October 3rd - October 7th

Dear Parents,

The virtue of the month for August and September was Kindness. We made Kindness our first virtue of the school year because of its importance to all of us in the community. While we shine a light on many other important virtues throughout the school year, kindness must be our foundation. There are many benefits to practicing kindness because acts of kindness:

• Create a greater sense of belonging

• Improve self-esteem

• Increase peer acceptance

• Decrease feelings of stress

• Increase feelings of gratitude

When we consistently practice kindness and are the beneficiary of consistent kindness, our brains rewire to be more compassionate and altruistic. There is no doubt that a big part of the Hancock Way is kindness, in fact, kindness is embedded in our Mission Statement:

Hancock Day School develops the whole student by instilling values, knowledge, and skills to become an independent, self-reliant, lifelong learner with strength of character to make positive contributions in our ever-changing world.    

It is my mission, and that of all of the Middle School faculty, to help your child develop their strength of character to make positive contributions in our ever-changing world. As we now transition to our October virtue, Responsibility, we will continue to emphasize kindness as a core virtue, and I encourage you to continue to frame your conversations at home with the virtue of kindness. It is not a stretch to say that the Hancock Day School community would not be the amazing community that it is without our shared value of kindness. 

Kind regards,

Jack Cargile

Head of Middle School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 or see Mrs. G in the office.

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 #5 What's a Reasonable Homework Break?

Both your body and brain need frequent refreshers. Set another timer for five minutes, then do jumping jacks, run in place, or stretch. Start another 30-minute block of homework. This sounds too simple to work, but these breaks keep you sharp to get your work done faster. After two weeks, you will find that these five-minute blocks will significantly reduce procrastination.

Have you enthusiastically asked your student how their day was at school to be met with an unenthusiastic “fine”? Or, have you asked your student what they learned at school and they responded “nothing”? 

You are not alone. Getting middle school students to talk about their day can be like pulling teeth. However, this article has some good tips and conversation starters to lead to meaningful after school discussions.

Check out this quick read: How to Get Your Child to Talk About School

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 continue to work on multi-step equations. The remaining of the week, they will move on to proportions and percentages. 10/17 we will review for a test on 10/18 for 8th Block A and 7th grade Block D. Block B will test 10/19.

ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will continue the second part of Chapter 10 by learning how to solve quadratic equations by completing the square (10.5).

GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 3 by learning about perpendicular lines and proving theorems involving them (3.6).  There will be a quiz covering 3.1-3.5 on Thursday.

ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Students are diving into their reading of The Westing Game! They will be responsible for finishing the novel by the end of this week. Students are expected to focus on reading each night and work on their interactive notebook. We will be reviewing the interactive notebook in class. Students’ continued main priority this week is to manage their time. Students need to be completing their homework each night. This is a KEY component to success for 8th ELA. Students will have PLENTY of time to complete their Interactive Notebook to the best of their ability. This will be a TEST grade at the end of T1. Almost like a final project. This is incredibly important to their overall success with this novel. 

POP Quizzes are on the horizon. Students are learning that it is critical for students to annotate their books in regards to characters and key details. 

Assessment Dates!

Interactive Notebook Test Grade Due 10/19

Socratic Seminar Test Grade 10/25-10/26

The Westing Game Unit Test 10/26-10/27

**Students are currently writing in an ELA specific journal. This journal will be a critical piece throughout the year. I would highly encourage students to take very good care of this journal as it will be extremely helpful as they venture on to high school.**

**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

Next week in science we will start looking at elements and chemical bonding. Looking a bit further ahead we will have a project where students will “adopt an element” and create a visual representation to display information about this element. In addition to this, they will give a very brief presentation on it to the class. We will have a quiz on Monday 10/17 and a test the following Wednesday and Thursday (10/26-27). Encourage your students to review their notes in the coming weeks to make studying for those two assessments a breeze! I am excited for the labs in the coming weeks as well. Now that we have most of the basics under our belt, chemistry is about to get fun! 

US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier

Next week we continue with learning about The Gilded Age vocabulary, people,events and discoveries.  We will begin prepping for the big project.

SPANISH - Ms. Crocker

We are well into our Spanish podcasts this week! Students are interviewing each other in Spanish using our vocab list. Project dates vary depending on class block and this is an in-class project. Due dates for each block are posted on the assessment calendar and Google Classroom. 

There is a quiz the week of the 17th (again, varying dates for the different blocks!) on Vocab List #3 and ser, gustar, hablar, vivir, estar, and tener! Our second test will be the week of October 24th.

REMINDER: Students have received a lot of material so far…they should be studying vocab ON THEIR OWN AT HOME 10-15 minutes/day! Flashcards are HIGHLY recommended!

ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Brown
A great start to using cartoons as a means of bringing Spanish to life! Images of exemplar cartoons to follow!

ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Crocker

We started a talk show mini project this week using our vocab list #3! Students are interviewing each other in Spanish and will perform “live” to the class. Due dates for each block are posted on the assessment calendar and Google Classroom. 

There is a quiz Monday, October 17th on Vocab List #3 and ser, gustar, hablar, vivir, estar, and tener! Our second test will be the week of October 24th.

REMINDER: Students have received a lot of material so far…they should be studying vocab ON THEIR OWN AT HOME 10-15 minutes/day! Flashcards are HIGHLY recommended!

ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor

Students will continue to work on multi-step equations. The remaining of the week, they will move on to proportions and percentages. 10/17 we will review for a test on 10/18 for 8th Block A and 7th grade Block D. Block B will test 10/19.

PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

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

ELA - Mrs. Buchner & Mrs. Boyer

     We are halfway through The Hobbit this week, which will culminate with a test over Chapters 1-11 next Friday 10/14.  The students seem to be enjoying the book, but are also quite challenged by the Reading Checks each day. Students can better plan for these by completing all reading assignments, annotating as they read, and completing Discussion Questions while they read. For those students struggling with the comprehension of the text, listening to an audible version of the novel, while following along may help them better understand the story.

We are working through activities such as Hexagonal Thinking, Constructed Responses, and Whole Class Discussion! Students need to engage verbally in class in order to fully participate in the lesson. Reading and engaging with their homework is a great strategy to be prepared for class. 

Reading Schedule Outside of Class: 

• Monday October 10-Tuesday October 11, 2022-Fall Break-No Reading Assignments!!

• Friday October 14th- Read Chapters 12-14

• Study Questions will be due on 10/17 for Ch. 12-14

Assessments: 

• Hexagonal Activity/Constructed Response- QUIZ Grade-10/6 & 10/7 Buchner’s Class

• Ch. 1-11 TEST on 10/14-ALL 7th ELA Classes

• Constructed Response-Due Friday 10/17-QUIZ Grade

• Interactive Notebook Study Guide Assigned 10/24 due on 10/31 TEST GRADE

• Ch. 12-19 TEST on 11/3

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 reading The Hobbit and answering study questions each night. *Don’t wait until the night before the study questions are due to complete your reading.

-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

Next week in Life Science, we will continue our exploration of the exciting world of Cells! We will be comparing plant and animal cells.  Students have received their instructions for an at-home project in which they will build a cell model. This project is due October 24 - please note the extension given due to the hurricane days. Instructions will also be posted in the Google Classroom. Students will have a quiz on Friday on the organelles of the animal cell. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for announcements, assignments, and study materials. 

US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier. We will be continuing our learning and discovering about Financial Literacy.  This unit will also be incorporated throughout the year into the other units we will be teaching. 

US HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in American History we continue our focus to the formation of the 13 Colonies. Students will research and analyze how each colony began and how each developed as we move toward Revolution. Students will also continue working on their Colony Project.

ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor

Students will continue with Chapter 3. Quiz will Be 10/18 for Block F and 10/19 for Block C. It will cover Mean, Median, Mode, Bar and line graphs, and Stem and Leaf Plots. 

For the last quiz, several students were given the opportunity to learn about negative exponents and scientific notation. I only had a few students interested and they found it useful as it related to the bonus on the quiz. They made up their own problems and wanted to teach other students. Love this!!!

     

PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

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

EARTH SCIENCE - Mrs. DuRant

Next week in Earth Science, we have a short week and I will only see the students twice that week. On Wednesday, we will conclude our unit on Winds. The students will collect their air particle collectors which we placed throughout the school campus for one week.  They will use microscopes to observe what was collected. On Friday, we will have a quiz on Winds and review for the test on Earth’s Atmosphere (including Winds). Please have your student check the Google Classroom daily for announcements,assignments, and study materials. 

EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman

Next week in Earth Science we will be finishing up the units on Winds and Air Pollution. Have students check the Google Classroom for any updates and encourage them to be reviewing their notes consistently. 

ELA - Mrs. Buchner

Students are really enjoying reading Harbor Me. Students need to make sure they are keeping up with reading assignments nightly, as well as annotating as they read. It is much easier to answer discussion questions while reading, as well. We will  use the discussion questions to guide us in our discussion of the novel, so it is imperative that students complete these on time, so they can participate in the class discussions. Talking about literature is a great way to comprehend and retain the text.  Even if we are in the middle of a set of discussion questions, students should turn these in after each homework assignment, so I can give them a completion grade prior to our discussion of the chapters. We have had our first test over the novel, Harbor Me, for chapters 1-11 on Friday 10/7. Listed below are the remaining assessments for the book. Please make sure your student is keeping up with assignments daily. 

 My expectation is that they will underline where they find the discussion question answer, then noting in the margin which question it is referring to in the discussion guide. This will help them when they have to complete their project or any writing assignment on the book. Every four chapters, students will take a short reading check, so I can assess their reading comprehension, as well. This will be a classwork grade and will serve as a study guide for each of the two tests over the novel. 

 

Students are also completing vocabulary for the book by creating flashcards to study from, as well as activities in their Vocabulary Booklet. We will have a QUIZ over the Vocabulary words on Monday October 31st. Students should be studying their vocabulary words each night. They have a vocabulary packet, as well with the definitions, synonyms, and the textual reference for each vocabulary word.

 

     Homework assignments can be found in your student’s Google Calendar, as well as the weekly Google Slide Presentation in their ELA Google Classroom. Students are highly encouraged to come in for help in the mornings from 7:45-8:15 a.m.  I am unavailable on Wednesdays from 7:45 to 8:00 a.m. due to carpool duty. On occasion, I will announce a 7:30 a.m. tutorial on a given morning if I see students are struggling with the content. This will appear in the Google Classroom stream. You can also email me if you would like for your student to have a longer tutorial starting at 7:30 a.m.

Reading Schedule: 

• Friday 10/7- Read Chapters 13-16; Discussion questions

• Wednesday 10/13 or Thursday 10/14-Read Chapters 17-20;Discussion Questions

• Friday 10/14-Read Chapters 21-28; Discussion Questions

Upcoming Assessments:

Friday October 7-TEST Chapters 1-12

Tuesday October 18-TEST Chapters 13-28

Monday October 24- Hexagonal Thinking/Constructed Response PROJECT Due

Wednesday October 26 & Thursday October 27-TEST Chapters 29-40

Tuesday November 1-QUIZ Vocabulary Chapters 1-40

INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown

Be ready for your first test this coming week! Access to a virtual and hard copy o the study guide are available on your Spanish Google Classroom!

WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in World History students will examine the Causes and Outcomes of the Persian Wars and dive deep into the Golden Age of Athens. Our focus will be on how/why Athens and Sparta joined forces to protect their interests against the Persians. From there we investigate the Rise of the Athenian Empire and the cultural achievements of Athens.

Middle School Art with Mrs. Byrne 

Good Day HDS community! Students in sixth grade have applied their portraiture and value skills in creating self-portraits that are more in proportion to actual scale. Students learned how to desaturate the chromebook photo into black & white in order to see the values. Seventh grade students have revised the Monochromatic landscapes with additional layer values from light to dark in both colored pencil and watercolor..   Eighth grade students completed a color study of complimentary colors that included self-expression while creating mood in portraiture. 

Use Artsonia code NNNY-YPFY to access the  publishing of artwork!