December 3rd - December 7th

NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD

8TH GRADE VISIT TO ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL The 8th grade has been invited to visit St. Andrew's Upper School on Monday, December 3rd from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Students who sign up to attend will visit Upper School classes, speak with a panel of the Upper School students, and eat lunch. St. Andrew’s will be returning students to Hancock Day School by bus after lunch. To make a reservation for the school visit for your child please contact Casey Awad at awadc@saintschool.com. 8TH GRADE AND DRAMA CLUB FIELD TRIP TO SAVANNAH STATE On Thursday, December 6th, our 8th grade and Drama Club students will be going to see "A Midwinter Night's Dream" at the Kennedy Fine Arts Building at Savannah State University. We are still looking for parent volunteers to drive. Please contact Madison Mannarino if you are interested: mmannarino@hancockdayschool.org. BASKETBALL PICTURES
Basketball pictures will be taken at school on Thursday, December 6th starting at 12:30. Please remember to bring in your uniform for pictures. Coach Heyward will be passing out order forms on Tuesday.

FALL SPORTS ASSEMBLY The fall sports assembly will be at 6:00pm on Thursday, December 6th in the gym. Athletes from volleyball, varsity football, cheerleading, cross country, and flag football will be recognized. Dessert will be provided at the conclusion of awards ceremony. MIDDLE SCHOOL CABARET Join us for a Middle School drama club sponsored Disney Cabaret Night on Friday, December 7th from 6:30 - 8:30pm in Hancock Hall! All family members are welcome. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

DRESS CODE REMINDER

With the end of the fall season, we need to refocus our attention to the dress code.  Students should be dressed in the approved Hancock uniform each day. Team jerseys and team shirts are not part of the regular dress code.  Team hoodies are acceptable outerwear options.

2ND TRIMESTER READING ASSIGNMENT
As the new trimester begins, the English Language Arts Department is altering the format of the Reading Log in order to promote student engagement and creativity.  In place of assigning 360 minutes of reading this trimester, students will choose one age-appropriate book to read during the course of the trimester. Before beginning to read, students must share the title and author with their ELA teacher for approval.  The book may be of any genre, fiction or nonfiction. After reading this book, students will create a brief book review using a 5 x 7 note card, which we will supply. Click HERE to view more information regarding this new assignment.

AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

ART CLUB
Ms. Dubick will be offering an after school art club from 3:15-4:30 every Monday during second trimester.  The cost will be $150 for the term.  There is a five student minimum in order for the club to run, there is a cap of twelve students.  Art club participants will explore mediums and projects not covered during art class. Alcohol ink, wire sculptures, detailed clay projects and glazes will all be covered, among other materials.   Please email Ms. Dubick to sign up or for questions. cdubick@hancockdayschool.org.

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.

Feed the Hungry will host their annual Savannah Christmas dinner for the community on December 23rd at 5pm at the National Guard Armory on Eisenhower Drive.  Those interested in volunteering to help serve food can call 912-436-7380 to sign up.

PACK, a local nonprofit that delivers weekly bags of food to children at risk of experiencing hunger, seeks volunteers to help pack bags on the first Sunday of each month.  Upcoming dates are December 2nd and January 6th. More information can be found here.

America’s Second Harvest needs volunteers to help prepare monthly bags of food for senior citizens in our community.  The next packing date is December 15th. Volunteers should arrive by 7:45 and must wear closed-toe shoes.  Contact Bryce Seuntjens at bryce@helpendhunger.org for more information.

GUIDANCE & CHARACTER EDUCATION

This month we are exploring respect as our virtue of the month. 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, students will receive a Chapter 4 study guide packet on Monday that they will work on in class.  On Tuesday, we will review together for their Chapter 4 test that will take place on Wednesday, December 5. We will jump right into Chapter 5 towards the end of the week by writing linear equations in slope-intercept form.  The challenge problem that was distributed on Tuesday, November 27 is due on Tuesday, December 4.

Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete Chapter 11 and the first portion of the course involving Algebra.  There will be a day of review on Monday and the Chapter 11.3-11.5 test on Tuesday. Then we will begin the Geometry portion of the course by getting Geometry textbooks.  We will be jumping around this textbook covering various topics that students will see when they take a high school Geometry course. We will start by learning about triangles and some of their properties (Chapter 4.1-4.2).

Geometry - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will review some topics from Algebra 1 such as simplifying radical and rational expressions.  We will then begin Chapter 6 by learning about ratios and proportions (6.1-6.2), similar polygons and scale factor (6.3), and proving triangles are similar by the Angle-Angle Similarity Postulate (6.4), the Side-Side-Side Similarity Theorem and the Side-Angle-Side Similarity Theorem (6.5).

Physical Science - Ms. Hoffman

During this past week the students continued to learn about potential and kinetic energy by participating in a pendulum lab and a two day energy lab demonstrating the various forms of energy, including electrical, chemical and thermal.  (See below for photos.) Next week we will work on the math calculations involved in determining potential and kinetic energy and have a research day to work on our Science Fair Project. The Science Fair Project log book check and a rough draft of the literature review is due Wednesday, 12/5.  Remember that each page of your log book has page numbers and each entry is dated. You should include EVERYTHING you have completed on your science fair project. The literature review is the background information about your topic and what you are doing your experiment on. It should be at least one page long and you need to cite your sources for your bibliography on your formal report.  (See below for the list of all due dates for this project. As a reminder, Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:30-8am are designated to helping the eighth graders with their project.)

Science Fair Project Dates

Wednesday 11/7/18 Signed parent letter due

Friday 11/9/18 Science Fair Topic/ Purpose/ Hypothesis due

Wednesday 11/28/18 Science Fair Materials/ Procedure due

Wednesday 12/5/18           Science Fair log book check/  Rough draft of literature review due

Wednesday 12/19/18 Science Fair data/ results review /  Sketch of triptych due

Wednesday 1/16/19 Science Fair log book check/  Final draft of literature review due

Wednesday 1/23/19 Completed formal report due

*Wednesday    1/30/19 Science Project due (triptych and log book)

*Presentations will also occur this week

English Language Arts - Mrs. Boyer

Literature: We will be reading: “Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom”, “Baseball”, “Forest Fire”, “Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall”, “Lost in Space”, “Sharing the American Dream” All of these stories will transition our focus from The Power of One Voice to our new mini-theme: A Record of Our World.

Writing: In partners, students will be completing a project that centers around the power of one voice on a nation (project grade).

Assessments: The Unit 10 & 11 Quiz on 12/5. Short Story ( A Record of Our World) on 12/18.

Vocab: We will be picking up the pace in regards to vocabulary. I will be combining units for the rest of the year. The Unit 10 & 11 Vocab quiz will be on 12/5.

Reading Novel Card:  Due before or on February 1st.

Extra Reading Opportunity: Students will have an opportunity to read a small fictional novel regarding the same topic as their in class novel study over I am Malala. There will be an assignment regarding this; the rubric for the assignment is on GC. This opportunity will be due on December 14th.

History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English

This week in American History we will continue our study of the Progressive Era in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 19.1-2. We will discuss the three Progressive presidents, Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. Students will have a quiz over Chapter 19.1-2 on Tuesday, December 4th. The rest of the week we will continue working on European geography by studying the rivers and mountain ranges of Europe. This study will prep us for our next unit over World War I.

Spanish - Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 3B. They will use the irregular affirmative commands and the irregular present progressive verbs to create a Guía Del Buen Conductor (guide for new drivers). Students will also get to act as a Spanish Siri, and give directions to their classmates using maps and the new vocabulary. The vocabulary quiz is Friday, December 7th.

7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra, students will receive a Chapter 4 study guide packet on Monday that they will work on in class.  On Tuesday, we will review together for their Chapter 4 test that will take place on Wednesday, December 5. We will jump right into Chapter 5 towards the end of the week by writing linear equations in slope-intercept form.  The challenge problem that was distributed on Tuesday, November 27 is due on Tuesday, December 4.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will begin Chapter 5 by reviewing rational numbers (5.1), adding/subtracting fractions (5.2-5.3), and multiplying fractions (5.4).  There will be a quiz on Friday covering sections 5.1-5.4.

History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English

This week in American History I we will continue our study of the events that led to the American Revolution. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 5-Section 3. Events covered will include the the Boston Tea Party as well as the “Shot heard around the world” at Lexington and Concord. Lastly, we will work on illustrative timelines that trace the events leading to the American Revolution. No assessments this week. Looking forward to a great week!

Spanish - Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 7th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 7B. Students will write about some of their favorite gifts they have received in the past using the preterite tense and direct object pronouns. We will also read and discuss the differences between consumers in the United States and Central America. The vocabulary quiz will be Thursday, December 6th.

ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Literature: We will be starting our Poetry Unit. Students will be reading poems from classic authors such as: Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, and of course, Sonnets from William Shakespeare. Students will be learning a brief history regarding Shakespeare, reading Sonnets, and beginning to conceptualize the difficulty that comes with creating a poem in Iambic Pentameter. This discussion will be a foundation for reading Romeo and Juliet in 8th grade. We will also be reading a few contemporary poems. There will be a poetry test on 12/18.

Grammar: Gerund/Participles/Infinitives & Prepositional Phrases, Direct Objects & Indirect Objects. Students have learned the basics of all of these skills; we are now going to break them down and students will see how they are used in everyday language. There will be a FINAL test on 12/12.

Vocabulary: Students will begin Unit 4 this week and have a quiz on 12/5.

Reading Novel Card: Due before or on February 1st.

Life Science - Ms. Hoffman

Our new unit of study beginning this week is The Wonderful World of Genetics.  Students started off participating in a fun activity learning about inherited traits as they created their own “offspring” using the random tossing of pennies.  They also learned about the Father of Genetics, Gregor Mendel, and his experiments using pea plants, as well as, genotypes vs phenotypes, dominant vs recessive alleles and how to create and interpret Punnett Squares.  Next week we will continue our discussion of this material and begin discussing DNA and chromosomes and have a quiz on Friday, 12/7.

6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Accelerated Math 7, students will receive a Chapter 4 study guide packet on Monday that they will work on in class.  On Tuesday, we will review together for their Chapter 4 test that will take place on Wednesday, December 5. We will jump right into Chapter 5 towards the end of the week by taking a closer look at customary units.  The challenge problem that was distributed on Tuesday, November 27 is due on Tuesday, December 4.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will begin Chapter 5 by reviewing rational numbers (5.1), adding/subtracting fractions (5.2-5.3), and multiplying fractions (5.4).  There will be a quiz on Friday covering sections 5.1-5.4.

ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim

LITERATURE: Next week we are going to be delving into a bit of poetry. There is a quiz on scheduled for 12/6. We will focus on Langston Hughes and imagery. At the end of the week we will begin our nonfiction unit. There will be a test over nonfiction terms 12/19.

VOCABULARY: Poetic Device terms were handed out to the students on Tuesday. There will be a quiz over them on 12/6. Many of the terms we have covered, but there are a few that are new.

GRAMMAR: We will move on to a more in-depth study of compound/complex sentences, fragments, and run-ons. There will be a quiz on 12/12.

2nd Trimester Reading Assignment: The new Middle School reading assignment for second trimester is attached to the Blog and is also posted in my Google Classroom. It takes the place of the Reading Log. While it may be turned in at any point during the trimester, it is DUE  BY FEBRUARY 1, 2019.

Earth Science - Mrs. Taylor

We began Energy and its division: Potential and Kinetic. Take a look at the tennis ball drop Lab where students dropped the ball from designated heights and tracked the rebound height to discover how the energy “transferred” from potential to kinetic.

We will continue learning about the different types of potential and kinetic energy. They will be given poster project instructions 11/30/18.  After we work on energy, we move to renewable and nonrenewable resources to end the unit. There will be a Unit test potentially the week of the 10th.

Ancient Civ -  Mr. O’Hayer

I can’t believe it’s December already. This past week we finished our small group projects where students taught portions of Lessons 2 and 3 (Ch.4) They all did a great job. They were creative and students put a lot of thought into their lessons. We will do this again in the future. This week we will finish Ch.4 and have a Test over Lessons 2, 3, and 4 on December 5th. To finish out the last 2 weeks before break we will work on a couple of projects. The main one will be a writing project where students choose an Egyptian god or Pharaoh and conduct research and write a small report summarizing their life and influence on Egyptian culture and society. The second project we will tackle will involve a Point of View project on a subject involving Egyptian culture, society, or government. These projects are designed to challenge our students and get them thinking critically and how to express their thoughts in writing and through class discussions. Both of these projects will prepare our students for the more challenging writing projects that come their way later in the Trimester. Both of these projects will be researched and written in class.

Spanish - Ms. Dubick

The students will continue learning about Puerto Rican American history as they lead into West Side Story with Mrs. Guggenheim.  They will also be learning greetings in Spanish and how to conjugate verbs. They will have a quiz Tuesday on conjugating AR, ER and IR verbs along with a section on the greetings and introduction vocab.

Art - Mrs. Cookson

“Don’t be an art critic, but paint, there lies salvation.” - Paul Cézanne

Spending time fine tuning drawing skills.

8th: Architectural detail beginning of final drawing

7th: Sketches for Music posters

6th: Continue 1-point perspective drawing