed during class.  A good time for this is during the instructional time from 11:15 - noon M/T/Th/F and 8am to noon on Wednesdays or via email. We are also encouraging students to check their HDS emails throughout the day, including the afternoons for any individual communication from teachers.  Since we are only seeing students a few times per week, this is an extremely important way to contact students about missing/ incomplete work and/or clarification on assignments.
            
English Language Arts - Mrs. Boyer
We  are half way through a writing project which encompasses all of our learning from Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Romeo and Juliet and Night. 
Prompt: Thinking about your reading from Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Romeo and Juliet and Night, what do you think the author's similarities are in regards to their ideas about language and educating oneself about past societal conflicts?
Students are turning in the first draft by Monday, and will have all week to edit and conference with me. The final draft will be due on 5/18. 
**THE READING LOG WILL BE AN EXTRA CLASSWORK GRADE FOR T3! IT IS OPTIONAL**

T3 Reading Log Project: Students will be given a choice of three different novels to read. They will read their chosen novel and complete a Google form, answering key discussion questions about their novel. All Google forms must be submitted by May 13th. The Google Form is posted in GC. 

History & Gov’t II - Mrs. Robinson
Next week, in American History & Government II, we will be presenting our work on Cold War spies and practicing a few tricks of the espionage trade in class! Students will practice disguise and code breaking for house points and a few other surprises!
8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hill
Vocabulary and grammar review:  Present tense, preterite tense, imperfect tense, and object pronouns.
We will be wrapping up our “Diary of an Enclosed Kid” visual journal. Students will complete the questions as they are assigned on the same doc/slides they shared with me with their example questions. Look for feedback on their shared documents.
Please see the Classwork Section labeled Diary Resources for helpful websites and vocabulary review lists. 
Please check Google Classroom for your Google Voice listening and speaking assignments.
The classwork section labeled Online Resources includes material folders parts 1 & 2 which have files with vocabulary and grammar topics that we have covered this year. They also include links to helpful review websites or apps as well as access to supplemental materials (to be updated regularly). 
Student Support Zoom - as always, please let me know if a student support zoom session is needed, either on class days or during our Wednesday sessions. 

Algebra 1 - Mr. Cargile
Next week in Algebra 1 class we will have a quiz on Thursday assessing skills and concepts from 8.3 Zero and Negative Exponents, and 8.4 Scientific Notation. On Monday we will have a review of the concepts to prepare for the Thursday quiz. 
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 9.1-9.4 by having a review day on Tuesday and the Chapter 9.1-9.4 test on Friday.  There will be an optional review session on Wednesday, 5/13 at 10:30 AM to help prepare for the test.
History & Gov’t I - Mrs. Robinson
Next week, in American History & Government I, students will continue working on their Native American research project. Students are working in small groups to make digital scrapbooks which will explore the cultures, journeys and life today of tribes affected by Jackson’s Indian Removal Act of 1830. The final book will be due on May 18th and a document with the broken down due dates and project description has been posted in Google Classroom. We will work on this in class leading up to the due date. This will be our final project of the trimester.
7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hill
Vocabulary and grammar: Reviewing sentence structure, asking and answering questions, present tense regular, irregular, and stem-changing verbs. 
We will be working on our final set of questions for our “Diary of an Enclosed Kid” visual journal. Please complete the questions as they are assigned on the same doc you shared with me with your example questions. Look for comments and edits from me on your assignment. 
Use your Diary Resources posted in Google Classroom, SpanishDict.com will be especially helpful for conjugation review. 
Student Support Zoom - Please let me know if you would like to set up a student support zoom session. 
English Language Arts - Mrs. Boyer
We are ending our Short Story Unit with a Creative Writing Project. Students were assigned to choose a novel, movie, tv show series, or short story where they wished for a better ending….because they are going to rewrite the ending. They are writing a three to five page creative writing piece which will completely transform the ending of their chosen work. We are brainstorming and drafting this week! Students will have comments and discussions with me, and will submit their final draft by 5/19. 
**THE READING LOG WILL BE AN EXTRA CLASSWORK GRADE FOR T3! IT IS OPTIONAL**
T3 Reading Log Project: Students will be given a choice of three different novels to read. They will read their chosen novel and complete a Google form, answering key discussion questions about their novel. All Google forms must be submitted by May 13th. I will post the Google form by 5/1. 

Life Science - Mrs. DuRant
This week in Life Science, students will begin their final unit exploring biomes and ecosystems.  On Monday, they will work with a partner to create an online storybook about the 7 major biomes.  Then on Thursday, they will continue their storybook to include aquatic ecosystems. All instructions for this project will be in the google classroom. This final project of the year is due on Monday, May 18. 

Accelerated Math 7 - Mr. Cargile
Next week in Accelerated Math 7 we will learn about percent on Tuesday, and Thursday we will start to learn about percent proportions.
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 9.1-9.4 by having a review day on Tuesday and the Chapter 9.1-9.4 test on Friday.  There will be an optional review session on Wednesday, 5/13 at 10:30 AM to help prepare for the test.
ELA - Mrs. Sasser
Students will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit their paragraph response test over the weekend. All revisions are due Monday before class. I’m happy to meet with any students over the weekend via Zoom if they need additional help or support. 

This week, students will have a final project over The Giver. They will complete a One-Pager project. All directions and rubrics are on Google classroom. This will be due by the end of the day on Thursday, May 14th. Students will have class time to complete this and be expected to work on it for homework. 

Students will also be given an extra credit opportunity. They may complete one additional project on FlipGrid for extra credit points. This will be due by Monday, May 18th at 12:00 PM. Again, this is optional. 

There will be NO IXL Sections this week. 
Please encourage your child to attend the daily student support from 11:14-12:00 if they have questions or would like to work through something. If this time doesn’t work, they can always email me and we can Zoom at your convenience. 
Earth Science - Mrs. Hoffman
The job sixth grade students have been doing with our Astronomy unit has been just... “out of this world.”  :)   They have learned about the Earth-Moon system, including phases and parts of the moon along with eclipses, tides, and seasons.  We ended the week with a quiz on this material. Next week we will discuss the sun and other information about our solar system.  Students are still working on their Astronomy Alphabet book due on Friday, 5/15/20 (winners in each class will earn house points) and their solar system trading cards project due Thursday, 5/14/20.  They also received directions for an at-home lab to create a visual representation of the distances between planets in our solar system.  All of this information will lead up to the unit test on our last science class of the year, Monday, 5/18/20. We will have an optional review session for this test on Friday 5/15 from 11:30 - noon.
 As a reminder:  If anyone IS having trouble with assignments and submitting work on time, please let us Zoom with you to help you better navigate Google Classroom. Remember that communication is key when you are having technology issues or need clarification on an assignment or something discussed during class.  A good time for this is during the instructional time from 11:15 - noon M/T/Th/F and 8am to noon on Wednesdays or via email. We are also encouraging students to check their HDS emails for any individual communication from teachers.  Since we are only seeing students a few times per week, this is an extremely important way to contact students about missing/ incomplete work and/or clarification on assignments.
Earth Science - Mrs. DuRant
This week in Earth Science, we will begin our final unit exploring Astronomy. We will begin with Earth’s Moon and lunar phases. We will conclude with an overview of the Solar System.  Students will work with partners to create an online storybook about the Solar System. All instructions will be in the google classroom.This final project of the year will be due Monday, May 18.  
Ancient Civ -  Mr. O’Hayer
The students did a great job wrapping up the fall of Rome. Their summary projects were well done, concise, and informative. This week we will work on a short paper examining the Barbarian tribes that roamed Europe and that had major impacts on ancient Rome as well as other civilizations. This report will be due the 15th. To end the year students will begin work this week on their ABC book. This project would have been their trimester exam project. It has been a tradition for 6th graders for a number of years. We will shorten the requirements due to the amount of time left. The ABC book involves ancient Greece and Rome. Details to come. 
Spanish - Mr. Alexander
On Monday we will have our food unit quiz and begin reviewing for our end of the year test.  It will be a comprehensive test on all the grammar we have learned this year.  The test is on Monday the 18th.


Art - Mrs. Cookson
“The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” - Robert Henri
ALL: This is the last week we will meet for art, so thank you for a great (and crazy) year. Keep creating and looking at the world in different ways, and remember to have fun. I will miss you all and hope you have a great summer.

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