April 27th - May 1st


SHARPEN THE SAW!
It is hard to believe we just completed our 5th week of eLearning!  At this point students, families, and teachers have settled into a routine.  Routines provide all of us comfort.  I would like to review a document we sent home earlier in our eLearning journey to refocus on the Middle School’s procedural expectations. It can be found HERE. Everyone's support of these expectations is a key reason why our eLearning process has been so successful.  Thank you for your continued support in making eLearning work for our students.

T2 HONOR ROLL
Congratulations to our T2 High Honor and Honor Roll students. Honor Roll certificates will be mailed to students next week. 

PUPPY & PET PARTY!
Help us celebrate puppies and ALL of our pets during our Virtual Puppy Party! Click HERE for more information.


 PARENTS - PLEASE SAVE THE DATE Please mark your calendar for our next set of Coffee and Conversations. The upcoming topic is "Education is a Journey Not a Race." More details to follow.
Prek-5th grade on Wednesday, May 6th at 6:00 pm
6th-8th grade on Thursday, May 7th at 6:00 pm

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.
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

Zoom has been going great and the students have been engaged, focused, and diligent. Next week in Algebra 1 class we will continue to practice using scientific notation, and we will start learning about writing and graphing exponential growth functions. 
Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Geometry, we will begin Chapter 12 by learning about solids and polyhedra (12.1) as well as learning how to find the surface area of prisms and cylinders (12.2).
Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Advanced Algebra, we will have a test on exponent rules and linear functions on Monday.  We will then begin learning how to solve systems of linear equations, starting with the graphing method.  As a reminder, challenge problem #25 is due by Monday, 4/27.
Physical Science - Ms. Hoffman
 This week in physical science, students have discussed properties and interactions of light, the parts of the eye and how we see. They also completed an at-home lab--Am I really that transparent?  During this unique at-home situation, students decided final materials to use and where to conduct their experiments and several students worked with a parent or sibling.  I was very proud of the initiative and work ethic of our 8th graders during this assignment.  They are also doing very well writing up their lab conclusions.  All this hard work learning proper lab procedures and techniques will enable them to excel in their high school lab experiences.  
Next week we will finish learning about color and how we see and also review our information on the EM spectrum, light, the eye and color.  On Wednesday 4/29/20, we will have a take-home test on this information.  (I will actually be out of town on Friday 5/1/20, so we will not have a Zoom science class that day.)  A study guide outline went home today and we will have a study session on Tuesday from 11:30 - 12noon for this test.   Students must adhere to the HDS Honor Code to take this assessment at home without using their notes, book or computer assistance.  The test will last approximately one class period and will be the same format as other assessments we have had.  Finally, also due next week on Thursday, 4/30/20 is the last Science Choice Board assignment of the year.  Students need to submit this onto the Google Doc assignment already set up in Google Classroom. They should email me if they do not know which format they have left to choose from.
Our last unit of the year starting the first week of May will be on electricity and magnetism. Students will learn about parallel and series circuits, static electricity, electromagnets and  electric motors.  They will also write a short report about the information they have studied.  Depending on the availability of supplies at home, we will conduct another at-home lab.
Please feel free to contact me via email with any questions or concerns.  Students are strongly encouraged to use the instructional time from 11:15 - noon M/T/Th/F and 8am to noon on Wednesdays to ask questions, review and complete make up work with teachers.  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 important way to contact students about missing/ incomplete work and/or clarification on assignments.
                 
English Language Arts - Mrs. Boyer
We are venturing into our wrap-up weeks with 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?

This assignment will take us to the end of the year. 


**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. 
History & Gov’t II - Mrs. Robinson
Next week, in American History & Government II, we will be continuing our unit on the Cold War. This past week we focused on The Red Scare and McCarthyism. We examined how Americans felt about communism at the time and how the country responded to those concerns. Next week we will be focusing on the Cuban Missile Crisis and how the threat of nuclear warfare changed American life. 
8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hill
Vocabulary and grammar review: Continuing the present indicative of regular and irregular verbs and the use of the Imperfect tense verbs to describe something that you used to do, Reviewing adverbs of frequency, Daily routines, Reflexive pronouns, Reflexive verbs, School routine vocabulary, Telling when things happen or used to happen. 
We will be working on the second and third set of questions for our “Diary of an Enclosed Kid” visual journal. Please complete the questions as they are assigned on the same doc/slides you shared with me with your example questions. Look for feedback on your 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

Zoom has been going great and the students have been engaged, focused, and diligent. Next week in Algebra 1 class we will continue to practice using scientific notation, and we will start learning about writing and graphing exponential growth functions.  
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 9 by learning how to simplify radical expressions with variables in them (9.2) and learning how to use the Pythagorean Theorem to find missing side lengths in right triangles and to determine if a triangle is right or not given only its side lengths (9.3).  As a reminder, challenge problem #24 is due by Tuesday, 4/28.
History & Gov’t I - Mrs. Robinson
Next week, in American History & Government I, we will begin our Unit on The Age of Jackson. We will take a look at Andrew Jackson's legacies, both positive and negative, and work to understand what made this man so popular to the public. We will investigate the rebirth of the two party system as well as Jackson’s role in Indian Removal. 
7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hill
Vocabulary and grammar: Continued use of regular and irregular present indicative verbs and using reflexive verbs to describe routines, Using adverbs of frequency to describe daily routines, school vocabulary, telling when things happen, and discussing meals and activities. 
We will be working on the second and third 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. 
ELA - Mrs. Boyer
Literature: Students have been engaging in a Short Story Unit! They have read “Flowers for Algernon”, “Two Kinds”, and “The Most Dangerous Game”. We have been reading, discussing, and analyzing together; however, it is imperative that students reread before taking the assessments/completing the activities. A scanned story is online for all of the material that we will cover. 
Short Story Test will be on 5/1. 
Writing: Students will be closing out the year with a writing project which will focus on their creative techniques. 
**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
We had another great week in life science. Please continue to check the google classroom daily for announcements and reminders. I have created a HOMEWORK topic and all homework is now listed under this category. Additional study material such as kahoots, videos, and google slides are listed under the topic of study.  This week in life science, we will begin our investigation of  viruses to prepare us to study immunity and disease. Students have done great work on their Bacteria/Virus Most Wanted Project. Students will have a quiz on viruses on Thursday, April 30.

Accelerated Math 7 - Mr. Cargile

Zoom has been going great and the students have been engaged, focused, and diligent. Next week in Accelerated Math 7 we will continue learning about Proportions, and we will also apply ratio and proportion to scale drawings.
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week, in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 9 by learning how to simplify radical expressions with variables in them (9.2) and learning how to use the Pythagorean Theorem to find missing side lengths in right triangles and to determine if a triangle is right or not given only its side lengths (9.3).  As a reminder, challenge problem #24 is due by Tuesday, 4/28.
ELA - Mrs. Sasser
This week, students will finish their novel, The Giver. They will have a final test over the second half of the novel on Monday May 4th. 
In the coming weeks, students will have a couple of individual and group projects to complete. They’ll complete a character analysis group project this week, which will be due Friday by 12:00pm. They’ll need to check Google Classroom regularly for information and be sure to stay up-to-date on project requirements. 
Students will also need to complete IXL Sections  HH 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.  This will be due on Friday for an averaged classwork grade. Many students have not been completing the IXL sections regularly, so please encourage them to work on this throughout the week. It is counted as classwork/homework grade each week. 
T3 Reading Log Project: Students will be given a choice of five different novels to read. They will read their chosen novel independently over the course of the trimester and complete a Google form, answering key discussion questions about their novel. All Google forms must be submitted by May 6th. 
Earth Science - Mrs. Hoffman
We have begun our last unit of the year...Astronomy.  We started off discussing the seasons, solstice and equinoxes.  We also learned about comets, asteroids and meteors.  To help with all the interesting vocabulary words for this unit the students began an Astronomy Alphabet book to list all these terms we will be studying. 
Next week we will learn about the moon, moon phases and solar/ lunar eclipses.   Our last Science in Comic of the year will be due Thursday, 4/30/20. Students need to submit this onto the Google Doc assignment already set up in Google Classroom. (They are also allowed to complete up to two more Science in Comics for this trimester for additional homework credit.) We have a quiz planned for Thursday, 5/7/20.  There will be a study session on Wednesday 5/6 for the quiz.  (Time TBA)  Later topics for this unit will include the sun, solar system, life cycle of stars and galaxies and an upcoming project making solar system trading cards. 
Please feel free to contact me via email with any questions or concerns.  Students are strongly encouraged to use the instructional time from 11:15 - noon M/T/Th/F and 8am to noon on Wednesdays to ask questions, review and complete make up work with teachers. 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 important way to contact students about missing/ incomplete work and/or clarification on assignments.
Earth Science - Mrs. DuRant
We’ve had a great week in Earth Science. Please continue to check the google classroom daily for announcements and reminders. I have created a HOMEWORK topic and all homework is now listed under this category. Additional study material such as kahoots, videos, and google slides are listed under the topic of study. Next week in Earth Science, we will be studying ocean currents. Students will complete a webquest on currents. They will have a quiz on Monday, April 27 on Chapter 16, Lesson 2, Waves and Tides.  We will also begin a project on marine life this week.  All instructions will be in the google classroom.
Ancient Civ -  Mr. O’Hayer
This week we will have a test on Tuesday the 28th. The test will cover material from Ch. 13. The material will cover Rome’s move  from a Republic to an Empire as well as daily life in Rome during the Empire. Students will only need to study my notes/slides as much of the material came from outside the Text. Friday we will introduce Ch. 14 Christianity and the Legacies of Rome. Note: We have already covered Christianity (during our Comparative Religions Unit), our focus will be Christianity in Rome and the fall of Rome. 
Spanish - Mr. Alexander
This week we will be reviewing the differences between muy and mucho as well as doing some activities to solidify our understanding.  Also, we will discuss some of the historical and cultural influences of the Spanish.  We will discuss some influential people of Hispanic/Latino descent and students will give a brief presentation on one of their choosing.

Art - Mrs. Cookson
“If you always do what you always did - you’ll always get what you always got.” - Unknown
ALL: Keep working on an idea from the Matrix (or one you have already cleared with me) and keep up on your weekly sketchbook prompt. Check out Google Classroom for some links to fun online art inspiration.
INSPIRATION: Live with Carnegie Hall

https://www.carnegiehall.org/Explore/Watch-and-Listen/Live-with-Carnegie-Hall

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