January 31st - February 4th
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!
Looking ahead to May and very limited COVID restrictions, we have a neat week planned for the Middle School. From Monday, May 2nd - Wednesday, May 4th, the 6th & 7th grade will travel to the mountains of North Carolina! The 6th grade is headed to the Mountain Trail School (aka Camp Kanuga) in Hendersonville while the 7th grade is headed to the Blue Ridge YMCA at Black Mountain. These trips were originally scheduled for the fall but had to be postponed due to COVID restrictions. The cost for each trip will be $325/student. A $150 deposit is required by Friday, April 15th. Additional details about the activities that are planned will be presented after spring break. If you would like to discuss this trip further, reach out to Mr. Crawford.
8th GRADE - GRADUATION IS COMING!
During the week of May 2nd, the 8th grade will be participating in fun, and sometimes educational, activities to celebrate their HDS careers. Students will be riding go karts, skirmishing with paintball, doing a community service project on Tybee Island, and taking a field trip to historic sites in Savannah. We will be working together as a team to put the final touches on these activities over the next two weeks. Once the itinerary is complete, we will share it with our families. All of this will lead up to a grand graduation celebration on May 24th and 25th! There will be a fee for the non-educational activities.
ZOOMING AGAIN!
Just when we thought we might be clear of COVID, along comes Omicron! Should you find yourself in quarantine, here are some pointers many of us have forgotten how to properly and politely Zoom.
Please notify the Middle School office that you need to Zoom due to Covid
Please check the Grade Level Google Classroom for your schedule and the Zoom links for each classroom; every class is on Zoom except PE. The Zoom links correlate to the specific classrooms as listed on the student schedules.
Please be on time to class, and remember to keep your sound and video on.
Let Mrs. Guggenheim/Mrs. Mannarino know if you have any questions or need any help.
Also remember to check Google Classroom
Please email your teachers with any questions.
If you need any materials from school, please email Mrs. Mannarino mmannarino@hancockdayschool.org. They may be picked up after carpool from the boxes outside the Middle School office.
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.
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!
SAVANNAH WOMEN OF VISION
In celebration of Georgia Day, SCAD will be hosting the 2022 Savannah Women of Vision event on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 at SCAD’s Arnold Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Please join SCAD in celebrating the outstanding women in Savannah's past and present. Additionally, community service hours for any students participating in the event will be granted.
Friday, February 11, 2022
SCAD Arnold Hall, theater
1810 Bull St.
Savannah, Ga. 31401
3:30-5:30 pm
Community service opportunities:
Wednesday, Feb 9, 3:30-5:30 p.m
Thursday, Feb 10, 3:30-5:30 p.m
Friday, Feb 11, 3:30-5:30 p.m
Please reach out to events@scad.edu or 912.401.7007 for further information.
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
Setting Goals
Do you want to make the honor roll? Are you striving for an A in Math? Identify what you want to achieve (long term goal) and make a game plan for getting there. Write down the steps you will need to get to your goal (these are your short term goals). Plan some fun rewards for yourself for each step you accomplish along the way. Keeping your goal in mind will help keep you motivated as you continue to make strides towards reaching it.
https://www.umtsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=940&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=1303&PageID=175
Traditions are an important part of families and can build lasting memories. Furthermore, they strengthen relationships and create a sense of belonging. Whether you have some long-standing traditions or are up to starting some new ones, the following article is an interesting read.
How Family Traditions Help Create Stronger Bonds
Please feel free to get in touch with me at amaher@hancockdayschool.org if you have any questions or concerns.
ALGEBRA 1- MRS. TAYLOR
Students will review Monday-Wednesday for the Chapter 6 test that will be Thursday, February 3. I am providing an extensive review for this Chapter because it is the hardest unit of the year. They will start Chapter 7 Tuesday/Wednesday as well.
ADVANCED ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will begin our unit on right triangle trigonometry!! Students will learn the meaning of sine, cosine, and tangent as well as use SOHCAHTOA to find missing side lengths and missing angles in right triangles. They will also see many “real-world” uses for trigonometry. There will be a quiz on Thursday, and then we will have a day of review on Friday to prepare for the test the following Monday (2/7).
GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 8 by having a day of review on Monday and the Chapter 8 test on Thursday. We will then begin Chapter 9 by learning about vectors and translations in the coordinate plane (9.1). The first STAR assessment will be administered Tuesday.
ELA - MRS. BOYER
The time has come! The kids are in shock! We are DONE with Macbeth! Students will be gearing up for the FINAL ASSESSMENT! The Macbeth TEST! February 1st! NO WORKBOOK!
Study Strategies:
Review all previous quizzes
Practice Sparknote Essays
Come in for practice prompts
Review Workbook with a peer or guardian.
Create a plot mountain going Act by Act, scene by scene
BRAIN BREAK!!!
This 8th grade class has absolutely IMPRESSED me with their attentiveness during our Macbeth Unit! They really dove into the material, and rarely complained. :) Therefore, we are going to have a bit of a Brain Break during the week of 2/1 (after the test of course). We will be watching The Help, based on the award winning novel by Kathryn Stockett. Please watch your email for a permission slip. :)
STAR Reading Test on 2/8.
We will then begin our Holocaust Unit on February 9th. The 8th grade class will be competing in the Jewish Education Alliance’s Yom HaShoah Holocaust Art & Writing Contest.
**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
This week in physical science students reviewed acceleration, worked on math calculations for both speed and acceleration, and learned about motion graphs. They labeled a distance-time graph and created their own story to describe it. They also compared this type of graph to a speed-time graph. Our lab this week is always a student (and teacher) favorite! Using the engineering process and their knowledge of speed, velocity and acceleration, students used foam insulation pipes to create and test their own roller coasters. (See photos below.) The Motion test (speed, velocity, acceleration) on all this information. will be on Tuesday, February 1st. Next week students will then begin investigating forces, including gravity and friction. The quiz over forces will tentatively be on Friday, 2/18/22. Monday, 1/31/22 is the due date for the January Science in Comics.
Science Fair Update:
The Regional Science and Engineering Fair (RSEF) is now a virtual event. Our ten eighth graders representing Hancock have filmed individual summary videos for their projects and digital posters of their triptychs have been completed. The next step for the students will be participating in virtual interviews with the judges during the school day next Friday, 2/4/22. Overall RSEF results will then be posted the following week. We wish all of them Good Luck!!
US HISTORY- Mr. Gauthier
Projects have been completed and turned in! Eulogy speeches are due Thursday ⅔.
SPANISH - MRS. SALE
Hello…worksheets on weather conditions and ordinal numbers and months of the year will be completed this week. A quiz will be given on Friday, Feb 3, 2022
ADVANCED SPANISH - MRS. SALE
I hope you all had a warm weekend. More work on the stem changing verbs will be done this week. This can be a tricky concept for some students. Practice can make perfect. In addition to reviewing the e>ie, o>ue and u>ue, we will also practice the e>i concept. A mini translation will also be introduced this week.
ADVANCED SPANISH - MS. CROCKER
This week in Spanish we will continue working with verb infinitives and gustar in preparation for the test on THURSDAY over lists #3A and #3B! We will start the week presenting comic strips completed last week. We will then make our own Flipgrid videos depicting a story of us meeting a “tico” (someone from Costa Rica!) using our vocabulary. We will have review games on Tuesday including “dibuja, escribe, pasa” (draw, write, pass) and a duck hunting game. These lists cover a lot of material, please make sure you are reviewing Spanish flashcards/verbs a little bit every day!
ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. TAYLOR
Students will review Monday-Wednesday for the Chapter 6 test that will be Thursday, February 3. I am providing an extensive review for this Chapter because it is the hardest unit of the year. They will start Chapter 7 Tuesday/Wednesday as well.
PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will almost complete Chapter 6 by learning about congruent figures (6.4), similarity and measurement (6.5), and scale drawings (6.6). There will be a quiz on 6.1-6.4 on Tuesday (E Block) or Wednesday (B Block). We will also have a day of review on Friday to prepare for the Chapter 6.1-6.6 test the following Monday (2/7).
ELA - MRS. BOYER
Our new unit is up and running! Students are about ½ of the way through their choice novels at this point. (Lu by Jason Reynolds, The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz, and The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis) We had three Book Club meetings and have one more scheduled. Students are feeling more comfortable with their Book Club Journals. Check-in dates are listed below:
11-15 1/31
16-20 2/4
STAR Reading Test on 2.3.
We will be having a discussion based activity on 2/1-2/2 which will count as a quiz grade. Students will be interacting with materials that test their critical thinking skills. They will also need to pay close attention to the directions in order to succeed.
The final Book Club Journal is worth TWO project grades. This will be the focus of their homework for T2.
The Final Project for this unit will be a TEST grade.
Please see the Google Classroom PPT for more information regarding this unit. :)
Strategies for Home:
-Students should be reviewing for a few minutes each night. Students should ask for parent/guardian help as a study buddy!
-Students should also annotate the rubric for projects and activities.
-Students should have a calendar of ‘chunking’ due dates for projects and studying.
-Students should be coming in from 7:35-8:15 am to review/ask questions/take more time on their homework.
**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
This week students will analyze the “beastie” in Lord of the Flies, examining its symbolic representation of the fear that the boys feel on the island. They will discuss how the fear each character feels affects them and their actions. We will also complete an “Around the Room” activity, where students will use textual evidence to analyze different characters, settings, and symbols. This is a great, up and moving activity that allows the students to work with partners while thinking critically about the text.
Students will need to answer their guided questions carefully, but should also be taking diligent notes during our class discussions. These notes will help students prepare for quizzes and for our final unit test.
The reading schedule is posted below. Students will have a reading comprehension quiz each week over the assigned reading. They will also have a vocab test over chapters 7-12 on February 18th.
Lord of the Flies Reading Timeline:
Chapters 1-3—Due Tuesday 1/18
Chapters 4-5—Due Tuesday 1/25
Chapters 5-7—Due Tuesday 2/1
Chapters 8-9—Due Tuesday 2/8
Chapters 10-12—Due Tuesday 2/15
I am available every morning and during tutorial if students would like to review the reading or ask questions. Because I make sure to be consistently available for the students, I expect them to walk into our class discussions and quizzes prepared and ready. I am here to assist the kids with their overall comprehension of the novel and expect them to reach out if they have questions.
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 begin our unit on the Digestive System. Students will examine the organs and functions of the Digestive System through labs and a project they always enjoy in which they make a travel brochure through the Digestive System. They will have a diagram quiz on the organs of the digestive system on Friday. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for assignments, announcements, and study materials.
US HISTORY - MR. GAUTHIER
We will complete the three branches of government. A project on the amendments will be assigned and there will be a test (Principles and Articles of Confederation) on 2/4
US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER
Next week in American History students will begin a new Unit: The New Republic and The War of 1812. In this unit students will examine the main events that occurred from the time of George Washinton to the seventh president, Andrew Jackson.
ACCELERATED MATH - MRS. TAYOR
Students have entered the world of Algebra. We have moved slowly on 7.1-7.3 which covers written expressions, simplifying expressions (combining like terms), and one step equations with addition and subtraction only. I am using several different strategies to help with each new section. We are spending extra time on each section using repetition and self-checking classwork like mystery pictures that will only work if you have the correct answer. Students will STAR assess February 1st, and quiz Wednesday/Thursday February 2nd/3rd.
PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will almost complete Chapter 6 by learning about congruent figures (6.4), similarity and measurement (6.5), and scale drawings (6.6). There will be a quiz on 6.1-6.4 on Tuesday. We will also have a day of review on Friday to prepare for the Chapter 6.1-6.6 test the following Monday (2/7).
EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN
Following our Plate Tectonics test this past Monday, students are continuing their investigation of geology with information on rocks and minerals. Students participated in a mineral identification lab to observe the various characteristics of rocks including luster, fracture, hardness and streak. (See photos below.) They also learned about titanium dioxide, a mineral found in many household items such as toothpaste, kleenex and paper and observed sand samples from around the world during a sand analysis lab. Next week they will learn about the different types of rocks and the rock cycle with a class presented by Mrs. Smoak who is also (among her many talents) a geologist. Students will then take all this information and create a rock and mineral trifold booklet and there will be a quiz on rocks, tentatively on Wednesday, 2/29/22. Don’t forget, the January Science in Comic is due Monday, 1/31/22.
EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT
Next week in Earth Science, we will begin our unit on Earthquakes. In our lab next week, students will build a model of an earthquake resistant structure. They will have a quiz on Friday. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for assignments and study materials which have been posted for daily review.
ELA - MRS. SASSER
Students have really been enjoying Refugee. Our first literature circle meeting on Friday was fabulous! I was so impressed by their conversations and analysis!
This week, students will work on putting themselves in their character’s shoes. They will complete some reflection questions, discussing what they believe they would do in their character’s situation. They will also use textual evidence to complete a character sketch, identifying internal and external traits of their chosen character. Later in the week, we will work on non-fiction text by reading the article “Universal Human Rights.” Students will work in small groups to compare and contrast this article to their assigned reading.
As with any novel study, students MUST keep up with their assigned reading. Assigned reading will be due EVERY Friday, when students will meet with their groups. If students have not completed their reading, they will be unable to participate in the group discussion and will be losing points.
Refugee Reading Timeline:
REMINDER: In order to find success with novel studies in middle school ELA, it is essential that students keep up with the assigned reading, annotate their novels, and THOROUGHLY answer their guided questions. Students will be assigned a set number of chapters and have a week to complete the reading/questions. All of our in class lessons will center around the assigned reading and failure to keep up with the reading will have a drastic effect on their ability to complete in class assignments/projects. I expect students to pace themselves and be reading each night, come to class prepared to discuss our reading, and come see me if they have questions.
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
This week in Spanish we will continue working with verb infinitives and gustar! We will start the week presenting projects completed last week. We will then make our own Flipgrid videos depicting a story of us meeting a “tico” (someone from Costa Rica!). We will end the week with more gustar activities expressing our likes/dislikes. On Friday, I will assign a practice test that will give the kids good practice before their test on Monday over Lists #3A and #3B. These lists cover a lot of material, please make sure you are reviewing Spanish flashcards/verbs a little bit every day!
WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER
Next week in World History students will begin a new Unit (book): The Industrial Revolution: Changes and Challenges. In this Unit we will study how the IR developed and its impacts on society. Students will look specifically into the ideals of Capitalism, the Industrial Age, Living in the Industrial Era, Karl Marx, and From Farms to Factories.
ART - MRS. COOKSON
“I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life.” - Jean-Michel Basquiat
Sketchbook Prompt:
8th: Draw a comic strip with your own characters.
7th: Draw the view as if you were the tallest person in the world.
6th: Design new methods of transportation.
Classwork Challenges:
8th: Will work our way back into preplanning for Stop-Motion projects
7th: Will continue to work on a Concert poster
6th: Will explore Tessellation
ROBOTICS
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