April 15 - April 19

 

Dear Parents,

We had a busy week filled with ERBs. Standardized testing can make for a long and tiring week. However, they allow us to gain valuable information about our school. I appreciate everyone’s effort and support this week. Enjoy the nice weekend!

Kind regards,

Jack Cargile

Head of Middle School

8th Grade Graduation

Time to start preparing for graduation! Please take some time to complete the graduation form (link below). This information will be used on the programs and diplomas. After the ceremony, we will have a brief reception, where a slideshow will be displayed with the graduates. We request families to submit 5 pictures for the slideshow. The pictures can be anything you want (baby, siblings, family, friends, etc). The pictures should be submitted electronically to mmannarino@hancockdayschool.org. 

Graduation information and slideshow pictures are due Friday, May 3rd.

Junior Achievement of Georgia’s Upcoming Summer Camp

It’s going to be a fun week at their Discovery Center on the GSU Armstrong Campus. The camp is for 10-14 year-old students, and it’s June 10-14th from 9AM - 3PM. Here is a link for more information about the camp - JA Summer Camp

And here’s a link to register - JA Summer Camp Registration (just click the “Get Tickets’ button) 

Follow all the fun on our Middle School Instagram account!

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.

Boys golf wins SPAL Golf Championship (co champions) at Southbridge Golf course. Boys were led by Carson Hayes, Beau Geriner, Jordan Hess, Bay Borak

Creighton Jue, and Hudson Mobley. The Girls golf team finished 2nd! They were led by Couper Howard, Caroline Seibert, and Jillian Schmid.

Baseball finishes the regular season 5-1 with a tough loss to SCPS. HDS will be the second seed heading into the SPAL Tournament, which will be bumped back due to rain outs on April 11th.

***Due to the rainouts this tournament has now been changed from a double elimination to a single elimination.

HDS host track meet at SSU

This past Tuesday,  HDS ran well highlighted by several personal best!!! Lena Ann Smith won the girls high jump. Stewart Dunn, Jackson Roberts, Wilkes Ward, and Gage Hart won the 4x100m relay! Olivia Steimle, Lily Spring, Mari Claire Dyches, and Ansley Pedigo -1st place in the 4 x400m relay!

Soccer remains undefeated, led by Jackson Roberts and Ryder Goodman in scoring.

 *8th grade night for Soccer is April 22nd at the HDS field @ BC

Fishing Tournament - April 20th

We know it's short notice, but our host is still clearing the shore by his 7 acre pond and we are waiting on his okay to announce details so that no one gets an advantage!

As of now - REGISTRATION will start at 8 am; fishing 8:30 to 11:30 am; freshwater; 25 minutes from HDS; adults must accompany students below 6th grade; more details to come; all parents encouraged to help.

SUMMER CAMPS HDS Basketball And Volleyball camps are open to kids/friends from other schools as long as they are accompanied with a HDS student that week!

Come out and support HDS Theater!

Come out and support HDS Theater!

Each middle school student is required to complete ten hours of community service over the school year.  Please remember to list hours worked daily, and do not log the total sum of hours worked over an extended period. Click HERE for a log form or see Mrs. Mannarino in the office.

Ongoing Opportunities

1. Plarn: Students are welcome to continue making plarn and submitting them to the middle school office. Each ball should be made from 50 plastic bags. For every ball submitted, students will receive 1 hour of community service. During the event in Hancock Hall, students also made cards of encouragement that were, ultimately, attached to the mats. Students are welcome to continue making cards. The cards should be approximately 2"x3" and made from unlined index cards, cardstock, or something similar. There should be an encouraging note and a nice picture on one side or an encouraging note on one side and a nice picture on the other side. Students should use a hole punch to add a hole to the left side of the cards before submitting them to the middle school office. For every 30 quality cards submitted, students will receive 1 hour of community service.     

2. Shelter From the Rain: SFTR is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides assistance for single mothers and children in need. This organization is also requesting handmade cards of encouragement. Students can make cards that are 4"x6" or 5"x7" and made from cardstock. The cards should be one-sided and include messages like: 

• Everything would be better if more people were like you!

• You are really something special!

• You are brilliant!

• I think you are amazing!

• Keep going! You're doing great!

• Have a beautiful day! We are rooting for you!

• We are so proud of you!

For every 30 quality cards submitted, students will receive 1 hour of community service.

Upcoming Opportunities

The Parent Association is working to identify additional ideas for community service. Please continue to check the blog. 

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Richter at 912.655.0033 or richtercmd@gmail.com.

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

30. Do a Picture Walk 

When starting a new chapter, go on a “picture walk” through it. Scan it. Look briefly at all the pictures, captions, and diagrams but also at the section headings, bold words, and summary, and even the questions at the end of the chapter, if the book has them. This might seem crazy. You haven’t read the chapter properly yet. But you are giving your brain an idea of what’s coming. It’s a little like watching a preview of a movie, or checking a map before you set off on a journey. You’ll be surprised at how spending a minute or two glancing ahead before you read in depth will allow you to organize your thoughts.This works even if you read on an electronic device. Just bookmark the beginning of the chapter so you can easily return to it.

It’s a little like a closet. The picture walk gives you “hangers” where you can organize the information you’re reading. Without hangers, the clothes just fall on the floor in a jumble.

From Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski

The virtue that we are highlighting for April is curiosity. Just as with the other virtues, the children take their cues from the adults around them. Here are some tips to encourage and embrace curiosity.

• Try something new as a family and/or get involved in the community.

• Ask open-ended questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer.

• Encourage your child to ask questions.

• When possible, adopt a slower pace to appreciate an experience at another level.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns that you may have this year at amaher@hancockdayschool.org.

ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor

We will be taking sections 9.4-9.8 slowly. We will have little to no HW M-Th. Friday there will be some homework. They will have a quiz on 9.4-9.6 on April 16th. Then we will proceed with the rest of the Chapter.

ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will review slope and slope-intercept form of linear equations, point-slope form, and parallel/perpendicular lines.  We will have 2 days of review to prepare for the test on exponents and linear equations the following Monday.

GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Geometry, we will finish Chapter 11 by learning how to find the area of regular polygons (11.6) and how to find the geometric probability (11.7).  We will have a day of review on Wednesday and the Chapter 11 test on Thursday.  Then, we will begin reviewing some important Algebra concepts such as multiplying binomials and solving quadratic equations.

ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Students having finished their reading of The House on Mango Street; there is a quiz on Friday (4/19). As we bring this year to a close, we will be focusing on reviewing key ideas such as theme, symbolism, identity, and key literary devices. We will be writing, creating small projects, and ensuring that each student has created a strong written voice before entering high school. 

PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman

We are really coming down to the end of everything! The assessments for the rest of the school year are posted to the assessment calendar and copied below. Please note that these are subject to being pushed back in response to how well students are grasping the information. They will never be pushed up. We will be finishing up our large unit on waves with light and sound waves. Then, we will have a week of our electricity unit followed by a mini- unit on magnetism. This will take us into May where we will be preparing for the grand finale of the bottle rockets! I know they are excited! 

While it does feel like the end of the year is here, there is still a lot of work to be done. 8th graders are exhibiting some serious signs of senioritis which is incredibly understandable. However, it ain’t over until it’s over. Please remind students that their work still matters, their classroom conduct is still noticed, and their grades will be a direct reflection of their efforts. I know it’s hard this time of year, but they are too close to give up now! 

Quiz on light and sound: Thursday, April 17th

Test on electricity: Friday, April 26th

Quiz on magnetism: Thursday, May 2nd

Bottle rockets (IN CLASS project): May 6-10th

US HISTORY - Mr. Saviskas  

This coming week we will be covering the last of the 1920s and 1930s and having a short quiz on it on Friday, 4/19. Once we’re finished with the quiz we will move onto our final unit, World War II.

HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH  - Mr. De Cardenas

The students are showing great progress in Spanish class. It is a very rewarding feeling to notice how they expand their communicative skills every week. Next week we will start our last new content of the year. They will start learning how to talk about daily activities in simple present tense. They will learn time expressions and rules for this grammar tense of my native language. They will also cover in this last unit how to make, accept or reject invitations. They will increase their vocabulary by memorizing nouns and verbs they will need to use with this communicative function such as new interrogative adverbs which will allow them to talk about any subject in Spanish using simple present tense.  

ADVANCED SPANISH - Mr. De Cardenas

The students are showing great progress in Spanish class. It is a very rewarding feeling to notice how they expand their communicative skills every week. Next week we will start our last new content of the year. They will start learning how to talk about daily activities in simple present tense. They will learn time expressions and rules for this grammar tense of my native language. They will also cover in this last unit how to make, accept or reject invitations. They will increase their vocabulary by memorizing nouns and verbs they will need to use with this communicative function such as new interrogative adverbs which will allow them to talk about any subject in Spanish using simple present tense. 

ADVANCED SPANISH - Mrs. Brown 

It is wonderful to be back in the classroom! To help students transition from my wonderful long term, maternity sub, Mr. Jones, we will be diving right into an interactive, team project. 

The rubric for this project has been posted to Google Classroom as well as provided to students in class. On that physical copy of their project rubric, we have included the final due date as well as the tentative dates for all check-points for the project (some of these will count as classwork and others will count as quizzes). Please see these dates below. 

• Rough Draft: Friday, April 12 (CW)

• Final Draft: Monday, April 15 (CW)

• Team Accountability Form: Thursday, April 18 (Q)

• PROJECT DUE DATE: Friday, April 19

One last thing: I would like to thank everyone AGAIN for the support and generosity shown to my family as we welcomed our first child. Clothes, gift cars, diapers, wipes, toys, swaddles, bows, kind words, all of it -it was so unexpected and so appreciated. Thank you for being an impactful part of my daughter’s life. God bless you and your families; may He return the favor to you all twice over. 

ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor

We will be taking sections 9.4-9.8 slowly. We will have little to no HW M-Th. Friday there will be some homework. They will have a quiz on 9.4-9.6 on April 16th. Then we will proceed with the rest of the Chapter.

PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will begin Chapter 9 by learning about square roots and how to find them (9.1), how to simplify square roots (9.2), and using the Pythagorean Theorem to find missing side lengths in right triangles (9.3).  There will be a quiz covering 9.1-9.2 on Friday.

ELA - Ms. Ferkol and Mrs. Boyer

This week we are moving a bit faster as we dive into the secondary assigned chapters of The Hobbit. Students should be now fully versed in the world of Middle Earth and the Hero’s Journey.  Students will be working through comprehension questions, Warm-Ups and Exit Tickets, and assessments that test their knowledge and understanding of these key concepts. Students will see how Bilbo has Entered the Unknown and Crossed the Threshold as he has begun his Hero Journey. 

All assessments for the remainder of the year are on GC and in the assessment calendar! 

Assessments: 

Hero’s Guide Book Test 4/15

Ch. 1-4 Quiz 4/17

Ch. 1-11 Test 5/6

Exam: Final Hobbit Assessment

LIFE SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman and Ms. Insignares

We have begun our unit on genetics! This is our last large unit. Next week, the fetal pigs should have arrived and we will be dissecting them!  The students are very much looking forward to that. We have had a light week this week introducing genetics by watching a documentary. Next week we will be introducing more vocabulary and laying the foundation for heredity. 

AMERICAN HISTORY - Mr. Saviskas

Next week we will finish up the Early American Republic and fully roll into Manifest Destiny and Westward expansion. On Friday, 4/19 we will have a short test over the material covered that week. Expect a study guide on Wednesday, 4/17. We will review the material in class on Wednesday and Thursday. The test itself won’t be very long so I expect students will do well on it.

AMERICAN HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in American History students will begin to dive deep into the Civil War. We will examine events that led up to the conflict. Students will break down the causes of the Civil War and we will begin our study of the important battles that shaped the outcome of the war.

ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor

Students have discovered perfect square roots, imperfect square roots on a calculator and by estimation, and before the quiz, we are covering the pythagorean theorem. They learned what having something “in square” means and why TV’s are measured diagonally. We are supposed to have a quiz on 11.1-11.3 Tuesday, April 16th but I am not sure just yet. If they need more time, I will grant it. Keep an eye out on the assessment calendar. I also post the quiz as an assignment in Google Classroom. I will change the due date if the test is moved back.

PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will begin Chapter 9 by learning about square roots and how to find them (9.1), how to simplify square roots (9.2), and using the Pythagorean Theorem to find missing side lengths in right triangles (9.3).  There will be a quiz covering 9.1-9.2 on Friday.

EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Insignares

Students will quiz on Chapter 9 (Volcanoes) on April 15th. Students will also be presenting their volcano research projects this week! We will also start on chapter 10 and test the following week!

ELA - Ms. Ferkol

We are diving into our last unit of the year this week–Mythology! This week we will be learning about the genre and its unique characteristics through guided and independent reading of some well-known myths. As we gather this knowledge and develop an understanding of how and why these stories were created, students will begin to think about what type of god/goddess/mythological creature they would like to create. These brainstormed ideas will eventually be the basis for their classroom persona that they will embody throughout the unit. This unit will be packed with lots of information and lots of FUN! I can’t wait to see what amazing ideas your students’ imaginations will develop!

INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown

It is wonderful to be back in the classroom! To help students transition from my wonderful long term, maternity sub, Mr. Jones, we will be diving right into an interactive, team project. 

The rubric for this project has been posted to Google Classroom as well as provided to students in class. On that physical copy of their project rubric, we have included the final due date as well as the tentative dates for all check-points for the project (some of these will count as classwork and others will count as quizzes). Please see these dates below. 

• Rough Draft: Friday, April 12 (CW)

• Final Draft: Tuesday, April 16 (CW)

• Team Accountability Form: Thursday, April 18 (Q)

• PROJECT DUE DATE: Friday, April 19

One last thing: I would like to thank everyone AGAIN for the support and generosity shown to my family as we welcomed our first child. Clothes, gift cars, diapers, wipes, toys, swaddles, bows, kind words, all of it -it was so unexpected and so appreciated. Thank you for being an impactful part of my daughter’s life. God bless you and your families; may He return the favor to you all twice over. 

WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in World History, students will begin the conclusion of out Unit on the Industrial Revolution. We will continue studying different economic systems as well as beginning our last IR project. Students will create their own inventions.