September 27th - October 1st

 

MASKS AND WATER BOTTLES REMINDER

As a reminder, students should be sent to school each day with a clean, appropriately fitted mask and a water bottle. 

 

CARPOOL CHANGES

As a reminder, our carpool changes form can now be found on your parent portal - it is no longer available on our school website. Additionally, all early checkouts should be done by 2:15. Thank you.

 

​​ASSESSMENTS AND PROJECTS CALENDAR

Parents and students now have an easy way to look at upcoming assessments and projects.  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.

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 Enrichment 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.

HERB RIVER BEND CROSSWALK SCHEDULE

Reminder: duty hours are 7:45 - 8:10.  ½ hour of community service credit each day.  Students should keep a log of their hours on the community service form. If you are interested see Mrs. Mannarino in the middle school office to sign up!

Monday, September 27: Vega and Allie

Tuesday, September 28:  Heath and Will

Wednesday, September 29:  Virginia and Lena Anne

Thursday, September 30:  Ethan and Avery

Friday, October 1:  Katherine and Ella

As Learning Coach, I will be working with students, parents, and teachers to offer support and strategies throughout the year. Please reach out to me if I can be of any assistance to you and your child/ren. I will share ideas and strategies often in this space. My email is: tguggenheim@hancockdayschool.org. I look forward to working with you as the year progresses. Tricia Guggenheim

• Repeat to remember, and remember to repeat! The more you practice and review material, the better the pathway you create in your brain to retrieve that material. PLEASE don’t wait until a night or two before to begin reviewing; your retrieval will not be as strong.

We are well into the start of the school year and most likely your student is learning to juggle academic work with other responsibilities.  Test anxiety can be common as students adjust to new teachers and expectations.  Typically, there is a decrease in these feelings as relationships are built with teachers and students become familiar with the testing format of a class.  However, there are other strategies that parents can teach their children to help ease symptoms.  

Tips for Beating Test Anxiety

Please feel free to get in touch with me at amhaer@hancockdayschool.org if you have any questions or concerns.

ALGEBRA 1- MRS. TAYLOR

Students will have a quiz Monday, 9/27 on solving equations. This is Chapter 3 Sections 3.1-3.4. Practice sheets were downloaded with the key 9/22. Also, 2 jeopardy games can be found under resources for another study method. We reviewed in class with these items Friday, 9/24. The remaining chapter material includes proportions, solving proportions, solving percent problems using proportions and rewriting equations. (3.5-3.8) Practice sheets for these sections will also be available in Google Classroom.

ADVANCED ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will continue the second part of Chapter 10 by practicing how to solve quadratic equations by various methods like completing the square (10.5) and the quadratic formula (10.6).  Students will derive the quadratic formula in class and also learn how to use the discriminant to determine the number and type of solutions to a quadratic equation (10.7).  There will be a quiz on 10.5 on Wednesday.

GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Geometry, we will review some Algebra concepts including solving linear equations and solving word problems.  We will also begin Chapter 3 by learning about angles formed by transversals (3.1-3.2), proving lines are parallel (3.3), and finding the slope and slope-intercept form of a line (3.4-3.5).  There will be a quiz on Friday covering sections 3.1-3.5.

ELA - MRS. BOYER 

Students have completed their intro To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and will be discussing the novel in terms of themes. Chapters 8-11 are due on 9/28. We will be discussing codeswitching, the importance of family heritage, and completing a close reading.  

Students should expect to be reading 30-80 pages a week, along with completing their chapter response questions. With Chapter Response Questions, I do usually give them a lot, but I only expect them to really get through 15-20. However, I want them to have as many as possible for a study guide for assessments. 

We will be completing a heavy review of the historical background for the first few classes. I cannot stress enough how imperative it is for students to keep up with their work. As we continue into the year, I will be in my room by 7:30 am if students would like a time to read before school. :) 

TKAM Quiz 10/5 Chapters 1-15

TKAM Quiz 10/22 End of Novel; a focus on Chapters 22-31

T1 Exam will be over TKAM ONLY.

** POP Quizzes will occur throughout this novel study. **

**As students continue into their 8th grade year, it is imperative that they keep up with their reading, annotate their novels, and come in for extra help. The foundation of this class is heavily based on discussion and the sharing of ideas; students will need to participate to be able to engage with the material in a productive manner.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

Eighth grade students have begun their  study of atoms, including their various sub-particles (protons, neutrons, electrons).  Our initial focus has been the major scientists who over the years were involved in the development of the modern atomic model.  An in-class project allowed each group of students to research one scientist and  their contributions to this theory.  They also created and presented a poster to the other students in the class to teach them about this information. (See photos below.)  This week we also had an in-class science fair research day and worked on finalizing project questions and hypotheses for their projects.

Next week in physical science we will continue learning about atoms including introducing ions, isotopes and radioactivity.  The students will also use pennies to simulate radioactive decay during a mini-lab.  We will also begin our study of the Periodic Table of the Elements and how it is organized.   Finally we will discover what elements are found in our cereal and bodies during a fun activity called Metal for Breakfast.

Science Fair: 

Students have now finished their second log book check and should be checking over all my comments, suggestions and questions that I wrote.  These items MUST be addressed in their log book for future homework checks.  All students needing to borrow lab equipment for their projects need to check with me for availability and sign out these materials for use at home.  If your project requires materials/ supplies that must remain at the school, please arrange with me an afternoon or weekend time for us to work together on your project.  If your project requires something considered possibly hazardous or dangerous such as chemicals, fire, sharp/power tools or other items, you will need to complete a Risk Assessment Form BEFORE you begin your experimentation.  Those were handed out today 9/24 to all students who needed them.

Coming up in October will be another log book check w/ research notes  on Tuesday, 10/5, a google doc submitted onto Google Classroom with a rough draft of their background research information on Tuesday, 10/19, and, also on Tuesday 10/19, a fourth log book check with updates/ revisions on their projects up to that date. 

All remaining due dates will fall on a Tuesday for all classes and can be found in the students printed packet, posted in Google Classroom, and listed in the project section of the assessment calendar.  

Reminder:  Final Science Fair Projects are due in the first part of December 2021 and will count for the following grades:  log book (quiz), formal report (test), triptych (2 tests) and presentation (classwork).  I am available for any questions students may have each morning (7:30 am until 8 am) and several afternoons per week.  Students may also come see me during our tutorial and snack time and/ or email me questions.

US HISTORY - MR. GAUTHIER

First round of speeches went GREAT!!!.  Second speech has been assigned and the students have to create a PSA about a Constitutional amendment.  Quiz Monday on rivers  flow chart and principles of the US Constitution.  Causes of the Civil War will be the topic for next week.

SPANISH - MRS. SALE

In Spanish this week, we will begin the week with a test.  So, Monday, Sep 27, 2021is the test.  It will cover, articles, numbers, abc’s, gustar/IOP’s, -ar verbs & how to form a question.  The rest of the week there will be a review of ESTAR. The end of the week, the students will take a quiz over SER & ESTAR.  I hope everyone is well and has a great week.

ADVANCED SPANISH - MRS. SALE 

The students will continue working on -ar verbs.There are many to learn.  Also, adding to the list the students will learn how to form questions in Spanish & learn the verb GUSTAR/IOP’s. On Friday, Oct 1, 2021, the students will take a quiz over -ar verbs. THank you/gracias.  I hope everyone is well and has a great week.

ADVANCED SPANISH - MS. CROCKER 

¡Buenos días! This week in Spanish, there will be a country project “check-in” on Monday, and the students should have their slides finished by the beginning of class. The final country project due date and start of presentations will be THURSDAY, September 30th. On Monday and Tuesday of this week we will be working on making our passports, passport stamps for our country, and practicing our presentations in groups. *PARENTS* I will let the kids know on Monday in what order they are presenting, so that they can prepare (including bringing in food if they chose) their presentation accordingly. ¡Gracias!

ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. TAYLOR 

Students will have a quiz Monday, 9/27 on solving equations. This is Chapter 3 Sections 3.1-3.4. Practice sheets were downloaded with the key 9/22. Also, 2 jeopardy games can be found under resources for another study method. We reviewed in class with these items Friday, 9/24. The remaining chapter material includes proportions, solving proportions, solving percent problems using proportions and rewriting equations. (3.5-3.8) Practice sheets for these sections will also be available in Google Classroom.

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 2 by learning how to solve one-step equations using multiplication and division (2.6) and equations with decimals (2.7).  There will be a day of review on Wednesday (E Block) or Thursday (B Block) and then the Chapter 2 test on Friday.

ELA - MRS. BOYER 

This week we will be reviewing THE END OF THE NOVEL! Woop Woop! They did it! Chapters 16-19 will be the focus!

I have noticed that my 7th graders are challenged in the writing skills department; therefore, I am going to really focus on writing and grammar for the next few weeks. We have been watching Lord of the Rings in class, and the students are going to be working through a Compare and Contrast writing piece that I hope will really be utilized to focus their attention on the importance of writing and grammar. 

Students should be continuing to review their Reading Week Comprehension Questions, past quizzes, the Kahoot, and all resources on GC to prepare for their Test on 10/30. 

Students will have their Hobbit Test on 9/30. 

Upcoming!

Students will be working on a Multi-Genre Project that will encompass their Knowledge of the Hobbit while also tackling their writing challenges. :) 

**As students continue into their 7th grade year, it is imperative that they keep up with their reading, annotate their novels, and come in for extra help. The foundation of this class is heavily based on student reading and the sharing of ideas; students will need to participate to be able to engage with the material in a productive manner. All class activities are based on the reading completed prior to class time. **

ELA - MRS. SASSER

Students will finish up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone this week, and we will finish plotting Harry’s parts of the hero’s journey. Students will have a test over the entire novel on Thursday, October 14th. They should be using their guided questions, the notes we have taken as a class, and the various resource materials on Google Classroom to help them study. As a reminder, students find success on assessments when they prepare and study over a prolonged period of time, so they should be reviewing nightly for 10-15 minutes leading up to the test. As always, I am available every morning if students would like to come in and chat/review.  

Once we finish the novel this week, students will begin drafting an essay over the book. Students will examine and explain how three different archetypes are represented in the novel and how they relate to/impact Harry’s overall journey. We will brainstorm, draft, and revise in class. The only homework students should have is to finish any sections of the essay they don’t complete during class time. Again, students can come in any morning to go over their writing if they wish. Final essays will be due on Friday, 10/18.

It is imperative that students keep up with their reading. They will be unable to complete our class discussions and activities without completing the reading. All reading assignments and homework are posted on my classroom board and on Google Classroom daily. Students should check Google Classroom every single day. All reading should be ANNOTATED. 

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

Next week in Life Science, we will continue our unit on cells. Students will compare and contrast plant and animal cells through microscope labs and various class activities. Our focus will be on the functions of the organelles. Students will have a quiz on the animal cell diagram on Thursday, September 30.  Students are also reminded to continue to work on their Cell Model Project which is due Monday, October 4. All work on this project will be completed at home. I’m excited to see their 3-D models. Presenting them to the class is always a great experience and I’m always amazed at their creativity.  Students have a copy of the instructions and rubric, and an additional copy has been placed in the GC. Science in the News is due Thursday, September 30.  Please remind your student to check the GC daily for assignments and study material. 

US HISTORY - MR. GAUTHIER

We will continue to “Think like a Historian”  Successful quizzes on sources and reliability!  Next week we look at who came to America first and what brought them here.

US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER

Next week students will begin our next Unit: The Colonies Take Root. First up will be examining the First English Settlements and then we travel to New England to see how the colonies there developed. We will have a quiz midweek and our Explorers Project is Friday October 1st.

ACCELERATED MATH - MRS. TAYOR

Students are doing an amazing job with this data chapter. Our final project will be completed in class. It needs to be completed by Monday morning. They may need to finish it up over the weekend if two class periods are not enough to get it done. It is a culminating task tying book sentences from their current novel to stem and leaf plots, box and whisker plots, and histograms. Their final test on Chapter 3 will be on Wednesday, 9/29 for block E and Thursday. 9/30 for Block F. Also, please don’t forget about my email regarding those students who would like to stay to increase their test score from Chapter 2 and decimals. Those two days are 9/29 until 4 for Block E and 9/30 until 4 for Block F.

PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 2 by learning how to solve one-step equations using multiplication and division (2.6) and equations with decimals (2.7).  There will be a day of review on Thursday and then the Chapter 2 test on Friday.

EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN

This week in science the sixth grade students finished learning information about heat, heat transfer (conduction, convection and radiation), sea/ land breezes, global warming and the greenhouse effect.  Students also created a heat transfer booklet and took a quiz on all this information.  (See below for photos of some of their booklets.) Finishing up our week, the students have started to learn about the atmosphere as a segue into  our big weather unit.  This included the composition of our air (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, etc.) and the major layers of our atmosphere.  We also created simple air particle collectors and placed them around the middle school, both inside and outside.  Next week we will use microscopes to look at what was collected from our air around HDS.  Also next week, we will discuss winds, air pressure and have an outdoor weather scavenger hunt.

EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT

This week, we completed our Heat Transfer Booklet. Students have done a wonderful job on these and expressed their understanding of heat transfer and creativity. Next week, we will begin a new unit on the Earth’s Atmosphere and that will lead us to our Weather unit. Exploring our National Parks monthly writing assignment is due Thursday, September 30. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for assignments and review material. 

ELA - MRS. SASSER

This week students will have a quiz over our first short story: “All Summer in a Day.” 

B/C Block: Tuesday 9/28

D Block: Wednesday 9/29

Students will continue with our study of “All Summer in a Day” by completing a group project over the story’s various elements. Students will receive a rubric/checklist, detailing the project expectations. They will then work with their partners to analyze plot, character, setting, and conflict . 

As with every project, I provide detailed checklists and ample time in class for students to work on their projects. Students should follow the rubric carefully and ask questions throughout their class time if they need help or support. As always, I am available every morning if students ever need to come in early for help. 

All projects will be due: 

B/C Block: Thursday 9/30 (at the end of class)

D Block: Wednesday 9/29 (at the end of class) 

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

Students MUST follow my writing formula for all formal writing assignments and should follow the MLA formatting guidelines I gave them. The students have a handout on how to do this and we have practiced together multiple times. Any paper not formatted correctly or color-coded will not be accepted. 

INTRO SPANISH - MS. CROCKER

Hello Parents! Last week, the students worked hard on their group projects on Mexican culture last week, and the final slides/presentation index cards (2) are due on MONDAY! In class on Monday we will be making our digital passports and practice presenting in groups. Tuesday and Wednesday will be presentation days! 

WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER 

Next week in World History students will travel to the ancient city-state of Sparta. Students will study how Sparta became so powerful and examine the differences between Athens and Sparta. We will have a quiz midweek. Students will also finish up their biographies on a Greek god/goddess- Due October 1st.

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:

8th: Draw a clear glass full of ice cubes.

7th: Draw a piece of cake and make it look delicious.

6th: Design a part of the room, but do it as if you were a bug. What would it look like?

Classwork Challenges:

8th: Will continue with architecture, but work at finding interesting details around our school.

7th: Will finalize work on gesture drawings and begin to move into the world of surrealism.

6th: Will continue work on Imaginary Worlds.