December 20, 2013

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The first semester officially came to an end this afternoon at noon!  Students completed exams and headed out for some much deserved down time.  It is really hard to believe how fast these 5 months passed. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES

With a couple of exceptions second quarter grades are all entered and posted on Power School.  This should give students and families a good indication of their semester grades (semester examinations count 10%).  Over the next two weeks teachers will be scoring the exams and getting them entered into Power School.  These scores will be published on Sunday, January 5^th along with the semester one average.  When we return to school on January 6^th the first order of business will be to return and debrief students on their examinations.  Any questions concerning the exam or grades can be addressed at that time.  We will publish a blog on Monday, January 6^th to update everyone on that week’s schedule.

Enjoy your families over the holidays.  We look forward to seeing everyone back at HDS in the New Year!

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

QUARTER CLOSES, EXAM WEEK IS HERE! A very short newsletter this week!  We completed a pretty frantic week of work getting ready to close grades today for the second quarter. By now each student should have completed any missed assignments and made up any tests or quizzes. Next week will be devoted to preparing for and taking semester examinations. The exam schedule is:

Wednesday – All Spanish sections

Thursday – All English sections; 6^th grade math; 7^th & 8^th grade science

Friday – All Social Studies sections; 6^th grade math & science; 7^th & 8^th grade math

Thursday and Friday will be half day sessions.  All students should be picked up at 12:00.

5^TH GRADE VISITS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Thursday evening we held an open house/information session for 5^th grade families to acquaint them with the Hancock Middle School. The event was well attended and many questions were answered.  MATERIALS WERE SENT HOME TODAY WITH EACH STUDENT WHO WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND!  Please ask your student for the packet.  If anyone has questions or would like a tour of the Middle School please contact us at 351-4500 or hcrawford@hancockdayschool.org.  We would be happy to have you visit!  Next steps will come after the first of the year. Contracts will be issued to returning families mid-January with an early February return date. Please look for those documents.

SICKNESS ON THE RISE!

As I sat in my office today we were flooded with a string of students with headaches and cold like symptoms. This is a stressful time.  Please be sure your child is getting lots of rest!  If they are sick, please keep them home. We will work out a makeup schedule for any missed work.

NEXT NEWS LETTER

Our next newsletter will be published on Monday, January 6^th.  After that we will return to our normal Friday date.

A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES!

Benedictine Military School will be hosting an open house January 14, 2014 at 6:30 PM. See the link below:

BC Open House 

December 9th-13th, 2013

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

SEMESTER COMING TO A CLOSE!

Most teachers will be closing grades this Friday for the second quarter in preparation for the end of the semester. Students who owe work should make sure they are caught up by the 13^th!  It is a busy week in classes as we are all finishing up units. There will be many quizzes, tests and papers due.  Please be keep an eye on the schedule to ensure a balanced workload.

5^th GRADE OPEN HOUSE/INFORMATION NIGHT

It is that time of year when families are making decisions about where their children will attend middle school for the 2014-15 school year, and of course we hope that will be Hancock!  To assist families in that decision, the Middle School team is going to hold an open house/information night on Thursday, December 12^th. At this event we will present our academic curriculum, extracurricular programs, daily schedule and give everyone a flavor of what life at the Middle School of Hancock Day School is all about. The evening will begin with a general information session followed by “mini” classes to meet each of our Middle School team. The program will begin at 6:30 and conclude by 8:00. I hope you will be able to attend as a family to experience our new Middle School. Should this time frame not work for your family, please contact me (351-4500 or hcrawford@hancockdayschool.org) and I will schedule a tour for you. I look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, December 12^th at 6:30.

You should also receive a formal invitation in the mail within the next few days.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Sixth grade students are concluding our study of The Giver, and our test over this novel is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10^th.  Students should spend time over the weekend reviewing their study guide for this; we will review in class on Monday as well.  Students can also expect a short quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts we’ve been working with (adverbial prepositional phrases and appositives) on Monday. By the middle of next week we will begin reviewing for our cumulative semester exam.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6 we will finish up with Chapter 6. We will talk about distributive property as well as the coordinate plane. On Wednesday (12/11), students will take a chapter quiz over lessons 6.4-6.8. Thursday and Friday we will begin to review for exams. We will take 2 chapters at a time and review them in depth. The students will receive study guides for each of the chapters. The exam will cover Chapters 1-6.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

This week we will finish up our exploration of weather.  Monday we will discuss clouds.  Homework – Questions #4 & 6 in handout.  Tuesday - Fronts.  Homework – Read 45 – 469;  Questions 12, 14, 15, 17, 18.  Wednesday - Severe Weather.  Homework – Read 470-471;  Study for quiz on Weather and Fronts.  Thursday – Weather forecasts.  Homework – Study for test on Weather unit.  Friday – exam on Weather.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will have a busy week as they head into exams. The students have had their last chapter test of the semester over earthquakes.  They will spend next week learning about volcanoes and the link between earthquakes and volcanoes. There will be a quiz over this one section next Thursday. The classes will receive the exam study guide next week, also. This guide lists the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to prepare for the science exam is to study the old quizzes and tests.   Please take a moment to look at this guide.  The class will spend some time at the end of the week going over the best way to break down their study times into manageable segments. This is especially important for the sixth graders since they have not had exams before and the preparation for a cumulative exam is different from that of smaller chapter tests.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 6^th graders will finish up “ser” vs “estar” and begin reviewing for their exams. Students should start to organize their binders and make sure they have all of the vocabulary sheets from each of the 5 chapters. It is crucial that all students sign up for extra help if they do not understand a specific topic that we have covered this semester.

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

This week we will be taking a test on Egypt Chapter 4 Lessons 1-3 on Tuesday December 10th.  We will also be finishing our Egyptian project brochures which will be due on Friday December 13^th. Begin sorting your semester notes because we will also start review for semester exams.

7TH GRADE NEWS

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

Seventh grade students will conclude our study of A Christmas Carol in the week ahead.  Our test over the play in its entirety will take place on Friday, December 13^th.  Students can also expect a quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts that we’ve been working with (participles, and infinitives) on Monday, December 9^th.  By the middle of next week we will also begin reviewing for our cumulative semester exam.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra we will continue in Chapter 6 learning about similar and congruent figures using proportions. On Wednesday (12/11), students will take a chapter quiz over lesson 6.3-6.5. Thursday and Friday we will begin to review for exams. We will take 2 chapters at a time and review them in depth.  The students will receive study guides for each of the chapters. The exam will cover Chapters 1-6.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will finish our exploration of scatter plots and lines of fit by applying them to real world situations. We will have a quiz on Tuesday and then begin our exam review for the rest of the week.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders will have a busy week as they gear up for exams. We have been talking about Gregor Mendel and the huge impact his work had on our understanding of how traits are passed from generation to generation. They are now working on different types of inheritance such as incomplete dominance. They will have their last chapter test before exams next Thursday. Also, the class will receive the exam study guide at the end of the week. This guide lists all the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to prepare for the science exam is to study the old quizzes and tests. The classes will spend some time next week going over the best way to break down their study times into manageable segments.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th graders will finish up their projects. They will present these projects on Tuesday, December 10^th. We will also begin reviewing for exams.  Students should start to organize their binders over the weekend. It is crucial that all students sign up for extra help if they do not understand a specific topic that we have covered this semester.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week we will be taking a test on the American Colonies Chapter 4- Sections 1-3 on Tuesday December 10^th.  We will also allot some time for working on our class timeline projects.  Finally please begin sorting your semester notes because we will also start review for semester exams.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Eighth grade students are in the midst of studying several short pieces of fiction and nonfiction thematically related to To Kill a Mockingbird.  We will take a short test over these pieces on Wednesday, December 11^th.  By the middle of next week we will also begin reviewing for our cumulative semester exam.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will be busy as they gear up for exams. We will be talking about physical properties and the difference between size-dependent and size-independent properties. Next week we will focus most of our attention on density. The students will perform two labs on density in order to see that density can be used to identify unknown materials and that the density of a substance is maintained regardless of the size of the sample. There will be a quiz on this material next Thursday. Also, the class will receive the exam study guide at the end of the week. This guide lists all the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to study for the science exam is to study the old quizzes and tests.      

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will finish our exploration of scatter plots and lines of fit by applying them to real world situations. We will have a quiz on Tuesday and then begin our exam review for the rest of the week.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Introduction to Geometry, we will start our review for the semester exam.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th graders will have a quiz over the Imperfect tense on Tuesday, December 10^th. We will also begin reviewing for exams. Students should start to organize their binders and make sure they have all of their vocabulary sheets from each of the 5 chapters we have covered this semester. Any students needing extra help should set up a time to see me next week. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will be taking a test on the American Presidency on Tuesday December 10^th.  We will also be discussing the role of the president in current events like foreign affairs and domestic problems. Please begin sorting your semester notes because we will also start review for semester exams. 

Announcements: Dec 2-6, 2013

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

WELCOME 5^TH GRADE FAMILIES

Beginning with this issue our weekly newsletter will be distributed to all 5^th grade families as well as Middle School families. The goal of our newsletter is to highlight student accomplishments, class activities, and inform families about the upcoming week’s schedule.  Today’s issue is not as comprehensive as usual due to the holiday. Please browse through previous posts to get a flavor of all that goes on in our Middle School community. This week’s issue is being sent on Monday because of the holiday. Normal distribution is on Fridays.  Please look for our email on Friday!

CHRISTMAS CONERT!

This Friday the Middle School students will be presenting its annual Christmas concert. An event not to be missed! Following the concert the school will travel to the Savannah Mall to present a concert at 11:00. Please join us a both locations. THERE WILL BE SHORT CLASSES THAT DAY both before our departure for the Mall and after our return. Students will eat at the Mall so should have enough money to purchase a meal. If your child participates in the HDS lunch program, a Chick Fil A lunch will be sent home.

WE DID IT!

Last Friday we delivered over one TON – THAT WOULD BE OVER 2,000 POUNDS of food to Second Harvest. Students toured Second Harvest and helped stock shelves. While there the staff highlighted a need for volunteers to distribute over 1,700 bags of groceries to families.  These bags are packed on the third Saturday morning of each month from 8 – 10:30am at Second Harvest. PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING to assist in this effort. Volunteers at Second Harvest account for 21 – 8 hour days of work that would otherwise get left undone. They are critical to the success of this organization. 

THE RACE IS ON!

It does not seem possible that there are only 3 weeks left in our first semester. Semester examinations will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, December 18 – 20^th.  Thursday and Friday will be half days of classes. BEING IN SCHOOL EACH DAY IS CRITICAL at this point of the year. Please try scheduling outside appointments after we adjourn for the Christmas holiday. Missing school only puts undue pressure on your child.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Sixth grade students are continuing to read The Giver. Students can expect a quiz over chapters 1-14 on Wednesday, December 4^th. Our test over this novel is scheduled for the following Tuesday, December 10^th. Students can also expect a short quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts we’ve been working with (adverbial prepositional phrases and appositives) on Monday, December 9^th.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Math 6 we will continue learning about integers. Today we will multiply integers.  Tomorrow (12/3), students will take a quiz over lessons 6.1-6.3. It is important that students review this material as it was covered before break. On Wednesday and Thursday we will divide integers and talk about rational numbers.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

Over the next two weeks we will finish our unit on weather. This week we will discuss the basics, What is weather?; Understand humidity; clouds; precipitation. Monday homework – read 456 – 457, problems on page 478 # 11-16 & 21; Tuesday – problems on page 479 # 22, 24, 33 & 35; Wednesday – Dew point lab; Questions on handout and questions 9 & 10 on page 458; Thursday – prepare for quiz on Friday, complete handout sheet in preparation. We will be doing a lab on Wednesday and have a quiz on Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

Next week the 6^th graders will finish their chapter on earthquakes. The students have done an activity in which they plotted data about major earthquakes in the United States and determined 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. Thursday (Dec. 5) they will have their chapter test which will be the last test before exams. 

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 6^th grade will be going over the differences between “ser” and “estar”. There will be a grammar quiz over this concept on Thursday, December 5^th. Students should begin reviewing their notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam review. I encourage any students who are struggling to sign up for extra help.

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English
This week in World Civilizations class we will be continuing our study of Ancient Egypt in Chapter 4.  Students will discover why the Egyptians went to great lengths to preserve bodies for the afterlife. We will also finish our first semester geography with a test on Thursday 12/5/13. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

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

Seventh grade students are just beginning to read a dramatic interpretation of Charles Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol. Students will take a quiz over the first act of this play on Thursday, December 5^th. Our test over the play in its entirety will take place on Friday, December 13^th.  Students can also expect a quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts that we’ve been working with (appositives, participles, and infinitives) on Monday, December 9^th.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Pre-Algebra we will solve proportions using cross products. Starting on Tuesday, students will begin a recipe proportion project. They will research a recipe online that contains at least 8 ingredients and yields 6-12 servings. They will use their knowledge of proportions to make their recipe serve 50 people. We will do this in class on Tuesday and Wednesday and then on Thursday students can bring their recipe to share with the class as they present their projects.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will be finishing the rest of Chapter 5 by discussing scatterplots and lines of fit. We will start using the TI-series (TI 83/84) graphing calculators to plot data points and find the line of best fit.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders have been studying Gregor Mendel and his contributions to the study of genetics. They have also learned how to work inheritance problems using a Punnett Square.  On Wednesday, Dec. 4, they will have a quiz on Mendel and the Punnett Square. The class will then look at incomplete dominance.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will be working on their travel projects. These projects require a lot of research and will count as a test grade. Students will present the projects on Tuesday, December 10^th. 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 sign up for extra help.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week in American history we will be continuing our study of English colonial government.  Students will understand why we are a representative government today and who was influential in bringing representative government to the English Colonies. We will also finish our first semester geography with a test on Thursday 12/5/13.

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Eighth grade students are currently working on a major paper in which they must analyze a character from To Kill a Mockingbird. The rough draft of this essay is due on Tuesday, December 3^rd, and the final draft is due on Thursday, December 5^th. During the next two weeks our class will be studying several short pieces of fiction and nonfiction thematically related to To Kill a Mockingbird.  We will take a short test over these pieces on Wednesday, December 11^th.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders are learning about pressure and buoyancy with fluids. Next week the students will be looking more closely at the Gas Laws and at density. They will have their last test before exams on Thursday, Dec. 5.  

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will be finishing the rest of Chapter 5 by discussing scatterplots and lines of fit. We will start using the TI-series (TI 83/84) graphing calculators to plot data points and find the line of best fit.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Introduction to Geometry class, we will discuss simplifying rational expressions (12.4). This is essentially reducing fractions, but more complicated ones such as those with a variable in both numerator and denominator. There will be a quiz towards the end of the week.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will be working with Imperfect vs. Preterite tenses. There will be a grammar quiz over this material on Tuesday, December 10^th. Students should begin reviewing their notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam review. I encourage any students who may be struggling to sign up for extra help. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English 

This week in American government we will be completing our study of the Electoral College and begin discussion on the presidency. We will answer who is qualified to be president? How presidents are chosen?  And what are the powers of the president? We will also finish our first semester geography with a test on Thursday 12/5/13.