August 15 - August 19

 

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Back to School Night will be held Tuesday, August 30, 2022. 

*Please note this is a change from the original schedule!*

 

ASSESSMENTS AND PROJECTS CALENDAR

Parents and students 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.

As Learning Coach, I work 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. My phone extension is 327. 

I look forward to working with you! 

Tricia Guggenheim

Tip # 1:

Let’s get off to a great start this school year! Remember to schedule in time to study each day. Waiting until the night or two before an assessment forces students to cram the information if they haven’t mastered it yet. And studying right before bedtime helps the brain remember!

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 year these kids seem to be super pumped for math. Key word (seem). 

I know I am super excited to teach them!! We are jumping right to it Friday with homework the first night. The good news is that I will give them some time in class to complete it to start off the year right. A review of order of operations and algebraic expressions will start next week. The first quiz will follow the week of August 29th.

ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back everyone!  We’re so excited to have you back!  Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will be going over Chapter 9 and learning how to solve polynomials in factored form (9.4), factor the GCF and trinomials (9.5), factor the difference of two squares (9.7), and factor by grouping (9.8).  There will be a quiz next week covering sections 9.1-9.4.

GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back everyone!  We’re so excited to have you back!  Next week in Geometry, we will be starting Chapter 1 by learning about the difference between postulates and theorems (1.2), the midpoint and distance formulas (1.3), identifying and classifying angles (1.4-1.5), and classifying polygons (1.6).  There will be a short quiz next week covering sections 1.1-1.5.

ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Welcome to 8th grade ELA! I am so very excited to have all of our wonderful kiddos for their last year at HDS. :) This year will be challenging, but this year will prepare them for their 9th grade courses. It is critical that your child put their whole heart into this class, especially as the high school entrance exams are on the horizon. 

This week students will be introduced to the writing expectations of 8th grade. Students will be focused on writing a Literary Essay based on a short film of their choosing. Students will be following a structured format that we work on together for the first week. The students will then write their essays as individuals in class. 

I will still be conferencing with and emailing students as per my structure from last year. :) We will begin The Westing Game by Ellen Reskin in the coming weeks. 

**As students mature 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. Hallman

It is going to be a very exciting year in Physical Science! Students should be prepared to be challenged and expand their knowledge of chemistry and physics while working on skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and the scientific process. Each week a scientist of the week will be highlighted to add a bit of history to the class as well. I look forward to the many fun demonstrations and experiments such as the egg drop competition, bottled rockets, and making elephant toothpaste. 

US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier

Next week in American History we will be learning how to think like a Historian.  We will discuss the importance of understanding causes and the students will also be assigned their first speech.

SPANISH - Ms. Crocker

I’m so excited for this year! This week we will learn different strategies for learning another language. We will cover the differences between Spanish and English and do some Spanish geography trivia. From day one we will be speaking, writing, and playing Spanish games. 

ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Brown
¡Hola! What will truly distinguish our advanced Spanish students from others is their projected end of the year Spanish competency - this will be obtained through what may be their first, true in-class immersion experience! Get ready to listen, speak, and read more Spanish than you have in the past (it may be overwhelming at first, but if any students in our beautiful Savannah can do it, it’s the students at Hancock Day!)

ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Crocker

I’m so excited to see the students again! This week we will learn different strategies for learning another language. We will cover the differences between Spanish and English and do some Spanish geography trivia. From day one we will be speaking, writing, and playing Spanish games. 

ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor

This year these kids seem to be super pumped for math. Key word (seem). 

I know I am super excited to teach them!! We are jumping right to it Friday with homework the first night. The good news is that I will give them some time in class to complete it to start off the year right. A review of order of operations and algebraic expressions will start next week. The first quiz will follow the week of August 29th.

PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back everyone!  We’re so excited to have you back!  Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will review some skills from previous years such as exponents and order of operations.  Then we will begin Chapter 1 of our textbook by learning about expressions and variables (1.1), comparing and ordering integers (1.4), and adding integers (1.5).  Each number signifies the chapter followed by the section number in the textbook.  For example, “1.4” means “Chapter 1, Section 4”.

ELA - Mrs. Buchner & Mrs. Boyer

The next two weeks we will be reading/discussing A Hero's Guidebook to prepare for our unit over The Hobbit, which we will begin the week of September 19th. In this unit, students will learn how to create the perfect hero, so they can use these skills to identify those traits in the character of Bilbo in The Hobbit. The culminating project for A Hero’s Guidebook will be a student-created movie trailer.

Reading Schedule Outside of Class: 

Tuesday 8/23 & Wednesday 8/24-Chapter 1 & 2 A Hero’s Guidebook

Thursday 8/25- Chapter 3 AHG

Friday 8/26-Chapter 4 & 5 AHG

*Upcoming Assessments/Projects:

• Quiz over A Hero’s Guidebook-Friday 9/2

• Hero Movie Trailer Project- Due Sunday 9/4

Every 70 minute block, students will be completing ELA skill-building activities titled This or That. This bell ringer assignment will count toward a weekly classwork grade of 100 points. Any bell ringer that a student is unable to complete in class will become homework for that day. This assignment is in Google Classroom and will be completed digitally each day.

Students are highly encouraged to come in for extra help if they are having any difficulty with any assignment. Mrs. Buchner and Mrs. Boyer are available weekday mornings from 7:45 am to 8:15 am.

Strategies for Home: 

-Students should be completing each night's homework reading assignment listed above  in order to be prepared to discuss the reading in class the next day. 

-All homework assignments are in Google Calendar and Our Weekly Google Slide Presentation.

-Students should be coming in from 7:45-8:15 am to review/ask questions/work 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. 

LIFE SCIENCE - Mrs. DuRant

Welcome back to school! Our school year has already gotten off to an amazing start. Next week in Life Science, we will begin with an overview of lab safety and equipment commonly used in the Life Science lab. We will then begin our study of microscopes, researching the history of microscopy as well as learning proper use of a microscope. Students will conclude the week with a lab, using prepared slides to sharpen their microscope skills. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for announcements and study materials. 

US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier. 

Welcome back!  This is going to be a great year and I can’t wait to get started.  Next week we'll be learning how to think like a historian and begin to analyze sources to determine their reliability.

US HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Welcome back everyone! I’m excited to get the year going. Next week we begin our year by analyzing why we study history, how we perceive history, and how history defines us. Students will also be introduced to the themes of study for the year.

ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor

This year these kids seem to be super pumped for math. Key word (seem). 

I know I am super excited to teach them!! We are jumping right to it Friday with homework the first night. The good news is that I will give them some time in class to complete it to start off the year right. We will begin with patterns, expressions, variables and exponents. They will have a quiz the week of August 29th.

PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Welcome back everyone!  We’re so excited to have you back!  Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will review some skills from previous years such as exponents and order of operations.  Then we will begin Chapter 1 of our textbook by learning about expressions and variables (1.1), comparing and ordering integers (1.4), and adding integers (1.5).  Each number signifies the chapter followed by the section number in the textbook.  For example, “1.4” means “Chapter 1, Section 4”.

EARTH SCIENCE - Mrs. DuRant

Welcome to Middle School!  We have gotten off to a great start and next week we will delve into the world of Earth Science! We will begin with a station lab on Lab Safety and review commonly used lab equipment. The rest of the week we will focus on measurements through a series of activities and labs.  Please have your student check the Google Classroom daily for announcements and study materials. 

EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman

Welcome to Middle School! It has been so fun getting to know my 6th grade class this week before we begin exploring Earth Science. We have spent time reflecting on their previous experience in science as we did a creative lab coat project. On Monday, we will start with Lab Safety and go over lab equipment. All assignments will be posted in Google Classroom so have them check that everyday! I look forward to the rest of this year!

ELA - Mrs. Buchner

Students will begin the first unit for 6th grade ELA focusing on writing. This will include reviewing proper source citations and how to avoid plagiarism. We will then launch into the Jan Schaffer Method of Writing. We will focus on brain-based analytical writing using short fiction and non-fiction pieces to complete Constructed Responses to these readings  

Students should bring their chromebook and composition book to class each day. They will receive a composition book on Monday 8/22 to keep in their ELA binder. 

Every 70 minute block, students will be completing ELA skill-building activities titled This or That. This bell ringer assignment will count toward a weekly classwork grade of 100 points. Any bell ringer that a student is unable to complete in class will become homework for that day. This assignment is in Google Classroom and will be completed digitally each day.

Homework assignments can be found in your student’s Google Calendar, as well as the weekly Google Slide Presentation in their ELA Google Classroom.

Upcoming Assessments/Projects:

• Constructed Response Quiz-Friday 9/2

• Hidden Figures novel unit- Monday 9/19-10/31

INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown

¡Hola! We are all so excited to start off the year with such positivity! As the first few days continue, class syllabi and class-related procedures will follow. The amount of Spanish vocabulary that students have retained over the summer is impressive and will prove to ensure a fruitful year! 

WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Welcome back everyone! I’m excited to get the year going. Next week we begin our year by analyzing why we study history, how we perceive history, and how history defines us. Students will be introduced to the themes of study for the year.

ART - Mrs. Byrne

Good Day HDS community!  The first week has been so fulfilling in meeting the students and working with the faculty of HDS.  The eagle spirit of working together and sense of belonging will continue in the studio with students preparing their portfolios and sketchbooks.  This week we will focus on our immediate surroundings of the studio and what is just outside the window being Savannah palms. Students will study value and expand compositions with a closer look at the great greens Savannah brings to our landscape.