April 29 - May 3
Dear Parents,
As we approach the end of the school year, I want to highlight an important upcoming event: our Trimester 3 exams on May 21st and 22nd. These exams mark a significant opportunity for our students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, reflecting their hard work throughout the second half of the school year.
While our teachers are diligently preparing students in the classroom, your continued support from home is invaluable. Encouraging your child to stay focused, manage their time effectively, and maintain a consistent study routine can greatly enhance their performance during exam week, and help them finish the trimester on a high note. It's essential to emphasize the importance of not only preparing for exams but also staying committed to daily classwork and homework assignments. Consistent effort throughout the trimester lays the foundation for success during exam time.
Additionally, I want to remind both students and parents that our expectations for student behavior remain high. As members of our school community, it's crucial for students to uphold the principles of respect, responsibility, honesty, and integrity—pillars of the 'Hancock Way.' By embodying these values, our students not only excel academically but also contribute positively to our school environment. Let's continue to work together to support our students as they strive for success in the classroom and beyond.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and dedication to your child's education and the Hancock Way.
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.
HDS Sports Update April 23
Baseball
HDS heads to the championship next Tuesday at 5pm at Paulson. Congratulations on beating the #1 seed SCPS 4-3! Walker York came up big with a clutch hits ( 2 RBI’s );
Elliot Ziegler’s pitching mowed down hitter after hitter; Carter Allen finished the game in a great relief performance.
“PACK THE PAULY” at 5pm Tuesday, April 30th - Any student that comes to the game before 5:05pm gets a free raffle ticket and a chance to win a Dicks Sporting Goods Store gift card. YOU MUST WEAR HANCOCK GEAR AND STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME TO BE ELIGIBLE.
TRACK
HDS hosted an amazing SPAL Championship meet on Tuesday. Several of our athletes either won and/or broke HDS records! Congratulations to the following student athletes: Lena Ann Smith - High Jump,Long Jump, Discus, and Shot Put (Lena Ann broke every record for events she entered this year!); Finn Summerell - Shot Put and Discus; Wilkes Ward - Discus; Ansley Pedigo - 800M; Noland Taylor - 200m; Stuart Dunn - 100 and 400m. Relay results are not available yet.
GOLF
The boys team defeated SCPS, and came up second behind Coastal. Carson led the boys, and the girls team was led by Couper Howard. Next week, the teams will participate in the Coastal Golf League Championship.
SOCCER
HDS defeated BSS 5-0 with goals by Jackson and Griffin Roberts, Hudson Broderick, and 2 by Ryder Goodman. The number two seed HDS team will play in the SPAL Semi Final game Monday at 6:15 at the HDS field on the BC campus. HDS will play the winner of the SJS and CDS. All students who come to the game get a free raffle ticket and a chance to win a Dicks Sporting Goods Store gift card. YOU MUST WEAR HANCOCK GEAR AND STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME TO BE ELIGIBLE.
FISHING TOURNAMENT
New date May 10th and 11th *see emailed date 4/26/24 from Coach Bellairs for more information
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!
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 and submitting plarn 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. Please see below for examples of cards.
Upcoming Opportunities
1. Forsyth Farmers' Market Youth Booth: The Youth Booth is a grant funded program designed to teach children about nutrition. Student volunteers will greet children and parents, offer produce samples, and assist with the craft table. The Farmer's Market is looking for 2 student volunteers and 1 parent chaperone each Saturday for this ongoing program.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CAFAB2BABF5C34-49184957-forsyth#/
2. Relay For Life: Relay For Life is a community based awareness and fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. This year's event will take place at Daffin Park on Saturday, May 4th from 3-10 pm. Student volunteers will assist with luminaria bags, general errands throughout the event, set-up, and clean up. There are 3 shifts available, and the organization is looking for 5 student volunteers and 1-2 parent chaperones per shift.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CAFAB2BABF5C34-49186402-relay#/
Please contact Carol Richter at 912.655.0033 or richtercmd@gmail.com with questions.
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
32. More Tips for Ending the Year Strong
Finishing the middle school year strong is important for setting yourself up for success in the future. Here are some tips to help you do just that:
1. **Prioritize tasks**: Identify the most important tasks and assignments, and prioritize them based on their deadlines and importance. Focus on completing high-priority tasks first to ensure that you meet all of your academic obligations.
2. **Create a study schedule**: Set aside dedicated time each day for studying and homework. Breaking up your study sessions into smaller, manageable chunks can help you retain information better and prevent burnout.
3. **Seek help when needed**: Don't hesitate to reach out to your teachers, classmates, or parents if you're struggling with a particular subject or assignment. Asking for help when you need it shows maturity and a willingness to learn.
4. **Stay focused**: Minimize distractions while studying by finding a quiet, comfortable place to work. Turn off your phone or use apps to limit distractions if necessary.
5. **Take care of yourself**: Make sure to get enough sleep, eat healthily, and exercise regularly. Taking care of your physical and mental well-being is crucial for maintaining focus and productivity.
6. **Review and revise**: Take time to review your notes and materials regularly to reinforce your understanding of the material. Consider forming study groups with classmates to review material together and share insights.
7. **Stay positive**: Maintain a positive attitude towards your studies and believe in your ability to succeed. Remember that setbacks are a natural part of the learning process, and use them as opportunities to learn and grow.
8. **Plan for the future**: Start thinking about your goals for high school and beyond, and consider how your current efforts in middle school can help you achieve those goals. Setting a clear vision for your future can provide motivation and direction for your academic endeavors.
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.
CRITICAL END-OF-YEAR DATES, TIMES, & EVENTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Friday, May 3rd - Middle School Field Day at The Landings Athletic Space
Please drop off your child at 600 Landings Way S. Savannah, Ga 31411 between 8:45 to 9:00 AM and pick up is at 11:30 PM. There is no Middle School extended.
Monday, May 20th - Honors Assembly
Academic awards will be held in William Bell Gymnasium beginning at 8:30 AM.
Tuesday, May 21st, and Wednesday, May 22nd - 3rd Trimester Examinations
Students report to homeroom at 8:15 AM, with exams beginning promptly at 8:30 AM, and concluding at 12:15 PM. Afternoon carpool will begin at 12:20 PM. No Middle School Extended will be available either day. If your student has extended time for their exam, please park in a space for pickup rather than wait in the carpool line.
Wednesday, May 22nd - 8th Grade Graduation Practice at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church Sanctuary
Graduation practice will be held after exams on Wednesday from 12:45 to 1:45 PM. Parents
are responsible for providing transportation to IOHUMC.
Wednesday, May 22nd - 8th Grade Graduation Dinner in Hancock Hall
8th grade graduation dinner and entertainment 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Parents, please join your children from 6:00 - 6:20 PM for pictures!
Wednesday, May 22nd - Middle School Dance in Hancock Hall
Middle School students are invited to attend our last dance of the year from 7:30 to 9:00 PM.
Thursday, May 23rd - Middle School Graduation at Isle of Hope Methodist Church
Graduates should arrive by 12:45 PM for pictures. Graduation will begin at 2:00 PM. Following the ceremony, there will be a short reception in the church’s Anchor Room.
ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor
Students will begin the Linear Regression unit and they need their calculator. They will have a quiz the following week to finish out assessments for the year.
ADVANCED ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete reviewing systems of equations by having a day of review on Monday and a quiz on them on Tuesday. We will then begin reviewing factoring trinomials, by grouping, and by divide and slide.
GEOMETRY - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 12 by learning how to find the surface area of pyramids/cones (12.3). We will have a quiz over 12.1-12.3 on Wednesday. Then we will learn how to find the volume of prisms/cylinders (12.4) by doing a fun activity involving popcorn!
ELA - Mrs. Boyer
Students have completed their final novels of their 8th grade year!! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by! 25 more days and you will have a high schooler! :)
These next two weeks we will be wrapping up our unit study of The House on Mango Street. Students will be gathering in groups to write a collection of vignettes as well as writing their own personal narratives regarding their relationship with the themes of ‘home’, culture and identity. We will pay close attention to including as many literary elements as possible.
Students will begin to review for the exam. The exam will be a comprehensive assessment over skills. Students will be reading passages from TKAM, Night, Macbeth and The House on Mango Street. Students will also be writing a long response. We will be reviewing all material the week prior.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman
We are closing in our last week of content! Leading up to field day, we will be reviewing electricity and magnetism with a few virtual labs. They will be having a test on that right before field day. Then its bottle rockets, exam review, and exams!
Quiz on light and sound: Thursday, April 17th
Quiz on magnetism: Friday, April 26th
Test on electricity & magnetism: Thursday, May 2nd
Bottle rockets (IN CLASS project): May 6-10th
US HISTORY - Mr. Saviskas
We’re almost at the end of the year! Yay! This last unit we are covering is WWII. The students are really excited to talk about it. We’ve already begun taking notes on it last week. This next week we’ll wrap up notes on the Prelude to WWII and on Thursday, May 2nd, we will have a test on it. From there we will end the year by going over the major events of the war.
HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH - Mr. De Cardenas
I can’t believe how fast the time goes when I'm enjoying every single day of my life teaching at Hancock Day School. The students have accomplished every goal we set and now it is time for fun. The next week we'll be learning and applying the rules of the Simple Present Tense verbal conjugation and also learning a vaste list of new verbs in Spanish which will allow the students to establish fluent conversations not just covering the topics visited in class but also they will be able to talk about anything they want using the vocabulary they already know combined with these new verbs. We will also start reviewing previous topics to prepare them for the upcoming Final Exam. In the meantime the students will improve their talkative skills by performing oral exercises and actual spontaneous conversations. We will be having a conversational quiz on Tuesday.
ADVANCED SPANISH - Mr. De Cardenas
I can’t believe how fast the time goes when I'm enjoying every single day of my life teaching at Hancock Day School. The students have accomplished every goal we set and now it is time for fun. The next week we'll be learning and applying the rules of the Simple Present Tense verbal conjugation and also learning a vaste list of new verbs in Spanish which will allow the students to establish fluent conversations not just covering the topics visited in class but also they will be able to talk about anything they want using the vocabulary they already know combined with these new verbs. We will also start reviewing previous topics to prepare them for the upcoming Final Exam. In the meantime the students will improve their talkative skills by performing oral exercises and actual spontaneous conversations. We will be having a conversational quiz on Tuesday.
ADVANCED SPANISH - Mrs. Brown
As some of you may have noticed, the assessment calendar for projects, quizzes, and tests is full, full, full when it comes to our Spanish class! No need to panic or search frantically for materials, as the majority of these assessments will be repetitive in nature but assessed as such listed above.
In the coming week, we will practice these soon to be quizzes and tests as a classwork grade in order to lay the foundation for what is to be expected for when these same tasks/skills are assessed as higher stakes assignments in their grade book. As the end of year appears on the horizon, we will be striving for competency in written questions and answers as well as fluency when prompted to read aloud. Please see the following dates on the assessment calendar for your 7th grader:
Wednesday, 4/24: Quiz -in class, spoken assessment
Thursday, 4/25: Project -not as a usual project with a detailed rubric, more classwork style assessment to be graded as a project (they’re weighted heavier in the grade book as such so this is win-wi)
Friday, 4/46: Quiz -in class, spoken assessment
PS: Thank you to the lovely ladies in our 7th grade Spanish class and their respective families who surprised me with a Welcome Back Post-baby gift basket! The candies quickly vanished as I’m sure the girls know how much I love chocolate! My husband and I look forward to our daughter sporting the cute dress once she grows into it, and the satin feeling PJs for me -wow! These and all of the other gifts in the basket were so unexpected and so thoughtful. I feel very undeserving and am so flattered. Thank you!
ALGEBRA 1 - Mrs. Taylor
Students will begin the Linear Regression unit and they need their calculator. They will have a quiz the following week to finish out assessments for the year.
PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 10 by learning how to find the area of triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, and trapezoids (10.3). We will have a quiz covering 10.1-10.3 on Thursday.
ELA - Ms. Ferkol and Mrs. Boyer
This week will be working through in-class projects diving deeper into the novel’s main characters as well as working through Chapter 13. We will also be practicing some long response questions in preparation for the exam which will solely focus on this unit!
Assessments:
Ch. 1-11 Test 5/6
Exam: Final Hobbit Assessment
Please note that our last test of the year will cover Chapters 1-11 and be on Monday 5/6!
LIFE SCIENCE - Ms. Hallman and Ms. Insignares
We are continuing to work on genetics. We will be having our last test of the year on May 1st prior to field day on May 3rd. After that, we will be doing a project, exam review, and exams!
AMERICAN HISTORY - Mr. Saviskas
We just finished our test on the Slavery unit as a part of the beginning of the Civil War. Next week we’ll cover the last events right up to Fort Sumnter being attacked. I plan on having a quiz on this material, Thursday, May 2nd. It should be a short, easy quiz on the material we cover early that week. After that we will talk about the first few years of the Civil War before the school year ends.
AMERICAN HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in American History students will continue our examination of the Civil War. We will examine events that led up to the conflict. Students will break down the causes of the Civil War, discuss battles and battle strategy. We will also begin our last project of the Unit. Students will create life-size recreations of famous Civil War generals. This is a student favorite. More details to come.
ACCELERATED MATH - Mrs. Taylor
Students will begin the last 2 sections of this Chapter that covers area and circumference of a circle. They will quiz the following week.
PRE-ALGEBRA - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 10 by learning how to find the area of triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, and trapezoids (10.3). We will have a quiz covering 10.1-10.3 on Thursday.
EARTH SCIENCE - Ms. Insignares
We will go back in time next week and focus on fossils and archaeology! Students will not have a quiz next week. They will only have a test on May 6th. This will be the last test of the school year before exams! I will also introduce a new in class project (last one of the year!) which will be done on the week of May 6-May 10!
ELA - Ms. Ferkol
Students are doing a fantastic job using their imaginations and creativity to develop their own mythological personas! If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend asking your child to share theirs with you! Next week, we will finish their creation stories and students will begin their final project of the year–developing a slideshow presentation all about their mythological persona. This project will be presented (in costume!) to the class and act as their final test grade of the year!
INTRO SPANISH - Ms. Brown
As some of you may have noticed, the assessment calendar for projects, quizzes, and tests is full, full, full when it comes to our Spanish class! No need to panic or search frantically for materials, as the majority of these assessments will be repetitive in nature but assessed as such listed above.
In the coming week, we will practice these soon to be quizzes and tests as a classwork grade in order to lay the foundation for what is to be expected for when these same tasks/skills are assessed as higher stakes assignments in their grade book. As the end of year appears on the horizon, we will be striving for competency in written questions and answers as well as fluency when prompted to read aloud. Please see the following dates on the assessment calendar for your 6th grader:
Wednesday, 4/24: Quiz -in class, spoken assessment
Thursday, 4/25: Project -not as a usual project with a detailed rubric, more classwork style assessment to be graded as a project (they’re weighted heavier in the grade book as such so this is win-wi)
Friday, 4/46: Quiz -in class, spoken assessment
WORLD HISTORY - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in World History, students will begin their last Unit of the year. We will dive into The Making of America: Immigration and Industrialization. Students will answer “Big” Questions like How did Immigration made America a melting pot of cultures, religions, and ethnicities. Students will examine the various causes of mass migration to America and how this influx of cultures impacted existing peoples and places.
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