March 30-April 3

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

SOCCER RETURNS TO HDS!

The middle school is proud to have both girls’ and boys’ soccer teams competing this season.  Many thanks to our volunteer coaches, Meghan Hughes, Candice English, Mr. O’Hearn, Mr. Martin and our hard working students for making this possible.  The season opened this week with a thrilling victory by the girls and a hard fought game by the boys.  Please come and support these students next week. The girls will be playing on Tuesday, March 31^st at Savannah Country Day at 4:30. The boys will play at Bible Baptist at 5:45.

S’COOL (THE PLAY) IS ON!

After a bit of reorganization with a dedicated group of students, we were able to reorganize S’COOL so we can move forward with a production in May.  The production has been moved to Thursday, May 14^th and Friday, May 15^th to give the cast some additional time to perfect its work.  MARK YOUR CALENDARS – MAY 14^TH AND 15^TH!

ERB REMINDER

ERB tests will be given April 14 – 17.  Please avoid creating any conflicts with this important process. The tests run from 8:30 – 10:30 on those days. 

GOLF TOURNAMENT

The annual HDS Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, April 27^th.  Mark your calendars and come and enjoy a day on the links supporting our athletic program.

EASTER BREAK

There will be no school on April 3rd and April 6th.

6th Graders curating their MASK projects in Art Class! 

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week the sixth graders will continue to work on their expository research assignments.  Students will continue to use resources at Hancock (both web and print) in order to find credible information on their selected topics.  Students will also take a Wordly Wise quiz on Wednesday, April 1^st. 

We hope to have our research completed by Wednesday, April 8^th.  At that time we will begin organizing our information, outlining, and drafting the paper.  The finished product will not be due until Wednesday, April 29^th.

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math has completed chapter 8 and will be taking the chapter test on Tuesday, March 31st.  In chapter 9, we will be studying percents.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will be learning about the slopes of lines (8.4) and using slope-intercept form to graph linear equations (8.5).  There will be a quiz on Thursday covering 8.1 – 8.5.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 
In Earth Science, the students are in the process of presenting their planets and aliens to the class.  Next we will be studying comets, asteroids and meteors.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders finished their Solar System presentations today.  Next week they will learn about other objects in our solar system--asteroids, meteors, and comets.  The class will look closely at similarities and differences of these bodies.  Their test over this chapter will be the week after Easter.

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, students will have a quiz covering Por vs Para on Tuesday, the 31^st. We will review and prepare for the quiz together on Monday. We will also begin working on Capítulo 4A, covering los pasatiempos (hobbies) and all related vocabulary.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We are beginning to discuss the Greek contributions to literature, science, math, and philosophy. In conjunction with this, students have been working together to create fables and will act these out on Monday, complete with Greek theatre masks! We will have a quiz on Thursday over Athens vs. Sparta, the Persian Wars, and the Golden Age of Greece. I am in my room at 7:45 for any questions or clarification on a topic. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

7th ELA- Students are making progress in structuring their research papers, and next week we will discuss topic sentences and transitions within and between paragraphs. On Monday, each student will receive a paragraph structure packet, which will be due Thursday.We are continuing our literary analysis of myths, epics, and fables. Students will discuss the components of a fable, and we will have a quiz Thursday over myths and fables. I am in my room at 7:45 for any questions or clarification on a topic.

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will be learning about the slopes of lines (8.4) and using slope-intercept form to graph linear equations (8.5).  There will be a quiz on Thursday covering 8.1 – 8.5.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders are beginning their study of the human body next week.  They will start with the skeletal system.  They will learn about the structure of bone, ossification, and the different types of movable joints.   They will have a quiz over the skeleton the following week on Wednesday, April 8.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes have completed chapter 8 and will be taking the chapter test on Tuesday, March 31st.  In chapter 9, we will be learning about polynomials and factoring.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will continue to work with the new vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 2A. This includes reflexive verbs and possessive adjectives. The grammar quiz will be Thursday, April 2^nd.

7th American History with Mrs. English
This week we will be finishing our study of the Era of Jefferson (Chapter 9-Section 1 & 2). We have a test on Thursday on Checks and Balances, the Electoral College, and Ch 9.1-2.  Students should begin preparing this weekend by studying ahead.  Homework next week will be to study for the test on Thursday.  Our students have a lot of extracurricular activities next week so please encourage your child to study ahead of time.  Looking forward to a good week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week the eighth graders will delve into research for their persuasive research papers.  Students will use Hancock’s resource to find information that will support their persuasive arguments.  Students will also take a Wordly Wise quiz on Wednesday, April 1^st. 

We hope to have our research completed by Wednesday, April 8^th.  At that time we will begin organizing our information, outlining, and drafting the paper.  The finished product will not be due until Monday, April 27^th. 

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

 Next week the eighth graders will look closely at acidic and basic solutions and how they react together.  They will also perform a lab on acids and bases.  Their test on this chapter will be the week after Easter.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

 Algebra classes have completed chapter 8 and will be taking the chapter test on Tuesday, March 31st.  In chapter 9, we will be learning about polynomials and factoring.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will be learning about how to calculate the surface area of cones.  Students will also discover how to calculate volumes of prisms and cylinders.  We will also use popcorn in an activity to find out how changing different values affects the volume of a cylinder.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will begin our chapter all about circles.  Students will learn more about circles than they ever thought possible!  We will begin to learn about properties of tangents, chords, arcs, and more!

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will continue to work with the new vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 7B. This includes the impersonal se and negative tú commands. The vocabulary quiz will be Tuesday, March 31^st. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will finish up our study of World War II and take a test on Thursday over Chapter 24.  Students should begin studying in advance this weekend.  Next week their homework will be to study.  Our students have a lot of extracurricular activities next week so please encourage your child to study ahead of time.  Looking forward to a good week!

  

March 23-27

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

REMINDER TO 8^TH GRADE FAMILIES

On Wednesday, March 25^th, Helise Sandler of Savannah Educational Consultants will meet with 8^th grade parents and students to discuss the course selection and placement process students will go through with the high schools they have chosen to attend.  The presentation will begin at 10:30 in Hancock Hall.  Mrs. Sandler is a licensed counselor who assists families selecting schools and advocates for students once enrolled.  This is VERY important information for families as students transition from Hancock to high school.  PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING!

CARPOOL STRESS

There is a growing problem with the gold and white zone carpool lanes merging between 2:50 and 3:10.  When white zone cars arrive before 3:10 it creates a blockage for the cars moving through the gold zone lane in the area behind the Middle School.  If you arrive before 3:10 it is important that you take a marked parking spot to wait until 3:10.  At 3:10 you can proceed to line up in the white zone line.  PLEASE DO NOT PARK BEHIND THE KITCHEN AREA.  While 2 or 3 cars will fit, cars then back up which blocks the carpool lane.    Again, BEFORE 3:10, PARK IN A MARKED SPOT.  Thanks for your help!!

8th Graders from Mrs. Blake's Physical Science class involved in a very in-depth experiment! 

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

This week the sixth graders will select topics for their expository research papers.  So far students have been working on learning how to identify credible websites online, and now we are ready to put this skill to use.  By Friday all students will have identified a topic and written at least ten research questions.  This week we will also begin working on lesson six in Wordly Wise, and students can plan for a quiz over this lesson on next Wednesday, April 1^st.  Looking ahead, students will be working on notecards and source cards as they conduct their research over the next couple of weeks.  During this time your child may ask you to take him/her to the public library.  While the Live Oak libraries contain a wealth of information, this is not a requirement for the research paper, and we will use all available resources on Hancock’s campus.  We hope to have our research completed by Wednesday, April 8^th.  At that time we will begin organizing our information, outlining, and drafting the paper.  The finished product will not be due until Wednesday, April 29^th.

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math will be learning to solve proportions using cross products and about scale drawing and models.  They will have a quiz over sections 8.5 and 8.6 on Thursday, March 26th.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week we will begin looking at linear functions and how to graph them on a coordinate grid     (8.1 – 8.3).  There will be a quiz on Friday covering those sections.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, the students are working on a project at school called "Our Solar System." Each pair of students is responsible for researching a planet and the creation of a drawing of an alien life form physically adapted for life on the planet.  Presentations begin March 26th.

Chapter 24 sections 2 and 3 note taking is due Wednesday March 25th.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders started a solar system project the week before spring break.  After researching a specific planet, each team is designing an alien that can live in that specific environment.  They will put the finishing touches on their project at the beginning of the week and, on Thursday, the students will give their presentations.  

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

This week, we’ll begin to cover ‘POR’ vs ‘PARA’. Much like ‘SER’ vs ‘ESTAR’, this can be a challenging concept for non-native speakers, so we’ll spend the majority of the week working on the concepts and how to use each word conversationally. 

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
We are studying the Persian Wars and the rise of the Golden Age of Greece. Toward the end of the week, students will discuss the importance of theatre and arts to Greek culture, and study the morals found in Aesop's fables. Students will create their own fable that conveys a moral and share with the class. As always, I will be in my room by 7:45 for extra help or clarification on a topic.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We have begun the research paper! Students will be using the research they conducted for their American History president project to write a research paper. Each student received guidelines outlining each step of the writing process, with a working timeline of due dates. We began a outline today in class that will be due on Wednesday. We are also beginning our study of epics, myths, and legends, for which we will use the literature text. This week we will read Icarus and Daedalus and Perseus. Students will have a mini debate over Icarus and Daedalus on Thursday, for which they will have to defend their point of view to their classmates. As always, I will be in my room by 7:45 for extra help or clarification on a topic

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week we will begin looking at linear functions and how to graph them on a coordinate grid (8.1 – 8.3).  There will be a quiz on Friday covering those sections.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders will perform their frog dissection this week.  They will start by looking at the external features of the frog.  Later, they will look at the internal organs.  At that point, the students will compare and contrast the functions of the organs of humans and frogs.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson
Algebra classes will be learning how to write and graph exponential growth and decay functions in sections 8.5 and 8.6.  They should be prepared to take a quiz over these two sections on Friday, March 27th. 

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class the 7th grade will begin a new chapter discussing daily routines and getting ready for special events. Students will learn how to use reflexive verbs, infinitives after prepositions, and possessive adjectives. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, March 27^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English
This week we will be learning about the checks and balances of the American government and the Electoral College.  We will also complete our President Madness project on Friday. Students will have a short quiz on the checks and balances chart on Thursday.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

This week the eighth graders will select topics for their persuasive research papers.  By Thursday all students will have identified a topic and written at least ten research questions.  This week we will also begin working on our next Wordly Wise lesson, and students can plan for a quiz over this lesson on next Wednesday, April 1^st.  Looking ahead, students will be working on notecards and source cards as they conduct their research over the next couple of weeks.  During this time your child may ask you to take him/her to the public library.  While the Live Oak libraries contain a wealth of information, this is not a requirement for the research paper, and we will use all available resources on Hancock’s campus.  We hope to have our research completed by Wednesday, April 8^th.  At that time we will begin organizing our information, outlining, and drafting the paper.  The finished product will not be due until Monday, April 27^th.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders are studying a chapter on Substances, Mixtures & Solubility.  We briefly reviewed elements, compounds & mixtures before spring break.  This week, the students will look more closely at solutions.  They will learn the various factors that influence the rate of dissolving.  Next week they will perform a lab that illustrates different types of solutions.  

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will be learning how to write and graph exponential growth and decay functions in sections 8.5 and 8.6.  They should be prepared to take a quiz over these two sections on Friday, March 27th. 

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

This week we will begin looking at three dimensional solids and polyhedra.  Students will discover how to calculate the surface area of various objects, such as prisms (9.2), cylinders (9.2), and pyramids (9.3).  There will be a quiz on Friday covering sections 9.1 – 9.3.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

This week we will finish our discussions about quadrilaterals by learning various properties of trapezoids and kites (8.5).  There will be a test covering all of Chapter 8 on Friday.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will finish Chapter 5B and the test will be Wednesday, March 25^th. Students will begin a new chapter discussing cooking instructions and advice, kitchen safety, and recipes in Spanish. Students will also learn how to use the impersonal se and negative tú commands.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will work on the Holocaust Remembrance pieces for the Holocaust Remembrance contest.  We will also continue our study of World War II in Chapter 24-Sections 3 & 4.  Looking ahead we will have a test on Thursday  April 2nd on Chapter 24.  

March 9-13

Our Middle School Art program has been in full swing! 

The Middle School Mural is almost complete!

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER!

Hard to believe, but the third quarter will come to a close this Friday.  Teachers will be collecting outstanding assignments on Monday and Tuesday, March  9 & 10, posting their final assignments and report cards will be sent home on Friday, March 13^th.  The fourth quarter will begin on Monday, March 23^rd.

SCHOOL IS COOL!!!

Hancock welcomes Mr. Christopher Blair to our Middle School Team.  Mr. Blair will be directing our spring musical, S’Cool.  Tryouts will be Tuesday, March 10^th.  The musical is about life in school and has great music that will be incorporated into our music classes by Mrs. Self.  The props and sets will be completed by Ms. Oosterhoudt’s art classes.  We need lots of individual singers as well as singers for the chorus.  Along with singers we need actors – at least 7 need to be males!  Finally, we are looking for dancers who will play an integral role in the play and between scenes.  SOMETHNG FOR EVERYONE!!!  SAVE THURSDAY, APRIL 30^TH TO COME SEE OUR STUDENTS ACT, SING AND DANCE!  The musical will be in lieu of our end of our end of year music concert.

SOCCER SEASON BEGINS!

We are excited to be offering soccer this spring to both boys and girls.  The teams began practice this week.  The schedule should be out late next week. Games will begin  the week of March 23^rd when we return from vacation.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Sixth graders just concluded their study of poetry.  Next week we will begin discussing our upcoming research paper as we brainstorm topics and learn about the basics of the research process.  We will not begin actually researching or writing the paper until after spring break, but this major paper will be large component of students’ grades for the fourth quarter.  Students will take a quiz on Thursday, March 12^th over infinitives, participles, and gerunds.  

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade Math will be learning all about slope and how it is used.  In addition, they will begin to study proportions and ratios.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish our study of percents in Chapter 7.  We will also learn how to calculate Simple and Compound Interest, a valuable skill in today’s world.  There will be a day of review and the Chapter 7 Test on Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, students are beginning to study the solar system...the inner planets, outer planets and other objects in the solar system.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders had a busy last week of third quarter.   They finished their chapter on the Earth-Moon-Sun System and had their test on Thursday.  Next week they will begin a chapter on our Solar System.  The students will spend part of the week researching a specific planet or moon for a project that will be due after our break. 

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, we will wrap up our projects, as well as Capítulo 3B.  There will be a chapter test on Wednesday, March 11th and projects are due on Thursday, the 12^th. We will do current events on Friday, the 13^th. Those with current events due are: Tyler Woolridge, Michelle Allen, Foster Burgess, Riley Burgess, Jack Harn, and Sayde Stafford. 

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
 We will begin to analyze the relationship between Greece's geography and the development of ancient Greek city-states, focusing on Athens and Sparta. We will also learn the different between methods of government, and correlate these methods with the success of the city-states. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
We have just completed a study of pronouns, and will now begin to analyze myths, legends, and fables. We will read Icarus and Daedalus and Perseus, and apply the concept of archetypes to these myths. 

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish our study of percents in Chapter 7.  We will also learn how to calculate Simple and Compound Interest, a valuable skill in today’s world.  There will be a day of review and the Chapter 7 Test on Friday.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders have are continuing their study of ectotherms.   Next week they will look closely at the progressing complexity of the amphibian and retile classes.  They will end the week with a test over these vertebrates.  

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will have a quiz over sections 8.1 and 8.2 Monday.  We will be studying properties of exponents and negative exponents.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will finish up Chapter 9B. They will have a writing assignment where they will invent a product for a specific audience and describe it using the 9B vocabulary and grammar. The chapter test will be on Wednesday, March 11^th. 

7th American History with Mrs. English
This week in American History we will have a quiz on Chapter 8-Section 1 on Tuesday.  We will also begin looking at how political parties formed despite George Washington's wishes.  Readings and homework will come from Chapter 8-Section 2.   Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

The eighth graders are currently wrapping up their study of A Raisin in the Sun.  Next week students will view a film version of the play in order to develop a deeper understanding of the story’s plot, characters, and themes.  On Thursday, March 12^th students will take a test over the play.  We will also continue to practice identifying parts of speech, recognizing sentence parts, and diagramming sentences as we work through daily grammar practice.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders spent this last week of the quarter learning how to light a Bunsen burner and working on a lab concerning chemical reactions.   Next week they will start the chapter on solubility and will spend a few days performing a lab dealing with compounds and mixtures.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will have a quiz over sections 8.1 and 8.2 Monday.  We will be studying properties of exponents and negative exponents.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will continue our exploration of the angles and their relationships that are formed by a line (transversal) cutting through two parallel lines.  Students will have a chance to use their knowledge of angles to design a portion of a city.  There will be a day of review and a quiz/test at the end of the week.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue to explore quadrilaterals by studying more properties of parallelograms (8.3).  We will also spend some time getting acquainted with rhombuses, rectangles, and squares (8.4).  Students will take a quiz at the end of the week covering the first few sections of Chapter 8 (8.1 – 8.4).

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will continue to work with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 5B. We will be reviewing the imperfect progressive with the irregular preterite verbs. The grammar quiz over this material will be Wednesday, March 11^th.

8th American Government with Mrs. English
This week in American History we will have a quiz on Tuesday over Chapter 24-Section 1.  I will introduce Google Classroom and Google Slides for a World War II project that we begin at the end of the week.  I have EXTENDED the due date for the D.C. scrapbooks.  They will be due after Spring Break on Monday, March 23rd.If your child completes their scrapbook before the due date they can bring it to share early.  Looking forward to a great week!