August 31st - September 4th

 

CARPOOL

Please do not enter the HDS campus in the afternoon for White Gate carpool until 3:15pm. This will allow for a smoother and quicker Green and Gold Gate pickup and in the end, speed up the white gate dramatically.

USE OF ZOOM FOR COVID-RELATED ABSENCES

In the MIddle School, if your child is out for Covid-related issues, please contact Mrs. Smoak (esmoak@hancockdayschool.org), and we will set up an iPad to Zoom with them throughout the day. It is important for your child to “arrive” to classes on time so the teacher can admit him/her and begin teaching class. The same Zoom link sent to him/her will be used for every class throughout the time your child is absent. If you have issues with logging in, please contact Mrs. Smoak or Mrs. Guggenheim for assistance.

If the absence is for any other reason, please ask your child to email his/her teachers to let them know they’ll be out and ask for any work/assignments. We will not be able to Zoom at this time for a non-Covid related absence due to a limited IT capacity.

There is a labeled blue bin outside the entrance to the Middle School for work/materials that need to go home. Please let us know if you’d like us to use that or if there is a sibling or friend to give the work to.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BINS

Outside the middle school office are bins for drop-off items for students grade 6-8. 

If you leave an item in a bin, please send Mrs. Mannarino an email. 

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY

School pictures for the middle school are scheduled for September 10th and September 11th. More information will be available next week.

ASSESSMENTS CALENDAR

We have created a great way for students and parents to check for upcoming assessments.  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.

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.

Welcome back to school!! This year in the LC Corner, I will be offering tips and strategies to support your work at school. Please reach out to me anytime you need assistance or have any questions. 

Tip #2: GO TO YOUR TEACHERS WHEN YOU NEED SUPPORT. Your teachers are here to help you! Please see them in the morning before school (if it needs to be at 7:30, please email or speak to them the day before to make sure they will be available). You may also schedule a time with the teacher after school, at break, or during the study hall after lunch. Your teachers want to support you; all you need to do is ask :). If you need help scheduling a time to meet with a teacher, I’m happy to assist. It’s all about self-advocating...you can do it!

With the start of a new school year, many parents deal with shifting routines and the “morning rush” to get out the door.  Middle school students should be capable of setting their own alarm to get up each morning.  It’s also a great time to encourage increased responsibility such as having your student pack up the night before and put together a healthy lunch.      

ALGEBRA - MRS. SMOAK

Next week we will finish chapter 1, which is a review of expressions and inequalities. The test will be on Wednesday. Then we will start on Integers, Rational, and Real numbers. I have been so impressed with the work ethic and the attitudes of the Algebra 1 students so far. Keep it up!

GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 1 by learning the basics of polygons (1.6).  There will be a quiz covering sections 1.1-1.5 on Monday, a day of review on Tuesday, and the Chapter 1 test on Wednesday.  We will then begin Chapter 2, which introduces logic and reasoning by learning about inductive reasoning (2.1) and conditional statements (2.2).

ELA - MRS. BOYER

Welcome! For the next few weeks we will be working through Fahrenheit 451 as we discuss themes such as censorship, the power of education, propaganda, etc. Students will be having class discussions through  DQs, a Socratic Seminar, writing assignments, class activities, etc. Students will have a test over F451 on September 11th, 2020. 

Students will have begun Unit 1 Vocabulary. There will be a quiz on 9/4. 

Here are some of the Wonderful Pride & Prejudice Summer Posters!

HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH - MRS. SALE

Hola...we will be starting the week off with a review quiz.  The quiz will include the ABC’s, the two sets of articles, conversation questions, vocabulary and numbers 0-100.  Spelling and accents will count.  After the quiz, we will begin to review subject pronouns and the verb SER-to be.  There will be a worksheet which will most likely turn into HW.  Tuesday, we will continue to work with the verb SER.  We will review the concept of Telling Time.  Wednesday, the students will play a review game and Thursday the students will complete a study guide over chapter 1.  Friday the 8th graders will have their first Spanish test.  The test will include....ABCs, 2 sets of articles, conversation questions, numbers 0-100, the subject pronouns, the verb SER and telling time.  I hope everyone has a great week and a super Labor Day weekend. :)  

PHYSICAL SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

This week the eighth graders have been reviewing lab safety and measurement and have completed a six station measurement lab collecting data on volume (rectangular and irregular objects), mass, time, weight and temperature. (See photos below.) They have also started learning about the engineering process and comparing it to the scientific method. Lastly, they participated in a lab using the engineering process to “save” Wendall the (Gummy) Worm.  (Photos next week.)  

On Monday, 8/31 students will receive their log books and Science Fair packets for the eighth grade Science Fair Project.  It will contain all the information necessary for this three month long project, including due dates for the nine separate homework grades, as well as four additional grades (homework, classwork, test grade and end-of-the trimester) that are associated with this large assignment. The majority of the work will be conducted at home and the final project is due on Wednesday, 12/16/20.  To help students understand the process they will design and conduct a sample mini-project during class and spend one class period researching project ideas to help decide on a topic. Next week, also on 8/31, will be due our August Science in Comics assignment.  The students have the Science in Comics direction sheet and completed an example of one during class last week.  Copies of comics they can use, as well as, grading rubrics are found in our classroom.  Our quiz on lab safety, measurement, lab equipment and the engineering process will be on Friday, 9/4/20.

 

US HISTORY - MRS. ROBINSON

It has been an exciting first full week back with the students! So glad to have them on campus. Next week in American History & Government students will be working on, and finishing up, our first unit on Personal History with an HDS Legacy project. Students will work on creating a plan to leave the legacy they want at HDS. We will spend the end of the week starting our second unit, A Dividing Nation, where we will review what we covered last year and dig into what issues were pulling the nation apart before the start of the Civil War. 

ADVANCED SPANISH - MRS. SALE

Hola chicos and chicas!!! We will begin the week with a quiz!  The quiz will include the Spanish alphabet and the vocabulary ( that was given out along with the alphabet letters).  The kiddos will then begin to learn the definite articles.  There are four of them.  That day in class, they will also receive new vocabulary words.  The students will learn about making words plural in Spanish.  Mid-week we will continue to work on the articles and vocabulary.  Follow up will be presented with a worksheet.  On Thursday, after a review session, the students will play a review game.  This is to better prepare them for Friday’s quiz.  Yes...you heard me. :)  We will have a quiz on Friday.  The quiz will include the ABC’s, conversational questions, vocabulary, definite articles, singular and plural words, greetings and farewells.  The quiz will wrap up the week.  I hope everyone has an awesome week and a fantastic labor Day weekend. :)

ADVANCED SPANISH - MR. ALEXANDER

Hola chicos and chicas!!! I hope you had a great weekend...we are going to start our week off by learning the Spanish alfabeto. This week ‘greetings & farewells” will be introduced.  Also, ‘’basic conversation’’ will be introduced to you. Two worksheets will be completed and on Friday you will have a quiz!  The quiz will cover the Spanish alphabet/vocabulary words.  We will then end Friday with a game of Lucita.

ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. SMOAK

Next week we will finish chapter 1, which is a review of expressions and inequalities. The test will be on Wednesday. Then we will start on Integers, Rational, and Real numbers. I have been so impressed with the work ethic and the attitudes of the Algebra 1 students so far. Keep it up!

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 1 by learning how to multiply and divide integers (1.7) and the basics of plotting points on the coordinate plane (1.8).  There will be a day of review on Thursday and the Chapter 1 test on Friday.

ELA - MRS. BOYER

Welcome! For the next three weeks we will be working through a Writer’s Boot Camp! Students will be writing a summer reading themed four paragraph essay. We will be reviewing the S.R.E.S. writing foundation. There will be two weeks of writing during class (teacher conferences, peer editing, etc.) and then one week of independent/ at home work. Final Essays will be due on September 11th. 

Students will also be working through their first unit in the new Sadlier vocabulary books. There will be a vocabulary quiz on September 4th. 

ELA - MRS. SASSER

This week, students will have an SRES and thesis statement quiz on 9/2. This is all review from last year, so students should be comfortable with this writing process. They will also finish up their character analysis essay, which is due Wednesday, September 2nd. Students are welcome to come in early prior to the due date to go over their drafts and discuss their writing. Starting Thursday, we will begin our unit on Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey. Students will analyze each section of The Hero’s Journey as they begin reading Harry Potter on Friday. 

Students will also be working through their first unit in the new Sadlier vocabulary books. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, September 11th. 

LIFE SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

Next week in Life Science, students will continue to learn about microscopes. We will also have a microscope lab. Then we will begin to discuss Characteristics of Life and Classification of Organisms. I have rescheduled the Lab Safety quiz to Tuesday.

US HISTORY - MRS. ROBINSON

It has been a pleasure teaching the 7th graders this year, I am really enjoying getting to know them! Next week students will be wrapping up our Personal History Unit with the completion of their Family History Project. By the end of the week we will begin our second unit, Community & Civilizations. We will be researching and comparing early Native American tribes as a way to study how geography and climate affect culture.   

US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER

Next week we will continue focusing on our Family History project. Each day the kids will responsible for certain parts that they will need to turn in/show me and this will help them keep on track and be ready when the project is due. Toward the end of next week we will begin our next Unit: Community and Civilizations. This unit will reveal how Native American tribes used geography and culture to define their civilizations. 

ACCELERATED MATH - MR. CARGILE

Next week in Accelerated Math 7 we will continue our unit on Number Sense, Patterns, and Algebraic Thinking. We will learn about exponents and then take a few days working on order of operations. On Friday, we will have a check-up quiz to make sure everyone is on track with their understanding of exponents and order of operations. 

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 1 by learning how to multiply and divide integers (1.7) and the basics of plotting points on the coordinate plane (1.8).  There will be a day of review on Thursday and the Chapter 1 test on Friday.

EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

This week in science the sixth graders learned about lab safety and discussed more information about measuring matter, especially calculating density.  Students also participated in two lab activities. During our Lifesaver Lab they practiced following lab directions and collecting data as they determined the time and variables associated with dissolving the lifesaver candies in their mouth. (see photos below.)  The second lab involved measuring the density of objects that were either rectangular and irregular shaped. (Photos next week.)  Upcoming assignments include our August Science in Comics due on 8/31/20 (see photos below for our in-class example of completing this monthly assignment). The students have the Science in Comics direction sheet and completed a sample during class last week.   Copies of comics they can use, as well as, grading rubrics are found in our classroom.  The quiz on lab safety and measurement will be on Wednesday, 9/2/20.  Next week we will also begin discussing the four states of matter, their properties and how they change phases, including contraction and expansion.

EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

This week in Earth Science, we will begin the week with an overview of the scientific method with a mini lab to help students understand the scientific process. We will then discuss density, before moving to a review of states of matter including plasma. I have rescheduled the quiz on lab safety to Tuesday, September 1.

ELA - MRS. SASSER

This week, students will continue to review our SRES writing method. Students should be studying this regularly and diligently, as we will use this process all year long. They will have a quiz over this topic on Tuesday, September 1st. After looking at multiple practice paragraphs, students will draft their own paragraphs using SRES. As with any writing assignment, students are always welcome to come in early before school if they would like me to check over their writing. 

Later in the week, we will review key reading strategies that help with annotating and digging deeper into texts. Students will read various non-fiction articles to practice these strategies. 

Students will also be working through their first unit in the new Sadlier vocabulary books. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, September 11th. 

INTRO SPANISH - MR. ALEXANDER

This week we will continue reviewing and slowly introducing new material related to the classroom, alphabet, number (to 100), telling time and the calendar.  We will begin having quizzes this week, starting with an oral quiz on basic greetings and farewells.

WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER

Next week we will continue to work on our Family History projects. Each day we will focus on certain segments of the project and make sure the students are on pace and ready to go when its time to turn in their project. Later in the week we will begin our first Unit in WH: Ancient Greece and Rome. One major focus will be developing good habits as it relates to note-taking and outlining. 

ART - MRS. COOKSON

“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” -Michelangelo

8th: Graffiti Art - Building off our introduction to Graffiti and Street Art, students will utilize the primary colors to mix secondary and tertiary colors to paint a complimentary color wheel around their name in graffiti. 

7th: Geometric Still Life - Building off of our fundamental observational drawings, students will move one step closer to a multi-object still life by drawing one object in detail.

6th: Adjective, Adjective, Noun - Students will continue with exploring creative thinking on their imaginative drawings by incorporating color and line.