May 5th - May 9th

📌 End of Year Details:

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Honors Assembly (Monday, May 19)

• Begins at 8:30 AM in the William Bell Gymnasium
  
  

• Recognizing academic achievements

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3rd Trimester Exams (May 20 & 21)

• Arrive by 8:00 AM
  
  

• Exams run 8:30 AM – 12:15 PM
  
  

• Dismissal at 12:20 PM
  
  

• No Middle School Extended Care Available
  
  

• Students with extended time: Please park and wait — do not use the carpool line

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8th Grade Graduation Events (Wednesday, May 21)

• Practice: 12:45–1:45 PM @ IOHUMC Sanctuary (Transportation by parents)
  
  

• Dinner: 6:00–7:30 PM in Hancock Hall
  
  

• Parents: Join for pictures from 6:00–6:20 PM
  
  

• Dance: 7:30–9:00 PM (Middle School students only)

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8th Grade Graduation Ceremony (Thursday, May 22)

• Arrive by 12:30 PM for pictures
  
  

• Ceremony: 2:00–3:00 PM at IOHUMC Sanctuary
  
  

• Reception: 3:00–4:00 PM in the Anchor Room
  
  

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

What an amazing year, as your HDS team made it to the championship game vs SJS( ranked #1 and undefeated in SPAL play. The environment was amazing, with over 100 HDS students and teachers in attendance as part of a promotion by the Athletics Department and Coach Carucci. A strong SJS team’s bats were on fire (“I think they could have beaten the Braves that night, "lol,” one fan said) as they cruised to a 14-4 win. HDS never gave up, scoring all 4 runs in their last at-bat!  

Thanks, Coach Carucci, for your hard work!

A few words from Coach C.

The Hancock Day School baseball team had a rollercoaster season full of growth, resilience, and unforgettable moments. After a tough loss to Calvary Day in the season opener, the team rebounded with grit and determination, stringing together key wins and gaining momentum throughout the year. One of the biggest turning points came in a thrilling 5-4 walk-off win over Savannah Christian Red, where the team showed its heart and toughness in high-pressure moments. That game seemed to light a spark, and Hancock began playing with greater confidence and chemistry. The team’s energy and teamwork were on full display as they closed the regular season strong and surged into the playoffs.

Several players elevated their game when it mattered most. Anderson was a consistent force on the mound, keeping the team in games with his command and calm presence. Zach came up clutch time and again, leading both at the plate and in the field with poise and production. Charlie A delivered key hits in big moments and anchored the top of the lineup with speed and smarts. Gil T’s speed and aggressive baserunning were game-changers, and he became a spark plug in the lineup. Shep also had a standout season behind the plate, showing major improvement and becoming a reliable and vocal leader for the pitching staff.

Beyond the team’s core leaders, several other players had breakout seasons and played key roles in the team’s success. Walker Y was a consistent offensive presence, delivering timely hits and showing smart instincts on the bases. Mercer C proved to be a tough, gritty competitor who came through in big moments and brought energy to the field every game. Oliver N was a steady force behind the plate and at bat, often coming up with big hits and handling pitchers with maturity. Charlie M had several clutch moments at the plate and continued to grow into a reliable contributor. Wesley C added depth to both the lineup and pitching staff, helping the team in crucial late-game situations. Each of these players stepped up in different ways, making this team deeper, stronger, and tougher throughout the season.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the season came in the playoffs when Hancock stunned Calvary Day with a dominant 14-4 win—an incredible turnaround from the season-opening defeat. The victory symbolized just how far the team had come, both in skill and in spirit. Though the season ended in the championship game against a strong St. James squad, the journey was filled with grit, growth, and pride. The players fought hard, supported each other, and made major strides from start to finish. It was a season of redemption, leadership, and lasting memories for Hancock Day School baseball.

Golf 

The HDS Golt team finished their season coming up short! They had a GREAT season and entered the tournament with high expectations! It was an amazing year,with HDS winning almost all of the tournaments throughout the spring.

Carson Hayes led the way again for HDS, finishing 2nd overall!

Two of our female golfers (Caroline Seibert and Emery Hart )made the top 6 on the HDS team and got valuable experience heading into the Girls’ (unofficial) SPAL Tournament on MAY 5th hosted by HDS. 

Thank you, coaches Mobley and Seibert!

 

Soccer 

Both the boys' and girls' teams finished the season at SCPS, just barely missing the playoffs!

The future is bright, with both teams' rosters heavily supported by young players and an athletic, talented group of 5th graders.  Thank you, Coach Milmine and Roberts!

From Coach Milmine

Expectations for the 2025 Hancock Girls Soccer team ranged from hoping that our girls would not go an entire season without scoring to merely hoping we would have enough players to finish out the SPAL schedule HDS’s 12 Middle School players were by far the fewest players of any SPAL team, and 11 of those 12 being 6th graders, the Eagles were also the youngest and smallest side in the league. Thankfully, our lone 7th grader was Abby Waters. Most of our dozen girls played 6 full hour-long games without a single minute of rest, all against older, taller, faster, more experienced teams cycling in fresh legs throughout the game.

If anyone ever told our girls not to bother to fight for any of those 60 minutes, then it’s safe to say that none of them bothered to listen. Including two non-SPAL matches played with our 5th graders, who showed up at practices all season to push our dozen to be better, the HDS Girls Soccer team ignored everyone else’s expectations and finished the season with a 2-4-2 record, with a 1-4-1 record in SPAL games. 2025 presented an opportunity to lay a foundation to compete for a SPAL championship in 2026, and what our girls accomplished was far greater than that. The future is bright. Until then, the Dozen can remember that they were undefeated against Country Day.

 

BASKETBALL CAMP.

This will be Coach Bellairs last time with the Hancock Kids, so we hope to have a great turnout. Please email Coach Bellairs to register!

Small group lessons are available in May and June. 

Volleyball will be starting soon.

Next week, there will be more information.  To get info now, please contact JordanYantin, Volleyball Director, (551) -866 7455

#21 Executive Functioning Skills: Task Initiation

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
We are entering our last unit on Probability. The kids have loved the probability games we have played throughout the year, and I cannot think of a better way to learn and enjoy our last few days together!

Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Advanced Algebra, we will begin our final unit of review - factoring and solving quadratic equations. We will review factoring trinomials, grouping, divide and slide, and the difference of two squares. There will be our final quiz of the year on Thursday covering factoring. Then we will review the quadratic formula.

Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Geometry, we will continue Chapter 12 by learning how to find the volume of pyramids/cones (12.5), the surface area and volume of spheres (12.6), and properties of similar solids (12.7). There will be our final quiz of the year covering 12.4-12.6 on Wednesday.

Physical Science - Ms. Harmon
Monday there will be a test on Electricity and Magnetism. We will continue to the next section of our review project by beginning our paper and presentation. 

 ELA - Ms. Hall

Students have worked very hard on creating their presentation slides for their choice novels. At the start of next week, they will present their presentations with their groups for individual test grades. Later in the week, students will have one final opportunity to practice their writing skills by taking part in the Vignette Collection project. They will have a full week of instruction in vignette writing while they practice creating their own. This will help tie up our unit before they begin studying for final exams!

US History - Mr. Saviskas
We’re almost at the end of the year. Yay! I have had to move last week’s test to next week. I had mistimed how long Saving Private Ryan was and I did not want to give the kids a test they wouldn’t be fully prepared for. So, next Friday, 5/9 we will have a test over our World War II unit. We have already gotten some notes on it last week so Monday and Tuesday will be notes and Wednesday and Thursday will be study and review.

High School Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas

The students have demonstrated a remarkable understanding of the Spanish language. Their progress in speaking, listening, and reading comprehension has exceeded expectations and reflects a strong commitment to learning.

Next week, in addition to continuing our work with the Present Perfect tense, we will begin exploring the Perfect Progressive tense. This will help students learn how to recognize and use it effectively in context, adding another valuable grammatical structure to their communication toolkit.

On Monday, there will be a quiz designed to assess the student’s ability to apply the concepts covered in class through practical exercises.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions. I look forward to another productive and engaging week of learning!

Algebra I - Mr. Scordato

We are entering our last unit on Probability. The kids have loved the probability games we have played throughout the year, and I cannot think of a better way to learn and enjoy our last few days together!

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear 

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 10 by learning how to find the area of triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids (10.3).  We will also learn how to find the circumference and area of circles (10.4). We will have our final quiz of the year on Thursday covering 10.1-10.3.

Life Science - Ms. Harmon

The test was moved to this Monday on Biomes and the study guide is on google classroom. We will continue our lesson on sexual reproduction and genetics. 

Life Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will continue our study of Populations, Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems, with a vocabulary quiz covering chapter 21-22 on Thursday, May 8.

ELA - Ms. Ferkol

In the coming week, students will work through their final project of the year! They will think critically about The Hobbit to work through 12 analysis activities that will come together to form a fantastic 3D dodecahedron project (an example is shown below). This project will ask them to analyze features such as settings, characters, and symbols that we have discussed in class; I absolutely cannot wait to see the incredible work they produce!

ELA - Ms. Hall

Next week, students will be starting their final project of the school year! They will work individually to analyze many different aspects of The Hobbit to create a 3D dodecahedron project that will show their ability to analyze aspects such as settings, characters, and symbols. It will be a wonderful combination of analysis and artistic skills that students have honed all school year.

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 battles of the CW and the people who shaped the outcome.  Students will begin their next project: Creating an officer of the CW. 

American History - Mr. Saviskas

Hello again! We are wrapping up our units as we approach the end of the year. We are going to cover, wrap-up and connect our Slavery unit to our Civil War unit before having a test on Friday 5/9. We are nearing the end so be sure to pay attention to upcoming assignments, homework and due dates while we still have time to bring up any low grades.

Advanced Spanish - Mr. Jones

 The verbs saber, conocer & poder will be practiced next week in addition to finishing our short series in Spanish, Exr@!. Students will then complete a comprehension quiz over the content of said series after having reviewed the main moments and overall gist together. Field day is upon us, woot woot!

X + 1 = Fluency

Advanced Spanish - Mr. De Cardenas 

 The verbs saber, conocer & poder will be practiced next week in addition to finishing our short series in Spanish, Exr@!. Students will then complete a comprehension quiz over the content of said series after having reviewed the main moments and overall gist together. Field day is upon us, woot woot!

X + 1 = Fluency

Accelerated Math - Mr. Scordato

We will finish our unit on 3D Geometry with a test, and then we “roll” on to dice games and other activities to learn about Probability.

Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue Chapter 10 by learning how to find the area of triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids (10.3).  We will also learn how to find the circumference and area of circles (10.4). We will have our final quiz of the year on Thursday covering 10.1-10.3.

Earth Science - Mrs. Swanner
Next week, we will continue our study of “The Sun-Earth-Moon System,” with a test covering this material on Friday, May 9. 

ELA - Ms. Ferkol

Students have been working so hard on creating their own dystopian societies, and I have to say they are doing an incredible job! With the creation of their societies complete, students will begin working through their persuasive essays to convince audiences to join their created societies. This will be their final test grade of the year, and it will be due on Monday, May 12th. I can’t wait to see what amazing work they will display! 

World History - Mr. O’Hayer

Next week in World History, students will continue their study of 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. Students have been working hard on their “Teach a Lesson” project. 

Spanish Fundamentals - Mr. Jones
Next week, students will work to extract previously covered material from their book project on a handout that helps to organize the information of their character into the chronological order of an organic conversation; this will lead into our Banana Phone project on Thursday, 1 May in which they’ll use their banana phones to call another student, ask/answer questions, hang up, and then another pair will conduct their conversation. This is no monkey business, just good fun and an interactive review of material covered thus far before field day… Go 6th grade!! 

6th grade will take on tall tulips in watercolor and tempera. 

7th graders will frame up their fantastic floral still life compositions.

8th graders will continue gorgeous ginger pot floral arrangements.