September 10th - September 14th

NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD

IT IS PHOTO WEEK!

Class, individual and team photographs will be taken next week.  The 6th and 7th grade class photographs and all fall sports team photos will be taken on Tuesday.  TUESDAY ALL STUDENTS MUST BE IN UNIFORM - NOT PE UNIFORMS! ATHLETES MUST ALSO BRING THEIR APPROPRIATE TEAM UNIFORM.  The 8th grade class photograph and 6th, 7th, and 8th grade individual photos will be taken on Thursday. Students do not need to wear their uniforms and may dress appropriately for these photographs.

6th GRADE PARENT.edu - Mrs. Guggenheim
Have you heard about the MS Blog but don't know where to find it? Are you having trouble finding strategies to help your child learn vocabulary words? Are you mystified about Google Classroom? If so, please join me on either Tuesday, September 11, at 2:00pm or Wednesday, September 12 at 6pm as I offer info and strategies to assist your child with the transition into Middle School. Please email me if you are planning to attend and let me know the session.

7th and 8th GRADE PARENT.edu - LIFE AFTER HANCOCK - HIGH SCHOOL!
The high school admissions process gets into full swing on October 1st.  On Tuesday, September 25th we will discuss what to consider as your family works through this critical decision.  More details in next week’s blog!

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

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 total sum of hours worked over an extended period of time.  See below for a few upcoming service opportunities.

VERY IMPORTANT - 7th GRADE STUDENTS TAKE NOTE!!!  Along with strong academics, service is one of the defining categories for admission to the National Junior Honor Society.  In order to be considered for membership, a student MUST have met Hancock’s criteria of 10 hours of service per year.

Coastal Pet Rescue is a non-profit animal rescue organization that is dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abused, and neglected cats and dogs in Savannah and the surrounding area.  Youth under the age of 14 are encouraged to volunteer with a parent at Camp Pawsawhile Retreat or upcoming adoption events (September 16th, October 28th, and November 11th).  More information can be found here.

Wilmington Island Farmers Market is looking for student and adult volunteers to assist on Saturdays from 8:00am to 1:30pm September through December at Islands High School.  Volunteers may view more information and sign up for shifts on their website.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is looking for race crew volunteers to help support our community and thousands of walkers and runners on Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th.  Students and their families can sign up to to help with the starting line, finish line, or a water station along the way. More information and sign up forms can be found on their website.

GUIDANCE & CHARACTER EDUCATION

This week students met in small groups to either complete team building activities with Ms. Pedrick or review and unpack HDS Honor Code with their advisor.  Our virtue of the month is responsibility, and we look forward to discussing this further with students in the week ahead.  If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Ms. Pedrick at apedrick@hancockdayschool.org

8TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra, we will continue in Chapter 2 by multiplying and dividing real numbers as well as applying distributive property.  On Thursday, we will play a game or two of multiplying/dividing real numbers BINGO to review for the Chapter Quiz 2.4-2.6 that will take place on Monday, September 17.  The challenge problem that was distributed on Tuesday, September 4 will be due on Tuesday, September 11.

Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete the first part of Chapter 10 by learning how to use the graphing calculator to find the roots of a quadratic function as well as the maximum or minimum (10.3).  We will also practice using the vertical motion model to describe the motion of a free falling object. There will be a day of review for sections 10.1 - 10.3 on Thursday and then the mid-chapter test on Monday, September 17th.

Geometry - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by practicing 2 column proofs regarding line segments and angle pairs (2.6 - 2.7).  We will also have a day of Algebra review on Friday where we review how to simplify radical and rational expressions.

Physical Science - Ms. Hoffman

This week our 8th graders used some of their newly found knowledge about physical and chemical properties to participate in a Mystery Powder lab.  (see photos below) They then concluded the week with a unit test on Matter. Next week we will learn about acids and bases and participate in a pH lab.  We will also start our discussion of atomic theory and the atom. This will lead up to an in-depth tour of the Periodic Table of the Elements.

English Language Arts - Mrs. Boyer

Literature: Students are continuing their discussion on short stories surrounding the theme of Identity and Power (our first mini-unit). Students finished reading “Flowers for Algernon”, and are currently reading “An Episode of War”, and “Adventure of the Speckled Band”. Students will be writing a thematic essay on the following prompts:  What makes you who you are? Why is it important to stand up for what you believe in? How can power become dangerous? What is morality? There will be a test on these short stories on September 17th.

Grammar & Vocab: We will be discussing, Subject Complements, Indirect and Direct Objects, and Predicate Adjectives and Predicate Nouns. There will be a quiz on this (and possibly more grammar terms) on 9/18. Students will be starting Unit 8 vocabulary this coming week. The quiz date for this vocab unit is TBA.

The discussion centering around our second unit of study,Justice and Equality, will begin on Monday, 9/17. We will be reading short stories and poems from this era. We will begin reading To Kill a Mockingbird on 9/17 as well. The reading schedule will be posted and handed out on 9/17.

History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English

This week in American History and Gov’t II we will continue working through the Civil War. We will discuss topics like the Emancipation Proclamation, modern warfare, Matthew Brady, and Gettysburg. No assessments, but looking ahead we will have our Civil War test on Wednesday, September 12th.

Spanish - Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 8th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 1B. In this chapter we will talk about after-school activities and discuss the differences between schools in the United States and Latin America. Students will use comparisons of equality, hacer time expressions, and saber vs conocer through different reading and speaking exercises. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, September 14th.

7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra, we will continue in Chapter 2 by multiplying and dividing real numbers as well as applying distributive property.  On Thursday, we will play a game or two of multiplying/dividing real numbers BINGO to review for the Chapter Quiz 2.4-2.6 that will take place on Friday, September 14.  The challenge problem that was distributed on Tuesday, September 4 will be due on Tuesday, September 11.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by learning how to solve equations using mental math (2.4), and one-step equations by addition/subtraction (2.5) and multiplication/division (2.6).  We will also solve equations involving decimals (2.7). There will be a quiz covering sections 2.1 - 2.3 on Tuesday.

History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English

This week in American History and Gov’t I we will continue our study of Chapter 2.1-2 and discover the struggles and triumphs of the first European explorers. We will look at the types of things that were exchanged between the New World and Old World like foods, animals, and diseases. No assessments this week, but looking forward we will have a quiz over Chapter 2.1-2 on Wednesday, September 12th.

Spanish - Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7th grade will continue to work with the new vocabulary from Chapter 6A. Students will practice forming sentences using comparisons of inequality and superlatives.We will also begin designing and describing the ideal bedroom using the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 6A. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, September 14th.

ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Students have begun The Hobbit. Students have created their individual reading schedules. Most groups have decided to read 4-5 chapters a week or read 10-13 pages a day. Students should always bring their novels to class, because on the off-chance that we finish a lesson early, students will be able to read. Secondly, I am trying to plan for 20 minutes each Friday for students to read, Wish me luck!

This week students will be discussing irony, types of conflict, suspense and symbolism. Students will be working together in their book clubs to engage in purposeful assignments that get them to think about their reading. Journal Entries will be due each Wednesday, and they will be returned the following day. Journal entries are a time for the students to reflect and question their reading. Students should be writing for a full five minutes, and they must follow the instructions on Google Classroom or points will be deducted. Students also may come in at 7:45 am and read/work on these entries at any point in the year.

Vocabulary and Grammar lessons will begin this week. Students will receive their Greek and Latin Roots vocabulary book and they will be introduced to Unit 1. About every two weeks students will have vocabulary quizzes on these material. There will usually be multiple activities completed with this vocabulary; however, students should still create their own study material for whatever helps them learn best. In regards to grammar, students will be learning how to identify and create adjective phrases.

I am super excited to discuss The Hobbit with my kids! (I even have my Gandalf’s staff ready to go!) If students are ever confused or need extra help, please send them to me ASAP. It is critical that students do not wait to ask for help, as there are multiple characters and plot points within this novel.

Students created their own Book Club Covers!!

Life Science - Ms. Hoffman

This week we completed our discussion on the classification of life and the 6 kingdoms and students took a quiz over this information.  (We will actually revisit some of this information when we focus on the immune system and pathogens later this marking period and then again when we learn about the different groups of animals second trimester.)  At the end of the week we started to learn about cells and the cell theory. We will continue this topic next week and will have another microscope lab where students will make their own slides and also view some preserved specimens. In addition, we will begin to look at the various cell organelles.

6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Accelerated Math 7, we will jump right into Chapter 2 by comparing, ordering, and rounding decimals, as well as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals.  On Thursday, we will play a game or two of decimal BINGO to review for the Chapter Quiz 2.1-2.4 on Friday, September 14. The challenge problem that was distributed on Tuesday, September 4 will be due on Tuesday, September 11.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by learning how to solve equations using mental math (2.4), and one-step equations by addition/subtraction (2.5) and multiplication/division (2.6).  We will also solve equations involving decimals (2.7). There will be a quiz covering sections 2.1 - 2.3 on Tuesday.

ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim

Literature - Continue short story unit - the quiz over short story concepts has been moved to 9/24 (note change) We will be reading and annotating short stories.

Grammar - Work on proofreading skills - Capitalization, Periods, Questions Marks, Hyphens, Underlining, Apostrophes, and Commas - Quiz 9/12

Vocabulary - Greek/Latin root words List 3 + 7 SAT words. Students will complete Exercises A-D for homework and will practice writing sentences with the 7 SAT words. They will need to know the parts of speech for the 10 Greek/Latin words. Quiz 9/14.

Writing - Continue to practice paragraph format

Reading Log: Reading for the reading log begins for Trimester One has begun. As stated in the syllabus, all middle school students are required to read 360 minutes during the course of the trimester - reading that is outside of their regular assignments. They have a form on which to keep track of their minutes, and on Mondays in class I post their minutes in a spreadsheet. They need to obtain a parent signature to verify the minutes read. This counts as a project grade. The grading scale is written in the syllabus. This year students will be reading for 20 minutes on Wednesday during a silent reading time. This time counts for their reading log if they get their form signed by the proctor. Reading log minutes for 6th grade are due Friday, October 26th.

Earth Science - Mrs. Taylor

All 6th graders have been given back their unit test 1. I have asked them to put all materials behind their unit one test together in one bundle for the Trimester 1 exam. They were told it would be best to file the Unit tests and work behind their misc. in their binders. I'm so amazed at how much these kids retained from 4th grade on this MATTER.  Hehe. We have delved into the phases of matter and each resource and note taking sheet/video have been discussed and made available to the students on Google classroom. They took a short “pop” quiz (with hints it was coming) Friday, 9/7. We will begin Heat Transfer next and take a quiz next week on that. Students will be working in class and at home on a Heat Transfer book they will create for a grade. Unit test on Matter and Heat Transfer will probably take place the week of the 17th.

Ancient Civ -  Mr. O’Hayer

We finished up this week with a Quiz on Lesson 1, Ch. 2.

We a busy week coming up. We will finish Lesson 2: Forming Complex Societies and Lesson 3: Building Communities. We will continue working on our note taking development (which by the way they are doing a great job) and test taking skills. We rescheduled our “Citizenship- Loyalty Lesson to next week so we will spend some time exploring and linking concepts of Loyalty related to ancient communities and relationships to present day. We will not have a quiz the week of the 10th. Our Chapter 2 Test will be Thursday the 13th. As you will see we are picking up the pace  and our work in class and our HW will reflect that. Looking ahead- Chapter 3 brings us to the beginning of our studies of specific Ancient Civilizations when we look at Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Spanish - Ms. Dubick

The 6th graders will start presenting the Spanglish skits they have been doing for the last week on Monday!  They have a lot of creative ideas and are making great use of their Spanish.

We will also get into Personal Pronouns this week, formal vs. informal and greetings.

I highly recommend that they use Quizlet to study for their vocab!  It’s a great, fun online resource to help them learn, and all the kids have usernames now.

I am available every morning at 7:45 for extra help, they just need to email me ahead of time.

Art - Mrs. Cookson

“The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.” - Piet Mondrian

All of the students will channel their energies into finishing up previous challenges.

8th: Finish painting Graffiti Names

7th: Finish still life drawings, and maybe begin Figure drawings

6th: Finish Adjective, Adjective, Noun drawings and add color