March 21st - March 25th
SPRING SPORTS PICTURES TUESDAY, MARCH 22ND!
Yearbook photos for track, boys and girls soccer, baseball, golf, and student government will be taken Tuesday (tomorrow) morning. Athletes are asked to bring their team jersey for the picture.
6TH AND 7TH GRADE SET TO TRAVEL TO NORTH CAROLINA!
From Monday, May 2nd, through Wednesday, May 4th, the 6th and 7th grades will be “retreating” to the mountains of North Carolina. The 6th grade will be going to the Blue Ridge YMCA in Black Mountain and the 7th grade will be going to The Mountain Trail Outdoor School (aka Camp Kanuga) in Hendersonville. CRITICAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED FROM FAMILIES! We need to confirm our numbers with both camps. Each family must complete a Google form to confirm their child’s participation. IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU WE WILL ASSUME YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ATTENDING. If you have not previously responded please go to the appropriate link to let us know if you are coming.
6th grade families: CLICK HERE
7th grade families: CLICK HERE
COUNTING DOWN TO GRADUATION AND SUMMER VACATION!
We are in the final trimester of the year and the “countdown” has begun (especially for the 8th graders!) toward the end of the year. Once we get back from Spring break things move quickly and there are lots of once a year activities. To help keep things straight, important dates can be found at this link.
8TH GRADE PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
8th grade students wishing to receive The President’s Volunteer Service Award at the Honors Assembly in May will need to submit all of their community service hours to Mrs. Mannarino by Friday, March 25th - NO EXCEPTIONS.
Award Levels:
Bronze (50–74 hours)
Silver (75–99 hours)
Gold (100+ hours)
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!
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
Make goals.
It’s the beginning of a new trimester! Create a goal or goals that you want to attain by the end of the marking term. Then, make a plan and stick with it to get there.
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
Chapter 8 will continue. We are only going through Section 8.4. We will review using IXL’s Thursday for a 3/25 (Friday) test.
ADVANCED ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
This week in Advanced Algebra, we will start reviewing Algebra concepts. We will begin with exponent rules. We will also start a project on exponent rules and possibly have a quiz on Friday.
GEOMETRY - MR. LANFEAR
This week in Geometry, we will begin Chapter 11 by reviewing how to find the area of rectangles, squares, triangles, and parallelograms (11.1). We will then learn how to find the area of trapezoids, kites, and rhombuses (11.2), as well as explore the perimeter and area of similar figures (11.3). We will also learn how to calculate the circumference and area of circles (11.4-11.5). There will be a quiz on 11.1-11.5 on Friday.
ELA - MRS. BOYER
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. This project functions like the Science Fair project as it spans many weeks and multiple grade categories.
Yom HoShoah Due Dates
There will be an Extra Credit Opportunity, worth a PROJECT grade for T3!!! Check GC.
Night Quiz 4/1.
Night Test 4/13-14.
Students will be reading about 20-30 pages each week. I will be giving out discussion questions. Students are encouraged to work through as many questions as possible. I will be asking that they complete at least half by the assigned due date.
Pg 47-84 due by Tuesday 3/29.
**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
Welcome back from a wonderful Spring Break! I hope everyone is rested up and ready to continue our Wave unit. Over the last few weeks, the eighth graders have learned the basics about waves including the various types, parts, properties and interactions. (See below for photos of the wave interaction lab from before the break, where students observed and compared wave reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference.) This week we will focus on sound and how we hear including learning more about decibels and the parts of the ear. We will then discuss the different properties of sound, sonic booms, the Doppler Effect and different musical genres. Students will also work on a mini-project with a partner to create their own collection of different musical genres from around the world. Our lab this week will allow students to demonstrate how sound is affected by different mediums as they will compare pitch and loudness and then create their own musical straw flutes. Our quiz on sound will be on Tuesday, 4/5/22 and the Waves/ Sound unit test is scheduled for Friday, 4/8/22. Lastly, don’t forget our March Science in Comic is due Thursday, 3/31/22.
US HISTORY- Mr. Gauthier
Current events continue to be discussed and analyzed. This week and next we will be exploring the “Roaring 20’s” into the Great Depression and the implications going into WW2
SPANISH - MRS. SALE
Hello…we will begin the week with further work on SABER/CONOCER. There will be a quiz this week. The students will get to IOP’s this week. The quiz will be on Thursday. The quiz will cover the verbs saber, conocer, vocabulary and colors. We will wrap the week up with a translation project. I hope everyone will have a great Spring break vacation.
ADVANCED SPANISH - MRS. SALE
The students will continue working on the vocabulary, weather and months. Ordinal numbers will be introduced this week. There will be two quizzes this week. The first quiz will be covering months and weather. Mid week the students will be introduced to the present progressive tense. Friday brings about the second quiz. It will cover vocabulary and ordinal numbers. I hope everyone has a great and safe Spring break vacation.
ADVANCED SPANISH - MS. CROCKER
This week we are starting fashion vocabulary and shopping verbs. We will be doing skits and making celebrity fashion powerpoints this week! There is a quiz on Friday over list #6A.
ALGEBRA 1 - MRS. TAYLOR
Chapter 8 will continue. We are only going through Section 8.4. We will review using IXL’s Thursday for a 3/25 (Friday) test.
PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
This week in Pre-Algebra, we will review 8.1-8.3 and functions to prepare for the quiz (E Block: Wed, B Block: Thurs).
ELA - MRS. BOYER
We are READING SHAKESPEARE this week! We will be getting students ready for 8th grade with a mini/super quick intro to Shakespeare using an abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students will be assigned a character to read throughout the week; it is imperative that students try their best to interact with the material in order to truly expand their thinking.
Shakespeare Intro Quiz on 3/28! Students have multiple hand-outs and study guides to use.
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
The time has come for us to dive into William Shakespeare’s classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As this is a play, we will read the entire text in class together. Students will have a workbook to complete as we read. This workbook will count as a test grade and is due Monday 3/28.
Even though we will read the entire play in class as a group, the text can still be challenging. I would recommend you get your child a copy of either of the following versions of the play. These are “kids” versions that can help supplement the full length version we will read in class. As always, the kids are welcome to come by in the morning or during tutorial if they have questions.
Shakespeare Can Be Fun (watered down, overview of text/characters)
Modern Translation (the original language of the play put into modern words)
Graphic Novel (Original text, but helpful with images)
Once we finish the play, students will work in groups to complete a setting/costume project. They will pick a particular era to set Shakespeare’s play in, designing a set and costumes for the play based on their chosen era. Students will spend time researching their chosen era and work in both ELA and Art to complete this project. The overall goal is to show how the themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays are timeless!
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
I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break! This week in Life Science, we will wrap up our unit on the Cardiovascular System. Students will conduct a lab using simulated blood to determine blood types. Students will have a test on the Cardiovascular System on Thursday. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for assignments, announcements, and study materials.
US HISTORY - MR. GAUTHIER
Presentations are finishing this week. Next week we look into Westward expansion, and building the New Nation.
US HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER
This week in American History students will continue their study of the Westward Expansion with a focus on the Native Americans struggle and their treatment at the hands of the U.S. Government. We will have an assessment on Friday the 25th.
ACCELERATED MATH - MRS. TAYLOR
Students will continue with Chapter 7. We will Finish up and review Chapter 7 Wednesday and Thursday for a Friday (3/25) test.
PRE-ALGEBRA - MR. LANFEAR
This week in Pre-Algebra, we will review 8.1-8.3 and functions to prepare for the quiz on Thursday.
EARTH SCIENCE - MS. HOFFMAN
Welcome back from a wonderful Spring Break! I hope everyone is rested up and ready to continue with our ocean/ hydrology unit. Over the last few weeks, the sixth graders have learned the basics about the ocean habitat including its water chemistry, topography and zones. This week we will begin to discuss and learn about the different groups of ocean animals (benthic, nekton, plankton) with both video and a microscope lab observing live animals found living under a floating dock. Students will then use this information to work in groups during class to create an ocean diorama. This week students will also receive a rubric outlining their Ocean Animal Cereal Box Project. This project will be conducted at home with one day for additional research/ printing during class on 4/1/22. There will be a project notecard progress check (homework grade) on Wednesday, 4/6/22 and the entire project will be due on Wednesday, 4/13/22. Next week the focus will be on ocean motion learning about waves, tides and ocean currents. Our quiz on ocean animals and ocean motion will be on Thursday, 4/7/22 and the Ocean unit test is scheduled for Monday, 4/11/22. Lastly, don’t forget our March Science in Comic is due Thursday, 3/31/22.
EARTH SCIENCE - MRS. DURANT
I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break! This week in Earth Science, we will continue our unit on Rocks and Minerals. They will work on an in-class project making a tri-fold on Rocks and Minerals to wrap up this unit. Students will have a unit test on Rocks and Minerals on March 29. 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
This week, students will begin reading their next novel: The Outsiders. The reading schedule is listed below. Students will spend this week gaining background knowledge on the 1960s and being introduced to the major characters. Students will have a quiz each week over the assigned reading. This is a great way to boost their averages! As always, students may come in early to review the reading or ask questions.
The Outsiders Reading Assignments
*Final test over The Outsiders will be on students’ final exam at the end of May. Students will be given a full study guide of material on the exam and be allowed to use a notecard.
As a reminder: projects and essays in ELA are designed to help students think critically about the reading they have completed. I structure these assignments in a way that almost 95% should be completed in class. I carve out time and multiple periods for students to have ample time to work, ask questions, and be productive, which should limit their homework load. If students utilize this time wisely and stay on task, they should be coming home with minimal homework.
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 we are reviewing our new vocabulary list that covers shopping and clothing vocabulary. We will play charades, make skits, and be assigned a fashion show project (Due Friday, April 1st). We will also be talking generally about the history of Spain over the next couple of weeks. Due to ERBs next week, our next assessments will be the week of April 4th!
WORLD HISTORY - MR. O’HAYER
This week in World History students will begin our examination of Looking for a New Economic Order. Here students will look at how changes in the IR bright about a call for a New Order regarding how different economic systems developed and impacted individuals and business owners alike. We will have an assessment on Friday March 25th.
ART - MRS. COOKSON
“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.” - Émile Zola
Sketchbook Prompt:
8th: Draw the last wooly mammoth.
7th: Draw a demon singing in the church choir.
6th: Draw a silhouette of a monster on a neighbor’s roof.
Classwork Challenges:
8th: Will finalize work on Stop-Motion projects and move into Sgraffito (clay)
7th: Will continue with a digital “self-portrait”
6th: Will work on a collage “self-portrait”
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