October 7th - October 11th

  

White Gate Carpool

Middle School morning carpool runs 7:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m. Faculty and staff leave carpool posts at 7:55 a.m. Homeroom begins at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving after 8:00 a.m. will need to sign in at the Middle School office and they will be marked TARDY. Middle School afternoon carpool begins at 3:15 p.m. Please do not arrive on campus before 3:15 p.m.

High School Applications

Some families have already started the application process for high schools. HERE is a quick and easy reference sheet with some information if you are feeling overwhelmed! Please keep in mind that we will not be sending transcripts until after T1 grades have been posted (after November 8), and we do not have birth certificates or social security card copies in our files in our office so you will need to provide these to the high schools. Email Mrs. Mannarino if you have any questions about this process.

Open Library 

We have begun open library for middle school students:

• 6th grade can go from 7:45am to 8:00am on Tuesdays

• 7th grade can go from 7:45am to 8:00am on Wednesdays

• 8th grade can go from 7:45am to 8:00am on Thursdays

Students will need to inform their homeroom teacher that they are going and return to class by 8:00am.

Follow Us on Social Media!

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.

 

All eyes on Homecoming Week - Monday, Oct 7th - Friday, Oct 11th   

Monday - Pack the House - Volleyball - It’s 8th Grade Recognition Night

 Some lucky student will win $25 for just being there!

Tennis (2-0) is on a roll and undefeated, defeating Calvary 17-2 and SAS 10-2.

   Matches between BSS and SJS were postponed due to bad weather.    

10/8 - Habersham - 4pm @ Bacon Park

10/10 - vs SCDS - TBD 

MS Championship -10/28-29 at Bacon Park

 

Thursday Football vs Savannah Christian 

8th grade recognition for football and cheer

JV starts at 6 pm  

Singing the national anthem will be Stafford Wilson, daughter of Candler and Kathleen Wilson

Varsity football right after the JV game

Kids zone  ½ time of JV till ½ time of varsity located under the scoreboard (Face Painting, Basketball, Golf, Corn Hole, and many other activities, and a chance to win 25 dollars.)

Cross Country Championship (Oct 7th) was postponed to Oct 17th at Skidaway Park.

Special thank you! The Nedriga family donated 500 dollars to cover admissions for all volleyball fans for last week’s volleyball games (Thursday night). This allowed us to take up a collection for victims of Tropical Storm Helene. Because of our fans, we raised $1,146!

Tip #2: HOMEWORK IS PRACTICE! 

Homework is an opportunity to practice new skills. It gives you a chance to identify what you know and what you don’t know so you can go to the teacher the next morning for support if needed. Using tutorial time wisely and efficiently will open up time later for studying or relaxing. 

Our virtues of the month are respect and responsibility! A skill that is key to both of these is effective problem solving skills. One of my favorite ways to encourage this is to “talk out loud” and let your student hear the inner dialogue that you have when you run into an issue. They will start to incorporate this “self talk” to help solve obstacles they encounter which will  lead to better choices that support respect and responsibility.

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

Each middle school student is required to complete ten hours of community service over the course of the school year.  Please remember to check this area of the blog for opportunities. Click HERE for a log form or see Mrs. Mannarino in the office.

7th grade students helping out with the clothing closet at Union Mission!

7th graders volunteered at Second Harvest this past Saturday to pack hurricane relief boxes for their Mobile Food Pantry program.

Algebra I - Mr. Scordato
We will wrap up our studies of solving inequalities. We then move on to our study of solving equations. This will include the new topic of absolute value equations.

Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will continue the second part of Chapter 10 by practicing how to solve quadratic equations by using the quadratic formula (10.6) and how to use the discriminant to find the number and type of solutions to a quadratic equation (10.7).  We will have a day of review on Thursday to get ready for the 10.4-10.7 test next week.

Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 3 by proving statements about parallel lines (3.3), reviewing slope and slope-intercept form (3.4-3.5), and proving statements about perpendicular lines (3.6).  There will be a quiz on Wednesday covering 3.1-3.5.

Physical Science - Ms. G
Please click here to view our Weekly Overview as we learn more about Chemical Reactions. 

ELA - Ms. Hall

After a brief break, students are getting back into reading To Kill a Mockingbird. The online reading schedule has been updated to help students as they continue reading and working through the corresponding analysis questions. Very soon we’ll be finishing Part 1 of the novel and completing a character analysis activity to help them better understand the complexities of the novel.

US History - Mr. Saviskas
This week we have started our “Create a Country” Project. Using what students have already learned about governments, they will be creating a country with a functioning government. This project will allow students to use what they have learned and express themselves! I am so excited to see what they will create. Next week we will be moving on to our next unit, the American Civil War.

High School Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas
After coming back from camping and catching up with the classes we are ready to continue with our current year curriculum by starting the Unit 3 Past Progressive Tense. This week we will start learning all the details about this grammar tense and practicing how to use it. We will also start the reading of the book La Isla más peligrosa. We will be working with this interesting book for the rest of the year to have the students profoundly analyze the chapters and mapping the characters and also discuss different approaches to the story and its development. All in Spanish. This week we will cover chapters 1,2,3 and 4. On Wednesday we will use Chapters 3 and 4 to do a reading quiz. I am excited to see the outcome of all these activities. It will be so much fun.

Algebra I - Mr. Scordato
We will wrap up our studies of solving inequalities. We then move on to our study of solving equations. This will include the new topic of absolute value equations.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 3 by practicing how to solve two-step equations (3.1) and learning how to solve multi-step equations (3.2).

Life Science - Ms. G
Please click here to view our Weekly Overview as we talk about viruses.

Life Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will begin our study of “Cell Structure and Function, ” beginning with “Cells and Life.)

ELA - Ms. Ferkol

Students have done a wonderful job this week as we have discussed some difficult topics in preparation for our first novel study of the year using the novel Posted by John David Anderson. This book is filled with examples and instances of difficult social interactions and bullying, as well as highlighting the importance of individuality and making decisions that best fit you! I highly recommend you read this novel alongside your student as it is a fantastic read filled with good humor and life lessons about developing your own identity while also being mindful of your impact on others! This novel is filled with literary devices, world connections, and character development which will allow us to dive deeper into our reading comprehension skill-building.

Throughout this unit, students will engage in vocabulary activities, comprehension-based reading checks, and utilize their creative and critical thinking skills with different interpretive art projects. Students should expect to read nightly; however, we will also be reading together in class to support student comprehension and understanding of larger themes within the novel. 

Upon returning from Merri Mac, students will first dive into the foundational concepts of Narrative writing, as our culminating paper will utilize this style of writing. It is important for students to remember that throughout this year, their goal is to review and enhance their knowledge of reading and writing skills between different genres. This unit will focus on a style of writing that we didn’t encounter much last year; however, they did learn the skills and concepts–this week will be about putting the two together!

ELA - Ms. Hall
Starting this week, students will begin using their knowledge of Narrative Writing to dive into our Posted novel together. We will attempt to get through the first six chapters, working on our analysis and annotation skills as we go. Some reading will be done in class while other chapters will be for homework. It is important that students read when assigned chapters outside of class so that they can participate in activities and discussion to the best of their ability!

American History - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in American History we will continue our study of the 13 Colonies. This is a lengthy chapter full of important foundational information. Students have completed the Introduction packet that included who founded the colonies and why and the map portion that identifies colonial placement and why. We will finish up the  Build a Colony project. Students are enjoying this project. It has allowed them to collaborate with their groups and be creative in their presentations. 

American History- Mr. Saviskas
This week we are starting English colonization of North America. We will be talking about the earliest colonies such as Plymouth and Jamestown. As a part of this we will be covering the differences between joint-stock and proprietary colonies as well as early relations with the native people. Next week we will be continuing to talk about the English colonies 

Advanced Spanish - Mr. Jones 

We will continue to use vocabulary related to countries, nationality, and professions as we begin to distinguish between the three types of Spanish verbs: -ar, -er, & -ir. We will also further emphasize the difference in use between the two verbs to be as well as being able to spontaneously use the verbs to call oneself (naming) and to have in various conjugated forms (1st/2nd/3rd Person singular/plural): ser & estar, llamarse, and tener. **These plans were interrupted by the storm and are accurate for this week!

X + 1 = Fluency

Advanced Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas 

We will continue to use vocabulary related to countries, nationality, and professions as we begin to distinguish between the three types of Spanish verbs: -ar, -er, & -ir. We will also further emphasize the difference in use between the two verbs to be as well as being able to spontaneously use the verbs to call oneself (naming) and to have in various conjugated forms (1st/2nd/3rd Person singular/plural): ser & estar, llamarse, and tener. **These plans were interrupted by the storm and are accurate for this week!

Accelerated Math - Mr. Scordato

Welcome back from Merri-Mac! We will continue to study the decimal, looking at things that are infinitesimal. We move on and start to divide, so please come along for the ride. Sorry if these rhymes were not that exciting - maybe that’s why I don’t teach Writing. Have a great week, everyone!  =)

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 3 by practicing how to solve two-step equations (3.1) and learning how to solve multi-step equations (3.2).

Earth Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we finalize our study of weather by studying “Weather Forecasts.” There will be a “Weather” test covering WB p. 209-226 on Wednesday, October 23.

ELA - Ms. Ferkol
Students have done an amazing job these last two weeks creating and writing their first essay in Middle School ELA–woohoo! I am so proud of all of them! Now time to refresh at Merri-Mac, have some fun, and return to our first novel study focusing on S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders!

This unit is mainly focused on reading comprehension with supportive writing features. We will explore different aspects of reading and practice with skills such identifying types of conflict, vocabulary terms, and figurative language interpretation. This novel is highly engaging for many students, and we have a lot of wonderful activities headed our way as we work together to conquer this unit!

World History - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in World History students will leave the City-State of Sparta and return to Athens to study the Golden Age of Athens. Here, students will examine the many cultural achievements of the Golden Age of Athens.

Intro to Spanish - Mr. Jones
Upon returning from Merri Mac, we’ll begin Unit 2 which will focus on expressing intentions, explaining motives, and talking about what we know how to do (actions/procedures) in Spanish. Vocabulary will focus on names of other languages, names of activities in a language class, and activities of leisure/hobbies. Grammar will gradually become more complex here on out however it will be presented incrementally - students will begin differentiating regularly between singular and plural forms of definite and indefinite articles as well as using key prepositions: a, con, de, por, para, & porque. **These plans were interrupted by the storm and are accurate for this week!

Portraits, Painting and Pumpkins. Next week students will create traditional compositions of portraiture, landscape and still life using contemporary methods. Sixth graders are using the grid method with digital assistance to map out the location of their facial features. Seventh graders will be minimalists by using a monochromatic application for the landscapes and Eighth graders are using expressive color to illuminate their still life objects. 

 If you have tennis balls that have lost their bounce, the studio stools could use them and 48 are needed. Thank you!