Week 7 Announcements: Sept. 30th-Oct. 4th

The 8th graders each memorized and recited a section of the Declaration of Independence Thursday.

Update! (9/30/13)

Please sell your raffle tickets! So far Mrs. Reardon's homeroom is in the lead!

1st Place: Mrs. Reardon

2nd Place: Mrs. Blake

3rd Place: Mrs. Hughes

**Remember, the homeroom with the most tickets sold will get to go off campus for lunch! Support Hancock!** 

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

COMMUNITY SERVICE

A great week in the Middle School.  Wednesday we had a presentation about a community service/mission project completed by Philip Dusek.  His Power Point slides were beautiful and his Spanish pronunciation articulate.  Continuing what is becoming a weekly part of our schedule, we will have a Middle School assembly this Wednesday during homeroom time.  The theme this week is Community Service. Part of the Hancock Way is a commitment to community service.  We ask that each of our students complete 10 hours of community service each year, 30 hours for their years in Middle School.  I was asked by one student, "what happens if we don’t do it?"  The answer simply is that is NOT an option.  Commitment to community service is a corner stone of the Hancock Way.  We have all chosen to join this community largely because of the value system that governs who we are.  To ignore one of our fundamental tenants brings into question, why do you want to be a member of this community?  We hope as educators to “teach” the importance of making community service an integral part of everyone’s live. If you have any suggestions for ways our students could serve the community, please email me at school and I will share these opportunities with our students.

More on this later!

ACTIVITIES

On Friday afternoon we took a break from our academic rigors to have some social time as a middle school community.  The break was well deserved and gave everyone a chance to connect in a more social setting.  A good time was had by all!

PARENT CONFERENCES

On October 23^rd classes will not be held so that parents may come to school to meet with teachers.  In the past that meant meeting with your child’s homeroom teacher.  We are making a break from that tradition to permit you to schedule time with 2 of your child’s teachers.  Why just two?  Simply, time limitations.  Our staff is ALWAYS available before or after any school day to meet with parents.  If you have a concern, simply call our office to schedule an appointment.  Ms. Edie will be calling parents who have multiple children at HDS to schedule them first.  That will be completed next week.  After that, we will announce how to schedule your conference time.  Look for more information next week.

6TH GRADE NEWS

6^th Grade English Language Arts

Students have just started reading Anne Frank:  Diary of a Young Girl, and we have our first quiz over the text coming up on Monday.  Your student already has a reading calendar that outlines every homework assignment, quiz date, and the date of our test over this book.  I encourage students to read ahead if they know that they have an especially busy night due to extracurricular activities or other commitments.  During our study of this book we will pause our work in Wordly Wise and instead explore some contextual vocabulary related to Anne Frank’s diary.  

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will continue in Chapter 3 learning about several more types of data displays such as histograms and box and whisker plots.  Wednesday, we will finish making the bar and line graphs in excel on the laptops.  On Friday, students will have a Chapter quiz over sections 3 through 6.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

Next week we will finish up our study of the Earth’s motions, time and longitude and latitude.  Monday we will cover pages 33-35, Satellites; Tuesday and Wednesday we will discuss pages 38-41, longitude and latitude; Thursday we will prepare for an examination on the material covered in chapter 2 plus longitude and latitude.  Doing well on this examination is CRITICAL!  We only have had one examination this quarter and will only have a total of 3.  The exam average counts for 35% of the quarter grade.  What you earn on the exam is what you get, so doing well the first time is CRITICAL.  I strongly suggest studying small sections each evening.  There WILL be a few questions from the first exam (Introduction to Earth Science and the Scientific Method) on this exam so review of this material is essential.  Students will create their own study guides on Thursday in class.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

After hearing presentations on several elements, the sixth graders will spend next week learning about the structure of atoms and different atomic models.  They will have an activity in which they will make Bohr models of several atoms.  At the end of the week they will have a quiz on atoms.  This information about atomic structure will be helpful as we go on to study chemical compounds.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish, the 6^th grade will begin a new chapter where they will talk about personality traits, ask what people are like, and use adjectives to describe others. We will also learn about verb conjugation. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 4^th.

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English
In Ancient World Civilization we will study Chapter 2-Lesson 3 “Building Communities.”  This section covers the early towns in southwestern Asia.  We will discuss the division of labor, social classes, and the beginnings of governments.  We will see what early towns looked like and what archeologists find when they uncover one of these sites.  Homework will include lesson terms, review questions, and writing reflections.  We will also continue our study of geography with landforms and U.S. States in an effort to establish building blocks for world geography.  Students should expect a quiz on U.S. States and physical geography terms on Thursday October 3^rd.  

Teachable moment with Ms. Oosterhoudt. The 8th grade art class was discussing the Monks visiting the Jepson Museum to create a healing madala in class and they said to me, "We want to make one!" We watched a video of the Monks creating a madala, out came the sand, the students made paper funnels and they went to town. Fantastic!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7^th Grade English Language Arts

Students are in the process of revising and typing final drafts of their creative short stories.  The final draft of this assignment is due on Monday and will count as a major composition.  Students have just started reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and our first quiz over the book is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1^st.  Your student already has a reading calendar that outlines every homework assignment, quiz date, and the date of our test over this novel.  I encourage students to read ahead if they know that they have an especially busy night due to extracurricular activities or other commitments.  During our study of this book we will pause our work in Wordly Wise and instead explore some contextual vocabulary related to the novel.


7th Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue in Chapter 3 by solving equations with variables on both sides, as well as learning how to solve inequalities using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  On Thursday, we will review for their Chapter quiz that they will take on Friday.  The quiz will be over sections 3 through 6.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Algebra (7/8) we will be completing Chapter 3.  We will discuss percent problems (1.3) and practice rewriting equations with only variables in them (3.8).  We will have a day of review and the chapter test at the end of the week.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders have started their work on their viral disease project.  Each student randomly picked a disease to research.  They have worked in pairs to gather information and develop a speech on that disease.  Lastly, they will design a Power Point presentation to accompany their talk.  These speeches will begin on Thursday.  During the first part of the week, students will perform one more lab with the microscope.  They will have a quiz over the microscope on Wednesday.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish, the 7^th grade will begin a new chapter discussing clothes, shopping, and prices. Students will also learn about demonstrative adjectives. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 4^th. 

7^th American History with Mrs. English
In American History we will study chapter 2-section 2 “Spain’s Empire in the Americas.”  This section discusses the conquistadors in the Americas and considers how a few hundred men altered history in the New World.  We specifically will study Hernando de Soto, a Spanish conquistador that trekked through North America’s southeast.  The history of the Spanish in the Americas played a significant role in how the United States formed several hundred years later.  In fact, the formation of Savannah was largely due to the presence of the Spanish!  Homework will include section key terms, review questions, and writing reflections.  Students should expect a quiz on Chapter 2-Section1 on Tuesday, October 1^st and a Geography assessment on physical geography terms and U.S. States on Thursday, October 3^th.  

7th graders give their explorer presentations Tuesday.

8TH GRADE NEWS

8^th Grade English Language Arts

Students in the process of composing a persuasive essay in which they must analyze Ender’s character and pass judgment on some of his actions.  Rough drafts of this assignment are due on Monday, and we will spend time in class editing and revising our work during the early part of the week ahead.  Final drafts will be due on Thursday, October 3^rd.  We will also begin exploring some short pieces of fiction in the literature textbook as well as working on our next lesson in Wordly Wise.  Students can expect a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 4^th.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will continue working with SI or the metric system.  Since SI is used in all of the sciences, it is important that they understand the system and conversions within the system.  We will work on relearning the various prefixes used and perform two lab activities with metrics.  They will have a quiz over SI on Thursday.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish, the 8^th grade will begin a new chapter discussing the preterite tense and irregular verbs. They will learn useful vocabulary about making purchases in Spanish-speaking countries. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 4^th.  

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Algebra (7/8) we will be completing Chapter 3.  We will discuss percent problems (1.3) and practice rewriting equations with only variables in them (3.8).  We will have a day of review and the chapter test at the end of the week.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

In Advanced Algebra (Grade 8) we will be exploring the quadratic formula (10.6) in great depth and discussing how one can determine the number and type of solutions to a quadratic function using the discriminant (10.7).

8^th American Government with Mrs. English
The Declaration of Independence projects went great this past week!  Moving forward the American Government course will study the Articles of Confederation and discuss how the early foundations of American government influence our current politics.  We will have a quiz on Tuesday October 1^st on Chapter 2-Section 2 and a geography quiz on Thursday October 3^rd on U.S. States and physical geography terms.  

More sand madala making in 8th grade's art class.

SPORTS EVENTS

Football Game against St. James 

Tuesday, Oct. 1st @ 7pm
Volleyball Game
Hancock vs. St. Peter at Hancock

Saturday, Oct. 5th @ 9:30am
Football Game
Hancock vs. St. James at St. James

Week 6 Announcements: Sept. 23-27, 2013

The 7th Graders took art outside this week.

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

PROGRESS REPORTS-- It seems impossible, but we are at the midpoint of the first quarter!  This is a time when families should be sure to review their child’s progress by accessing Power School.  This software lets you see the grades for each assignment, quiz, test, project/lab as well as the semester average to date.  Averages at this point in the quarter are driven by about half the grades that will be earned during the quarter.  Therefore, one grade (especially an unusually high or low grade) can have a much more dramatic effect on the quarter average.  By the end of the quarter there will be approximately double the number of grades that appear now making a much truer average.  As always, teachers are always available to discuss your child’s progress. Contact can be made via email or through the Middle School office and Ms. Edie.

Congratulations on qualifying!

DUKE TIP-- Duke TIP is a global leader in identifying academically gifted seventh grade students and providing them with opportunities to support their development.  The TIP program seeks to provide information on relevant, valuable educational opportunities.  These students are selected based on exemplary qualifying scores from the ERB tests taken in the spring of 2013.  Hancock Day School is proud to announce that four students have qualified to participate in this program.  CONGRATULATIONS!

MISSING FORMS-- Each year the school collects important information from each family so that we may better serve our students. This information is critical to the efficient operation of our programs.  Many families are missing two critical forms, EMERGENCY MEDICAL FORM and EXTENDED SESSION FORM.  We ask that all families complete the EXTENDED SESSION FORM even if you do not have a student participating in this program.  If you have not turned in these forms, please do so as soon as possible.  Forms may be found at this link on the Hancock Day School website:  http://hancockdayschool.org/form_submissions.html.

RAFFLE!-- Tuition only covers a portion of the educational costs for operating the programs of Hancock.  The balance is made up by the generous contribution of time by our many volunteers and the financial contributions from friends and parents of the Hancock Day School.  This year we are adding a new twist and some excitement to our fund raising efforts, the first Hancock Day School Homecoming Raffle!  First prize: $5,000; second prize: $1,000; and third prize: Apple iPad.  Tickets are $100 each and can be purchased from any Hancock family or by calling Felicia McManamy at HDS (351-4500).  All proceeds from this raffle will benefit the Middle School Building Campaign.  The drawing will be Saturday, October 26^th at 2:00 at Hancock’s 60^th Homecoming Celebration.  You DO NOT have to be present to win.

Mrs. Reardon and baby Mac with Spirit
the Eagle at Thursday night's game.

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

This week students worked on writing their own memoirs as a conclusion to our overview of nonfiction.  This assignment is our first major paper, and we have spent significant class time on it in order to make sure it’s our best work.  The final draft is due on Monday.  In the week ahead, students will wrap up lesson three in Wordly Wise, continue working with direct/indirect objects in GUM, and begin reading Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl.  Students can expect a Wordly Wise quiz on Wednesday, as well as a possible pop quiz over grammatical concepts later in the week.  Once we begin reading Anne Frank I will distribute a reading calendar to students so that they know their reading homework assignment for each night during our study of the text.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

6^th Grade Math – Next week in 6^th grade math, we will venture into chapter 3 learning about mean, median, and mode, as well as different types of data displays including bar and line graphs and stem-and-leaf plots.  On Monday, students will receive an outline for their math facts quiz that will take place on Wednesday (9/25).  After students take their math facts quiz on Wednesday, we will make some data displays on the new laptops!  On Friday (9/27), students will take a chapter 3 quiz over sections 1-3.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

Next week we will finish up chapter two in the BLUE Earth Science text.  We will explore time and why we have time zones and the International Date Line.  We will discuss how artificial satellites are used to study the earth, their different types of orbits and how they are placed into those orbits.  Finally, we will complete the lab exercise on page 35 to show the relationship between centripetal and centrifugal force.  We will have a quiz on Wednesday covering the material on pages 27-34.  Early next week we will have an examination of the material in chapter two, AS WELL AS questions from our first unit of study about  the Scientific Method.  Assignments throughout the week will include finishing up the multiple choice and application questions on pages 36 & 37; preparing for the quiz; doing the initial and final lab reports for centripetal and centrifugal force.  If you would like to prepare ahead, I would suggest beginning to study for the exam on chapter 2.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders have been researching their elements in order to be ready for their presentations next Wednesday.  The students will spend Monday working on posters to accompany their speech.  They will have a quiz on Thursday over selected elements and their symbols.  At the end of the week the class will learn about atomic models.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 6^th grade will finish chapter 1A. This chapter covers the verb “gustar” and indirect object pronouns. The students will have a chapter test on Thursday, September 26th. Students should begin preparing for the test next week and over the weekend.

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

In World Civilizations we will be discussing the formation of complex societies.  We will learn how plows, livestock, and irrigation influenced economic and social change in early civilizations.  Students will consider how water was an important to early farmers and still is today!  Homework will include vocab, section review questions, and section worksheets. Students will be assessed on chapter 2-lesson 2 at the end of the week. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7^th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Students are in the process of composing rough drafts of creative short stories.  This assignment is our first major paper, and it’s also a great way to wrap up our short story unit.  Rough drafts must be completed no later than Monday, and the final draft of this assignment will be due on the following Monday, September 30^th.  Next week students will wrap up lesson three in Wordly Wise, work with predicate nouns and adjectives in GUM, and begin reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor.  Students can expect a Wordly Wise quiz on Tuesday, as well as a possible pop quiz over grammatical concepts later in the week.  Once we begin reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry I will distribute a reading calendar to students so that they know their reading homework assignment for each night during our study of the text. 

7th Pre- Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will wrap up chapter 2 learning about decimal operations and equations with decimals.  On Tuesday, we will review for their chapter 2 test that they will take on Wednesday (9/25).  On Wednesday, students will receive an outline for the math facts quiz that they will take on Friday (9/27).  Thursday and Friday we will begin chapter 3 by solving two-step equations and solving equations having like terms and parentheses. 

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Algebra (7/8), we will be continuing Chapter 3 with sections 3.5 and 3.6, which cover ratios and proportions.  Later in the week, we will be doing an exciting activity involving the classic Tolkien novel, “The Hobbit”!

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

At the beginning of next week the seventh graders will learn about the development of the microscope.  The classes will also be given information about their first project of the year.  Students will be researching different viral diseases for an oral presentation.   They will also design a Power Point slide show to supplement their speech.  All of this work will be done in class.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will finish chapter 5B. They have been learning the present progressive tense and informal commands. There will be a chapter test on Thursday, September 26th. Students should begin preparing for the test next week and over the weekend.

7^th American History with Mrs. English

In American history we will discuss the Age of Exploration to the Americas.  Did you know that the Native Americans did not have horses before Europeans came to the new world? This week we will learn how the Columbian Exchange changed the Western and Eastern Hemispheres forever. This Tuesday we will perform our Explorer speeches.  Homework will consist of reading chapter 2-section 1, defining vocab terms, and answering section review questions.  Students will be assessed on chapter 2-section-1 at the end of the week. 

8TH GRADE NEWS

8^th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Next week eighth grade students will finish reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Students should be done with the novel by Tuesday, and we will take a comprehensive test over the book and contextual vocabulary on Thursday, September 26^th.  I will also assign a major paper over the book on Tuesday, and the rough draft of this will be due on Monday, September 30^th.  Students have already taken three quizzes over the novel, and I strongly encourage them to use these assessments to guide their studying as they prepare for the test.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

In eighth grade, students are working diligently on scientific notation.  This concept is extremely important in the sciences, so the students need to master the basics before entering high school.  This work with scientific notation will culminate with a quiz on Wednesday.  At that point, their work with measurement will continue with metrics.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will finish chapter 1B. They have been learning a lot of new vocabulary and verbs dealing with clubs and extracurricular activities. The students will have a chapter test on Friday, September 27^th.  Students should begin preparing for the test next week and over the weekend.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Algebra (7/8), we will be continuing Chapter 3 with sections 3.5 and 3.6, which cover ratios and proportions.  Later in the week, we will be doing an exciting activity involving the classic Tolkien novel, “The Hobbit"!

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
In Advanced Algebra (Grade 8), we will be picking up where we left off in Chapter 10 with sections 10.5 and 10.6.  We will discuss how to solve quadratic equations using the method of completing the square and, everyone’s favorite, the quadratic formula.

8^th American Government with Mrs. English

This week in American Government students will be assessed on chapter 2-lesson 1 on Monday.  We will review the events that led to the Declaration of Independence. For homework each student has been given a portion of the Declaration and will be required to create a poster representing their part. On Thursday students will combine their memorized sections to perform the entire Declaration of Independence. Looking forward to a great week!

Cheerleaders at Thursday night's game.

SPORTS EVENTS

Tuesday, Sept. 24 @ 7pm

Volleyball Game

Hancock vs. Blessed Sacrament at Blessed Sacrament 

Thursday, Sept. 26 @ 7pm

Football Game

Hancock vs. St. James at St. James

Week 5 Announcements: Sept. 16-20, 2013

Welcome to the new Hancock Middle School Blog!

Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston answers questions on the current events in Syria in Mrs. English's 8th Grade Government Class.

 

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

The Middle School is off to a quick start in this 2013-2014 school year!  Last week we held elections for our student government.  Congratulations to everyone that participated, and to the students who were selected as leaders for this year.  They are:

            President – Gray Solana

            Vice President – Mac Graham
            Secretary- AnnaGiles Truax
            Treasurer – Gracie Smith

            Historian – Rachel Mascolo

Clubs-- Next week we will be starting our clubs for the first semester. Each student made a first and second choice for a club.  Those assignments will be completed at the beginning of next week. This year the clubs will be held on Wednesdays.  Wednesday the Middle School follows a slightly different time schedule to provide for time just before lunch for clubs to meet.  The fall semester clubs are:

Student Government – Ms. Hughes & Mrs. Reardon

Junior National Honor Society – Mrs. Blake

Quiz Bowl/Geography Bee – Mrs. English

Debate – Mrs. O’Connor

Dance Choreography – Ms. Edie

Math Club – Mr. Lanfear

Chess – Mr. Crawford

Study Skills/Study Halls –  The Middle School altered its period structure to give more time to academic instruction.  Stretching out our periods an additional 10 minutes provides an additional 13 hours of instruction over the year in each subject area.  That makes 65 hours for the 5 core courses!  However, this did come at the expense of having a study time every school day.  Currently there are two study times each week, one for 30 minutes and one for 55 minutes.  Moving forward, we will begin the delivery of a Study Skills curriculum in the 30 minute block.  This instruction will not consume the entire block and will use a student’s current assignments as the basis for instruction. 

Community Service-- Community Service is an important component of the Hancock Way.  Community service is defined as volunteer service beyond the confines of the traditional classroom that fosters civic responsibility for the benefit of the community.  Over the next 2 weeks we will be discussing Community service as a school and rolling out a new reporting format that should make it easier for students to get credit for their volunteer work. A letter will be coming home soon!

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
This week students concluded their study of our first unit in the literature textbook.  We took a test over types of nonfiction today, and next week students will try their hand at writing some of their own nonfiction.  We will begin drafting our pieces in class on Monday, and completed rough drafts will be due on Wednesday.  Students will have time to type their final drafts in class on Thursday and Friday, though it is possible that your student may need access to a computer at home to finish this assignment during the later portion of next week.  If this is a problem, your student is welcome to come in early or stay late to use the computers at school.  Our typed, final drafts will be due on Monday, September 23^rd.  We will also be working with subjects, predicates, and direct/indirect objects in our GUM books as well as completing lesson three in Wordly Wise.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will complete Chapter 2 by learning scientific notation, and measuring and converting metric units.  On Thursday, we will review Chapter 2 in class and students will take their Chapter 2 test on Friday, September 20.  Please note that there is extra practice on www.classzone.com for this course.  Just click on "Middle School Math," then "Georgia," and the click on "find your book."  Click on the "Math Course 1 book."  You will find extra practice for every chapter.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

Lab day in Mr. Crawford's Earth Science Class.

During next week we will learn about rotation and revolution.  After these motions of the Earth are understood, we will study seasons and time.  

TENTATIVE schedule is:

Monday – In class – Discuss Rotation/Revolution and Seasons.  Homework – p37 Multiple Choice 8-12; Applications 5 & 6.

Tuesday – In class – Quiz on section 2.1; Discuss rotation and time; Time worksheet.  Homework – Read 33-34; p 37 MC # 13; App #8.

Wednesday – In class – Discuss the questions on the bottom of page 32; Do section 2.3 in class; Prep for lab found on page 35.

Thursday – In class – Complete page 35 lab.  Homework – complete lab report.

Friday – In class – spiral back through the concepts presented this week.  Homework – unknown at this point.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

This week’s chapter test will be sent home today.  Please look over it with your 6^th grader and sign it.  Next week, the class will begin their chapter on atoms and elements.  As part of this study the students will be doing their first project of the year on elements.  The majority of their work will be done in class.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 6^th grade will be learning about the verb “gustar” and the vocabulary associated with the verb. The students will be practicing through a variety of oral and written activities. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Thursday, September 19^th.

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

This week we will begin Chapter 2: Early Farmers and City Dwellers.  We will discuss how early people produce food and what types of food different cultures grew around the world.  All of the major culture groups grew different types of crops and domesticated different animals. We will also discuss how geography influenced agriculture, and how food influenced early civilizations. For homework students will define vocabulary, respond to section review questions, and complete a worksheet on the effect of farming on livestock, settlement, land ownership, and society rules.  We will have an assessment on Chapter 2—Section 1 at the end of the week. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7^th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
Students are almost finished with our first major unit in the literature textbook.  Our test over short stories is coming up on Tuesday, September 17^th.  Students have a list of every short story we have read in this unit on the syllabus, as well as list of concepts and skills that we have been practicing in the class notes section of their binders.  In addition to taking this test next week, students will also be demonstrating their knowledge of short stories by writing their own creative pieces.  We will begin drafting these in class on Wednesday, and completed rough drafts will be due on Friday, September 20^th.  I plan to give students some specific guidelines for this creative writing assignment during the early part of next week.  We will also be working with direct/indirect objects as well as learning about predicate nouns and adjectives.  Finally, we will be completing lesson three in Wordly Wise.  

7th Pre- Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue in Chapter 2 learning how to solve equations with variables as well as solving equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  On Thursday, we will review for the chapter quiz that students will take on Friday, September 20.  The quiz will cover sections 4-6.  Please note that there is extra practice on www.classzone.com for this course.  Just click on Middle School Math, then Georgia, and the click on find your book.  Click on the Math Course 3 book.  You will find extra practice for every chapter.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Algebra, we will be starting Chapter 3.  We will be solving one-step, two-step, and multi-step equations (Sections 3.1 – 3.4).  There will be a short quiz on Wednesday (9/18) on sections 3.1 – 3.2.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

At the beginning of next week, the seventh graders will be writing a formal conclusion to their lab on acid-base indicators.  They will be composing their first draft in class, but will need to type the final product at home.   They will also be starting their next chapter which is devoted to the microscope and the cell.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will be learning about the present progressive tense and informal commands. They will be practicing the new grammar through a variety of oral and written activities. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Thursday, September 19^th.

7^th American History with Mrs. English
This week we will finish Chapter 1 by completing section 4 “The European Heritage.”  This section is an introduction to the Age of Exploration.  It overviews the religious, governmental, and social background of Europe in an effort to explain why Europe began looking outward to unexplored lands.  In conjunction with this section, we will work on our Exploration mini-project. For this project, students imagine they are 1400s explorers trying to get supporters for their next adventure.  They will write a speech and make flyers to convince others to join their cause.  Students will consider the dangers and rewards of being an explorer.  Students will perform their speeches with a partner at the end of the week.  For homework, students will be required to thoroughly read the section, define vocabulary, answer section review questions, and work on their projects.  We will have an assessment on Chapter 1—Section 4 on Wednesday.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

8^th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

The eighth grade students are currently reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Students have a reading calendar that outlines their reading homework for each night of the week, and students are welcome to read ahead at any point.  We have a quiz over chapters 7-12 on Wednesday, September 18^th.  Our test over this novel is scheduled for Thursday, September 26^th.  Students will also be writing a major paper over the novel, and this assignment will be given to students on Tuesday, September 24^th and due on Thursday, October 3^rd.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders have just started a new chapter on measurement in science.  Students will be using their math skills a great deal in the next few weeks.  They began by reviewing rounding of decimals and the importance of estimation.  They are learning the difference between precision and accuracy and how they relate to each other.  All of this leads to our coming work with metrics.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will be learning about sports and extracurricular activities. We will be practicing these new words and grammar points through a variety of oral and written activities. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, September 20^th.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Algebra (Grades 7/8), we will be starting Chapter 3.  We will be solving one-step, two-step, and multi-step equations (Sections 3.1 – 3.4).  There will be a short quiz on Wednesday (9/18) on sections 3.1 – 3.2.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
In Advanced Algebra, we will be discussing the mathematics behind the formula for the axis of symmetry.  We will also discuss how to solve quadratic equations by using square roots.  There will be a mid-chapter test on sections 10.1 – 10.4 on Thursday (9/19) with a review on Wednesday (9/18).

8^th American Government with Mrs. English

Last week we wrapped up the Foundations of Government and discussed the rights and liberties of all men and women. This week we look forward to the Origins of American Government.  We will discuss the history of governments that led to the creation of the American colonies.  This section illustrates the importance of religious and intellectual influences that fused to create the basic foundations of the American government.  Important intellectual thinkers discussed will include John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Charles de Montesquieu.  We will continue our discussions on current events happening around the world.  Homework will include thoroughly reading Chapter 2—Section 1, defining section terms, and begin research on government in the early colonies.  An assessment on Chapter 2—Section 1 will be given at the end of the week.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

From the MS Art Room-
Sept 23-29, 2013 at the Jepson Center’s Eckburg Atrium

The Monks Return! Tibetan Monks Residency and Sand Mandala Painting

Our HDS 6^th Grade art students are creating personal Mandala’s right now in their art class!  What a great opportunity for all HDS students…..The Tibetan Buddhist monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery return to the Jepson Center for the first time in more than four years to create an exquisite sand mandala painting as part of a weeklong residency. Programs related to the monks’ residency include a variety of activities for all ages! You can view the creation of the Mandala Tuesday-Saturday, September 23-29 from 10am-5pm.  The opening ceremony is Monday Sept. 23 at 5pm and the closing ceremony is Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2pm.  More information can be found at www.Telfair.org

For questions about this event, contact Nancy Oosterhoudt at noosterhoudt@hancockdayschool.com

SPORTS EVENTS

Monday, Sept. 16 @ 7pm
Volleyball Game 
Hancock vs. St. Andrews at St. Andrews 

Tuesday, Sept. 17 @ 6pm
Volleyball Game CANCELED
Hancock vs. SCDS in Hancock Gym

Thursday, Sept. 19 @ 5:30pm
Football Game
Hancock vs. Blessed Sacrament at Daffin Park

Thursday's Pep Rally.

Huddle up!

 Please support our students and our teams by attending an event this week!