NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
CHRISTMAS
CONCERT
The voices of the Middle School Eagles will
be performing their Christmas concert this Friday in the Bell Gymnasium. The concert will start at 8:30. Alert all grandparents and come and enjoy
some Christmas music.
HELP! DRIVERS NEEDED!
This fall has been a busy one for the Middle
School and we have been on the road many times.
Thank you to all our parent volunteers who drove the students. We have
one remaining event this semester where we have to transport our 89
students. On Friday after the concert at
10:15 the students will be traveling to the Savannah Mall to entertain in the
food court. The students will enjoy
lunch in the food court after the performance and return to HDS by 1:20. WE STILL NEED ABOUT A HALF DOZEN DRIVERS to
make this all happen. If you can help please
contact Ms. Gordon at mgordon@hancockdayschool.org or
by phone at 351-4500 X1.
SELECTING
A HIGH SCHOOL SEMINAR THIS WEDNESDAY!
Helise Sandler, licensed educational
counselor from Savannah Educational Consultants, will be presenting a seminar
this Wednesday evening on how to select the best high school for your
child. While selecting a school is
primarily an 8th grade activity, this seminar was well received last
year by parents from all grades. The
workshop will begin at 6:30 in Hancock Hall.
P.S.
Still no word on the status of the Savannah Arts admissions process for
the 2015-16 school year.
SPORTS
Tonight marks the beginning of our winter
season. Hancock teams will be action in schools across Savannah. Please consult our web page for an up to date
schedule of all the action. PLEASE
support our students by attending a game!
EXAMINATIONS
It seems hard to believe, but first semester
examinations are only 16 days away! This
can be a stressful time for students.
The best way to eliminate this stress is to develop a study plan and
implement it over the course of the next 2 ½ weeks. We discussed what to expect with the 6th
grade students. I suggested studying for
12 minutes/night on each of their core subjects. That is a pretty daunting task as 12 minutes
for 5 courses amounts to one hour of preparation each day, including weekends. That time will become easier to find next
week as we will be finishing up the second quarter work by mid week. Please take time to discuss with your child
how they might best prepare for their exams.
The exams will be held on December 17th, 18th, and
19th. These are half day
sessions for the Middle School with dismissal at noon each day. No lunch will be served on those days.
6TH GRADE NEWS
6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
This week the sixth graders are continuing to study A
Wrinkle in Time and contextual vocabulary. Students will take a quiz
tomorrow over the first four chapters of the novel. Chapters 5-8 will be
assessed through an open-book quiz students will complete at home later this
week. I will distribute that quiz on Thursday, 12/4, and collect it on
Monday, 12/8. Our test over A Wrinkle in Time is scheduled for
Thursday, December 11th. This test will be our last one of the
semester before exams. Though we will spend significant time in class
reviewing for exams, if students are eager to begin preparing now, I encourage
them to review our syllabus. This document outlines the units of study we
have covered this semester and includes the titles of our reading
assignments. Reading over this document and organizing notes will help
students to prepare for exams.
6th Math with Mrs. Reardon
6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
This week in Math 6, we will begin to wrap up Chapter 5 by
dividing fractions and mixed numbers, as well as measuring and converting
customary units. Students will receive
an outline on Tuesday, December 2 for their math facts quiz that will take
place on Thursday, December 4. The
Chapter 5 test will be given on Tuesday, December 9. Students should begin preparing now for exams
by organizing their binders and creating a list of questions they might need to
ask the teacher prior to the exam.
6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
This week we will finish Chapter 4 by learning how to easily
multiply very large and small numbers by using scientific notation (4.7).
We will review on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then have the Chapter 4 Test (4.5
– 4.7) on Thursday. We will start learning about Rational Numbers on
Friday (5.1).
6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Earth Science, we will begin in Chapter 11 by
learning about a natural hazard that happens as a result of Earth’s plates
moving – Earthquakes! Students will
learn that most earthquakes occur at plate boundaries when rocks break and move
along faults. We will also discuss some
features of earthquakes such as seismic waves.
A brief quiz will be given over section 1 on Thursday, December 4. Students should expect their Chapter 11 test
on Thursday, December 11. Students
should begin preparing now for exams by organizing their binders and creating a
list of questions they might need to ask the teacher prior to the exam.
6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake
Last week the 6th graders started their chapter
on earthquakes. During this week, the
students will do an activity in which they plot data about major earthquakes in
the United States and determine which areas are most likely to have strong earthquakes. They will also have an activity in which they
apply information from the Mercalli Intensity Index to various locations in
order to determine the epicenter of an earthquake. The students will have a quiz this
Thursday. Next week they will finish
this chapter and have their last test before exams on Thursday, Dec. 11.
6th Spanish with Ms. Dixon
Next week, we’ll review our test from Friday and touch on
what new material we’ll be covering in Capítulo 3A. The following week,
students will watch a film in Spanish and write a summary of one of the
characters. Students will share their summaries with the class. Safe travels to
all and ¡Feliz día del Pavo! (Happy Turkey Day!) J
6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
Welcome to December! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break, and is ready to finish the semester strongly. We are completing a brief overview of ancient India this week and the beginning of next week. Exams will take place December 17, 18, and 19, and students can begin to study now to be well prepared. The exam will be a cumulative assessment of the four areas we have studied this semester: Early Humans, Civilizations in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient India. After each unit, I have taken all the materials from the chapter and stored them in my classroom. By the end of this week, I will return those materials to the students so they can use them to study. If students study their quizzes, tests, and maps from each unit, they should be well prepared for the exam! I will be in my room each morning if students have questions or need help on a topic.
Welcome to December! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break, and is ready to finish the semester strongly. We are completing a brief overview of ancient India this week and the beginning of next week. Exams will take place December 17, 18, and 19, and students can begin to study now to be well prepared. The exam will be a cumulative assessment of the four areas we have studied this semester: Early Humans, Civilizations in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient India. After each unit, I have taken all the materials from the chapter and stored them in my classroom. By the end of this week, I will return those materials to the students so they can use them to study. If students study their quizzes, tests, and maps from each unit, they should be well prepared for the exam! I will be in my room each morning if students have questions or need help on a topic.
7TH GRADE NEWS
7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
Welcome to December! I hope
everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break, and is ready to finish the
semester strongly. We will continue to study poetry through the end
of next week, and we will complete a short poem project. Exams will
take place December 17, 18, and 19, and students can begin to study now to be
well prepared. The exam will be a cumulative assessment of the topics we have
studied so far this semester: Short Stories, Roll
of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and Poetry. My suggestion is
that students review the short story unit this week, focusing on the plot
mountains for the four stories we read in class. Students should also be
able to define and identify the components that make up a short story, and
literary elements including direct and indirect characterization,
personification, and irony. I will be in my room each morning if students
have questions or need help on a topic.
6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
This week we will finish Chapter 4 by learning how to easily
multiply very large and small numbers by using scientific notation (4.7).
We will review on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then have the Chapter 4 Test (4.5
– 4.7) on Thursday. We will start learning about Rational Numbers on
Friday (5.1).
7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake
7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
Last Monday, seventh graders were introduced to Gregor
Mendel and learned about his contributions to the study of genetics. This week, they will learn how to work dominant/recessive
inheritance problems using a Punnett Square.
On Thursday, Dec. 4, they will have a quiz on Mendel and the Punnett
Square. Next week they will be introduced to
incomplete dominance. The students will their last test before exams on
Thursday, Dec. 11.
7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Algebra I, we will complete Chapter 5 with
writing linear equations in standard form and writing equations of parallel and
perpendicular lines. Students will take
a chapter quiz over sections 4 & 5 on Thursday. The Chapter 5 test will take place on
Tuesday, December 9. Students should
begin preparing now for exams by organizing their binders and creating a list
of questions they might need to ask the teacher prior to the exam.
7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes
This week in Spanish class the 7th grade will be
working on their travel projects. These projects require a lot of research and
will count as a test grade. They will present the projects on Monday, December
8th and Tuesday, December 9th. Students should also begin reviewing their
notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam review. I encourage
any students who may be struggling to come in for extra help..
7th American History with Mrs. English
This week we will perform our skits on events leading to the American Revolution. We will continue our study of the American Revolution with an in depth look at the Declaration of Independence. Looking ahead, we will have a test on December 10th on the American Revolution. Students should also begin organizing their binders in preparation for exams in three weeks.
This week we will perform our skits on events leading to the American Revolution. We will continue our study of the American Revolution with an in depth look at the Declaration of Independence. Looking ahead, we will have a test on December 10th on the American Revolution. Students should also begin organizing their binders in preparation for exams in three weeks.
8TH GRADE NEWS
8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
This week the eighth graders are completing and turning in
their 20% Projects. These projects represent a semester’s worth of work,
and I am eager to see students’ unique creations. All students will
present their projects to the class, and students will also compose a piece of
reflective writing examining their work on this project. During the
second half of the week we will study a few short pieces of fiction and
nonfiction in the textbook. Students will take a quiz over the reading
selections next Thursday, December 11th. This quiz will be our
last one of the semester before exams. Though we will spend significant
time in class reviewing for exams, if students are eager to begin preparing
now, I encourage them to review our syllabus. This document outlines the
units of study we have covered this semester and includes the titles of our
reading assignments. Reading over this document and organizing notes will
help students to prepare for exams.
8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake
The eighth graders have now learned about pressure and
buoyancy with fluids. This week they
will finish the chapter and have their last test before exams on Wednesday,
Dec. 3. After the test, they will begin
a chapter on properties of matter. The
students will only cover a part of this chapter prior to exams. They will have their last quiz before exams
on Thursday, Dec. 11.
7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
This week in Algebra I, we will complete Chapter 5 with
writing linear equations in standard form and writing equations of parallel and
perpendicular lines. Students will take
a chapter quiz over sections 4 & 5 on Thursday. The Chapter 5 test will take place on
Tuesday, December 9. Students should
begin preparing now for exams by organizing their binders and creating a list
of questions they might need to ask the teacher prior to the exam.
8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
This week we will finish Chapter 11 by learning to use the
Distance Formula and Midpoint Formulas (11.5). We will review on Thursday
and have our last Chapter 11 Test (11.3 – 11.5) on Friday.
8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear
This week we will learn some new theorems about more
properties of triangles (there are just so many!). We will learn about
perpendicular bisectors (5.2) and angle bisectors (5.3). We will review
on Thursday and have a mid-chapter test on Friday (5.1 – 5.3).
8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes
This week in Spanish class the 8th grade will be
working with imperfect and preterite tenses. There will be a grammar quiz over
this material on Tuesday, December 9th. Students should begin
reviewing their notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam
review. I encourage any students who may be struggling to come in for extra
help.
This week we will continue our study World War I. Students will learn how Europe became entangled in the Great War. Looking ahead, students should prepare for a test on World War I on December 10th. Students should also begin organizing their binders in preparation for exams in three weeks.
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