February 13th - February 17th
Dear Parents,
This year in the Middle School we will be doing student-led conferences on Friday, March 3rd. The student-led conference is a great opportunity for students to not only share what they have learned but how they have learned. The focal point of our student-led conferences will be your child’s digital portfolio, which has artifacts from each class accompanied by reflection pieces. We are excited that you and your student will be able to have this experience together and we believe that the student-led conferences have many benefits, including:
Encouraging students to accept responsibility for their learning and progress;
Helping students recognize and take ownership of the things that interfere with their learning success;
Teaching the student the process of self-evaluation;
Facilitating the development of student communication skills and self-confidence;
Enhancing communication between parents and the student.
Student-led conferences are mandatory for all students, and it is expected that all students will have at least one parent attend their assigned session with their child on conference day (siblings may not attend student-led conferences). In the coming weeks, we will share more detailed information about the student-led conferences. To help you plan ahead, please note the session you are invited to attend:
Session 1 (8:30-10:00) is for surnames starting with A-H
Session 2 (10:30-12:00) is for surnames starting with I-P
Session 3 (1:00-2:30) is for surnames starting with Q-Z
The students are investing time, thought, and energy into their preparation for student-led conferences. We believe that this format will facilitate thoughtful conversations with you and provide a meaningful opportunity for students to actively present their learning. We look forward to seeing you on Friday, March 3rd!
Kind regards.
Jack Cargile
Head of Middle School
STUDENT SIGN IN/OUT REMINDER
Just a friendly reminder that all students, grades 6th through 8th, should be signed in and out of the middle school office by their parent.
MARCH LUNCHES
Registration for March lunches is open now through February 17th.
** Reminder to 8th grade families: DO NOT sign up for lunches the week of March 6th through 10th, as students will be in Washington, D.C. **
After logging into Family Portal, click Student Information
Click Lunch. The lunch calendar displays.
Click Create Web Order to create a lunch order for the student. The lunch order form will display, listing each student in the family.
Click the student name for which you wish to place an order. The lunch order form will expand, listing each date an order may be placed. A blank day denotes a school holiday or 1/2 day.
Click the date to place an order. The lunch item list will expand.
Type in the quantity for the student in the quantity column. The total column will display the cost.
Repeat for all dates and all students. The grand total will be listed at the bottom.
Click Submit Order. The charges will now display for the student on their Family Portal portal to be paid on the Financial screen. Lunch will not be provided unless paid in full for the month.
Please reach out to me directly if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Melissa Gordon
8TH GRADE GRADUATION INFORMATION
DETAILS FOR FAMILIES
We will be having our 8th grade graduation and reception at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church on Wednesday, May 24th. Students will need to arrive for pictures by 9:45am. Graduation will begin at 11:00am in the Sanctuary. Immediately following the graduation, the 7th grade will be hosting the reception in the Anchor Room for graduates and their families. We are looking forward to this exciting event! Please email Mrs. Mannarino if you have any questions.
SLIDESHOW
Every year we display a slideshow of the 8th grade class during their reception following graduation. Families are asked to provide five (5) pictures of their choice (baby pictures, family pictures, friends, etc.) and the high school they will be attending in the Fall. Please submit this information to Mrs. Mannarino via email by Friday, May 5th. For an example of a past slideshow, please click here.
8TH GRADE GRADUATION RECEPTION (7TH GRADE FAMILIES)
If you are interested in participating in the Hancock tradition of hosting the reception for the graduating 8th grade class on May 24th, please follow this link for more information and sign-ups!
HONORS ASSEMBLY - PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
8th Graders interested in earning a PVSA at our annual Honors Assembly will need to submit their community service hours by Friday, March 24th.
Gold Award (100+ hours)
Silver Award (75 - 99 hours)
Bronze Award (50 - 74 hours)
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.
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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. Mannarino 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
19. Make study cards.
On the front of a note card write the word or idea. On the back (the lined side), write the definition or important information. Have a friend or parent ask you about the word and/or provide a definition. But remember, flashcards only help with memorization; they don’t check if you understand the definition. For that, you need to explain the meanings to someone like a parent. Also writing sentences that show that you understand the meaning of the word is very helpful.
Talking to your middle school student about peer pressure is a great way to help them develop strategies to navigate tricky situations before they encounter them.
Creating a family “code word” or “code phrase” is a simple tool that enables your child to indicate they need assistance to leave a potentially dangerous environment. See the link below for tips on how to implement this.
Resources:
6 Ways to Help Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure
Please feel free to get in touch with me at amaher@hancockdayschool.org if you have any questions or concerns.
ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor
Systems of Equations (Chapter 7) is going very well. Students did a great job retaining some of the concepts from Pre-Algebra. Their first quiz will be Tuesday(2/14)/Wednesday(2/15) and we will learn a short section the day of the quiz as well. We will finish up this short Chapter and have full assessment on the Chapter the following week.
ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete Chapter 8 by having the Chapter 8 test on Monday. Then we will begin Chapter 7 by learning about similar polygons (7.1), scale factor (7.2), and proving similarity in triangles using Angle-Angle (AA) (7.3), Side-Side-Side (SSS), and Side-Angle-Side (SAS) (7.4).
GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 8 by learning about trapezoids and kites (8.5) and identifying special quadrilaterals (8.6). There will be a day of review on Thursday and the Chapter 8 Test the following Monday.
ELA - Mrs. Boyer
This week we will begin Night by Elie Wiesel. This is a memoir of Wiesel’s time in the Holocaust concentration camps. This is the first year that the schedule has worked out so that I am able to teach the novel/content before the Washington, D.C. trip at which they will be visiting the United States Holocaust Museum.
This unit is about reflection, awareness, respect, and diving into the unanswerable question…WHY?
Students will work through this novel using the following:
Night Reflection Packet- Class Warm Ups, Night Comprehension Questions, Journal Entries
Yom HaShoah Contest Packet- All 8th graders will be entering the Jewish Education Alliance’s Annual Yom Hashoah Holocaust Art and Writing Contest. Your child will receive this information on Monday, and their homework will be for you to read and sign.
Your child should be finished reading Night by the beginning of class on February 13th. :)
Dear Parents,
During the next several weeks your child will be completing their Yom HaShoah Contest Project. This project is a large part of each student’s overall grade for the third trimester and failure to complete it may result in a failing grade in English Literature for T3.
Besides weekly homework grades as outlined in the dates below, there will be four additional grades accessed for the project based on each individual part required. These are the submission brainstorm, the contest submission piece, formal report/class presentation, and the Reflection Journal/Packet. Each of these will count for the following grade: formal report= test grade, the contest submission piece= test, reflection journal packet- project grade, and the presentation= classwork grade.
Supplies needed for this project will include a report cover and any specific art materials needed to complete your child’s experiment. Students needing any assistance with these materials should see Mrs. Boyer.
There will be multiple days in class for working on these assignments; however, the majority of the work for the contest submission piece should be completed at home. Students are also encouraged to come in and work on their projects during morning tutorial times.
Contest Pieces will be due the week AFTER SPRING BREAK!
Please sign the cover sheet of the form to acknowledge the receipt of information about the project and its importance in your child’s ELA class. This form is due by 1/31 (E &F) and 2/1( C). If you have any questions about the project, please do not hesitate to email me at oboyer@hancockdayschool.org. I will be glad to offer any assistance I can to ensure your child is successful in their project.
Yom HoShoah Due Dates
***In 8th grade it is critical that students need to be completing their homework each night. This is a KEY component to success for 8th ELA. POP Quizzes are continuing…Students are learning that it is critical for students to annotate their books in regards to characters and key details. For students to do well on these assessments, please use the following strategies:
Read and annotate (check annotations with Mrs. Boyer’s book).
Ask for practice questions
Come in and practice writing prompts
Spend a solid 30 minutes each night on reading, review, etc.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman
Next week in Physical Science we will continue our investigation of simple machines. There will be a quiz on Monday over the mathematics associated with machines and then there will be a test the Tuesday we return from our long weekend. The quiz is the last large grade for the trimester so students are encouraged to finish strong! Please have students check google classroom for any announcements.
US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier
1920’s discussion and research continues. All students will be assigned a group research project. This project will be extensive and require work to be done both in and out of the classroom. Assignment and rubric will be posted in Google classroom.
SPANISH - Ms. Crocker
Wow!!! What a special week seeing everyone’s family members and writing our FIRST SPANISH ESSAY! Wahoo! They did a great job and we are really starting to be able to express ourselves. Test on family unit vocab + possessive adjectives is TUESDAY (A/D blocks) and WEDNESDAY (B block). End of the trimester this week! Students need to come see me IN PERSON at tutorial if they have a zero!
ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Brown
Our What we eat in a day video projects are going strong. Students have finished their filming in various locations throughout the school to bring their spoken Spanish abilities to life and are learning how to use Wevideo, CapCut, and iMovie video editing platforms! Looking forward to their final products!
ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Crocker
Wow!!! What a special week seeing everyone’s family members and presenting all about our familys! The kids did a fantastic job. Test on family unit vocab is MONDAY!! End of the trimester this week! Students need to come see me IN PERSON at tutorial if they have a zero!
ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor
Systems of Equations (Chapter 7) is going very well. Students did a great job retaining some of the concepts from Pre-Algebra. Their first quiz will be Tuesday(2/14)/Wednesday(2/15) and we will learn a short section the day of the quiz as well. We will finish up this short Chapter and have full assessment on the Chapter the following week.
PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 6 (6.1-6.6) by learning how to use scale drawings and models (6.6). There will be a day of review and the Chapter 6.1-6.6 test will be on Wednesday (E Block) and Thursday (C Block).
ELA - Mrs. Buchner & Mrs. Boyer
Students have completed their Voices of the World book this week. They have been working very hard on their Theme Park project and turned in the BluePrint for their park. We have been really impressed with what students are producing, and many have expressed how much they have enjoyed this project. It is great to see the synthesis of literary elements being expressed in a creative way.
This week students will take their Blueprint and use it to guide them as they complete the FINAL Draft (TEST GRADE) of their Theme Park. We are very excited to see the outcomes and can’t wait to share these on our bulletin boards inside and outside of our classrooms.
Coming Soon! Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students will be reading the abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mrs. Boyer and Mrs. Buchner are both available for morning tutorials. If your student needs assistance with journal entries or just a quick check to see if they are completing them correctly, please have them drop by.
Students should have a Dark Blue or Black ink pen for class every day. Points will be deducted from journal entries if they are not writing in ink going forward. They may use an erasable pen if needed.
Assessments/Assignments:
Theme Park Final Draft-TEST Grade-Due Friday 2/17
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 their VoW book each night and completing at least ONE journal entry a night.
-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 or review their journal entries with the teacher.
**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, we will continue a Project Based Learning activity to explore the Nervous System. This is an in-class small group project. Students will research specific information about the Nervous System and create a board game to assess their knowledge. They are doing a wonderful job on their board games and really expressing their creativity. We will wrap this project up by the end of the week and play the board games as a review experience for the Nervous System. Students will complete both a self-evaluation and peer review prior to receiving their final evaluation. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom each day for announcements, assignments, and study materials.
US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier
Next week in US History, we will begin reading the novel “Lord Of The Flies” Discussions and learning will focus on the rise and breakdown of leadership and power.
US HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in American History students will continue our examination of the U.S. Constitution. We will continue this process by looking at how The Enlightenement thinkers influenced our Founding Fathers as they set out creating the document that would be the foundation of laws and guiding principles for our nation.
ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor
Students will begin learning algebra through expressions with variables, combining like terms, one and two-step equations and inequalities in Chapter 7. The first quiz will not be until the following week.
PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 6 (6.1-6.6) by learning how to use scale drawings and models (6.6). There will be a day of review and the Chapter 6.1-6.6 test will be on Thursday.
EARTH SCIENCE - Mrs. DuRant
What a great week we’ve had in Earth Science! Students participated in a wonderful NASA lab where they not only built a volcano, but learned how volcanoes are actually constructive forces. Through their lab, they could see how land is created from lava flows. They used graphing skills to plot multiple lava flows and how that results in additional land formation. Next week, students will use their research skills to make a poster about a volcano. This will be an in-class project. They will focus on the type of volcano, effects on humans and the environment, and the probability of the volcano erupting in the future. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for announcements, assignments, and study materials.
EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman
We have had so much fun in Earth Science! Next week, we will begin making a poster project on volcanoes and it will be completed all in class. Please have your student check GC for any announcements.
ELA - Mrs. Buchner
We will finish reading The Outsiders this week. Students should be reading Chapters 10-12. It is important that students have read the chapters prior to coming to class on:
Wednesday 2/15 (D & E Block)
Thursday 2/16 (A Block)
We will spend the week discussing the novel and digging deeper into the various literary elements within the novel, including conflict, protagonist vs. antagonist, character, and themes. Students should be reviewing the novel and their annotations to prepare for the final test on the novel on Tuesday 2/21.
Students should already be tracking one character in the novel on which they will write their essay the week following the final test. They should annotate how the character acts and feels, as well as what other characters say about their character of choice. All of their journal entries at this point should be focused on the character’s development in each chapter.
Several students are not completing the reading assignments on time. This does not allow them to participate in class discussions nor does it allow them to understand the annotations we are making. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS BRING THEIR COPY OF The Outsiders TO CLASS EACH DAY. Your student will be UNABLE to annotate the items they need to study for the quiz if they do not have their personal copy. It would also be beneficial for students to have a highlighter to use while annotating their book.
GREASERS DAY! Students will be dressing up as their favorite character from The Outsiders on Tuesday February 28th. You can start working on those Greasers or Socs outfits. Students should dress as a teen from the 1960s. Greasers: White Tshirt, Blue Jeans, Leather or Jeans Jacket, Tennis shoes or cowboys boots; Socs: Think preppy-khaki pants, madras plaid, loafers. Students should choose their favorite character from the book and dress accordingly. More information will be coming home soon with a permission form to view the movie, as well as requests for contributions of snacks (popcorn and drinks) for their ELA classroom. We will view the film over two class blocks, but dress up and snacks will ONLY be on 2/28.
Students should already be reading their next Independent Reading book. Since February is a short month, students will need to manage their time more efficiently. This month students will choose from various questions and write a well-developed Constructed Response to each question about their book. Within the assignment is a graphic organizer to assist them in collecting evidence on their questions as they read. Students will again be asked to choose a book in their Zone of Proximal Development. This is indicated on the STAR Parent Report. This is where they will benefit most from their reading. There are many books appropriate for a 6th grader within each student’s ZPD. The book response assignment is in Google Classroom.
Homework assignments can be found in your student’s Google Calendar, as well as the weekly Google Slide Presentation in their ELA Google Classroom. All of the reading/journal entry assignments for The Outsiders are located in the Google Classroom Assignment. Weekly chapter reading assignments should be completed by Wednesday(D & E) & Thursday (A); Journal Entries for the week are due on Fridays for all classes. Students are highly encouraged to come in for help on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 7:45-8:15 a.m. Tutorials are available weekly on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30 a.m. I have only had a small group of students attend tutorials since winter break. Only 8 students attended the TEST tutorial on Tuesday 2/7. I hope this is a sign that your students felt confident in their understanding of the novel. The few tests I have already graded have been good grades, so that is a great sign!
Upcoming Assessments/Assignments:
Read The Outsiders Chapters 10-12- Due Wed. 2/15 (D&E) and Thurs. 2/16 (A)
Reading Check over Chapters 10-12- Friday 2/17 QUIZ Grade
Journal Entries #13-15: Due Friday 2/17
TEST over entire book on Tuesday 2/21
February Independent Reading Project-Due 3/1
INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown
Students are all at different stages of their Cooking video projects and are learning so much along the way; script writing, video recording, editing on Wevideo, CapCut, and iMovie, doing voice overs in Spanish, and more! They are enjoying themselves and seeing the benefits of capitalizing on each minute of class time to create the best final product possible (see image one). They have even made an improvised, “sound-proof,” area in the classroom (see image two!
WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer
Students will finish up our study of The Enlightenment by traveling to America to examine how the Founding Fathers utilized the thinking of the Enlightenment to form and create the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of independence.
Good day HDS Community! This week students are completing their Portfolio’s for Trimester ll.
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