August 31-September 4

Please stop by The Middle School to see this beautiful tribute to HDS former student Gray Solana titled 'Gray's Reef'. This piece was constructed by our 2015 graduates and was inspired by Gray's 2014 performance as Neptune in Greeks on Stage.

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our first full week of school was exciting and exhausting!  I know everyone is looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday!  Next week, things begin to crank up with our sports team in action throughout the week.

FOOTBALL

Coach Gilpin and the Hancock Eagles open on Monday, August 31st at St. James.  The game begins at 6:00pm.  

VOLLEYBALL

New this year will be a JV team coached by Mrs. Royal and Mrs. Hannah.  The JV team opens up on Monday, August 31st at St.Andrews, game time 6pm.  They play again on Thursday, September 3rd at St. James beginning at 5:00.  The Varsity, under new head coaches Ms. Hughes and Ms. Roberts, begins on Thursday, September 3rd at St. James. That game will begin immediately after the Junior Varsity game.

PLEASE COME SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!

WHITE ZONE CARPOOL

With each passing day our carpool lines are moving smoother and quicker.  We can do one thing that will ensure cars continue to move with ease.  Please DO NOT line up in the White Zone carpool line until 3:10.  When we arrive and line up before 3:10 it prevents efficient access for Gold Zone parents to go through their line. If you arrive early, please take a marked parking spot.  Do not park in the turnaround area. At 3:10, I will stop traffic and get you into line.

****SPEED
Please use extreme caution moving through the carpool lanes as students pop out from between cars. 10 mph is our MAXIMUM speed, AND LESS IS BEST!

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Guggenheim

Next week in ELA we'll be discussing the elements of nonfiction and beginning to read nonfiction texts. We've been discussing and practicing "purposeful annotations" and will continue to utilize that skill as we move into nonfiction.We are also going to add to our list of Reading Reasons. Please encourage your child to contribute to the list of reading reasons in our online Google Classroom post. The quiz for List One Greek/Latin roots is on Tuesday, Sept. 1. We are also going to begin using our writer's notebook (can't wait!). You may also want to ask your child to show you their "Glog" book project for our summer reading book, El Deafo, as well as invite you to read the online conversations they've been having about the second book they read. I am so impressed with their comments and musings. Have a great weekend! We will begin List 2 Vocab on Wednesday.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will continue in Chapter 1 by discussing order of operations, equations, and perimeter and area.  We will also learn some strategies to mental math.  On Friday (9/4), students will take a brief chapter quiz over lessons 4 – 6 and will do an activity involving area and perimeter.

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

Next week we will be completing Chapter 1 by learning about multiplying and dividing integers (Chapter 1.7) as well as basic graphing on the coordinate plane (Chapter 1.8).  We will have a day of review on Thursday and then the Chapter 1 test on Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth Science, we will continue in Chapter 1 by discussing observations and inferences.  Students learned this week that drawing a conclusion was the end result of the scientific method, so we will elaborate on how a conclusion should be written.  They will use this skill at the end of the week when we perform a “rate of reaction” lab.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Huennekens

What a productive week!  We have been getting into the nitty gritty of the Scientific Method.  We performed our first lab in which the students had to construct their experiment using all that they have learned so far.  The test was which paper towel is the strongest.  They did a great job being scientists!  

Next week, we will be studying Scientific Enterprise which is still in Chapter 1.  The students will test on Chapter 1 on Wednesday, September 9th.

6th Spanish with Ms. Sotomayor

Dear parents. There has been wonderful, full class participation in speaking Spanish this week! We are wrapping up greetings in the Spanish-speaking world along with numbers and classroom commands. Next week we will discuss nouns, articles, and using the word "Hay". Please send notecards with your child as we will be working on vocabulary flash cards next week

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We have had a great week learning about early humans! We will have our Chapter One quiz on Monday 31 August (originally scheduled for Friday 28 August). Next week, we will discuss how permanent settlements rose into complex societies and discuss economy in early societies. Students will participate in a bartering activity to better understand economic principles. I will be in my room at 7:45 each morning for extra help and to answer questions.

TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We have begun to apply the elements of plot to short stories in our textbook, and map out stories using graphic organizers. Students will have a quiz over “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” and “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” next week. We will also begin discussing how to write a short story and start the planning process, focusing on plot and characterization.  In vocabulary, we are studying the bases in lesson one and will have a quiz at the end of next week. Check Google Classroom for a fun vocab activity!  I will be in my room at 7:45 each morning for extra help and to answer questions.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will wrap up Chapter 1 by representing functions as rules and tables, as well as graphing these functions.  Students will have an opportunity to use the graphing calculators in class.  Wednesday, we will review for their first test that will take place on Thursday (9/3).  Friday we will do a hands-on activity involving order of operations.

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

Next week we will be completing Chapter 1 by learning about multiplying and dividing integers (Chapter 1.7) as well as basic graphing on the coordinate plane (Chapter 1.8).  We will have a day of review on Thursday and then the Chapter 1 test on Friday.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Huennekens

We will continue to use our mad science skills that we learned last week on the Scientific Method as we conduct labs over the school year. This week we are focusing our attention on Classification.  There will be a Chapter 1 test on Thursday, September 3rd.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7th grade will continue working with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 5A. This includes possessive adjectives, the verb tener, and diminutives.  Student will practice their reading comprehension skills and learn about a “miniteca”.The chapter test will be Friday, September 5th.

7th American History Part I with Mrs. English

This week we will continue our study in Chapter 1-Section 4. This section deals with European Heritage that is passed along in the colonization of the Americas.  Homework and readings will come from that section.  We will also have a test on Thursday, September 3rd over Chapter 1- Sections 1, 3, & 4.  Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

We will begin our examination of short fiction with “Charles” and “Flowers for Algernon” focusing on comprehension, context clues, and point of view.  Guided reading and discussion will be followed by a graded assessment late in the week.  Continuing our study of Latin and Greek roots, students will complete Unit 12 exercises in  the vocabulary text.    

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will wrap up Chapter 1 by representing functions as rules and tables, as well as graphing these functions.  Students will have an opportunity to use the graphing calculators in class.  Wednesday, we will review for their first test that will take place on Thursday (9/3).  Friday we will do a hands-on activity involving order of operations.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete Chapter 9 by learning about factoring quadratic equations using the AC method (9.6).  We will then have a day of review and then the Chapter 9 test at the end of the week.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete Chapter 1 by reviewing and then having the Chapter 1 test in the middle of the week.  We will then begin looking at Chapter 2, which involves different reasoning methods (2.1) and examining conditional statements (2.2).

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Huennekens

We have been busy refreshing our memories of the Scientific Method and all things measurement. Our measurement study is all about SI units (International System). We will test on Measurement on Thursday, September 3rd.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8th grade will continue working with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 1A. There will be a grammar quiz on Tuesday, September 1st over negative and affirmative words as well as stem-changing verbs. The chapter test will be Friday, September 5th.

8th American History Part II with Mrs. English

Next week in American History class we will continue our study of the Civil War in Chapter 15.2 and 15.3. On Friday, September 7th we will have a quiz on Chapter 15.1-3.  On Thursday, students will bring in their Civil War dishes so we can taste different foods from the Civil War era. If you have a recipe that has been in your family since the Civil War please encourage your student to make that and bring it in.  If not please look up recipes on the websites I provided on the Civil War Recipe doc.  Your child MUST include the ingredients and recipe with the dish due to allergies and specific dietary needs.  If you have questions please email me.  Looking forward to a fun week!

August 24-28

Happy First Day of School! 

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

GREAT START TO THE 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR!

Life has returned to HDS campus!  It sure is great to have the students back in the building.  While we said goodbye to long time middle school teachers, we welcome Mrs. Huennekens (Science), Mrs. Guggenheim (Computer & Student Support), Mr. Morgan (Physical Education) and Grace Sotomayor (Spanish) to the Middle School team.  They bring lots of energy, ideas and experience to the Middle School.  

NEW PE CURRICULUM

Our curriculum has three major divisions, Cardio, Strength, and Team Games.  Each student has 115 minutes of PE each week.  There are two 30 minute classes and one 55 minute class.  PE classes will occur in one of three areas, the gym, the new Cross Fit area or the Middle School recess area and car pool lane (our “track!”).  We are excited about having the talent, Coach O’Hayer and Coach Morgan and the time to deliver a quality program to our students.

CARPOOL

Thanks to your patience and cooperation, our carpool process is off to a great start! Like anything, we can always grow and improve and we feel strongly that for the safety of our students there are a few areas that do need immediate attention from our school community. Please be aware of the following:

• There is no left turn into the school entrance! When cars make a left turn into the driveway it interrupts the required traffic flow on the street.  We must eliminate ALL left turns into the building during  carpool hours immediately.
• There is no left turn out of the school entrance! Please make a right and maintain the flow of traffic the city requires.  
• Please do not turnaround in the neighborhood immediately after the school driveway.
• The safety of the students is the most important thing.  It is critical that all cell phone use is ended once you move into the carpool process.  

We have no doubt that attention to these details will lead to moving you through the carpool line even faster and more efficiently! Our goal is to provide parents and students a safe and orderly process that ends the school day on the positive note we've started on - thank you for supporting that effort!

GRANDPARENTS DAY

This year the Middle School is excited to participate in the HDS Grandparents Day.  In honor of Grandparents Day, all Middle School students will conduct an interview with a grandparent/grandparents or special friend and create a personal response explaining the “Words to Live By” learned from the experience.  A description of this project can be found by clicking HERE.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday, September 18th to share this experience with the students.

School Lunches

Mrs. Cook will be taking any last minute lunch orders through the end of the school day Monday, August 24th. Please visit our website www.hancockdayschool.org to fill out your Lunch Order Form. ***Reminder: HDS Lunch Program starts Tuesday, September 1st. 

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Guggenheim
The focus in ELA will be on:
Literature: learning to annotate; continuation of Reading Reasons
Grammar: types of nouns - Quiz Friday
Vocabulary: Unit 1 Greek/Latin roots - Quiz on Tuesday, September 1
Writing: Why do we write?

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Math 6, students received their syllabus and we reviewed all of the rules, procedures, and topics that will be covered. All students had this signed and returned it on Thursday (yay!!).  On Thursday we reviewed several prerequisite math skills (from 4th & 5th grade) that are important for students to have mastered before moving forward in Math 6.  Friday, students took a brief open notes quiz over the prerequisite skills that were discussed in class.  Next week we will jump right into the first chapter learning about patterns, variables, expressions, and exponents.  On Friday (8/28), students will have a quiz over lessons 1.1 - 1.3. Students will also receive their first challenge problem that will count as a project grade (see syllabus for details).

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

What a great start to a new year!  Next week we will be learning about Order of Operations (Chapter 1.3) and adding/subtracting integers (Chapter 1.4-1.6).  There will be a short quiz in the middle of the week covering sections 1.1-1.3.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Earth Science, students received their syllabus and we reviewed all of the rules, procedures, and expectations for the class.  We also learned about lab safety, procedures, and equipment that will be used.  Next week we will explore chapter one by taking an in-depth look at the scientific method. Students will get to practice some of their lab skills on Thursday when we do a brief lab involving the scientific method.  On Friday (8/28), students will have a quiz over lab safety, procedures, equipment, and the scientific method.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Huennekens

The sixth graders will start next week by reviewing the steps to the Scientific Method.  We will be reading Chapter 1 section 1.  They will have a quiz on Friday covering scientific method, lab safety and equipment.

6th Spanish with Ms. Sotomayor

We're off to a great start! This week we have covered greetings, classroom commands, and numbers. Next week we will continue communicating in full immersion, practicing how to present ourselves and friends, how to give out contact information (made-up contact information), and discuss the country of the week, Puerto Rico. We will have an unannounced quiz so please encourage your child to practice any videos or helpful posts that I have left for them in Google Classroom. 

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We will begin to study Early Humans and analyze adaptation to environments and movement across continents. Students will compare and contrast communities on each different continent. We will have a quiz over Chapter 1, Lessons 2 and 3 on Friday. Students should use their notes packets to study for this quiz! I will be in my room daily at 7:45 for extra assistance. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We are beginning this year by analyzing the elements of a short story, focusing on plot, theme, and characterization. This week will read and discuss The Treasure of Lemon Brown and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, In grammar, we will begin by reviewing the parts of speech. I have begun grading the summer reading response journals and book reviews, and I am already impressed with the dedication and effort your students put into the assignment! I will be in my room daily at 7:45 for extra assistance. 

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Algebra 1, students received their syllabus and we reviewed all of the rules, procedures, and topics that will be covered. On Thursday, we jumped right in chapter one by evaluating expressions and reviewing order of operations. Next week we will continue in chapter one with writing expressions, equations, and inequalities, as well as working on problem solving.  On Friday (8/28), students will have a quiz over lessons 1.1 - 1.5.  Students will also receive their first challenge problem that will count as a project grade (see syllabus for details).

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

What a great start to a new year!  Next week we will be learning about Order of Operations (Chapter 1.3) and adding/subtracting integers (Chapter 1.4-1.6).  There will be a short quiz in the middle of the week covering sections 1.1-1.3.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Huennekens

The seventh graders are refreshing their memories with lab safety and procedures, lab equipment and the scientific method.  There will be a quiz over the above material on Thursday.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will begin Chapter 5A. This chapter covers possessive adjectives, description of families, and celebrations. There will be a graded listening over the new material later in the week.  The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, August 28^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English

Wow, what a great start to the year! I enjoyed getting to know your children the first three days of school. This weekend your child should read Chapter 1-Section 1 and take the homework reading check on Google Classroom. They may use their book and/or notes to take the reading check. The reading check must be completed by 8am on Monday. This coming week we will continue studying from Chapter 1-Section 1. Homework will come from this section.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 1-Section 1 on Wednesday.  Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

The eighth graders are off to a great start in English Language Arts!  Looking ahead, we will be engaging in a Socratic Seminar reflecting on concepts and themes from summer reading on Monday and Tuesday of next week.  This activity will count as our first quiz grade of the year!  Students also have a quiz over some basic grammatical concepts and unit 11 in their vocabulary books on Friday, August 28th.  We will spend class time reviewing both the grammatical concepts and the vocabulary words in preparation for this assessment.  Students should also remember that their signed syllabus is due on Monday!

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Algebra 1, students received their syllabus and we reviewed all of the rules, procedures, and topics that will be covered. On Thursday, we jumped right in chapter one by evaluating expressions and reviewing order of operations. Next week we will continue in chapter one with writing expressions, equations, and inequalities, as well as working on problem solving.  On Friday (8/28), students will have a quiz over lessons 1.1 - 1.5.  Students will also receive their first challenge problem that will count as a project grade (see syllabus for details).

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

What a great start to a new year!  Next week we will begin exploring how to solve quadratic equations by factoring (Chapter 9.4, 9.5, 9.7, 9.8).  There will be a short quiz in the middle of the week covering sections 9.1-9.4.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

What a great start to a new year!  Next week we will learn about the Midpoint and Distance formulas (Chapter 1.3) as well as some fundamental properties of angles and polygons (Chapters 1.4-1.6).

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Huennekens

The eighth graders start next week off by looking at section 3 of Chapter 1, The Nature of Science.  The first week of school, we used Chapter 1, sections 1 and 2, to review the scientific method, discuss and learn about new types of lab equipment and we also went over lab safety and procedures. There will be a quiz on Thursday to cover all the above information.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will begin Chapter 1A. This chapter discusses classroom rules, classroom items, stem-changing verbs, and Affirmative and negative words. There will be a graded listening over the new material later in the week. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, August 28^th.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

It was great to see your children this week. We had a wonderful first three days!  This weekend your child should complete the homework on Google Classroom. They need to watch a 3 min video on the Civil War and answer questions on it.  This coming week we will continue studying the beginnings of the Civil War. I will give short answer worksheets for homework dealing with subjects like the Missouri Compromise, John Brown's attack, and division between the North and South.  We will have a quiz on Wednesday covering the Civil War Intro note sheet and the states in the Union and Confederacy.  Lastly, we will watch excerpts from Ken Burns’ The Civil War. If you would not like your child to watch these clips please email me and they will be exempt from watching them in class.  Looking forward to a great week!