January 7th - January 11th

NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD

ST. VINCENT’S ACADEMY OPEN HOUSE SVA will be having an open house this Sunday, January 13 at 1:00pm.  Click HERE for more information.

CALVARY DAY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
Calvary Day School will be holding an open house on Sunday, January 27 at 2:00pm.  Click HERE for more information.

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 starting in January.  The cost will be $75 for 6 weeks.  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.

Calling all Runners and Walkers!

Start your year on the right foot with The Women’s Board of Bethesda and our fabulous community sponsors by joining us in the 2019 Yates-Astro Resolution Race and Pancake Breakfast. This event continues to grow each year, attracting runners and walkers from all over the region who want to kick off the new year by running to support Bethesda. This race is super unique and special because it is the only 5k in Savannah that goes through Bethesda's picturesque campus, past cows, marshland and Brownie the donkey. Following the race, our participants have the chance to take home medals for their winning race time or prizes for the most family, school or business participation.  Best of all, everyone gets to celebrate with a fabulous pancake breakfast! To the Women's Board, everyone is a winner for helping us to enrich the lives of the students of Bethesda.

To register for the race, please go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Savannah/Resolution

All of our students receive a discount to run! Just enter STUDENT19 when registering.  As this race is a fundraiser, this discount code is for students only and not transferable to family or friends. We also offer discounts to active military and servicemen and servicewomen.  Please contact one of us for more information.

Thank you for supporting the future of the young men of Bethesda Academy.  We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, January 12, 2019!

With grateful appreciation,

Tracey Tollison Ansley Threlkeld

2019 Race Chair 2019 Sponsorship Chair

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 appreciation 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

This week in Algebra, we will review the concepts from lesson 5.5 and 5.6 and will take a brief quiz over those sections on Thursday, January 10.  We will then begin reviewing for their Chapter 5 test that will take place on Tuesday, January 15. Students will receive their first challenge problem of 2019 on Monday, January 14.

Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back!  This week, we will start Chapter 8 by learning how to classify polygons (8.1), use the Polygon Interior and Exterior Angles Theorems to solve for different angle measures (8.2), and learn how to find missing lengths using area of squares, rectangles, and triangles (8.3-8.4).

Geometry - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back!  This week, we will start our unit on right triangle Trigonometry.  We will begin by learning what sine, cosine, and tangent are, using SOHCAHTOA to find missing side lengths, finding the measure of missing angles, and using Trigonometry in the real world (7.5-7.7).  There will be a short quiz on Thursday covering 7.5-7.6.

Physical Science - Ms. Hoffman

Welcome back to physical science and the new year!!  We finished off our December with the winners of our ice cube insulation lab and another heat lab looking at conductors and the heat produced during rusting.  Our winning containers for the ice cube insulators keeping our ice cube from melting were: Period 3--Will S and Joseph, Meg and Emma, Valerie and Hannah B and for Period 4--Kadynce and Hunter, Will T and Alden, Ryan and Conner.  (See the photos below.)

For the start of the new year, eighth grade students will begin a unit on motion, including speed, velocity and acceleration. The students will participate in various labs throughout the next month.  This week the students will create and interpret motion graphs to illustrate in two dimensions what happens in the 3-D world we live in and will also participate in a outdoors motion lab to compare speed during different activities and determine stopping distances. Next week we will begin discussing gravity, friction and forces. Our next quiz will be Friday, 1/25/19 and our January Science in Comics is due at the end of the month, Thursday, 1/31/19.  All students received a holiday homework pass from me to be used in my science class only. This is not for any science fair assignments and should be used for any emergency for forgotten or incomplete homework. I would suggest that it is NOT used on assignments that are beneficial to learning our content material, but the choice on when to use it is up to the student. No copies or replacements can be used and the original pass must be turned in on or before the assignment is due attached to that assignment.

  

Remaining due dates for the Science Fair Project are listed below. Each of these due dates shows the progress students are making on their project and are counted as one homework grade.  The four parts of this assignment that will be turned in when totally completed and their grade value are as follows: Formal report (end of trimester project grade), triptych (test grade), log book (homework grade) and presentation (classwork grade.)  All rubrics for these are found in the Science Fair Information Packet handed out the beginning of November and posted on Google Classroom. Please let me know of any questions you have or if you need to borrow any materials from me. As a reminder, Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:30-8am are designated to helping the eighth graders with their project.  

Science Fair Project Remaining Due Dates

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: Students will begin reading William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Students will be given the No Fear Shakespeare version which has the translated version on one side and the Shakespearean writing on the other. Students are more than welcome to take a copy home over the break to start their reading. As we read, students will have daily reading checks and activities that will only be possible to complete and engage with if the student has read their portion. We will be reading a few scenes in class and discussing the theater in terms of Shakespeare’s vision. We will also be diving into the vocabulary of Shakespearean language, his background, and the historical context of this play. It is critical that each student read and keep up with their studies. We will be interacting with this text from January 8th until Spring Break in March (however, we will be discussing the Holocaust and their T3 novel, Night, in order for the students to connect to the text while they are in Washington, DC).

Assessments: One-three Quizzes (one may be unannounced) TBA, One Test TBA

Vocab: Shakespearean Language, Vocabulary Unit 12-13, Quiz TBA

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

History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English

I hope you all had a wonderful break! I am excited to get back to school with all of the students. This week we are going to wrap up our study of World War I with a group research documentary. Students will have the opportunity to research a topic of their choice and create a documentary that teaches viewers about the subject. We will discuss themes like the role of war and how it affects society both socially and technologically speaking. Looking ahead, the project will be due Wednesday, January 9th.

Spanish - Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class the 8th grade will begin Chapter 4A. Students will learn about the imperfect tense as they describe their favorite childhood memories. We will review indirect object pronouns and begin writing biographies describing what their partner was like as a child.

7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

This week in Algebra, we will review the concepts from lesson 5.5 and 5.6 and will take a brief quiz over those sections on Thursday, January 10.  We will then begin reviewing for their Chapter 5 test that will take place on Tuesday, January 15. Students will receive their first challenge problem of 2019 on Monday, January 14.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back!  This week, we will begin Chapter 6 by learning about ratios and unit rates (6.1), writing and solving proportions (6.2), and solving proportions using cross products (6.3).  There will be a Math Facts Quiz on Wednesday.

History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English

I hope you all had a great break! Before the break we discussed the importance of spies  during the American Revolutionary War. We even tried spy techniques like invisible ink, book codes, and cipher codes. This week we will start Chapter 6.--The American Revolution, with specific discussions about the Declaration of Independence and its importance. Each student will have a portion of the Declaration to memorize for a project grade. Their homework for the week will be to work on their memorization section. They will present as a group on Thursday, January 10th. Looking forward to a great week!

Spanish - Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class we will begin Chapter 8A which covers vacation vocabulary and cultural perspectives on travel. They will continue to use the preterite tense to describe their favorite trips in the past and learn about the personal “a” in Spanish. Over the next couple weeks students will be given a country to research while planning a mock vacation under a tight budget.

ELA - Mrs. Boyer
Literature: We will be diving into our next theme: Voices of the World! The students will have a choice to read Just a Drop of Water, Refugee, All the Broken Pieces, or Hidden Figures (Young Readers Edition). This will be a writing/project heavy unit as we dive into discussing the world issues within these novels. Students will be writing a research paper, engaging in character analysis projects, plot mountains, research posters, etc.

Grammar: Predicate Adjectives/Predicate Nominatives

Vocabulary: Unit 5, Quiz TBA

Reading Novel Card:  Due Feb 1st

Life Science - Ms. Hoffman

Welcome back to life science and the new year!!  We finished off our December with our Genetics unit discovering how unique and complex life on earth is.  We now turn our attention to learning about the scientist Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection, explaining how plants and animals have made adaptations and changes over time to ensure survival.  Over this week we will discuss details of his voyage on the ship Beagle and the discoveries he made that are still the foundation we use today to explain biological adaptations.  Students will use the standard example of the peppered moth to construct graphs demonstrating this. Next week we will have a lab exploring the adaptations of bird beaks and continue learning about the theory of evolution.  We will also have our field trip to Skidaway Aquarium on Friday, 1/18/19 for a fish dissection and invertebrate lab. This field trip will last most of the day and more information will be given out next week. Our next quiz will be on Wednesday, 1/23/19 and our January Science in Comics is due at the end of the month, Thursday, 1/31/19.  All students received a holiday homework pass from me to be used in my science class only. This should be used for any emergency for forgotten or incomplete homework. I would suggest that it is NOT used on assignments that are beneficial to learning our content material, but the choice on when to use it is up to the student. No copies or replacements can be used and the original pass must be turned in on or before the assignment is due attached to that assignment.

6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon

This week in Accelerated Math 7, we will review the concepts from lesson 5.3 and 5.4 and introduce converting customary units.  Students will take a brief quiz over those sections on Friday, January 11. We will then begin reviewing for their Chapter 5 test that will take place on Wednesday, January 16.  Students will receive their first challenge problem of 2019 on Monday, January 14.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back!  This week, we will begin Chapter 6 by learning about ratios and unit rates (6.1), writing and solving proportions (6.2), and solving proportions using cross products (6.3).  There will be a Math Facts Quiz on Wednesday.

ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim

LITERATURE: We will begin reading the nonfiction book Phineas Gage: A True But Gruesome Story About Brain Science. There will be open-book quizzes after each chapter. We will be doing a number of activities to support our reading of the text. There is a short, small project that students will be given Tuesday and is due on Thursday. Students will research online and fill out an “expert” card about a topic from the text. When we get to that part in our reading, they will explain the topic to the class.

VOCABULARY: List 6 Greek/Latin words given out Tuesday. The quiz is scheduled for 1/15.

GRAMMAR:

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 will begin a new unit on Geology. To make things a little more interesting, I have created a Google Digital Interactive Notebook for them to use during this unit. Some HW will come from their Workbook which will also contain important notes for this unit. I I am currently working on the project that will be due for the T2 exam. I will send it home very shortly.  There will be a quiz 1/15/19 on the Earth’s layers as well as information from the Workbook that will be assigned for HW this week.

Ancient Civ -  Mr. O’Hayer

Welcome Back Everyone. I hope your holiday break was fun and relaxing. It’s time to dive back into exploring our Ancient Civilizations. The next Unit: The Ancient Hebrews. Our next chapter covers the Origins of Judaism (Ch.6). We begin with Lesson 1- The Beginnings of the Hebrew People. In this Lesson we will discuss and explain the significance of Abraham and Moses and their influence in Jewish history. Also, we will explore the Exodus and explain why it’s important in Jewish History. We will have our Lesson Quiz on Friday the 11th.

Spanish - Ms. Dubick

The 6th graders will be learning how to tell time in Spanish this week!  They will also be reviewing numbers and learning about present day Cuba.

Art - Mrs. Cookson

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” - Pablo Picasso

Welcome back to school and creativity.

8th: Will pick up where we left off with detail architectural drawings

7th: No art this week due to Tuesday start

6th: Will also pick up where we left off with a 1-point perspective drawing