September 14th - September 18th

 

CARPOOL - NO PARKING ZONE!

An increasing number of Middle School cars are arriving significantly before the requested 3:15 arrival time and parking around the turning zone by Hancock Hall.  This is blocking Gold Zone cars from moving efficiently through carpool.  Please do not arrive before 3:15!  Adhering to this schedule will make afternoon carpool faster for everyone.  Thank you.

OCTOBER LUNCH

October lunch sign up is OPEN!  The deadline for October lunches to be ordered and submitted is Wednesday, September 23rd! To sign up, you need to go onto your FACTS account and click LUNCH from the menu bar.  Click on the monthly option on the right top bar, click on your STUDENT’S name, click on CREATE WEB ORDER, click on your STUDENT’S name again and the offerings should appear.  Click on your choices and make sure you do for EVERY week of the month for the days you are participating.  Scroll down and hit SUBMIT AND PAY.  Follow the same steps for your other child.  The order will not come through unless that SUBMIT AND PAY part is done.  

ATTENTION 8TH GRADE
Unfortunately, the High School Fair on September 23rd has been cancelled. To help support students and families with the admissions process to high school, we have scheduled a Zoom session with Helese Sandler of Savannah Educational Consultants for Thursday, October 1st at 6:00pm - parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend. More information and a Zoom link will be emailed to you 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.

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 #4: JUST BREATHE! Please remember to take the time to relax. Deep, measured breaths can calm the nervous system down and help you get refocused. Slowly take a deep breath, hold it for a sec or two, and slowly let it out. Repeat. This can be very calming when you are getting frustrated or stressed about an assignment. Just breathe! 

I have reached out to all middle school students to make sure they are aware of Counseling Services and how to access them.  Furthermore, if you have a student who is participating in zoom classes who would benefit from some social and emotional support, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  

Allison Maher 

amaher@hancockdayschool.org       

ALGEBRA - MRS. SMOAK

We have a quiz on sections 2.1-2.3: Operations of real numbers on Monday. After that, we will have a lab on problems solving and then we will work on distribution, division of real and rational numbers.  

GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 2 by learning about using postulates and diagrams (2.4), and we will learn how to do our first proofs using algebra (2.5) and segments and angles (2.6).

ELA - MRS. BOYER

This week we are starting our introduction of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Students will be taking notes on the history behind the novel as well as discussing topics such as racism, identity, and stereotypes. We will also be looking into the Depression, and students will be viewing images from the Rural South during this time period. This week will be a week of exposition; we will be setting the scene for their reading. Students will receive their novels and Chapters 1-7 are due by September 21st. Students may read ahead, but please do not spoil anything for other students. It is highly suggested that students ANNOTATE as they read. 

Students will have a quiz, a pop quiz and a test on this novel. 

Quiz: 10/2

Test: 10/23 (subject to change)

Students are in the middle of Unit 2 Vocabulary. There will be a quiz on 9/18. 

Social distancing group work! Students are working on a creative project: Character Analysis Body Bios! :)

HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH - MRS. SALE

Hi...this week we kick it off with ‘’forming questions’’ and ‘’question words’’.  We will also review the verb ESTAR and work closely with the two verbs ESTAR & SER.  Friday, the students will take a quiz on ‘’estar and ser’’....I look forward to working with your kiddos this week.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

This week in physical science students finalized their science fair project topics and had their first log book check.  Each science fair progress check is due on a Wednesday and all the due dates are listed in their science fair packet that went home on 8/31/20 and is found on Google Classroom under the heading Science Fair. (The remaining dates are also listed below.)  Our next science fair progress check will be on 9/23/20 when all the detailed materials and procedures are due.  

We have also begun learning information on matter, changes in states of matter, compounds/ mixtures and chemical/ physical properties and changes.  We will continue this subject matter next week, including a lab on chemical changes.  Our quiz on this material will be next Tuesday, 9/15 and our test will be on Friday 9/18/20. 

Remaining Science Fair Project Dates

                                                (* Indicate Homework Grades)      

 

Wednesday                9/23/20                        *Log Book Check with detailed Science Fair

Materials and Procedures

Wednesday                10/7/20                        *Log Book Check with Research Notes Due

Wednesday                10/21/20                     Rough Draft of Background/ Research Info                                                                       (email or share document)

Wednesday                10/21/20                    *Log Book Check with Updates/ Revisions 

 

Wednesday                11/11/20                     *Final Draft of Background/ Research Info 

                                                                                     (email or share document)

Wednesday                12/2/20                        *Log Book Check with Data/ Results OR

    Prototype/Solution 

 

Wednesday                12/9/20                        *Log Book Check/ Updated Results OR 

Solution  AND Sketch of Triptych

  Completed Formal Report (printed) 

 

Wednesday                12/16/20                     All Completed Project Triptych & Log Book 

            Project presentations also this week

US HISTORY - MRS. ROBINSON

Next week, in American History & Government, we will continue to explore the issues that divided the United States between North and South, ultimately leading to the Civil War. We will look at reform movements that were taking place in the 1800’s, specifically the abolitionist movement and the early women’s rights movement. Understanding these movements will give us a deeper understanding of the divides growing in the nation.

ADVANCED SPANISH - MRS. SALE

Hola estudiantes…..this week we will tackle the verb SER as well as learning the ‘’subject pronouns’’. This involves conjugating verbs.  As we work with the verb SER,  we will also learn to tell time in Spanish.  On Friday, things will be wrapped up with a quiz over numbers 0-39, SER and subject pronouns.  I look forward to working with your kiddos this week.  

ADVANCED SPANISH - MR. ALEXANDER

Hola estudiantes…..this week we will tackle the verb SER as well as learning the ‘’subject pronouns’’. This involves conjugating verbs.  As we work with the verb SER,  we will also learn to tell time in Spanish.  On Friday, things will be wrapped up with a quiz over numbers 0-39, SER and subject pronouns.

ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. SMOAK

We have a quiz on sections 2.1-2.3: Operations of real numbers on Monday. After that, we will have a lab on problems solving and then we will work on distribution, division of real and rational numbers.  

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 2 by practicing simplifying variable expressions (2.3), writing and solving simple equations (2.4), and solving one-step equations using addition and subtraction (2.5).  There will be the first Math Facts Quiz on Tuesday (students were given the outline last Tuesday).  There will also be a quiz covering sections 2.1-2.3 on Friday.

ELA - MRS. BOYER

We have entered a new world!! We have begun our Introduction into the Hero’s Journey. We are reviewing Joseph Campbell’s idea of the Monomyth, and students received a Hero’s Guidebook which should be read by 9/16. The Hero’s Journey will be a major focus for projects, activities, and assessments. Students have been put into Book Clubs with the choice of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Students will be engaging with the following literary devices throughout this unit: Exposition, Setting, Imagery, Point of View and Dialogue. 

All resources are on GC in the World Building Topic. 

We are in the second week of Unit 2 of Vocabulary and there is a quiz on 9/18. We are working through DGP as well. 

ELA - MRS. SASSER

Students have done an amazing job jumping into our Hero’s Journey unit and analyzing Harry Potter. I have been so impressed with their discussions and how they are unpacking this novel! Next week, students will have a quiz over chapters 6-10 on Wednesday and be expected to read chapters 11-14. Students are not receiving general chapter guided questions for this unit. Instead they should be taking in depth notes in their Interactive Notebooks, making connections between the characters, plot, and Hero’s Journey as they read. They are expected to add to their chapter notes during our class discussions. 

A note about assigned reading---students should check Google Classroom regularly and keep up with the reading. Normally, they will have 2-3 days to read the chapters. They should come prepared to discuss the reading and complete assignments based on it. If they fall behind, it will be very difficult for them to be successful with their in class assignments. Students are always welcome to come to my room in the mornings starting at 7:25 if they’d like to sit in a quiet space to read. 

Students will also be working through their second unit in the new Sadlier vocabulary books. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, September 25th. 

Sent home via email and posted on Google Classroom were the requirements for this trimesters reading log. Please review these carefully and help your child select a novel to read. They must have their novel in class with them no later than September 18th. 

LIFE SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

Next week in Life Science, we will begin our week with a Kahoot review on Monday. Students will have a unit test on the Classification of Organisms on Tuesday.  We will then begin our unit on Cells. After an introduction to Cell Theory, we will use the microscopes to view cork cells and various other cells. Students will also participate in a station lab on cell theory.

US HISTORY - MRS. ROBINSON

Next week in American History & Government, students will continue to dig into our unit on community and civilization. We will be wrapping up our look into the first early civilizations in order to define what a civilization is. We will also begin exploring how distinct communities with distinct cultures can develop within one civilization by studying the early British colonies in America and their unique make ups. Our first quiz will be Thursday, Sept 17th.

US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER

Next week in US History we will continue working on Unit 2: Community and Civilizations. This unit will reveal how Native American tribes used geography and culture to define their civilizations. Students will work together in creating a “picture show” of selected Native American tribes to show how communities of the early Americas developed and influenced the emerging British colonies. Our first Quiz will be Thursday, September 17th.

ACCELERATED MATH - MR. CARGILE

Next week in Accelerated Math 7 we will conclude our unit on Number Sense, Patterns, and Algebraic Thinking. On Monday and Tuesday we will prepare for the Chapter 1 test, which is on Wednesday!

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 2 by practicing simplifying variable expressions (2.3), writing and solving simple equations (2.4), and solving one-step equations using addition and subtraction (2.5).  There will be the first Math Facts Quiz on Tuesday (students were given the outline last Tuesday).  There will also be a quiz covering sections 2.1-2.3 on Friday.

EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

This week in Earth science we are finishing up our information on the four states of matter and how they change.  Students also participated in a Conservation of Mass lab (see photos below) and are learning to write basic lab reports.  Ending our week was the unit test on this material.  

Next week we will begin heat and temperature, including the basic processes of conduction, convection and radiation. We will also discuss global warming, the Greenhouse Effect and land/sea breezes.  Students will then create a heat transfer booklet during class and have a 10 question “pop” quiz over the material.

EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

We had a great week in Earth Science as we discussed the states of matter and participated in activities to reinforce those concepts. Students participated in an engaging lab exploring plasma. Next week in Earth Science, students will begin the week with a Kahoot review for their first unit test which will be on Tuesday. We will also conduct a lab to reinforce the Law of Conservation of Mass. We will then begin to discuss heat transfer and students will begin a fun project in which they will make a heat transfer booklet. 

ELA - MRS. SASSER

Students will finish up their unit on writing and reading strategies and have a test on Thursday, September 17th. We will review in class for this test, and students should be studying the notes we’ve taken throughout the course of this unit. Their notes can be found in their interactive notebooks. 

On Friday, we will begin our short story unit and analyze the points of plot and conflict. 

Students will also be working through their second unit in the new Sadlier vocabulary books. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, September 25. 

Sent home via email and posted on Google Classroom were the requirements for this trimesters reading log. Please review these carefully and help your child select a novel to read. They must have their novel in class with them no later than September 18th. 

INTRO SPANISH - MR. ALEXANDER

This week we will learn the items in a classroom, days and months and will also introduce the Mayan culture and review the alphabet. We will have a vocabulary quiz on Friday.

WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER

Next week we will finish up Chapter 1: The Ancient Greek City-States. In chapter 1 we are learning how ancient Greek City-States evolved  and influenced the development of political systems as well as Greek life. We will have a Quiz on Chapter 1 on Tuesday the 15th. Looking ahead we will start Chapter 2 next Wednesday. After we finish Chapter 2 we will have a test on Chapter 1 and 2 on September 22nd. We are moving at a slow pace as we get used to taking notes/outlines, readings, and the overall rigors of the class. After Chapter 2 we will pick up the pace substantially. 

ART - MRS. COOKSON

“If we could see ourselves as others see us, one thing we’d need is an introduction.” - Franklin P. Jones

Sketchbook Prompt: Draw a design you think would make a cool tattoo for you. Remember that tattoos are often symbols of things important to the person wearing it.

8th: Will finish up the Toppling Tower and begin to take a closer look at the architectural elements of our school

7th: Will continue to study the human figure both still and in motion

6th: Will wrap up a collaborative, imaginative piece with a new twist