April 14th - April 18th
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:
Google Form: Please fill out this form for program and diploma details.
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.
Let the Fishing Begin!
The HDS Fishing Tournament kicks off TODAY at 4 PM and runs through Saturday, April 12 at 12 PM!
Students can fish anytime during this window, but it must be freshwater fishing in the Savannah area.
Don't forget: Send a picture of your fish with your registration number to Coach Bellairs at bbellairs@hancockdayschool.org by 12:15 PM on Saturday.
Have fun, stay safe, and good luck out there!
Basketball Clinic – Grades 2–4
Join us Saturday, April 12 from 9–11 AM for our Basketball Clinic!
All 2nd–4th graders are welcome—come ready to play!
SPAL AD Meetings
Hancock will host the SPAL AD Meetings on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Baseball Recap
Tough Loss to St. James:
Hancock Day School battled hard but came up short against the St. James Chargers, falling 9-6 in a close game.
Highlights:
Oliver Newland: 1-for-2, 2 RBIs
Walker Hasselle: 2 hits
Zach Literati & Walker York: Key 4th-inning hits
2 double plays turned by HDS
Big Bounce Back!
HDS responded with a walk-off 5-4 win against Savannah Christian MS Red Team.
Charlie Milmine: Game-winning single
Oliver Newland: 3 RBIs, clutch 2-run double
Charlie Albert: 2-for-3
Zach Literati: Win on the mound, 2 scoreless innings
Anderson Lake: 3 innings, 3 earned runs
HDS drew 6 walks, with Rex Zeigler & Walker York earning two each
SPAL Baseball Playoffs start April 15.
Soccer Update
April 7 match was rained out—new date TBD
Next game: April 14 at 5 PM vs. BSS (girls only)
(BSS does not have a boys' team)
Track & Field – Big Wins!
Top Performances:
Flynn Kilpatrick: 2nd in 200m
David Goodman: 1st in 400m, 3rd in 200m
Gage Hart: 2nd in 400m, 2nd in Shot Put
Pete Rosario: 2nd in 800m, 2nd in Long Jump
Wesley Embry: 2nd in High Jump
Tradd Summerell: 2nd in Shot Put
Jack Burt & Alton Smith: 2nd & 3rd in Discus
Emma Kate Broderick: 2nd in 200m
Bentley Milmine: 1st in 800m
Louisa Laffitte & Camille Seibert: 2nd & 3rd in 1600m
Ellie Jones: Competed in Shot Put
Multiple relay teams placed top 3
Overall Results:
HDS Boys – 1st Place
HDS Girls – 2nd Place
SPAL Track Championships: April 17 at SCPS
Golf Highlights
Carson Hayes was top HDS boy with a score of 39
Caroline Seibert led the girls with a 53
HDS placed 2nd overall
Next match: April 16 at Bacon Park
Free Volleyball Clinic – April 22–24
We're hosting a free volleyball clinic with Jordan Yantin and several former pro players/coaches.
All HDS girls grades 1–8 are invited.
Location: HDS Gym
Grades 1–3: 3:30–5 PM (Court 1)
Grades 4–5: 3:30–5 PM (Court 2)
Grades 6–8: 5–7 PM (Courts 1 & 2)
This is a great opportunity to meet your future coaches—many of these pros will be coaching at HDS next year.
Parents are encouraged to stay and watch.
There will be a parent meeting at 5 PM each day for all grades.
Summer Basketball Camp (June 4–6)
Spots are filling up fast—make sure to get your registration in soon.
You can also invite friends from other SPAL schools!
#19 Executive Functioning Skills: Understanding Working Memory
What is Working Memory? Working Memory is the ability to store information temporarily for immediate recall for a short time. This is important when children are trying to remember a story, complete math word problems, or follow multi-step directions, etc. We have two kinds of working memory: auditory memory and visual-spatial memory. Auditory memory records what we’re hearing, while visual-spatial memory captures what we’re seeing. Effective working memory is key to learning.
Help your brain hold onto and use information better!
👩🎓 For Students
1. Break Big Tasks into Steps
Don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on one step at a time.
➡️ Use a checklist or write down each step.
2. Repeat It to Remember It
Say it out loud or in your head a few times.
➡️ Rehearsing helps your brain keep info active.
3. Make it Visual
Draw pictures, make diagrams, or use colors to help you remember.
➡️ Your brain loves visuals!
4. Use Tricks to Remember
Use rhymes, acronyms, or silly stories to link ideas.
➡️ Like “HOMES” for the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.
5. Ask for Reminders
It’s okay to ask your teacher to repeat directions.
➡️ No one remembers everything all the time!
6. Keep Distractions Low
Turn off music or background noise during homework.
➡️ Focus helps your brain hold onto info longer.
7. Write It Down Right Away
Don’t rely on your brain to hold everything—write it in your planner or notes.
➡️ Your planner is your memory backup!
NEXT WEEK: How Parents Can Support Working Memory
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 work with Quadratic Functions continues. There will be a quiz on Sections 10.1 to 10.3 from the textbook, as well as graphing work that I have included in addition to textbook materials.
Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will have a quiz on exponent rules on Monday. Then we will begin reviewing linear functions by looking at slope, slope-intercept form, point-slope form, and parallel and perpendicular lines.
Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will review some important topics from Algebra I such as multiplying polynomials, factoring, solving quadratic equations, graphing quadratic functions, and solving systems of equations.
Physical Science - Ms. Harmon
Next week we'll be wrapping up our lesson on electricity and starting our lesson on Magnets.
ELA - Ms. Hall
Our final unit has started off on a great note with students creating and utilizing their own journal slides. These slides will be used to practice their writing skills, as well as reflect on big ideas and the writing styles in their novels!
Next week, they will continue reading through their choice novels and create organizers that track the plot and character growth. Since the vignette writing style is different from what they’re used to reading, this activity and its corresponding concepts will be essential to understanding how creative writing can develop a story. Our aim is to be done with reading these novels by Friday, April 25.
US History - Mr. Saviskas
Greetings once again! We are coming close to the end of the year and starting our last unit, World War II. We have just finished the Interwar period, 1920s - 1930s and are now going to shift focus to the causes of WWII and some of its major events. This is a massive topic that I will only be able to go into in part due to time constraints. Next week we will have a soft start because I will be absent and my class will have a substitute. Students will be working on notes, watching a short documentary and completing a few worksheets relating to both. When I return the following week, on April 22nd, we will do a short review for a quiz on Wednesday, April 23rd.
High School Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas
I hope you're doing well! I wanted to take a moment 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 maintain this momentum and continue making progress.
Next week, we’ll focus on further developing speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills. We'll continue performing a range of activities that provide students with more opportunities to practice Spanish, helping them gain fluency and confidence in conversation.
In addition, we will begin studying the present perfect tense in Spanish. This will give students the tools to understand and effectively use this complex grammatical structure. Our goal is to equip them with the skills needed to handle situational communication confidently, as well as to refine their ability to use Spanish accurately and fluently in everyday contexts.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m looking forward to another fantastic week of learning!
Algebra I - Mr. Scordato
Our work with Quadratic Functions continues. There will be a quiz on Sections 10.1 to 10.3 from the textbook, as well as graphing work that I have included in addition to textbook materials. I also want to commend the students for being so flexible when we have had heating issues in our classroom over the last couple of weeks. Some of our best learning and fun have happened outside, in the halls, and other classrooms. I should send all the videos of our Pi Day celebrations as well, but I thought those were going to be on Insta.
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 8 by having a day of review on Monday and the Chapter 8.7-8.9 test on Tuesday. We will then begin Chapter 9 by learning about square roots (9.1), and simplifying square roots (9.2).
Life Science - Ms. Harmon
Next week we will continue our lesson on Communities, food webs and Biomes. We will be presenting our Population Comparison Posters on Thursday.
Life Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will begin our study of Respiration and Circulation (Chapter 16). We will have a Ch 16 quiz on Wednesday, the 23rd.
ELA - Ms. Ferkol
Students have done a wonderful job digging into the beginning of The Hobbit! Coming up in the next week, students will have a quiz covering the hero’s journey, and introductory information about The Hobbit (Monday 4/14). Students have had access to the study guide for this quiz since Thursday (4/10) afternoon. They will also use their creativity later in the week to make a brochure of one of the infamous settings within the novel. This will be an in-class group project.
ELA - Ms. Hall
We have officially started our final novel for the year, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien! Students have officially been introduced to the concept of the hero’s journey and necessary background information for both The Hobbit and its author. They will have a quiz over this information on Tuesday, April 15 before using their creativity to make a brochure for one of the most infamous settings in this novel!
American History - Mr. O’Hayer
Next week in American History, we continue our examination of the Civil War. Our focus next week will be on the environment of the nation leading up to the CW. We will look at how “growing pains” of an expanding nation influenced the rising divisions of the country. Students will also begin their next project: Creating an officer of the CW.
American History - Mr. Saviskas
Howdy everyone! Another week down, just a few more to go. Last week we covered the issue of slavery and how it helped set up the conditions for the American Civil War. This coming week I will not be present so students will be working on the Civil War Soldier Project. For this project students will be drawing and coloring a soldier from either the North or the South. They will also spend time researching why Americans from either side of the war were willing to fight against their fellow countrymen. This project will primarily be done in class. All materials necessary for this project will be provided by me.
I return on April 22nd and we will be starting a movie showing of the film Harriet. The film follows the story of Harriet Tubman, former slave and later member of the Abolitionist Underground Railroad. I feel this is a very important film for students to watch as it better informs them of the life slaves lived through and just how difficult it was to escape slavery. I will be sending an email next week asking your permission to have your child see the film. If you do not want your child to see this film I have an alternate assignment prepared that they may work on instead. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Advanced Spanish - Mr. Jones
We will work toward finishing the series Extr@ Español followed by a written activity to conclude revision of the content. We will also begin working with the verbs saber, conocer & poder - key words in the language! Quiz over said words on 17 April; questions will be presented in examples and students must infer the meaning therein.
X + 1 = Fluency
Advanced Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas
Having focused on creating our own study guides for our verbs in the past and present tense conjugations, we will proceed with having our test over said material this Friday, 4 April and will postpone the due date of the half page paragraph students are expected to write until next Wednesday, 9 April to ensure students are refreshed and ready to write independently in a foreign language.
X + 1 = Fluency
Accelerated Math - Mr. Scordato
Due to a long week of ERBs and my absence on Friday 4/11, I will be moving that Chapter 11 test to Wednesday 4/16. We also have included an unplanned section to review division by fractions, so please support your kiddos in any way possible. While I like showing multiple strategies, especially with visuals for division by fractions, I am not opposed to you sharing “old-school” methods of Keep-Change Flip. #iykyk
Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will complete Chapter 8 by having a day of review on Monday and the Chapter 8.7-8.9 test on Tuesday. We will then begin Chapter 9 by learning about square roots (9.1), and simplifying square roots (9.2).
Earth Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will continue our study of earthquakes and volcanoes. We will have a quiz covering Earthquakes and Volcanoes on Thursday, April 17.
ELA - Ms. Ferkol
In the next week, students will have a quiz covering the foundational knowledge of the dystopian genre on Tuesday, 4/15. This quiz will be open-book, so it’s extremely important that students come to class with their novels! The study guide for this quiz was posted in Google Classroom on Thursday (4/10). After the quiz, students will dive into the importance of identifying foreshadowing and flashbacks, and we will end the week with mini-in-class project covering tone and mood.
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 dive deep into one of the most important periods in world history: The Industrial Revolution. This is one of my favorite topics to teach. Students learn about how/why this event happened and research all the amazing inventions that still impact our lives today. Our next project: I decided to postpone the Create an Invention project. Instead, we will begin our “Teach a lesson” project. We will start the Invention project after Easter Break..
Spanish Fundamentals - Mr. Jones
We will continue reading short stories in Spanish as well as watching short films to expose students to as much input as possible now that they’re familiar with reg/irregular verbs in the past simple and present. Our focus now will be on words/phrases that accompany the parts of speech we’ve covered thus far this year. Written vocab quiz on 16 April; vocab list will be posted on Google Classroom today, 11 April.
The Printmaking Unit is a three to four week process:
6th grade. Demonstrate the courage to apply unexpected colors in the layers of the architecture. They have learned cool colors recede and warm colors move forward. Next week we will create Joseph Albers color studies.
7th graders will research and illustrate the cereal grains of Georgia that support the local economies and ecosystems.
8th graders have finished carving linoleum and produced prototype prints in tempera. Next week students will produce three inked portrait prints.
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