April 26th - April 30th

  

May lunch sign-up is open.

The deadline is Wednesday, April 28th.

Spring Picture sign-up is open.

Spring pictures will be on Thursday, April 29th.

JOIN THE GREEN TEAM!

See details under Community Service Opportunities!

 

8TH GRADE INFOCUS GRADUATION PICTURES

Parents: In Focus Photography will be taking Hancock Day School 8th grade graduation pictures on May 27, 2021 prior to the graduation ceremony.  Please have students arrive at 5:15 to have the class picture taken at 5:30pm sharp. If you are interested in purchasing pictures, please follow the directions below: In Focus is now offering prepay online by credit cards or through PayPal.  

• Please print THIS ORDER FORM.

• Please fill out the information and return to the school by May 26, 2021 or email the order form to terri@infocus.photo with payment having been processed online.

• Please go to www.infocus.photo to  pay online.

• Please type “HDS” for the school.  

• Hit the “Blue” pay online button.

• Please enter the cost of your order only.

• $5 shipping charge is automatically added.

• The orders will be mailed to your mailing address within 2 to 3 weeks.

If you have any questions, please contact Terri Thompson, owner, directly either by phone, 912-247-0404 or email, terri@infocus.photo. Please feel free to check out their website at www.infocus.photo.

 

CAMPUS SAFETY REMINDERS

For the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and administrative team members, please remember to put your mask on if you are outside of your vehicle on campus for any reason. Additionally, parents are still not allowed inside the buildings unless they have a scheduled meeting. Thank you for your understanding and support!

 

CARPOOL REMINDERS

Early checkouts should continue to occur by 2:15pm due to our staggered dismissal times this year. Please submit all changes using our Daily Carpool Changes form. Also, parents have been getting on campus too early for white gate pickup, which causes delays for parents picking up students in the gold zone.  Middle School students do not exit the building before 3:15pm, so please do not arrive on campus before then.  In the end, it will be faster for all of us!

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.

JOIN THE GREEN TEAM!!

NEW ON CAMPUS COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY!  

Good environmental practices begin locally.  We are looking for student volunteers to give up some time each week during their Eagle Op period to green up our campus.  Each week Mr. Crawford will coordinate projects that will enhance the beauty and functionality of our campus environment.  Students who wish to volunteer should email Mr. Crawford at hcrawford@hancockdayschool.org.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY!

We have had great success at securing volunteers to escort HRB PK - 2nd grade students during morning carpool!  Because of this, we will limit one day a week per student.  Reminder: duty hours are 7:45 - 8:10.  ½ hour of community service credit each day.  Please keep track of the weather and dress appropriately. Students should keep a log of their hours on the community service form. If you are interested see Mrs. Mannarino to sign up!

WALKERS FOR NEXT WEEK

Monday, April 26th: Mary Margaret and Madison

Tuesday, April 27th: Lyla and Katherine

Wednesday, April 28th: Ben and Jack

Thursday, April 29th: Cullen and Andrew

Friday, April 30th: Boots and Maggie

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

TIP #30: GET SECRETARIAL.

• Taking notes is a great way to remind yourself of what you learned. It also helps focus your attention during class, so you don't drift off into a daydream. Use class notes to make homework time faster or to help with studying for tests and big projects. Create a shorthand to make note taking faster and more fun like using emojis for common terms or using the first letter of each syllable in a word instead of writing out long words. (https://teens.lovetoknow.com/teens-school/tips-how-survive-middle-school)

The weather has warmed up and you may find your student’s motivation (as well as your own) waning as the clock ticks closer to summer.  However, it is a great time to teach children about diligence and working hard all the way up to the end of the school year.  Here are some tips to curb Spring Fever:

How to Help Your Child Focus on School and Avoid Spring Fever

Allison Maher 

amaher@hancockdayschool.org       

ALGEBRA - MRS. SMOAK

Next week, we will be working on Chapter 9 about polynomials. We will cover multiplying polynomials with one (9.2) or two (9.3) variables. We will then solve factored polynomials (9.4). There will be a quiz Friday, April 30. 

GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 11 by having a day of review on Monday and the Chapter 11 test on Tuesday.  We will then begin Chapter 12 by learning about solids and polyhedra (12.1) and begin discussing surface area (12.2).

ELA - MRS. BOYER

This week we will be reviewing Act III, but students should continue to read through Act IV and V. Students will be choosing a scene, rewriting it in modern day, and creating a staging notebook to show their director view point. 

Memorization Project: Students have been given about five sections of 14-17 lines to memorize from Romeo and Juliet. The memorization is due by May 12th. This will act as one of the final projects for the unit/trimester. The assignment has been posted in GC for more information. :) They will also need an old/new blank t-shirt of any color. 

Romeo & Juliet will bring us to the end of T3.Their exam will be the unit test for Romeo & Juliet, and an essay regarding the theme from all novels of the year. 

*It is critically important that all 8th graders stick with the timelines I give them for reading and projects. Also, if students are spending more than 25-35 minutes on ELA homework, please send them to me in the morning. Students in the 8th grade really need to pay attention to their time management skills before moving forward to 9th grade.*

HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH - MRS. SALE

Hola….we will begin the week with more work on the REFLEXIVE tense.  After mid week, the students will play a review game of BINGO using the reflexive verbs.  On Friday, there will be a quiz.  The assessment  will cover vocabulary and reflexive conjugations of the reflexive verbs.  Have a great weekend.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

Light and how it interacts with matter has been the focus of our most recent science discussions in eighth grade.  This includes light reflection, refraction, diffraction, absorption and scattering.  Students also participated in a lab to demonstrate the way light transmits through objects including testing opaque, translucent and transparent materials.  (See photos below.) We concluded our week with a quiz on the EM spectrum and light.  

Next week we will continue light with information on the parts of the eye and how we see different colors.  We will also explore optical illusions and look at some fun examples.  Our last Science in Comic assignment for the school year is also due next week on Friday, 4/30/21.   The following week we will investigate mirrors and lenses, including an interactive lab.  The unit test for EM spectrum/ Light will be on Thursday, 5/6/21.

US HISTORY - MRS. HORTON

This week in US History students will take the Chapter 21 test on Monday (moved from 4/23).  Students will begin studying the Roaring Twenties in Chapter 22.

ADVANCED SPANISH - MRS. SALE & MR. ALEXANDER

Hola….this week we will continue the concentration on the new ‘’clothing’’ vocabulary.  Various exercises and worksheets will be completed.  On Thursday, the students will take a vocabulary/clothing quiz  After the quiz, work will begin with the two verbs, Saber & Conocer.  Both verbs mean ‘’to know’’.  Friday, the students will continue their work with saber and conocer.  Enjoy your weekend.

ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. SMOAK

Next week, we will be working on Chapter 9 about polynomials. We will cover multiplying polynomials with one (9.2) or two (9.3) variables. We will then solve factored polynomials (9.4). There will be a quiz Friday, April 30. 

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will begin Chapter 9 by learning how to evaluate square roots (9.1), simplify radical expressions (9.2), and the Pythagorean Theorem and its Converse (9.3).  We will have a quiz on Friday covering sections 9.1-9.2.

ELA - MRS. BOYER

Students have finished their last novel for the 2021 school year!! Whoop Whoop! :) This week will be all about REVIEW! We will spend another two days reviewing the discussion packet, and students will be making Character Trading Cards. They will end the week with their test. This is the final assessment for T3 before the exam. STUDY!

Students only needed to complete half of the DQ questions for the novel guide, but we went over ALL of them in class. I highly recommend that students be sure to complete all of them as a study resource. Maybe get together and compare notes with their peers. :)

Posted Test on 4/30

Vocabulary: We are beginning Unit 11 with a quiz on April 29th. :) 

Upcoming! 

Summer Reading! 

I will be handing out Summer Reading in the next few weeks. I have a few copies of the novels (2) being assigned. Students may have them on a first come first serve basis. 

ELA - MRS. SASSER

Students will spend the first part of the week finishing up their multi-genre project for Posted. Final projects will be due Wednesday 4/28. 

In the middle of the week, we will review the basic elements of plot. Then, students will begin working in literature circle groups to read Jason Reynolds “A Tale Told in Ten Blocks.” We will analyze the question: What makes a good story? We will also discuss how to create vignettes from personal experiences. 

As with all projects and writing assignments, I am available every morning before school to go over any components and give feedback. The students do not need to schedule a time to come, they can just pop in for help over the course of the week. 

A reminder about any and all projects in ELA: projects in my class are designed to help students think critically and not just memorize information. Rather, I want them learning how to apply what they’ve learned. They are given detailed rubrics with checklists and a breakdown of my expectations. They should consult their rubric regularly while working on their project. The bulk of ELA projects are completed in class; they are given ample time and multiple class periods where they are strictly working on their project. Therefore, if students use their time wisely, they should have only minimal parts to complete at home. 

LIFE SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

This week in Life Science, we will continue our study of ecology. At the beginning of the week, students will research interactions among living organisms. Then they will explore and create models of food chains and food webs in various ecosystems. This will provide us with the background needed to begin exploring the major biomes of the planet. 

US HISTORY - MRS. HORTON

This week students will continue our study of Chapter 8. Our focus will be the beginnings of government after the creation of the Constitution.  Students will have an open note quiz on Chapter 8 section 1on Wednesday.

US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER

This week in American History we will begin our next Unit: The Era of Thomas Jefferson. Focus will be on the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812. We will have a quiz on Thursday the 29th.

ACCELERATED MATH - MR. CARGILE

Next week in Accelerated Math 7, we will complete lessons for Chapter 7, Equations, Inequalities, and Functions. This week we will have a lesson on Chapter 7.8 Graphing Functions, and then we will practice graphing. At the end of the week, we will review concepts from Chapter 7 and start preparing for our Chapter 7 test, which will be the week of May 3-7.

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will begin Chapter 9 by learning how to evaluate square roots (9.1), simplify radical expressions (9.2), and the Pythagorean Theorem and its Converse (9.3).  We will have a quiz on Friday covering sections 9.1-9.2.

EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

The sixth grade has finished up our mini-unit on ocean pollution and the environment.  They timed the amount of water they used during a shower and the amount of trash they produce in one week.  A special thank you parents and family members who also helped time the water usage of their shower.  After tallying up the trash items produced in one week for two classes, there were over 2300 pieces of trash.  The most common type of trash for both classes was plastic bags/ wrappers followed by paper towels/ napkins. 

This week students also participated in a lab observing actual trash found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, locating the five main ocean gyres and identifying different types of plastics and determining if they sink or float.  These plastics affect wildlife and waterways based on how they breakdown and where they end up in the water column or sink down to the bottom of the ocean.  (See photos below of our lab.)  We have also begun our last unit of the year--Astronomy.  So far we have discussed comets/meteors and asteroids, seasons, solstice, equinox and the way Earth rotates and revolves.  

Next week we will continue learning about space with information on the moon, its features and all of the moon phases.  Our last Science in Comic for the school year is due on Friday, 4/30/21 and we will have our first Astronomy quiz the following Tuesday, 5/4/21.

EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

This week in Earth Science, students will continue their study of oceans with a focus on the human impact on our oceans, pollution, and water conservation. They will also analyze the data from their water usage logs after using the shower saver timers they were given last week. Students will study The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as well as conduct a lab on microplastics and macroplastics and their effects on marine life and the environment. They will have a test on Oceans on Thursday. We will begin our final unit of the year, Astronomy, on Friday. 

ELA - MRS. SASSER

This week, students will examine chapters 10-12 of The Outsiders. We will discuss the final chapters of the novel and analyze Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”

They will have a quiz on chapters 10-12 on Tuesday 4/27.

Vocabulary: We will be completing vocabulary based around our novel study. Students will be given a list of vocabulary words for chapters 7-12 and have a vocabulary quiz on 4/30. 

Final unit test on The Outsiders will be on Tuesday 5/4.

MOVIE DAY: On Wednesday, April 28th the kids will have the opportunity to watch the film in class. As this is something they all look forward to, I'm hoping to make a "day" of it by bringing in snacks/treats. I have also gotten approval from Mr. Crawford to allow the kids to dress up in their best 1950s-1960s attire for the day! 

 

Students may come out of uniform on April 28th ONLY if they are dressing in the attire that mirrors our novel and the eras specified above. This can include: 

 

-Jeans

-Plain, NO LOGO t-shirts

-Slicked back hair (optional! haha!) 

-Poodle skirts

-"Leather" jackets

-Pencil skirts

-Neck scarves 

-Cat eye glasses

-Plaid shirts/skirts (called "Madras" in the novel)

 

If students do not choose to dress up for the movie day, they will be expected to come to school in their regular HDS uniform. 

 

This is a 6th grade only opportunity and NOT a regular dress down day.  Students must either wear their uniform or participate in the "costume" as described above. 

 

If you have any questions, please let me know! 

Reading Reminder: As with any novel study, students will have guided questions to complete for each section. These should be answered in complete, thorough sentences, as it will serve as their study guide for their quizzes and final test. It is essential that students keep up with the assigned reading if they want to be successful on our in class assignments. 

All reading assignments are posted on my classroom board and on Google Classroom daily. Students should check Google Classroom every single day. 

A reminder about any and all projects in ELA: projects in my class are designed to help students think critically and not just memorize information. Rather, I want them learning how to apply what they’ve learned. They are given detailed rubrics with checklists and a breakdown of my expectations. They should consult their rubric regularly while working on their project. The bulk of ELA projects are completed in class; they are given ample time and multiple class periods where they are strictly working on their project. Therefore, if students use their time wisely, they should have only minimal parts to complete at home. 

INTRO SPANISH - MR. ALEXANDER

¡Comida! We will finish our food unit this week.  We will do some activities to work on our pronunciation, discuss the history and culture in South America, and prepare for our restaurant project next week.  

*On Friday we will have a TEST over the food unit.

* IXL Unit 3 is DUE on FRIDAY April 30th.  All sections of Unit 3 must be completed to 70% or better.  If a student completes all sections to 100% or better they will receive +5 points added to their lowest grade.

* Make sure to continue working on Duolingo and IXL everyday!

WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER 

This week in World History students will be examining the New Wave of Immigration vs the Old Wave. We will also look at the Uncertain Welcome immigrants received as well as how Nativism impacts immigrants. We will have an assessment on Thursday the 29th.

ART - MRS. COOKSON

“The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” - Robert Henri

Sketchbook Prompt: Practice drawing your thumb in different positions

8th: Will continue with screen printing

7th: Will continue with an exploration of marine design in relation to the environment

6th: Will revisit Tessellation to complete with color