Announcements: Oct. 26-Nov. 1

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

WE’RE 60!

Saturday is the big day to celebrate everything Hancock! We celebrate the insight Mrs. Hancock and the Bells had in creating and running Hancock for decades, and the courage the Friends and Parents of Hancock Day School had continuing the Hancock Way under a new structure with a new campus. We are truly blessed to be part of this institution. I hope everyone has a great celebration and congratulations to whomever won the $5,000!

FALL SPORTS

The fall sports season is coming to its conclusion. Thursday our volleyball team played in the SPAL tournament. We were seeded against the second best team in our league and gave them all they could handle. On a personal note, I attended a number of games, including the first game of the season at St. Andrews. I watched as our girls developed from a group that had trouble doing any significant scoring to a team that worked together at the end of the season.  Congratulations girls, Coach Hughes and Coach O’Hayer.

Cross country finished up its season with a race at Savannah Christian. There were over 125 runners and Hancock runners showed very well finishing in the top third of the pack.  Congratulations boys and girls for a dedicated season and congratulations to coaches Michelle Jenkner and Whitney Crawford!

Our football team is improving each week. The final game has been moved several times.  It is now scheduled on Tuesday, October 29.  We will be playing Calvary at Calvary.  Please come out and support these young men and celebrate their commitment to their season. 

Basketball season it coming up fast.  Hancock will have 6 teams playing across all age groups.  Please plan on attending games to support our students.  Practice begins on November 4^th.

STUDY SKILLS

Study Skills was slated to start last Monday.  The beginning of this new offering was delayed one week so our student could attend the book fair.  Classes will begin on Monday.

In honor of Conference Day this past Wednesday, a clip from the Hancock Newsletter from 1975!

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

The sixth graders are gearing up for a new unit covering the elements of short stories.  Students will be studying plot structure, character development, and point of view next week as we begin exploring a variety of short stories in our literature textbook.  Additionally we will complete lesson four in Wordly Wise; students can expect a quiz over this lesson on Monday, November 4^th.  We will also spend time working with predicate nouns and adjectives.  

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will finish up Chapter 4 by converting fractions to decimals and decimals and fractions.  On Tuesday, we will review for the Chapter 4 test.  Wednesday (10/30) students will take their Chapter 4 test and receive the outline for their math facts quiz on Friday.  On Thursday, we will work on a fun fractions and decimals project in class using a 100s grid.  On Friday (11/1), students will take their math facts quiz.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

We ran a little behind last week, so some of this week’s assignments might look a little familiar!  Friday’s homework is to read the Sunscreen Lab.  Monday we will complete that lab and write it up for homework.  Tuesday we will work on organizing notebooks and completing questions for Section 1 (homework).  Wednesday we will work as a class on how to use notes and homework to review for a quiz or exam.  Questions for this quarter’s assessments will be drawn from homework assignments and notes.  Homework – prepare for Section 1 quiz.  Thursday, quiz on section 1 and begin notes on Section 2.  Homework is to complete notes for section 2. Friday we will discuss section 2 in class.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will finish their review of latitude and longitude on Monday.  There will be a quiz over this on Wednesday.  At that point the class will be introduced to Alfred Wegener and his theory of continental drift. Wegener proposed his theory one hundred years ago and it was not accepted at the time. The students will look at the evidence he used as the basis for this theory and the reasons other scientists did not readily embrace Wegener's ideas.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 6^th grade will continue working with conjugation. So far we have covered the conjugation of “ar” verbs. Students will also be learning how to conjugate “ir” and “er” verbs as well.  The students will have a grammar quiz over conjugation on Wednesday, October 30^th.

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

This week we will finish our notes on Independent Sumerian City-States and discuss the achievements of Ancient Mesopotamia in Chapter 3- Section 3.  We will continue to review the 50 States in geography and have another quiz on the 50 states on Friday.  For homework, students should expect to read the sections thoroughly, define vocab, and answer review questions. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

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

We are in the midst of working on a group project in which students are creating a newspaper centered on events and themes from Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  Each student is individually responsible for writing two news articles or editorials, and collectively each group will edit and compile the articles, in addition to creating an entertainment section for the newspaper.  This assignment is due on Thursday, October 31^st and will count as a major composition grade.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will wrap up Chapter 4 by learning scientific notation.  On Tuesday, students will take a math facts quiz. Wednesday (10/30) we will review for the test.  On Thursday, students will take their Chapter 4 test. Friday, we will do a fun project on scientific notation!

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be continuing to graph linear equations (4.5).  In addition, we will be discussing parallel lines and their slopes, and solving word problems involving linear equations. We will be having a quiz towards the end of the week on sections 4.4 – 4.5.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

After looking at molecular movement into the cell, the seventh graders will now study how plants produce some of these molecules during the process of photosynthesis. The students will also learn about cellular respiration which releases energy from glucose molecules.  They will have a quiz next Wednesday over the first two sections of the chapter.  Their test will be on Tuesday, November 5. 

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will continue working with verb conjugation in the preterite. So far we have covered the conjugation of “ar” verbs. Students will also begin learning about direct objects in Spanish. There will be a grammar quiz on Wednesday, October 30^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English 

American History: In American History we will continue to study the early English Colonies in America.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 3-Section 1 on Monday.  Homework will include defining vocab, answering review questions, and completing section worksheets. 

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

We have just finished studying “Flowers for Algernon” and are preparing to read To Kill a Mockingbird.  Next week students will receive copies of the novel, as well as their reading calendars.  Students can expect to have reading homework every night next week, as well as a quiz over the first several chapters of the book on Thursday, October 31^st.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will continue their study of the periodic table. One of the most important features of the table is that it helps students understand why certain elements will form compounds and others will not. They will have a quiz on the periodic table next Thursday. The class will then look at the different types of mixtures and ways in which they can be separated.  

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary in chapter 3A. Students will be reviewing the direct object and irregular preterit  The students will have a graded listening quiz on Wednesday, October 30^th.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be continuing to graph linear equations (4.5).  In addition, we will be discussing parallel lines and their slopes, and solving word problems involving linear equations.  We will be having a quiz towards the end of the week on sections 4.4 – 4.5.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Introduction to Geometry (Grade 8) class, we will finish our discussion on rationalizing the denominator by expanding upon that by using conjugates (p. 724).  We will review sections 11.1 and 11.2 on Wednesday and then on Thursday have a test on what we have covered so far in Chapter 11 (11.1 – 11.2).  On Friday we will begin solving equations with radicals in them (11.3).

8^th American Government with Mrs. English 
This week in American Government we will continue our intensive look at the Constitution.  We will discuss the specifics of the Constitution and debate whether the Founding Fathers would be proud or disappointed in the Republic we have today. Students will turn in their Constitution Scavenger Hunt on Monday for a quiz grade.  

SPORTS EVENTS

Saturday, Oct. 26 @ 11am
Football Game
Hancock vs. SCDS at Benedictine

Tuesday, Oct. 29 
Football Game
Hancock vs. Calvary at Calvary 

Week 10 Announcements: Oct. 21-25, 2013

Friday Assembly

Parent Teacher Conference Day
Wednesday, October 23
No school for students

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

ABSENCES!

Over the past couple of weeks we have had many students miss all or part of a day to participate in family activities.  First, Hancock supports families!  That said, the foundation of academic success is being in class, ready to work, each and every day.  Missing class time makes success difficult. Therefore, planning for absences when possible is essential. Our attendance policy can be found on page 55 of the Handbook or at the following link:

Attendance Policy

In the Non-scheduled vacations section, the Hancock requests that you notify the school 2 weeks in advance of any non-scheduled vacation.  Why is this important?  When a student is absent, the student essentially has one day to make up the missing work.  Missing a critical day could put undue pressure on your child.  That became an issue this week, the final week of the first quarter.  I highlighted over the past two newsletters how busy things were academically during this time.  One student told me Thursday he was going to miss school Friday for a family trip, which means he will be making up multiple assignments AND tests when he returns on Monday.  Had we known about the absence we could have spread the tests throughout this week before his departure. 

Please look at your calendars now to plan for the second quarter. The most critical week of that quarter is the week of December 16^th, exam week. On Monday and Tuesday teachers will be reviewing for semester exams.  Those exams will be administered on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Missing any time that week would put your child at a significant disadvantage to succeed. Please support your child by keeping us in the loop for these planned absences.

DIRECTOR’S STUDY HALL

Beginning the week of October 21^st, I will be holding a Director’s Study Hall each Wednesday and Thursday afternoon from 3:30 – 4:00. This study hall will be to assist students who would like a quiet, structured study environment, and also for students who are not performing satisfactorily in class. This performance gap could be driven by failure to complete assigned classwork or conduct. A teacher may assign a student to the Director’s Study Hall with a day's notice to parents so appropriate transportation can be arranged. Students who would like a quiet study hall on those days are invited to attend anytime.

SCHOOL VISITATIONS BEGIN

The Homecoming t-shirts have arrived!
Stay tuned...

On Thursday, October 24^th, our 8^th grade students will begin visitations to secondary schools.  The girls will travel to St. Vincent’s Academy and the boys to Benedictine Military School. Other visits will follow. Helise Sandler, a licensed educational consultant, will meet with Hancock families on November 7^th to discuss how to select the best school for your child.  More on that meeting later.

A NEW BEGINNING!

Monday marks the beginning of the second quarter.  Hard to believe we are this far into our school year already. It is a time for all students to discuss first quarter performance with their families.  It is also a time to make those “resolutions” in areas they may improve. It is a time to GET OFF TO A GREAT START!  

LAST WEEK FOR THE RAFFLE!

Please give this raffle your best effort! 100% participation means sell as many tickets as you can! All ticket must be turned into the office by noon on Friday, October 24^th. Currently Mrs. O'Connor's Homeroom is in the school lead for raffle tickets! Nice!

SEE EVERYONE AT HOMECOMING AND GOOD LUCK IN THE RAFFLE!

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

The sixth graders will spend the first half of next week viewing the Academy Award-winning documentary Anne Frank Remembered.  Viewing and discussing this film will allow students to deepen their understanding of Anne Frank’s experiences specifically and the Holocaust in general. Permission slips went home for this on Wednesday, and these forms must be returned no later than Monday. Once we finish viewing and discussing this documentary we will begin studying short stories in our textbook.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will be venturing further into chapter 4 by comparing and ordering fractions, learning about mixed numbers and improper fractions, and converting fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions.  On Friday, October 25 students will take a chapter quiz over lessons 4.4 – 4.6.  At the end of the week, students should begin preparing for their Chapter 4 test that will take place on Tuesday, October 29.  Due to parent/teacher conferences, students will NOT have a math facts quiz next week.  

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

All work for the next several weeks will be done in the ORANGE book.  We are beginning a unit on the Atmosphere, Weather and Climate.  Homework Friday is to complete any portions of the Layer Lab not finished in class and to read pages 430 – 433 (second request). Tuesday we will be studying those pages in class. Homework is to finish pages 430-433 notes; questions pages 448-9 # 1-11 & 17. Wednesday – see you all in Parent Conferences! Thursday we will prep and complete a graphing activity involving layers of the atmosphere and temperature.  Homework will be to finish the lab. Friday we will explore sunscreens.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

Next week the sixth graders will be looking at latitude and longitude.  This information is not new to the students, but is of great importance in Earth Science.   Their knowledge and understanding of basic geography is necessary and helpful as they cover future topics such as plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 6^th grade will begin a new chapter discussing school subjects and what students do during the day. We will also be covering “ar” verb conjugation. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 25^th.

Reciting their 50 states song in Mrs. English's class

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

We will continue our study of Mesopotamia in Chapter 3-section 1 and explore how cities transformed into civilizations. Students should expect to read the section, answer review questions, and complete section worksheets for homework.  Continue to review your 50 states geography! We will have a quiz on Chapter 3-Section 1 on Friday.  

7TH GRADE NEWS

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

Seventh graders have finished reading of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and are now beginning to work on a group project.  Students will create a newspaper based on the life and times of characters in the novel.  This assignment gives our class an opportunity to study the format and structure of news articles while also demonstrating what we’ve learned from the novel.  Much of the work for this assignment will be completed in class in the week ahead.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue learning in chapter 4 about least common multiples and rules of exponents.  On Friday, October 25 students will take a chapter quiz over lessons 4.4 – 4.5.  The Chapter 4 test will take place on Thursday, October 31.  Due to parent/teacher conferences, students will NOT have a math facts quiz next week.  

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be continuing to explore the wonderful world of slope. By the end of the week, we will learn how to use slope and intercepts to graph linear functions.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

After learning about organic and inorganic compounds, the seventh graders will have a quiz Tuesday over selected elements and their symbols. They have just been introduced to the different types of passive transport and will be performing a lab showcasing osmosis next week. Later in the week, they will learn about the types of active transport in the cell.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 7^th grade will begin a new chapter discussing events that happened in the past and learning the direct object in Spanish. This chapter also covers the preterit form. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 25^th.

7^th American History with Mrs. English

In American History we will start Chapter 3-Section 1 “The First English Settlements” this week.  We will specifically study Jamestown, Plymouth, and the first Thanksgiving. Students will consider the conditions and struggles that early colonists faced in the New World. Students will be expected to read the section, answer review questions, and define vocabulary for homework. Continue to review your 50 states geography!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Eighth graders will read “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes in the week ahead.  Our class will only meet three times next week due to conferences and high school visits, so students should expect to read a significant portion of this text on their own out of class. Once we finish this piece we will be ready to begin To Kill a Mockingbird.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will finish their review of the various atomic models at the beginning of the week. On Tuesday, they will have a quiz over selected elements and their symbols. The class will then focus on elements and the periodic table. They will be looking at the development of the table and be learning how to use it.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 8^th grade will begin a new chapter covering irregular verbs in the preterit form. They will also learn vocabulary discussing running errands and different places in the community. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, October 25^th.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be continuing to explore the wonderful world of slope. By the end of the week, we will learn how to use slope and intercepts to graph linear functions.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Intro to Geometry (Grade 8) class, we will continue to explore simplifying radical expressions with variables under the radical. We will have a quiz on section 11.2 in the middle of the week. We will end the week with starting to solve radical equations using those techniques.

8^th American Government with Mrs. English 

In American Government we will continue our study of the Constitution and the founding fathers.  We will explore what the writers of the Constitution were trying to accomplish and consider if our government is accomplishing those goals today. Students should expect to read the section, define vocabulary, answer review questions, and be prepared to write a reflection on the section. Continue to review your 50 states geography!

6th graders perform the song they wrote about the fifty states 

SPORTS EVENTS

Big shout out to the Volleyball team for last night's win!

Monday, Oct. 21 @ 7pm
Volleyball Game

Tuesday, Oct. 22 @ 7pm
Volleyball Game
Hancock vs. SCDS at Blessed Sacrament 


Saturday, Oct. 26 @ 11am
Football Game
Hancock vs. SCDS at BC

Week 9 Announcements: Oct.14-18, 2013

Thursday night's game.

Monday, October 14th
No school for Students and Staff

Tuesday, October 15th
Inservice
No school for students

Raffle Tickets
The middle school is leading the school in ticket sales for the Homecoming Raffle! Mrs. O'Connor's homeroom is in 1st, and Mrs. Blake homeroom is 2nd. Many, many thanks to the families who have participated. Each class with 100% participation will receive an ice cream party. 100% participation does not mean each student must sell 5 tickets.  100% participation means participating, whether that is 1 ticket or 5 tickets.  Please return all unsold tickets. Let's galvanize the Hancock community and keep selling these tickets! 

Currently, Eric Monson is leading the race with 16 tickets sold; Hollins Mobley is in 2^nd place with 12; and the McCorveys are in third with 6 tickets sold.   

Parent/Teacher Conferences

If you still haven't turned in your Parent-Teacher Conferences, please fill it out and email it directly to Ms. Edie at redie@hancockdayschool.org. Your child will be receiving your scheduled slip sometime next week. 

Parent Teacher Form

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

FALL BREAK

Everyone is looking forward to a long weekend with family and friends!  It is a well deserved break after 8 weeks of classes.  We return on Wednesday for three VERY busy days of academics that conclude the first quarter.  Consider using some time over this break to prepare for any upcoming tests and quizzes next week.  Once we get back, things will be moving very swiftly.  Consult the calendar in the main hallway for the schedule of major assignments.

SELECTING A HIGH SCHOOL

6th grade English 

We will host Ella Yates, Assistant Director of Admissions for the Webb School (TN), on Wednesday, October 16^th at 7:00 PM in Hancock Hall.  She will make a presentation on the value of a boarding school education and how interested parents can receive more information about boarding schools. I will join her in the presentation by adding my 40+ years of experience in a New England boarding school to the evening.  Felicia McManamy will also be part of the group.  The McManamy’s son, a 2012 Hancock graduate, is in his first year of boarding school in Virginia.  She will relate what the family went through deciding on the boarding school option.  All Hancock families are welcome to attend.

The date for the presentation by Helese Sandler of Savannah Education Consultants will be November 7^th.  She is a licensed educational consultant and will make a general presentation about selecting the best school for your child.  Again, all families are welcome to attend.

SCHOOL VISITATIONS

The 8^th grade is scheduled to visit Benedictine and St. Vincent’s the morning of Thursday, October 24^th. More details to follow next Friday.  I am working on scheduling other school tours.

SURVEY

We are in the homestretch in our preparations for our 5 year accreditation visit.  The chair of the visitation committee will be on campus next week to meet with the Hancock community.  If you have not already done so, please go online to complete the FINAL (promise) survey for this process.  Here is the link: Hancock Survey

ATHLETICS

It was my pleasure to attend last evening’s football and volleyball competitions.  I was not able to get to the cross country meet where our students finished very well in a large field (100+ runners).  While the won/lost statistic might not be too impressive, our kids and coaches are!  The improvement these teams have made over the course of the fall is fantastic, a tribute to the dedication of our many coaches and the commitment of our students (and families).  Congratulations to all.  Please make an effort to attend an event.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

In the short week ahead the sixth graders will be wrapping up their study of Anne Frank:  Diary of a Young Girl.  Students have a test over this book coming up on Friday, October 18^th, and they should review all previous quizzes, discussion questions, and notes in preparation for this.  We will also be reviewing together in class on Wednesday and Thursday.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will continue into chapter 4 learning about equivalent fractions and least common multiples.  On Friday, students will have a chapter quiz over lessons 4.1-4.3.  This will be the last quiz grade for the quarter, so make sure to remind your child to make it count!

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

This past week we began our unit on the Atmosphere; Weather and Climate. We will be covering this topic over the next few weeks.  Students are completing a worksheet on the layers of the Earth over the weekend.  This worksheet will be the basis for several additional assignments.  The completed worksheet (and additional pages) will constitute a major grade for the second quarter.  The Wednesday of our return we will be working on student generated Study Guides for an examination on Thursday.  This exam will cover the little bit of material we did on the atmosphere; longitude/latitude; time; seasons; structure of the earth; and scientific method.  The older material will constitute about 35 – 40% of the exam.  Thursday’s assignment is to read pages 430 – 433 (ORANGE BOOK).  Friday’s discussion will complete our discussion of the layers of the atmosphere.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

During the next week, the sixth graders will be reviewing for and having their test on matter.  This chapter covered the makeup of atoms, elements, compounds and mixtures. They also learned about physical and chemical properties.  On Friday they will perform a chromatography lab which will demonstrate one method of separating mixtures.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes
Next week in Spanish the 6^th grade will have their chapter 1B test on Thursday, October 17^th. Students should begin preparing over the weekend. We will be reviewing for the test on Wednesday. 

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

On our short week we will introduce our study of Mesopotamia and Egypt, the world’s first civilizations.  Students should expect to continue their reading on Chapter 3-Lesson 1, be prepared to define vocabulary terms, and answer lesson review questions for homework.  Enjoy the long weekend!

7TH GRADE NEWS

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

In the short week ahead seventh graders will finish reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and prepare for Thursday’s test.  Students should review previous quizzes, notes, and discussion questions over the book in preparation; we will also review together in class on Wednesday.  After the test students will begin working on a group project related to the time period and content of the novel.  

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will continue in chapter 4 discussing greatest common factor and equivalent fractions.  On Friday, students will have a chapter quiz over lessons 4.1-4.3.  This will be the last quiz grade for the quarter, so make sure to remind your child to make it count!

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Happy Columbus Day!  Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be delving into a new and wonderful (as well as very important) topic.  It has many names – rate of change, rise over run, change in y over change in x – but they all mean the same thing: “slope”.  We will begin by finding the slope of provided lines using the slope formula (Chapter 4.4).  We will end the week (and the quarter) with students being able to work backwards: find points when given the slope of a line and one point on it.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

Now that they have finished their chapter on cellular structure, next week the seventh graders will be introduced to organic compounds.  These are the compounds that build the cells of all living things.  Also, they will have a quick review of atoms and how they combine to make compounds.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 7^th grade will have their chapter 7A test on Thursday, October 17^th. Students should begin preparing over the weekend. We will be reviewing for the test on Wednesday.

7^th American History with Mrs. English

We will discuss how Europeans competed in North America economically and religiously.  These competitions caused European disagreements and even wars for the next several hundred years. We will introduce English sailors who came to North America to find a more northern route to Asia.  We will also continue working on our geography skills with a quiz on all 50 states on Wednesday, October 16^th.  We will have our second and last test of the quarter on Friday, October 18^th that covers Chapter 1-Section 4, Chapter 2- Sections 1,2, & 3. Enjoy the long weekend!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week we will wrap up our study of themes in short fiction pieces and take a test over these on Thursday, October 17^th.  We will review in class on Wednesday, but students may want to use their time over the long weekend to review the pieces in the textbook, as well as handouts and notes from class.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

After finishing their chapter on measurement, the eighth graders will move fully into chemistry.  They will spend next week reviewing the atom and the development of the atomic theory and its changes over time.  From that point they will progress to elements and the periodic table.   

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 8^th grade will be finishing up chapter 2B. The chapter test will be on Friday, October 18^th. Students should begin preparing for the test over the weekend. We will be reviewing on Thursday. 

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Happy Columbus Day!  Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be delving into a new and wonderful (as well as very important) topic.  It has many names – rate of change, rise over run, change in y over change in x – but they all mean the same thing: “slope”.  We will begin by finding the slope of provided lines using the slope formula (Chapter 4.4).  We will end the week (and the quarter) with students being able to work backwards: find points when given the slope of a line and one point on it.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Happy Columbus Day!  Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Introduction to Geometry (Grade 8) class, we will begin exploring simplifying radical expressions (Chapter 11.2).  We will start with basic rules such as combining “like” radicals as well as multiplying and dividing radicals.  At the end of the week (and the quarter), students will begin to master the art of factoring out the largest perfect square and reducing the expression under a square root to its “lowest terms.”

8^th American Government with Mrs. English 

On our short week we will finish up our Who, What, When Where, Why, and How presentations on the Articles of Confederation.  We will also continue working on our geography skills with a quiz on all 50 states on Wednesday, October 16^th.  We will have our second and last test of the quarter on Friday, October 18^th that covers Chapter 2-Sections 1,2, & 3 and the Articles of Confederation presentations.  Enjoy the long weekend!

SPECIAL EVENT

Take advantage of the myriad arts events in the Savannah community and check out the
Family Day Event at the SCAD Museum of Art!

Saturday, October 12 from 1-4 p.m.

They have some exciting activities planned, plus incredible new exhibitions, music in the museum courtyard and a special appearance by SCAD mascot Art the Bee. Many of the university students have volunteered their time and talents to make this day a success. All are welcome and everything is free!

For more information, visit the website here.

SPORTS EVENTS

Thursday, Oct. 17 @ 7pm

Volleyball Game

Hancock vs. Veritas at Hancock

Tuesday, Oct. 15 @ 7pm

Football Game

Hancock vs. SCDS at SCDS

Week 8 Announcements: Oct. 7-11, 2013

Early Friday morning fog settles over the middle school.

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

BUSY TIME!

The end of the first quarter is Friday, October 18^th, two weeks from today.  An end of the quarter always generates a flurry of assignments. That one last project, the summary quiz and quite possibly a major examination.  Couple this with all of the activities our students participate in (sports, club cheer, club soccer, etc.) and the stress can become overwhelming.  This can be avoided with planning.  Our team tries to plan by recording all of our tests, quizzes and major projects on a board for everyone to see.  If you would like to come and review the schedule this board is located outside the science room.  Students need to plan.  With all the summary activities they need extra study time.  Planning ahead facilitates spreading study over a realistic time schedule.  Good luck to everyone with their assignments!

Just a visual representation of the busy weeks ahead! Read on for the specific details
about your child's upcoming assignments.

CHOOSING A HIGH SCHOOL

It is that time of year when families with kids in 8th grade begin thinking about high school.  We have already received requests from various high schools for our students tour.  The 8^th grade boys will be going to Benedictine and the 8^th grade girls will be visiting St. Vincent’s, both on October 24^th.  I am working with other schools in the area to arrange tours.  To begin this process, the Middle School is going to offer two opportunities to families in all grades to learn more about selecting the school that is the best fit for your child.  On Wednesday, October 16^th, Ella Yates, Assistant Director of Admissions at the Webb School in Tennessee, will be on campus in the evening to make a presentation about the boarding school option for our graduates.  Ella is from the Savannah area and attended a boarding school.  One evening in the week of October 28^th, Helese Sandler and her associate, Laurel Brady, principles in Savannah Educational Consultants, will make a presentation on making the selection process work for your family.  Both events are open to all of our families and will begin at 7:00pm.  More details in upcoming newsletters.

TICKETS, TICKETS, TICKETS

Ticket sales are picking up steam!  The sale of these tickets is critical to the support of Hancock Day School.  If you have not already done so, please consider participating in this exciting raffle.  $5,000 FIRST PRIZE!!  The drawing will be held at our 60^th anniversary and Homecoming celebration on October 24^th.  You do not have to be present to win. Remember, homerooms with 100% participation will receive an ice cream party, and the middle school homeroom with the most number of tickets sold will get to go off campus for lunch! 

SURVEYS!

If there is one thing HDS is NOT short of, it's surveys!  We thank all of those who have faithfully participated in the past.  We have one final survey that needs to be completed for our accreditation process that we are going through this year.  To make it easier for ALL to participate, this survey will be done online through Survey Monkey.  You will be receiving more information about this later next week.  Please, please, please participate.  This information is critical for our improvement as a school.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week students will continue reading Anne Frank:  Diary of a Young Girl.  Students are keeping response journals as they read the text, and I will check these for a grade on Tuesday, October 8^th.  We also have a quiz over pages 127-190, as well as some contextual vocabulary, coming up on Wednesday, October 9^th.  Students will receive the topic for their next major paper on Friday, October 11^th and will begin brainstorming over the long weekend. 

As the end of the quarter rapidly approaches, I encourage students to come see me before or after school for additional help if needed.  There is a sign- up sheet posted on the door to my classroom for scheduling help sessions.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will review for the Chapter 3 test on Monday and then students will take the Chapter 3 test on Tuesday (10/8).  Wednesday and Thursday, we will jump into Chapter 4 by learning prime factorization as well as finding greatest common factor.  Students will also receive an outline on Wednesday for a Math Facts Quiz that will take place on Friday (10/11).

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

 We will begin the week completing our study of the structure of the Earth, motions of the Earth, time and seasons with the final topic of longitude and latitude.  Friday homework is to read pages 38 – 40 in the BLUE book.  Monday homework to complete longitude/latitude worksheet; Tuesday in class we complete longitude/latitude.  There will be a quiz Thursday on longitude/latitude.  Tuesday homework is to read in the ORANGE BOOK (we will be in the ORANGE book for the next several weeks) pages 422-425.  Wednesday we will introduce our new unit on the Atmosphere/Weather and Climate.  Homework  - complete Target Your Reading worksheet; study for quiz on longitude and latitude. Thursday – quiz.  Friday – virtual lab on the layers of the Atmosphere.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders are learning about the differences between compounds and mixtures. They will be introduced to the various types of bonds which form compounds, especially covalent and ionic bonds. They will study chemical formulas and also learn about the properties of matter.  They will also perform a chromatography lab. Their test on this chapter will be on Thursday, October 17.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 6^th grade will continue to work with the verb “ser” and verb conjugation.  There will be a graded listening quiz on Thursday, October 9^th as well as a binder check.  Students should begin preparing for their chapter test on Thursday, October 17^th.

6^th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

Students should start studying for the Chapter 2 Test on Wednesday. We will be reviewing early settlements, early farming, and the growth of cities in preparation for our test.  We will also continue our geography by covering the last 17 states for a geography quiz on Friday. Students should expect to study Chapter 2 notes and the 50 geography states for homework.  Looking forward to a great week! 

7TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week we will finish reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  Students have a quiz over pages 86-194 coming up on Tuesday, October 8^th.  This quiz will also include the selected vocabulary words highlighted in class.  As we wrap up our study of the book and prepare for our test (Thursday, October 17^th), students will also begin working on a group project in which they will create a newspaper based around the time period and events portrayed in the novel.  Details for this assignment will be given to students late next week. 

As the end of the quarter rapidly approaches, I encourage students to come see me before or after school for additional help if needed.  There is a sign-up sheet posted on the door to my classroom for scheduling help sessions.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will finish up Chapter 3 by solving multi-step inequalities.  On Tuesday, we will review for the Chapter 3 test and then students will take the Chapter 3 test on Wednesday (10/9).  On Wednesday, students will also receive an outline for the Math Facts Quiz that they will take on Friday (10/11).  Thursday we will get started in Chapter 4 learning about factors and prime factorization.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Algebra (Grades 7/8) we will start Chapter 4.  At the beginning of the week, we will review plotting points (4.1).  We will also discuss how to graph linear equations on the x-y plane (4.2) using tables  of points.  In addition, we will discuss the various domains and ranges associated with different functions.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders have finished their presentations on viral diseases and we will spend the first of the week discussing viruses in general.  They will perform one last lab using the microscope to make a wet-mount slide.  The class will review this chapter and have their test on Friday, October 11.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 7^th graders will continue to work with their new vocabulary and grammar from chapter 7B. They will begin their “fashion show” project on Monday and will have a graded listening quiz on Thursday, October 9^th. Students should begin preparing for their chapter test on Thursday, October 17^th.

7^th American History with Mrs. English

We will continue our study of early explorers in North America and how European powers began fighting for control in the new world. Students should expect a quiz on Chapter 2-Section 2 on Thursday, October 10^th.  Students should continue to review their geography on the 50 American States.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week students will continue to explore short pieces of fiction and nonfiction centered on the theme of justice and standing up for one’s beliefs.  We will take a brief quiz over several of these pieces on Wednesday, October 9^th, and students will have a test over the pieces on Thursday, October 17^th.  We also have a quiz over Lesson 3 in Wordly Wise on Friday, October 11^th. As the end of the quarter rapidly approaches, I encourage students to come see me before or after school for additional help if needed.  There is a sign-up sheet posted on the door to my classroom for scheduling help sessions.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

After a thorough look at SI, or the metric system, the eighth graders will be finishing their chapter on measurement next week.  They will look at how science uses tables, charts and graphs.  The students will be constructing several graphs during the week.  They will review the chapter and have their test on Friday, October 11.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

8th graders work through math problems in Study Skills. 

Next week in Spanish the 8^th graders will continue to work with their new vocabulary and grammar from chapter 2B. The will begin their “fashion spread” project on Monday and will have a graded listening quiz on Thursday, October 9^th. Students should begin preparing for their chapter test on Friday, October 18^th.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Algebra (Grades 7/8) we will start Chapter 4.  At the beginning of the week, we will review plotting points (4.1).  We will also discuss how to graph linear equations on the x-y plane (4.2) using tables  of points.  In addition, we will discuss the various domains and ranges associated with different functions.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Advanced Algebra/Intro to Geometry (Grade 8), we will start the week by reviewing the last half of Chapter 10.  We will then have a test on Wednesday on sections 10.5, 10.6, and 10.7.  We will also begin Chapter 11 at the end of the week by discussing square root functions and their graphs.  We will continue our discussion of square root functions by simplifying radical expressions.

8^th American Government with Mrs. English 

We will continue to look at how the Articles of Confederation failed in the early years of America.  We will study who was involved in pushing for a new constitution and how upheaval characterized the early days of the states.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 2 Section 3 on Thursday, October 10^th. Students should continue to review their geography on the 50 American States. 

SPORTS EVENTS

Tuesday, Oct. 8th @ 7pm
Volleyball Game
Hancock vs. St. James at St. James

Thursday, Oct. 10th @ 7pm
Volleyball Game
Hancock vs. St. Andrews at St. Andrews