May 1st - May 5th

 

IMPORTANT END-OF-YEAR INFORMATION BELOW

  • End of Year Dates and Details – CLICK HERE

  • Middle School Field Day Parent Sign Up, 5/5 – CLICK HERE

  • 8th Grade Letter from Mr. Cargile – CLICK HERE

  • 8th Grade Graduation Picture Order Form – CLICK HERE

  • 8th Grade Graduation Information Form, due 5/5 – CLICK HERE

  • 8th Grade Graduation Dinner and Poster Information – CLICK HERE


UNIFORM DONATIONS
Just a reminder that we accept uniform donations in the office. If you have clothing that no longer fits or you are graduating soon, please consider bringing in your used uniforms to Mrs. Mannarino! 


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. 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


29. Learn to Take Risks 

As middle schoolers, children should learn to take risks and explore new possibilities. They need to know how to speak up, combat their fears, and understand that it is OK to encounter failures as well. What are some things they should do? 

  • Speak up. Students should learn to participate and ask questions during class—remember, no question is a dumb question, so there is no need to be embarrassed! To help them combat shyness, students can even take up public speaking and join debate clubs. These clubs will help make children speak up with a sense of confidence, clarity, and poise. 

  • Make new connections. Taking these risks to do things out of their comfort zone also provides students an opportunity to connect with peers and meet new people. Once again, without letting inhibition take over, students should make the best of their new connections and expand their network, building on the interpersonal skills previously mentioned in the blog. 

https://askversed.com/blog-post/5-important-skills-middle-schoolers-should-develop-high-school


Unfortunately, you are likely to find it necessary to talk with your student about school violence. This can be a difficult and scary topic to navigate.  The following article has some tips to help:


Talking to Children About Violence


Two of my favorite tips are: 


Reassure children that they are safe. Emphasize that schools are very safe. Validate their feelings. Explain that all feelings are okay when a tragedy occurs. Let children talk about their feelings, help put them into perspective, and assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately.

Limit television viewing of these events. Limit television viewing and be aware if the television is on in common areas. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be mindful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers, and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that might be misunderstood.

Please feel free to get in touch with me at amaher@hancockdayschool.org if you have any questions or concerns.



ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor

We will begin factoring polynomials and they will have one more quiz on May 8th and a final test May 15th. I will give them a mock exam for practice early. We will spend all of our extra time working on it and two full days reviewing it before exams which are on May 22nd and May 23rd.


ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will continue reviewing Algebra I concepts by having our Exponents and Linear Functions test on Monday.  We will then begin reviewing how to solve systems of linear equations using graphing, substitution, and elimination.


GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Geometry, we will begin our final chapter - Chapter 12!  We will learn about solids and polyhedra (12.1) and how to calculate the surface area of prisms/cylinders (12.2) and pyramids/cones (12.3).


ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Students have finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee! In the next few weeks, we will be engaging in final projects: Final Essay, the Lost Chapter, etc. 


Final Exam: Students will be receiving an Exam Study Guide in the next week. The Discussion Questions will be a critical component to study for the Exam. The Exam will be about 50% TKAM, 30% Reading Comprehension with Macbeth, Night, Nonfiction Articles, and 20% Final Writing. 


PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman

We are wrapping up waves next week discussing the electromagnetic spectrum before entering a mini unit on magnetism! We will have a quiz over the EM spectrum on May, 8th, a final test over magnetism on May 15, and then begin exam review! 


US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier 
WW2- From the rise of Dictators to the dropping of the Atomic bombs- will be researched, discussed, and learned.  We will dive deep into the understanding of the events and intents as well as look at how the US emerged going forward.


SPANISH - Ms. Crocker

This week we are starting a sports project due Wed(D block) and Thursday(A/B blocks) just in time for field day on Friday! We will be discussing and practicing the difference between the verbs saber and conocer.



ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Brown
Thank you to those of you who have sent or shared the receipt of the Google Photobook! If your students are expressing the need to do so, please assist your student in completing their soon to be donated (to our darling 1st grade neighbors in the lower school) children’s books! A helpful tutorial video has been made available to them on their Google Classroom. 


ADVANCED SPANISH - Ms. Crocker

This week we are starting a sports project due Wed(E block) and Thursday(C block) just in time for field day on Friday!


ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor

We will begin factoring polynomials and they will have one more quiz on May 8th and a final test May 15th. I will give them a mock exam for practice early. We will spend all of our extra time working on it and two full days reviewing it before exams which are on May 22nd and May 23rd. PROJECTS ARE DUE 5/12.


PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the second part of Chapter 8 by learning how to graph linear inequalities (8.9), having a day of review, and then the Chapter 8.7-8.9 test on Wednesday (E Block) and Thursday (C Block).


ELA - Mrs. Buchner & Mrs. Boyer

Students have completed their final 7th Grade novel study, Posted by John David Anderson.  All reading and ALL Discussion of pages 1-365 are due on Monday, May 1st. This is a TEST grade and has been on the blog and google classroom for weeks. As we review in class, students had the opportunity to complete questions that they did not answer during the review. Students who did not take advantage of this time might be feeling the pressure. 

In the coming week, students will be reviewing their discussion question packet, reviewing with a Kahoot, and diving into a major project: Plot Mountain and Character Cards. Students will have two weeks to complete these projects, which will serve as a review for the EXAM. These will be individual projects. 

Exam: The exam will be focused on Posted and Idea Based Writing (with Posted as the foundation). Students will be asked to analyze quotes, literary devices (please see the PPT on GC), choose the BEST theme/character trait, which is NOT an element of the plot, author’s purpose, etc. 

Summer Reading will be coming out in the next few weeks. Mrs. Boyer will be available over the summer for edits/help. If your child wants major edits/more than quick email check-ins, please email Mrs. Boyer to book 30 minute to one hour tutoring sessions. 

As usual, students may come in early to ask questions, review homework with Mrs. Boyer and Mrs. Buchner, engage with their studies at home for at least 25 minutes, dive into the creative and reflective process as they prepare for reading checks, constructive responses, and complete their reading comprehension assignments. Mrs. Boyer and Mrs. Buchner are looking to see a ‘boost’ in effort and engagement with this unit. Remember: We are preparing for 8th grade. 


Students should have a Dark Blue or Black ink pen for class every day. Points will be deducted from responses if they are not writing in ink going forward for the remainder of the school  year. They may use an erasable pen if needed.

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. (Boyer-You may also email!)


Strategies for Home: 

-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

The students did an amazing job on their Bacteria and Virus projects! Next week, we will wrap up our unit on Bacteria and Viruses with a unit test on Monday. Then we will begin our final unit on Biomes and Ecosystems. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom each day for announcements, assignments, and study materials. 


US HISTORY - Mr. Gauthier

The studying and learning about the US Constitution continues.  The group Amendment projects are due April 5.  The grading rubric can be found on google classroom. More reading from the Lord of The Flies will continue through next week with the final product of constructing their own government.


US HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in American History students will begin our study of the events that led up to the Civil War. Students will evaluate and debate the key issues that led to succession. 



ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor

Students will learn 9.6 this week after their quiz Monday (9.4-9.5). Thursday will be more practice and Friday is field day. Monday, the 5th, we will review for the Unit test Tuesday (F block) and Wednesday (C block).


PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the second part of Chapter 8 by learning how to graph linear inequalities (8.9), having a day of review, and then the Chapter 8.7-8.9 test on Thursday.


EARTH SCIENCE - Mrs. DuRant

Next week, we will continue our final unit on Astronomy.  Quiz on astronomy will be Wednesday, May 3. Our unit test on astronomy will be Friday, May 12. I will also be posting a topic in the GC called Exam Prep and will devote the week of May 15 for final exam review and preparation. Please remind your student to check the Google Classroom daily for announcements, assignments, and study materials.


EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman

We are continuing our unit on Astronomy! There will be an astronomy quiz on Thursday, May 4th. Our unit test on astronomy will be Friday, May 12. This will be it before reviewing for exams the last week of school! 


ELA - Mrs. Buchner

   Students have finished their biography and taken the TEST over the biography and text features/structures. This past week they will finish their Green Folders to be turned in on Monday May 1st for a final Classwork/Homework Grade. The grades for their folders will be averaged for a TEST Grade for Trimester 3, so it is imperative that students do their best of the final pages of the Green Folder. 

This week students will begin their CHOICE BOARD PROJECTS. Students will choose 3 projects to complete from the Choice Board in their Green Folder. Projects will be due on Monday May 8th. Students will have the entire week in class to complete these, but will need to spend time at home completing them as well. Students can find the guiding documents for the Choice Board Project in Google Classroom. Students should continue to bring their Biography to class every day in order to use them as a resource for completing their PROJECTS.

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


Upcoming Assessments/Assignments:

  • Completed Green Folder Due (TEST GRADE)-Monday 5/1

  • Choice Board PROJECTS- Due Monday May 8th

  • Mini-Mythology Unit- May 8th-12th

  • Mythology Quiz Friday-May 12th

  • Exam Review Monday May 15th-Friday May 20th

  • EXAM will be over Nonfiction Unit and Mythology Mini-unit

    • A Study Guide will be provided on Monday May 15th

INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown

We are so excited to watch the cinematic masterpieces that the 6th grade students have been working on -documentaries all about themselves. It can be tricky learning to speak in 2nd person in Spanish, but with a meaningful message, it makes it more obtainable/doable for our youngest middle schoolers!


WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in World History students will continue our study of  the “economic” side of the Industrial Revolution. Students will compare and contrast the primary economic systems around the time of the Industrial Revolution.




Good day HDS Community, 


Students are developing their studio habits of mind:  Stretch & Explore, Develop Craft and Understand Arts Community. 

Sixth Graders illustrated marine life using pastel to build up the layers. Peer assessment in each work to see movement through color, value & imagery.  The seventh graders continue to design interior rooms in perspective and apply surface texture with consideration of material:  wood, fibers/textiles, metal, marble, etc.  Eighth grade students will complete their Savannah Squares acrylic paintings on canvas. Look for these talented artworks in our last Artsonia galleries! 

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