March 31st - April 4th

 

7th Grade JA Field Trip We’re excited to remind you about the rescheduled Junior Achievement (JA) Finance and Business field trip for 7th grade students on Monday, March 31st at the Junior Achievement Discovery Center on the Georgia Southern University campus. Students should arrive by 9:30 AM (no drop-off before 9:15 AM) and will be picked up at 1:30 PM. Parents are responsible for transportation. Students should bring a packed lunch and water bottle, wear their regular school uniform (no PE uniforms), and leave book bags and school supplies at home. Students who don’t attend will have no school that day. For pick-up, please drive through and have your name tag visible—no parking or getting out of the car. Thank you for helping with smooth pick-up!

8th Grade Graduation Information – Deadline April 18
Graduation is just around the corner! On Thursday, May 22, we’ll be celebrating the accomplishments of our 8th grade students. To help us prepare for the event, we need your help with a few things:

1. Google Form: Please fill out this form for program and diploma details.
   
   

2. 5 Photos: We’re creating a slideshow for the reception, and we’d love to include 5 pictures of your child! These can be anything you’d like—baby photos, current pictures, family moments, sports shots, or anything else that captures their journey.

The deadline to submit both the form and pictures is Friday, April 18. Please send photos directly to Mrs. Mannarino’s email (mmannarino@hancockdayschool.org).

Thank you for helping us make this special day unforgettable for your child!

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.

Baseball
Hancock Day School secured a thrilling 3-2 walk-off win over Savannah Country Day MS Baseball. Zach Literati hit the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the fifth. Anderson L pitched all five innings, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out six batters. Zach and Gil Thomas each had two hits, with Zach driving in two runs and Gil stealing three bases. Hancock also turned a double play.
Thursday’s Game
Hancock Day School dominated Savannah Christian MS White Team with a 9-3 victory. The Eagles jumped ahead early with runs from Walker Y, Charlie A, and Will M in the first inning. John F earned the win, allowing only one hit and no runs over two innings. Graham C pitched three innings of relief, giving up three unearned runs. Walker H and Mercer C each had two hits, and Hancock stole eight bases while turning two double plays. Their next game is Thursday at St. Peters.
Reminder: HDS Baseball plays almost every Tuesday and Thursday at Paulson Field. Check the athletics calendar for times and updates.

Golf
Hancock won their first golf match of the season with a score of 189, defeating Calvary, Coastal Homeschool, and Country Day. Carson Hayes was the top scorer. The top three golfers from each school participated in a separate event at Mary Caulder, where HDS finished third overall, with Carson Hayes tying for first individually. The new and returning players got off to a great start. Their next match is Wednesday, April 2nd, at Crosswinds at 3:30 pm.

Track
Track season starts this week! The first meet will be at SCDS on Wednesday, April 2nd, at 3:30 pm. Note: The track meet originally scheduled for April 9th has been moved to April 8th.

Soccer
Girls: The Girls’ team won a dramatic 1-0 victory over SCDS, with Abby Water’s 30-yard blast and solid defense from the young squad.
Boys: The Boys’ team also beat SCDS 2-1. Flynn Kilpatrick scored both goals, and the Eagles displayed excellent passing and team defense throughout the match.

HDS Fishing Tournament
April 11th-12th
Prizes: 1st Place - $100 gift card to Dick’s, 2nd & 3rd Place - Prizes.
Tournament Details: Starts: Friday, April 11th at 3:45 PM, Ends: Saturday, April 12th at 12:00 PM, Fish anywhere within 30 miles of HDS. Pick up your tournament paper from Coach Bellairs before school ends on Friday, April 11th.

FREE Basketball Clinic for Grades 2nd-4th
Saturday, April 12th, 9-11 am. Any MS players who want to help and earn service hours, please see Coach Bellairs.

Basketball Camp
Sign up soon as the camp is filling up! You can also invite friends from other SPAL schools.

NEW! Girls' Flag Football (Fall 2025)
We’re introducing a Girls' Flag Football league this fall! The league will run on Saturday mornings for 4-6 weeks. Open to grades 6-8. For more details, email Coach Bellairs: bbellairs@hancockdayschool.org 

#18 Executive Functioning Skills: Understanding Time Management, con’t

Middle school students often struggle with time management as they balance school, extracurricular activities, and personal time. Here are some effective strategies to help them manage their time better:

6. Use Visual Timers or Alarms

• Set a timer to track time spent on different tasks.

• Try time-blocking: dedicate specific times for homework, chores,    

 and relaxation.

7. Plan Ahead for Long-Term Projects

• Start early and create a timeline.

• Set milestone deadlines to complete sections step by step.

• Reward progress to stay motivated.

8. Get Enough Sleep & Take Breaks

• Aim for 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

• Take short breaks between study sessions to improve focus.

• Avoid procrastination by setting a bedtime and sticking to it.

9. Learn to Say No

• Don’t overcommit to too many activities.

• Practice setting boundaries with social plans and screen time.

• Balance fun and responsibilities effectively.

10. Review and Adjust Weekly

• Reflect on what worked and what didn’t.

• Make adjustments to the schedule based on needs.

• Celebrate small victories to stay motivated.

Con’t Next Week

The virtue for March is courage. This article has some great tips, two of my favorites are: 

• When you define courage for your student, let them know that it often feels different inside than it looks on the outside. Courageous acts can often make you feel scared and anxious.

• “Failure and rejection are often signs that we have done something brave.” 

How to Encourage Courage in Your Kids

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
Our unit on solving quadratic equations will be concluding with its unit test on Wednesday 4/2. We then begin our unit on quadratic functions and their real-world applications.

Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will complete Chapter 9 by having the Chapter 9 test on Monday.  We will then spend the rest of the week working on a project that asks students to use desmos.com to draw a picture using graphs of equations.

Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will complete Chapter 11 by having a quiz covering 11.1-11.5 on Monday.  Then we will learn how to calculate geometric probability (11.7).  We will have a day of review on Thursday and the Chapter 11 test on Friday.

Physical Science - Ms. Harmon
Next week we'll be learning about light waves. Students will also be finishing their Waves posters.

 ELA - Ms. Hall

The 8th grade students put in so much hard work creating their Yom HaShoah Projects and Formal Reports. I am very proud of how their art and writing has turned out! As we head into next week, students will be starting their final unit in class. This is going to be our creative writing unit, so students will be reading a variety of different texts as we study the different ways literature can be produced. We will also be briefly preparing for ERBs, which are occurring the following week. 

US History - Mr. Saviskas
Hello again! We have finished our WWI unit and are going to be moving on to the Interwar period. We will conclude the unit with a quiz on Tuesday, April 1st. This will be a short unit covering the aftermath of WWI and the two decades prior to WWII. In this unit we’ll talk about the roaring twenties and the Great Depression. I hope to take a little over a week on this unit before moving onto World War II.

High School Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to update you on what we have planned for next week in our Spanish class. After receiving positive feedback from students about our current unit, we’re excited to keep the momentum going and continue making progress.

Next week, we'll deepen our work to improve speaking, listening,  writing and reading skills. We’ll introduce a variety of activities that will give students more chances to practice their Spanish, helping them become more fluent and confident in conversation.

Additionally, we will build upon the knowledge students have already gained in the immediate future and simple future tenses. They will engage in several activities designed to apply this knowledge in practical, situational communication. This will allow them to refine their ability to use the future tenses effectively in everyday contexts, promoting greater accuracy and fluency.

On Wednesday, students will take a quiz, and on Friday, they will complete a test. Both assessments are designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate the skills they have developed in Spanish so far

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out. I’m looking forward to another great week of learning!

Algebra I - Mr. Scordato

Our unit on solving quadratic equations will be concluding with its unit test on Wednesday 4/2. We then begin our unit on quadratic functions and their real-world applications.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear 

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 8 by having a day of review on Wednesday and the Chapter 8.1-8.6 test on Thursday.  Then, we will begin the second part of Chapter 8 by learning function notation (8.7).

Life Science - Ms. Harmon

Next week we will be dissecting frogs to end our lesson on the different body systems.

Life Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will begin our study of Digestion and Excretion. The following week, during the ERB’s, the students will complete an in-class project centered around nutrition.

ELA - Ms. Ferkol

This week, students will finish recording and editing their videos for our Shakespeare Symphony project. They will have their final test of the unit on Wednesday (4/2), a study guide will be posted in Google Classroom. Following the test, we dive head first into our final unit of the year–the hero’s journey! This novel utilizes two texts, a short and simple read (The Hero’s Guidebook by Zachary Hamby) and a more complex, although extremely engaging, read (The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein). Students will first begin with background information on Tolkein and this genre of novels, and then we jump into his fantastical world of hobbits, goblins, and orcs…oh my! 

ELA - Ms. Hall

This week, students will be completing their recording and editing of their performance of their Shakespeare scene. They will be having their final test of the unit on Wednesday, April 4th. After this test is completed, we will start our final unit of the year! This unit will cover two different texts, but students will start by focusing on finding background information for J.R.R. Tolkein and this genre of novels. 

American History - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in American History, students will continue their examination of the first Six Presidents and how these men shaped the foundation of the new United States. Students will continue working on their Presidential Songs. This project is a student favorite. Students research and write a song, complete with music, on one of the first 6 presidents and their impacts on this country. Once complete, they film and perform their song for the class. 

American History - Mr. Saviskas

Greetings! We have been reviewing JA’s financial literacy material in preparation for our field trip to JA’s Business park. We will be at JA’s facility on Monday. Students are expected to be there at 9:30 am with lunch already packed. It will be a fun day of learning and experimentation that will end at 1:30 pm.

After Monday we will be moving onto the early America post-Constitution. This will cover the War of 1812, the beginning of westward expansion and the issue of slavery which was hotly debated in its day.

Advanced Spanish - Mr. Jones

 Continuing to work with our irregular verbs in the past simple (ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer), next week we’ll begin working to create sentences that express the past and present to tell stories chronologically; students will be expected to write a half page paragraph using both the past and present tense to create such a story by next Friday, 4 April.

X + 1 = Fluency

Advanced Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas 

 Continuing to work with our irregular verbs in the past simple (ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer), next week we’ll begin working to create sentences that express the past and present to tell stories chronologically; students will be expected to write a half page paragraph using both the past and present tense to create such a story by next Friday, 4 April.

X + 1 = Fluency

Accelerated Math - Mr. Scordato

On Tuesday, the students will have a quiz on Square Roots and the Right Triangle Theorem, or what some call the Pythagorean Theorem. This quiz was moved from the previous week as students needed more practice, but more importantly their inquisitiveness sparked some incredible discussions that required more class time. I am so impressed with their intellectual curiosity and willingness to engage in respectful and nuanced conversations. Next week, we also revisit and extend our study of finding the area of shapes to include triangles and trapezoids before “circling” back to look at circumference.. 

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete the first part of Chapter 8 by working on a project where students design a stained glass window using graphs of linear functions.  We will have a day of review on Wednesday and the Chapter 8.1-8.6 test on Thursday.  Then, we will begin the second part of Chapter 8 by learning function notation (8.7).

Earth Science - Mrs. Swanner
We are inching closer to the start of our Volcano Project. There will be a quiz on April 1 that will cover the Earth Dynamics vocabulary. On Wednesday, April 2, the students will begin the research portion of their Volcano Project. They are aware of their project partners and have already begun researching ways to build model volcanoes and supplies they will need. Students will need to begin bringing supplies to build their models on Monday, April 7 (not before that date as we will not have space to store materials before then).

ELA - Ms. Ferkol

Next week, students will have their final test for our Inside Out and Back Again novel study (3/31). The study guide has been posted in Google Classroom. After that, students will be diving into the world of dystopian fiction! This book club unit is extremely engaging and will take us all the way to the end of the year. Each day is jam-packed with information, and we are going full-steam-ahead! Students will utilize a digital interactive notebook for this unit, so please encourage them to charge their chromebooks nightly as these slides will be checked for classwork grades throughout the unit and a quiz grade at the end. 

World History - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in World History, students will complete their study of the Enlightenment. We will end our journey in America by examining how the great thinkers of the Enlightenment in England and France influenced our Founding Fathers as they created the government we know today. Next up, we will travel across the Atlantic to England, where we will begin our study of the Industrial Revolution. 

Spanish Fundamentals - Mr. Jones
Next week, using our irregular verbs in the past simple (ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer), Spanish Fundamental students will focus on reading/writing skills to practice said material alongside verbs in the present tense from our verb list packet. Next week will entail a lot of graded classwork and less verbal interaction!

Printmaking unit will continue next week! 

6th grade is collaborating to create a collograph print inspired by abstraction of architecture. They warmed up to this process with observation of Monets cathedral study. 

7th graders will ink their linoleum next week. They will compose a repeat pattern print using motifs from nature 

8th grades will begin the print unit with portraits after a review of the process.