February 7th - February 11th
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
Organization
Can you find your supplies, your books, your homework? Can you keep your locker and binders organized? If this is a tough area for you, be sure to organize papers in a binder, and use dividers to separate different subjects and sections. Go through your stuff on a regular basis to put loose papers where they need to be. Having several different teachers usually means several different sets of expectations; therefore, using an assignment book is critical. Also, clean out your locker on a regular basis, and take home things you don’t need to store at school.
https://www.umtsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=940&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=1303&PageID=175
Research continues to come out about the importance of developing “grit” in kids. It is the ability to push toward long-term goals despite challenges or failure. Luckily, it is something that can be developed and parents can take the lead on helping their child learn. One of my personal favorite tips is for parents to model a growth mindset. This allows children to understand that with hard work, you can truly develop any skill or ability. Parents can normalize mistakes by discussing obstacles or failures and sharing positive “self talk” that helps push towards success.
How (and Why) to Teach Kids to Have More Grit
Please feel free to get in touch with me at amaher@hancockdayschool.org if you have any questions or concerns.
ALGEBRA 1- MRS. TAYLOR
This week, 2/7, we will begin Chapter 7. Students will solve systems of equations and inequalities through graphing, substitution, and elimination. The first quiz will be the following week on 7.1-7.3.
ADVANCED ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete right triangle Trigonometry by having a test on Monday. We will then begin our short unit on angle relationships. We will learn about complementary, supplementary and vertical angles (2.3-2.4). We will also learn about angles formed by two parallel lines and a transversal (3.3-3.4). We will then begin a project using those angles to design a town!
GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 9 by learning about matrices and how to add and multiply them (9.2), how to perform reflections and rotations (9.3-9.4), how to compose various transformations (9.5), identify symmetry (9.6), and how to perform dilations (9.7). We will have a day of review on Friday to prepare for the Chapter 9 test the following Monday.
ELA - MRS. BOYER
STAR Reading Test on 2/8.
This week, we will be starting a new unit! Students will be reading Night by Elie Wiesel. To begin this unit, we will be taking about two weeks to reflect before diving deeper into this difficult topic. Students will begin with writing an essay on the topic of silence in their world. Essays will be worth a TEST grade for T2.
***UPCOMING*** The 8th grade class will be competing in the Jewish Education Alliance’s Yom HaShoah Holocaust Art & Writing Contest.The final submissions will be due the week of April 1st. Students will be working on this project in class; you will be receiving a packet to sign in the upcoming weeks. This project functions like the Science Fair project as it spans many weeks and multiple grade categories.
**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
See below for photos of our Motion lab from earlier this week. Students calculated different walking and running speeds along with determining stopping distances. We also began investigating forces, including gravity and friction. Next week will include a friction lab and information on air resistance and how objects orbit. The quiz over Forces will be on Friday, 2/18/22.
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. During school today, the students were scheduled to participate in virtual interviews with the RSEF judges. Overall RSEF results will be posted online sometime the end of next week and the student awards will be presented at each individual school later in the month. Good luck to all of our RSE participants: Anthony DeMott, Coles Brown, Elle Roberts, Luke Nguyen, Maggie Allen, Mollie Dugas, Sean Adams, Stafford Wilson, Theo McGuirk and Will Routhier. We are proud of all of you for representing HDS in SCIENCE EXCELLENCE!
US HISTORY- Mr. Gauthier
Next week will be busy! We will be coming up with class winners for a Geography Bee. We will also be giving the Eulogy speeches on Thursday as well as having a short test on Friday.
SPANISH - MRS. SALE
Hello…the students will start the week off with reviewing the verb to be/estar. Adjectives used with estar will be given. A mini project/translation will be given mid week. The tense, PRESENT PROGRESSIVE, will be introduced and demonstrated. The week will end with a quiz over the verb estar/to be and the adjectives. Remember to always review your work. Have a great week….
ADVANCED SPANISH-Mrs. Sale-The beginning of the week, the students will be introduced to ‘’go’’ verbs, oir and ver. Mid-week, the students will have a translation that will count as a quiz. The end of the week, the students will receive a study guide as the following week they will have a major test. I have scheduled the test for February 15th.
ADVANCED SPANISH - MS. CROCKER
This week in Spanish we are continuing our journey in Costa Rica. We are starting our last unit of the trimester on “Los Sentimientos” (Feelings). There will be a quiz on FRIDAY over our new vocabulary list.
ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. TAYLOR
This week, 2/7, we will begin Chapter 7. Students will solve systems of equations and inequalities through graphing, substitution, and elimination. The first quiz will be the following week on 7.1-7.3.
PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 6 by having the 6.1-6.6 test on Monday. We will then begin learning simple probability and odds (6.7) as well as the counting principle (6.8). There will be a day of review on Friday to prepare for the 6.7-6.8 quiz the following Monday.
ELA - MRS. BOYER
Students have completed their reading! Woop! :)
Students will be beginning their final project! Students will have two weeks to complete this task which will be due on 2/18 for a TEST grade.
Students will be creating a THEME park based on their novel. :)
The final Book Club Journal is worth TWO project grades. This will be the focus of their homework for T2.
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 shift in leadership that is taking place on the island between Ralph and Jack. Students will choose who they believe is the most effective leader and write a first person speech as one of the two characters, detailing why they believe they are the best leader and should be in charge of the island. Students will be asked to step into the character’s shoes, drawing on evidence from the novel to create a persuasive and passionate speech. This will count as a project grade and students will present their speeches to the class. This will require students to practice their speech, taking into account pace, delivery, and enunciation! Speeches will be due on Monday, 2/14.
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 wrap up our unit on the Digestive System. Students will complete a travel brochure through the Digestive System. Blocks A and F will have a test on the Digestive System on Tuesday and Block C will have their test on Wednesday. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for assignments, announcements, and study materials.
US HISTORY - MR. GAUTHIER
Test has been postponed until Monday 2/7. We will be continuing with the US Constitution and Presidents.
US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER
Next week in American History students will continue our examination of the New Republic. We will look at the main events in American history that occurred from the time George Washington became president to the seventh president, Andrew Jackson.
ACCELERATED MATH - MRS. TAYOR
Students will have approximately 3 quizzes during this Chapter. We are spending an exorbitant amount of time on one-step equations. This is a hard concept to understand. Typically, students can “see” the answer but it is imperative that they show the algebraic process for each problem. Students were given an Algebra 1 problem to prove that they cannot “see” the answer as easily, further explaining the necessity to show all of their work and steps for each problem.
PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 6 by having the 6.1-6.6 test on Monday. We will then begin learning simple probability and odds (6.7) as well as the counting principle (6.8). There will be a day of review on Friday to prepare for the 6.7-6.8 quiz the following Monday.
EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN
Our sixth graders are learning about rocks and observed sand samples from around the world during a sand analysis lab last Friday. They also created crayon rocks with Mrs. Smoak during a lab to demonstrate some of the differences between sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and how they form. Thank you Mrs. Smoak for leading the class during this fun, hands-on activity. (See photos below of both these labs.) Students then discussed all the processes, characteristics and examples of the three types of rocks. They used this information, along with the mineral properties and characteristics they learned last week to create a rock and mineral trifold flyer. There will be a quiz on rocks next Wednesday, 2/29/22. Following this, we will begin exploring earthquakes.
EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT
Next week in Earth Science, we will begin our unit on Volcanoes. In our lab next week, students will build a model of a volcano and examine the correlation between lava flow and land formation. 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 did a fabulous job on their One-Pager project last week! I was blown away at their creativity! These are currently on display on our bulletin board, but will come home in the next few weeks!
This week, students will analyze the effect of point of view and setting on their character’s story. They will start the week completing a “Character Cell Phone” assignment, examining what a different character in their story (not the main one!) might be thinking and feeling in various situations. This will require the students to draw on their inference skills!
We will also discuss the impact of the various settings the characters journey through. This discussion will help students be prepared for a setting project they will begin on Monday 2/14.
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 are continuing our journey in Costa Rica. We have injured ourselves in Costa Rica doing all of our fun outdoor activities and we are starting our last unit of the trimester on parts of the body and the verb “doler”. There will be a quiz on Monday the 14th over this new list.
WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER
Next week in World History students will continue their examination of the Industrial Revolution. Specifically, students will examine the causes of the Industrial Revolution by focusing on life before the IR and how rural England evolved from a more agrarian society to life in the city.
ART - MRS. COOKSON
“The works must be conceived with fire in the soul but executed with clinical coolness.” - Joan Miró
Sketchbook Prompt:
8th: Draw a portrait of your best friend as an insect.
7th: Draw a class trip to the park.
6th: Draw a lost dog poster..
Classwork Challenges:
8th: Will continue to work on Stop-Motion projects
7th: Will finish up work on a Conce
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