February 17th - February 21st
Dropping Off Bags at White Gate
If you place anything on the benches outside the middle school office, please let Mrs. Mannarino know what it is and where, or to whom, it should be directed. Thank you!
Service Learning Day on Friday, February 28th
Our Middle School students will be participating in various community service activities throughout the morning.
- 6th Grade: Students will participate in "plarning" (plastic yarn) in the gym from 9:00-10:30 AM to create mats for the homeless.
- 7th Grade: Students will be in Hancock Hall from 9:30-11:00 AM working with Loop It Up to make book boxes for students.
- 8th Grade: The 8th graders will be divided into two groups. One group will be at Second Harvest from 9:30-11:30 AM packing food. The other group will be at Gadsden Elementary from 9:30-11:00 AM reading books to younger students.
We are also requesting donations of plastic bags from middle school families to support the 6th grade "plarning" activity. Bags can be brought to Coach Johnson in the gym. Your contributions are greatly appreciated!
Additionally, we need 8th grade parent volunteers to assist with transportation to and from the locations. Click here to view groups for 8th grade and sign up.
After completing their community service activities, the students will resume normal classes and will be dismissed at the usual time via white gate carpool.
Thank you for your support in making this a meaningful day for our students!
8th Grade Washington, D.C. Meeting
Dear 8th Grade Families,
We would like to invite you to our last important meeting regarding the upcoming 8th-grade trip to Washington, D.C. This meeting is for both parents and students, and it will cover important trip details, expectations, and logistics.
Meeting Details:
Date: Wednesday, February 19th *new date due to basketball playoffs!
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Hancock Hall
In addition to our school staff, Kelly Tours will also be present to answer any questions you may have about the trip. This is a great opportunity to get the latest information on the itinerary, packing guidelines, medical forms, and more, as well as any specific details from the tour company.
We encourage all parents and students to attend so you're fully prepared for this exciting experience!
Deadline for PVSA Community Service Hours – Don't Miss Out!
If your 8th grader would like to receive a Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) at this year’s Honors Assembly on Monday, May 19th at 8:30 AM, please make sure all community service hours are completed and submitted to the middle school office by Monday, March 24th.
Here are the PVSA levels based on the number of hours completed:
Bronze Level: 50 – 74 hours
Silver Level: 75 – 99 hours
Gold Level: 100+ hours
Attention 7th Grade Families
We are excited to continue the beloved tradition of having 7th grade families host the reception following the 8th grade graduation ceremony on May 22. This special event is a wonderful way to show our support for the 8th graders as they celebrate the end of their middle school journey and prepare to transition to high school.
Please click here to sign up and be part of this meaningful occasion!
** Graduating families who helped with last year’s reception: Albert. Cheshire, Lake, Lapp, Mitchell, Mobley, Moody, Phillips, Richter, Stegall, Tanner, Thomas, Wilson, Wilkes, and Zeigler! **
Share Your Memories!
Click the QR code below to upload your photos for our school yearbook. Share your memories from school events, sports, or special moments in the classroom! Help us capture the moments that matter most!
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.
SPAL Champions
5th Grade Boys: The 5th-grade boys made history, winning their very first SPAL Championship! John Perkins was on fire, hitting 3 three-pointers and leading his team in scoring. What a game!
6th Grade Boys (Developmental): The 6th-grade Development team was unstoppable this season, finishing undefeated! Rex Zeigler dished out an impressive 16 assists, while Rives Jue scored 22 points to lead the charge.
6th Grade Boys & Girls: Both teams had an amazing year and took home 2nd place trophies! They were upset in the finals after a sensational season.
8th Grade Boys: The 8th-grade boys faced off against a strong SCPS team and won by 1 point in a thrilling back-and-forth game! They advanced to the Championship against SJS, where they fought hard but came up just short.
Tournament Highlights:
Out of 8 basketball teams, 5 made it to the championship game!
2 of our teams came out as champions!
Uniform Return Please return your basketball uniform to your coach or drop it off with me in a zip-lock bag clearly marked with your full name and team. There is a $150 fee to replace uniforms due to higher production costs for smaller batches.
#15 How to Stay Motivated:
Here are some practical ways to stay motivated as a student:
1. Set Clear Goals
Break big tasks into smaller, achievable goals.
Use a checklist to track progress.
2. Find Your “Why”
Remind yourself why your studies matter—whether it's for a dream job, personal growth, or making a difference.
3. Create a Study Routine
Set aside specific times for studying to build a habit.
Find a quiet, comfortable place to focus.
4. Stay Organized
Use a planner or digital tools to keep track of assignments and deadlines.
Keep your study space clutter-free.
5. Make Learning Fun
Use interactive methods like videos, games, or group discussions.
Try hands-on projects or real-world applications.
6. Reward Yourself
Celebrate small achievements with breaks, treats, or fun activities.
7. Stay Positive
Replace negative thoughts with encouraging ones.
Surround yourself with supportive friends and mentors.
8. Take Breaks and Stay Active
Short breaks can boost focus and prevent burnout.
Exercise, go for a walk, or do something creative.
9. Stay Curious
Approach learning with curiosity rather than just for grades.
Ask questions and explore topics beyond what’s required.
10. Remember Progress Over Perfection
Focus on improving rather than being perfect.
Learn from mistakes and keep moving forward.
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 move on from multiplying polynomials to factoring polynomials. We are at the stage of the year when Algebra I really feels like the high school course that it is, and the students have been stepping up to the challenge. Even though it’s not until the week of 2/24, students should keep up to date to be fully prepared for the Polynomials Unit Test as it is the last assessment in the 2nd Trimester.
Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete our unit on right triangle Trigonometry by having a day of review on Wednesday and the Trig Test on Thursday. Then, we will begin learning about angle relationships including complementary, supplementary, and vertical angles (2.3-2.4). We will also learn about angles formed by 2 parallel lines being cut by a transversal (3.3-3.4).
Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 9 by learning about symmetry and dilations (9.6-9.7). We will then have a day of review on Thursday and the Chapter 9 test on Friday.
Physical Science - Ms. Harmon
We will be starting our lesson on Electricity and Magnetism next week.
ELA - Ms. Hall
Next week, students will continue reading the novel Night by Eli Wiesel. As students are reading, they should be ensuring that they complete the empathy journals that accompany each night’s assignment of reading. These journals are meant to ensure that students are fully informed and sensitized to the materials they are reading. At the end of the novel, these journals will be due for a quiz grade.
US History - Mr. Saviskas
Hello all. We have been deeply engaged with our Holocaust unit last week. The students have been very interested in the topic and have really done their best to try to understand what happened. Next week we will be continuing our unit, covering the function of the Concentration Camps and the workings of the Holocaust. This is an important lesson for students as it will also come up during our March, Washington, DC trip. This is a pretty dark and heavy unit so if you have any questions or concerns please let me know via email.
High School Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas
I hope you're doing well. I wanted to update you on what's coming up in our Spanish class next week.
Based on the positive feedback from students regarding our current unit, we will continue to build on this strong foundation. Our focus will shift toward enhancing speaking skills, with a variety of activities designed to provide ample opportunities for students to practice and strengthen their spoken Spanish.
Next week, we will also be introducing a new unit focused on the study of the future tense in Spanish. This will be an exciting opportunity for students to expand their understanding of the language and use new structures in practical contexts.
We will also be concluding the book mapping project, and the judges will now deliberate to determine the winning entry
As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Best regards
Algebra I - Mr. Scordato
We move on from multiplying polynomials to factoring polynomials. We are at the stage of the year when Algebra I really feels like the high school course that it is, and the students have been stepping up to the challenge. Even though it’s not until the week of 2/24, students should keep up to date to be fully prepared for the Polynomials Unit Test as it is the last assessment in the 2nd Trimester.
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 7 by learning about applications of percents in the real world (7.6) as well as how to calculate simple interest (7.7).
Life Science - Ms. Harmon
Next week we will be starting our lesson on the digestive and endocrine system.
Life Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will continue our study of protists and fungi. We will have a vocabulary quiz covering these lessons on February 20.
ELA - Ms. Ferkol
Students will continue to work on their theme park projects throughout this week. They did a wonderful job with their blueprints and abstracts this past week, and will now be moving on to developing their final product. This portion of the project will be a TEST grade! Students will also have the opportunity, should they need it, to work on this project Monday, 2/24, and Tuesday, 2/25, to account for the two days off of school in the coming week. This should allow students sufficient time to create a project displaying their best work and knowledge of their novels!
ELA - Ms. Hall
Students have had the opportunity to express their creativity over the past week in brainstorming concepts for their theme park projects! They have had the chance this past week to create blueprints, or rough drafts, of their final projects. Next week, they will have all week to develop their final drafts before they turn them in in a display of their knowledge and understanding of their novels!
American History - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in American History students will continue our examination of the American Government/Economics Unit. Our focus will be on the U.S. Constitution and the three branches of government, and the Bill of Rights. This is an essential unit! Students will learn what government is, the origins of the American government systems, the U.S. Constitution, and the Structures of our political systems. Students will also begin their next project: Creating a Political Party!
American History - Mr. Saviskas
What a wonderful week its been! Students have been hard at work on their Political Parties project, learning the intricacies of how parties are made and how they work to appeal to electability. We will be presenting those project on Wednesday when we get back. Afterwards we will begin covering the post-Constitution era of American history.
Advanced Spanish - Mr. Jones
Working now to differentiate between the possessive pronouns and adjectives, we will begin adding in the demonstrative adjectives and pronouns to these structures. Our goal is to empower students to speak of nouns with specificity! We will add in the expression “to have to…” as well. We will test over this material on Friday, 14 February.
X + 1 = Fluency
Advanced Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas
Working now to differentiate between the possessive pronouns and adjectives, we will begin adding in the demonstrative adjectives and pronouns to these structures. Our goal is to empower students to speak of nouns with specificity! We will add in the expression “to have to…” as well. We will test over this material on Friday, 14 February.
X + 1 = Fluency
Accelerated Math - Mr. Scordato
Students will be starting on our new Geometry unit, where we will begin with a focus on angles and polygons. There will be a quiz on Friday 2/21.
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 7 by learning about applications of percents in the real world (7.6) as well as how to calculate simple interest (7.7).
Earth Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will start learning about Weathering and Soil.
ELA - Ms. Ferkol
This week we are beginning our next whole-class novel study of this year! We will be reading Inside Out and Back Again by Tanhha Lai. This historical fiction novel was beautifully written in free verse to describe the experiences of the author’s journey to America from Vietnam as a child. Throughout this short unit, we will discover both the beauty of poetry and the importance of history, beginning with a choice board research project. Students should come to class prepared with their blue binders and their novels daily to be able to fully participate in lessons, activities, and projects!
World History - Mr. O’Hayer
We will regroup next week in World History and jump back into The Enlightenment. After a quick review of Newton and Descartes, we will move on to Thomas Hobbes. Next week, students will have an assessment on the thoughts, ideas, and influence of Newton, Descartes, and Hobbes.
Spanish Fundamentals - Mr. Jones
Having begun to learn the expression “to have to…”, we will work to add many new verbs into our vocabulary so that we may better use the expressions we learn. Additionally, we will learn how to express what we like/love to do in all forms (1st/2nd/3rd person singular/plural) so as to compliment our new vocabulary. We will review all said material on Wednesday, 19 January and test over it on Thursday, 20 January. Following the test, we will add new pages to our book project on Friday, 21 January.
6th graders will continue Impressionist cloud study paintings. They have been so successful adjusting the hue to reflect seasonal skies and variations of clouds.
7th graders will take one more class of treehouse construction. The low country region has inspired a few shrimp shacks and sun decks~so much fun!
Improved performance too in finding the right time to interject humor.
8th graders are experiencing the Roy Lichtenstein pop art process in the layered application of solid, striped and ben-day dot paper in the representation of familiar and popular objects.
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