December 9th - December 13th

 


Middle School Exams Schedule

Dismissal on these days will be at 12:15


Tuesday, 12/17

6th Grade: ELA and Science

7th Grade: History and Math

8th Grade: ELA and Science


Wednesday, 12/18

6th Grade: History and Math

7th Grade: ELA and Science

8th Grade: Math and History




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.



Basketball:

December 2nd officially started the SPAL Basketball season

and your Eagles started on fire, winning 6 out of 7 games on Monday night!


The girl's 5th, 6th, and 7/8th-grade teams also battled at home on Thursday night……

5th girls lost in a close game to SCDS

 6th-grade girls won, defeating Saint James

The 7/8th  girls lost to Blessed Sacrament 

Also in action at HDS was the boy's 8th-grade team won huge over BSS….


The next home games will be on Dec.11th featuring our Step-it-up” dancers at halftime of the first game (approximately 5:25). All Basketball parents, please help athletics by working a game or two in the concession stand!


Baseball:

Baseball will have a practice session on Dec 14th at Paulsen Field for those who are interested in playing (5th-8th grades) from 9 to 11:30 am

 

 Spring Sports signups will be in early January after the winter break.

 Spring Sports include Baseball, Soccer (Boys and Girls), Golf (Boys and Girls) and Soccer

(Boys and Girls) and Track and Field (Boys and Girls)


Finals week - There will be no basketball practices on Monday and Tuesday, Dec 16th and Wednesday 17th so that students can prepare for exams on those days.


Coach B 



Tip #8 Mindful Breathing


Mindful breathing is a great way to help you feel calmer and more in control when you’re nervous about an assessment. Here’s how it helps:

1. Calms Your Body

When you’re anxious, your heart beats faster, and your breathing gets quick and shallow.

Taking slow, deep breaths tells your body to relax, helping your heart slow down and your muscles feel less tense.

2. Helps You Focus

Anxiety can make your thoughts feel scattered or jumbled.

Paying attention to your breathing helps you stay in the moment and focus on the test.

3. Stops Negative Feelings from Taking Over

Nervous feelings can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Deep breathing gives you a moment to pause and take control so you can handle the situation better.

4. Makes You Feel More Confident

When you can control your breathing, you feel more in control of yourself, which can make you feel braver and ready to take on the test.

How to Try It: Box Breathing

Follow these steps:

1. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.

2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

3. Breathe out through your mouth for 4 seconds.

4. Hold again for 4 seconds.

Repeat this a few times, and you’ll start to feel calmer and more focused.

Practicing mindful breathing can make a big difference. Try it the next time you feel nervous before an assessment!


Our Virtue of the Month for November and December is community! Consider looking for an opportunity during this time for your family to volunteer together. The United Way of the Coastal Empire has opportunities and  Second Harvest allows volunteers ages 12 and up when accompanied by an adult.


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.


Algebra I - Mr. Scordato
We will continue in our unit on System of Equations to include Systems of Inequalities. Additionally, we will begin to review for Trimester Exams. It will be important for students to study outside of class time by doing practice problems as well as reviewing the guided notes and previous assessments that should be located in their binders.


Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 4 in Geometry by having a quiz covering 4.1-4.5 on Monday.  Then we will begin reviewing for the exam by having Review Olympics!


Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 6 by having a day of review on Monday and the Chapter 6 test on Tuesday.  Then we will begin reviewing for the exam by having Review Olympics!


Physical Science - Ms. Harmon
Next week we will begin reviewing for our exam for the following week.  


Below are pictures of our pH lab where students tested samples from an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese and they had to tell the EPA and state government whether or not they should reopen it based on their findings. 

ELA - Ms. Hall

Students have officially begun their study of who Shakespeare was and his impact on today’s world! When we return from Thanksgiving Break, students will start reading Macbeth. During this time, they will be expected to not only answer the occasional analysis question but also track prominent themes throughout the story. The intention for this is to give them evidence to utilize to back up their persuasive argument and presentations of which theme is the most important in the play at the end of this Unit. 


US History - Mr. Saviskas
We are wrapping up our Civil War unit. We have already covered the major battles, the Emancipation, as well as the notable commanders from each side. On Monday we shall do a review and catch-up on anything we may have missed or brushed over. On Wednesday we will begin reviewing for the exams. My history exam will be cumulative, going back to the Governments unit we did at the beginning of the year. I will NOT be adding the Animal Farm unit to this exam, so no need to study that. Students will be receiving their study guide on Wednesday.


High School Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas

It is that time again. Yay. Next week we will be having the semester exams for Spanish. Therefore we will be reviewing all the previous content seen since we started the school year. A study guide was handed out last Friday 12/06 to provide a better means for the students to consult and confirm their knowledge. On Wednesday 12/11 and Thursday 12/12 we will have the speaking exams and on Friday 12/13 we will have the writing exam. I am excited to see how great they are going to be.



Algebra I - Mr. Scordato
We will continue in our unit on System of Equations to include Systems of Inequalities. Additionally, we will begin to review for Trimester Exams. It will be important for students to study outside of class time by doing practice problems as well as reviewing the guided notes and previous assessments that should be located in their binders.


Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 5 by learning how to divide fractions using “keep change flip” (5.5).  Then we will begin reviewing for the exam by having Review Olympics!


Life Science - Ms. Harmon

Next week we will have our quiz on illnesses and the immune system and will begin reviewing for our exam for the following week.  


Life Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will continue our midterm review, with a Vocabulary quiz on Friday, December 13 as part of our midterm preparation.


ELA - Ms. Ferkol

This coming week, we will begin reviewing for our midterm which will be the students’ first exam on Thursday, December 18th. Each day, students will engage in review activities, games, and lessons that will reinforce the skills learned throughout this semester. Students will also have IXL practice to be completed throughout the week. While there will be no “formal” ELA homework next week, it is expected that students are spending dedicated time each night reviewing the topics covered in class to be able to follow up with any questions they might have prior to the exam!


ELA - Ms. Hall
When we return from Thanksgiving Break, students will be starting our Voices of the World Unit! This unit will focus on students' ability to explore and analyze other cultures while developing their own reading skills. They will have the choice of which book they want to study while working in groups to keep track of individual journals. We’ll be kicking off the unit with some interesting videos and a research project to prepare students for their time studying a different civilization.


American History - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in American History we will wrap up our Create an American Revolution Soldier project. The kids have had a blast on this assignment. The creative juices have been flowing and I’m impressed with their efforts. We will begin our Exam Prep next week. Students will receive their study guides and we will begin our in-depth analysis of material that will be covered on the exam.


American History- Mr. Saviskas
We are finished with the American Revolution. Yay! This next week we will be finishing up left-over assignments and preparing for the exams. We will start our review on Wednesday. Students will receive a study guide and we will go over tips and tricks so they will do well on my exam. My exam will be cumulative, so it will include the early exploration up to our recent American Revolution unit.


Advanced Spanish - Mr. Jones

Students will be provided with a study guide for Spanish exams on Friday, 6 Dec. We will dedicate classes on 11 Dec to review. The written exam will be on 12 Dec and the oral exam will be on 13 Dec. I believe we are all ready for this and I feel confident that by the end of Wednesday, we will have confident students prepared for the exams!


X + 1 = Fluency

Advanced Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas 

Upon returning from the holiday break, we will continue working with the prepositions para and porque interactive games. Then, we will continue in Unit 3 using geography and weather as topics of study for vocabulary and cultural exposure to new content. We are working toward the function tener que + infinitivo to express what we have/don’t have to do. Enjoy time with family and friends everyone, gobble gobble!


X + 1 = Fluency



Accelerated Math - Mr. Scordato

On Tuesday, students will have a test on integers, operations with negative numbers, finding the mean/average, and absolute value. Additionally, we will begin to review for Trimester Exams. It will be important for students to study outside of class time by doing practice problems as well as reviewing the guided notes and previous assessments that should be located in their binders.


Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 5 by learning how to divide fractions using “keep change flip” (5.5).  Then we will begin reviewing for the exam by having Review Olympics!


Earth Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will continue our midterm review, with a Vocabulary quiz on Friday, December 13 as part of our midterm preparation.


ELA - Ms. Ferkol
This coming week, we will begin reviewing for our midterm which will be the students’ first exam on Wednesday, December 17th. Each day, students will engage in review activities, games, and lessons that will reinforce the skills learned throughout this semester. Students will also have IXL practice to be completed throughout the week. While there will be no “formal” ELA homework next week, it is expected that students are spending dedicated time each night reviewing the topics covered in class to be able to follow up with any questions they might have prior to the exam!


World History - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in World History students will complete their journey to ancient Rome. We will then begin our exam review. Students will receive a study guide at that time. We will also cover study and test taking strategies.


Spanish Fundamentals - Mr. Jones
Students will be provided with a study guide for Spanish exams on Friday, 6 Dec. We will dedicate classes on 11 Dec to review. The written exam will be on 12 Dec and the oral exam will be on 13 Dec. I believe we are all ready for this and I feel confident that by the end of Wednesday, we will have confident students prepared for the exams!





Winter air will continue to inspire our work this last week before exams. The quiet scenes of snow globes by Sixth grade will be complete. The splash of a red cardinal in the birch trees for seventh and eighth grade will apply their observation skills in the reflection of silver bows and baubles. 

8th grade 


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