May 6 - May 10
Dear Parents,
As we do each month, we will contemplate one of the virtues that shape our community and influence the development of our children. This month, we spotlight the significant virtue of ‘Appreciation’.
Appreciation is more than a simple expression of gratitude; it's a fundamental mindset that fosters empathy, humility, and interconnectedness. When we appreciate the efforts of others, whether big or small, we cultivate a culture of kindness and respect. It's about recognizing the value in every person and every experience, nurturing a spirit of understanding and inclusivity.
At Hancock Day School, our motto, "roots to grow, wings to fly," encapsulates the essence of our educational journey. Just as roots anchor a tree, providing stability and nourishment, appreciation serves as the foundation upon which our community thrives. By instilling a deep sense of gratitude in our students, we empower them to spread their wings and soar to great heights, armed with compassion and humility. Appreciation is intricately linked to the concept of being grateful. When we teach our children to be grateful for the blessings in their lives, both tangible and intangible, we equip them with a powerful tool for navigating life's challenges with resilience and grace.
In our school community, moral character and integrity are not just ideals; they are the cornerstones upon which our school community stands. By embodying these principles in our daily interactions, we create a safe and supportive space where every individual feels valued and respected.
As partners in your child's education, I urge you to join us in cultivating the virtue of appreciation in their hearts and minds. Let us lead by example, showing them the importance of acknowledging the contributions of others and finding joy in the simple pleasures of life. Together, let's continue to nurture the roots of character and integrity, ensuring that our children have the wings they need to soar towards a future filled with purpose and compassion.
Kind regards,
Jack Cargile
Head of Middle School
* Wednesday, May 8th - school assembly, regular uniforms please
8th Grade Graduation
Time to start preparing for graduation! Please take some time to complete the graduation form (link below). This information will be used on the programs and diplomas. After the ceremony, we will have a brief reception, where a slideshow will be displayed with the graduates. We request families to submit 5 pictures for the slideshow. The pictures can be anything you want (baby, siblings, family, friends, etc). The pictures should be submitted electronically to mmannarino@hancockdayschool.org.
Graduation information and slideshow pictures are due TODAY, Friday, May 3rd.
Junior Achievement of Georgia’s Upcoming Summer Camp
It’s going to be a fun week at their Discovery Center on the GSU Armstrong Campus. The camp is for 10-14 year-old students, and it’s June 10-14th from 9AM - 3PM. Here is a link for more information about the camp - JA Summer Camp
And here’s a link to register - JA Summer Camp Registration (just click the “Get Tickets’ button)
Follow all the fun on our Middle School Instagram account!
Parents and students have an easy way to look at upcoming assessments and projects. 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.
Different subjects will appear in different colors:
History is black, Science is green, ELA is blue, Spanish is red, and Math is pink.
Please bear in mind that Middle School Assessments may be added, removed, or changed at any time. This Sheet will always be up to date, however - once a teacher assigns or adjusts an assessment, this Sheet will reflect that change.
HDS Sports Update
Stewart Dunn - was awarded the DeWitt 8th Grade Athlete of the Year Award. Stewart was nominated for his academic achievements, athletic performance and exemplary character. Stewart led our Eagles on the football field, averaging 3 touchdowns a game. Stewart was the starting point guard on the basketball team that came in 2nd place, and he was the track SPAL Champ in the 100m and 800m races.
Soccer - After a great SPAL season, the team ended with a second place tournament finish.
The combined team of SAS and SPS won 4-0 Wednesday. It was great to see such a large group of Hancock fans attend. Thanks to all the fans who came and supported the team, and a special thanks goes to Marci Roberts with the game promotion! HDS finished the season with 6 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties!
Baseball - HDS came up short, losing in the finals of the SPAL Championship to a talented SCPS team. Capturing the runner up trophy, the Eagles were led by 8th graders Carter Allen and Elliot Zeigler throughout the year. The future is bright with so many talented young players on the roster.
*** Two nice stadium seats were left at the baseball game, if they are yours please contact Coach Bellairs at the school!
Fishing - Tournament May 10 and 11th. Anyone who is interested needs to come see Coach Bellairs and signup in the gym by Tuesday May 7th. The winner will get $50 dollars. You can fish any time on Friday, May 10th after school or Saturday, May11th until noon! For more info grab a poster outside Coach Bellairs office.
Golf - Our boys team finished the season this week, with a third place win in the Coastal Georgia Championship. Coastal Home School and Fredrica Academy both finished with a combined score of 175, and HDS finished with a 172. Carson Hayes led the team with a 38. The girls team will wrap up their season with one more tournament next week.
Flag Football for MS Girls -1 day after school; four teams tournament; 5-8th grades. If you are interested, see Coach B. Possible date May 13th, 3:45 - 5pm.
SPORTS UNIFORM TURN IN - LAST CALL - If you have a sports uniform please turn it into your coach ASAP. If uniforms are not turned into school a uniform replacement bill will be sent to you. ALL SPORTS UNIFORMS MUST BE TURNED IN BY MAY 10TH.
SUMMER CAMPS HDS Basketball And Volleyball camps are open to kids/friends from other schools as long as they are accompanied with a HDS student that week!
Each middle school student is required to complete ten hours of community service over the school year. Please remember to list hours worked daily, and do not log the total sum of hours worked over an extended period. Click HERE for a log form or see Mrs. Mannarino in the office.
Ongoing Opportunities
1. Plarn: Students are welcome to continue making and submitting plarn to the middle school office. Each ball should be made from 50 plastic bags. For every ball submitted, students will receive 1 hour of community service. During the event in Hancock Hall, students also made cards of encouragement that were, ultimately, attached to the mats. Students are welcome to continue making cards. The cards should be approximately 2"x3" and made from unlined index cards, cardstock, or something similar. There should be an encouraging note and a nice picture on one side or an encouraging note on one side and a nice picture on the other side. Students should use a hole punch to add a hole to the left side of the cards before submitting them to the middle school office. For every 30 quality cards submitted, students will receive 1 hour of community service.
2. Shelter From the Rain: SFTR is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides assistance for single mothers and children in need. This organization is also requesting handmade cards of encouragement. Students can make cards that are 4"x6" or 5"x7" and made from cardstock. The cards should be one-sided and include messages like:
Everything would be better if more people were like you!
You are really something special!
You are brilliant!
I think you are amazing!
Keep going! You're doing great!
Have a beautiful day! We are rooting for you!
We are so proud of you!
For every 30 quality cards submitted, students will receive 1 hour of community service. Please see below for examples of cards.
Upcoming Opportunities
1. Forsyth Farmers' Market Youth Booth: The Youth Booth is a grant funded program designed to teach children about nutrition. Student volunteers will greet children and parents, offer produce samples, and assist with the craft table. The Farmer's Market is looking for 2 student volunteers and 1 parent chaperone each Saturday for this ongoing program.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CAFAB2BABF5C34-49184957-forsyth#/
2. Relay For Life: Relay For Life is a community based awareness and fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. This year's event will take place at Daffin Park on Saturday, May 4th from 3-10 pm. Student volunteers will assist with luminaria bags, general errands throughout the event, set-up, and clean up. There are 3 shifts available, and the organization is looking for 5 student volunteers and 1-2 parent chaperones per shift.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CAFAB2BABF5C34-49186402-relay#/
Please contact Carol Richter at 912.655.0033 or richtercmd@gmail.com with questions.
As Learning Coach, I work with students, parents, and teachers to offer support and strategies throughout the year. Please reach out to me if I can be of any assistance to you and your child/ren. I will share ideas and strategies often in this space. My email is tguggenheim@hancockdayschool.org. My phone extension is 327. I look forward to working with you! Tricia Guggenheim
32. How to Effectively Study for Middle School
As we head into the end of the year and exam season, I’ve found a 4-minute video that includes good tips and strategies when preparing for exams.
How to Effectively Study for Middle School
The virtue that we are highlighting for April is curiosity. Just as with the other virtues, the children take their cues from the adults around them. Here are some tips to encourage and embrace curiosity.
Try something new as a family and/or get involved in the community.
Ask open-ended questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer.
Encourage your child to ask questions.
When possible, adopt a slower pace to appreciate an experience at another level.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns that you may have this year at amaher@hancockdayschool.org.
CRITICAL END-OF-YEAR DATES, TIMES, & EVENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Friday, May 3rd - Middle School Field Day at The Landings Athletic Space
Please drop off your child at 600 Landings Way S. Savannah, Ga 31411 between 8:45 to 9:00 AM and pick up is at 11:30 PM. There is no Middle School extended.
Monday, May 20th - Honors Assembly
Academic awards will be held in William Bell Gymnasium beginning at 8:30 AM.
Tuesday, May 21st, and Wednesday, May 22nd - 3rd Trimester Examinations
Students report to homeroom at 8:15 AM, with exams beginning promptly at 8:30 AM, and concluding at 12:15 PM. Afternoon carpool will begin at 12:20 PM. No Middle School Extended will be available either day. If your student has extended time for their exam, please park in a space for pickup rather than wait in the carpool line.
Wednesday, May 22nd - 8th Grade Graduation Practice at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church Sanctuary
Graduation practice will be held after exams on Wednesday from 12:45 to 1:45 PM. Parents are responsible for providing transportation to IOHUMC.
Wednesday, May 22nd - 8th Grade Graduation Dinner in Hancock Hall
8th grade graduation dinner and entertainment 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Parents, please join your children from 6:00 - 6:20 PM for pictures!
Wednesday, May 22nd - Middle School Dance in Hancock Hall
Middle School students are invited to attend our last dance of the year from 7:30 to 9:00 PM.
Thursday, May 23rd - Middle School Graduation at Isle of Hope Methodist Church
Graduates should arrive by 12:45 PM for pictures. Graduation will begin at 2:00 PM. Following the ceremony, there will be a short reception in the church’s Anchor Room.
ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor
Linear Regression is going well. Please be sure to remind your child that the ENTIRE packet must be complete for this unit. Several are not completing everything and I am only doing one homework check. The quiz is on Wednesday, May 8th. They will be given a review packet practice quiz on the 7th. Thursday and Friday students will watch a movie before starting their exam study guide project the following week.
ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete our last unit for the year!! We will review factoring the difference of two squares (DOTS) and how to use the quadratic formula. There will be a quiz on factoring on Tuesday, a day of review on Thursday, and our last test on Friday.
GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will complete our last unit for the year!! We will discover how to find the volume of pyramids and cones (12.5), the surface area and volume of spheres (12.6), and how to use similar solids to find missing measures (12.7). There will be a quiz on volume (12.4-12.6) on Wednesday and a day of reviewing the whole of Chapter 12 on Friday. The following Monday will be the Chapter 12 test.
ELA - Mrs. Boyer
Students are currently finishing their final project based on our House on Mango Street Unit: Ode to a House. I am very excited to see their final work!
We have begun reviewing for exams with a Literary Device Packet. We will be focusing on reviewing basic material of all the novels from the year through Kahoots. I have noticed that our Written Responses are worse for wear when it comes to organization, therefore we will be spending a healthy amount of time reviewing that standard. Lastly, we will be focusing on practicing the skill of reading comprehension.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman
We have made it through the toughest part of the year- goodbye April, hello May! We are building bottle rockets next week and our launch day is on Friday, May 10th. Following that, we will be reviewing for exams!
Bottle rockets (IN CLASS project): May 6-10th
US HISTORY - Mr. Saviskas
The end of the year is nearly upon us. Our last unit will be this World War II unit. Yay! We started this unit last week and we will continue working on it through next week. After that we will spend the last few days reviewing for exams.
HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH - Mr. De Cardenas
Being almost at the end of the school year brings us some challenges such as excitement to prove how much we have grown during this time together in Spanish class. The next week we'll be performing oral and written exercises to prepare the students for the oncoming Final Exams. This will consolidate their improvement in the language and will give them more confidence when it is time to show the grammatical and conversational skills they have gained. We will not have any more projects or quizzes. We will just be working focused on the challenging Final Exams. We will still be learning some vocabs that will increase their mastery of the language.
ADVANCED SPANISH - Mr. De Cardenas
Being almost at the end of the school year brings us some challenges such as excitement to prove how much we have grown during this time together in Spanish class. The next week we'll be performing oral and written exercises to prepare the students for the oncoming Final Exams. This will consolidate their improvement in the language and will give them more confidence when it is time to show the grammatical and conversational skills they have gained. We will not have any more projects or quizzes. We will just be working focused on the challenging Final Exams. We will still be learning some vocabs that will increase their mastery of the language.
ADVANCED SPANISH - Mrs. Brown
We will be reviewing the rest of the year in preparation for our Exam (which happens the week BEFORE all other content exams). Help your students by sharing encouraging advice for good diet, sleep, and time management for studying materials from their study guide and from their Spanish binder in general.
As always, please let me know how I can be of service!
ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor
Linear Regression is going well. Please be sure to remind your child that the ENTIRE packet must be complete for this unit. Several are not completing everything and I am only doing one homework check. The quiz is on Wednesday, May 8th. They will be given a review packet practice quiz on the 7th. Thursday and Friday students will watch a movie before starting their exam study guide project the following week.
PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete our last unit of the year!! We will learn how to find the circumference and area of a circle (10.4). There will be a day of review on Tuesday and the Chapter 10.1-10.4 test on Wednesday. Then, we will spend a few days learning some financial literacy including the differences between credit cards and debit cards as well as an activity on minimum wage.
ELA - Ms. Ferkol and Mrs. Boyer
Throughout the upcoming weeks, we will be working through the final reading of The Hobbit. The Exam will be on The Hobbit only! Students will be reviewing comprehension questions, their Google Form Checks, literary devices, etc. We will continue to work through written response practices. Students will also receive a study guide on Monday, May 6th that will be due on May 15th.
We will also work on a final writing project that will include multiple types of genres and focus on the creative aspect of writing.
Assessments:
Ch. 1-11 Test 5/6
Exam: Final Hobbit Assessment
LIFE SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman and Ms. Insignares
We are almost done with all large assessments for the year! We will be working on a project on Punnett Squares. This will be a project and quiz grade. It is due May 10th prior to the week of exam review.
AMERICAN HISTORY - Mr. Saviskas
We are finishing up the year with the Civil War unit. We have already talked about slavery and the lead up to the war, so we will just be covering the first few years of the war. Once we are done covering that we will focus on studying for the exams and review material from earlier in the year.
AMERICAN HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in American History students will continue our examination of the Civil War. We will examine events that impacted the war effort on both sides. Students will break down the causes of the Civil War, discuss battles and battle strategy. We will also begin our last project of the Unit. Students will create life-size recreations of famous Civil War generals. This is a student favorite. More details to come.
ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor
Students take their last quiz for me Monday, May 6th. All formulas for Area and circumference of circles, semi-circles and perimeter of circles will be on the test to assist them. They will have two projects left. This week, they will create a life size composite figure in teams. It is a competition. They will also be responsible for finding the area of their entire figure. A rubric will be provided. It is on the project calendar and begins on May 2, (Intro) and due May 10th.
PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete our last unit of the year!! We will learn how to find the circumference and area of a circle (10.4). There will be a day of review on Tuesday and the Chapter 10.1-10.4 test on Wednesday. Then, we will spend a few days learning some financial literacy including the differences between credit cards and debit cards as well as an activity on minimum wage.
EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Insignares
Next week students will have their final test on fossils on May 6th. Then they will work on their End of Year Unit Project all week! Materials all due on Monday. We are done with assessments for the year :)
ELA - Ms. Ferkol
For our final week of new content for the year, (I can’t believe it’s already here!) students will be giving their final presentations of their mythological personas. Students were randomly assigned to one of two days to give their final presentations, Tuesday 5/6 or Wednesday 5/7. The expectation is that students bring in their costume on their designated day to give their presentation as their created persona. I am beyond excited to see all of the students’ creativity and hard work come to fruition for this final project.
This year’s exam will cover content from the three units covered this trimester: Realistic Fiction, Inside Out and Back Again, and Mythology. A study guide will be posted by the end of next week on Google Classroom!
INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown
We will be reviewing the rest of the year in preparation for our Exam (which happens the week BEFORE all other content exams). Help your students by sharing encouraging advice for good diet, sleep, and time management for studying materials from their study guide and from their Spanish binder in general.
As always, please let me know how I can be of service!
WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in World History, students will continue their last Unit of the year. We will continue looking into The Making of America: Immigration and Industrialization. Students will answer “Big” Questions like How did Immigration made America a melting pot of cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Students will examine the various causes of mass migration to America and how this influx of cultures impacted existing peoples and places.
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