The Middle School is off to a strong start. Thank you to all of our families for your support.
CARPOOL
Thank you to all families for NOT arriving in the white zone until 3:15. This has made the flow through all three zones much smoother. Keep up the good work!
HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
After Labor Day we will get information to families detailing our plan to support our 8th grade students during the admissions process. A number of families have asked for some more immediate help understanding the requirements and admissions process for the Savannah Arts Academy. This can be a daunting process and requires a great deal of effort by students and families. If you are interested in SAA you should go to their website and become familiar with the school’s admissions process. To help you sort through that information we will be scheduling an information session at HDS for interested families during the week of August 29th. More information on this next week
CARPOOL
Thank you to all families for NOT arriving in the white zone until 3:15. This has made the flow through all three zones much smoother. Keep up the good work!
HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
After Labor Day we will get information to families detailing our plan to support our 8th grade students during the admissions process. A number of families have asked for some more immediate help understanding the requirements and admissions process for the Savannah Arts Academy. This can be a daunting process and requires a great deal of effort by students and families. If you are interested in SAA you should go to their website and become familiar with the school’s admissions process. To help you sort through that information we will be scheduling an information session at HDS for interested families during the week of August 29th. More information on this next week
NOTES FROM 8th GRADE
8th Grade Algebra 1 Mrs. Reardon
The first week of school is off to a great start! The first chapter in Algebra might look somewhat familiar to the students. We will use concepts that were learned last year, but take them to the next level. Next week we will continue in chapter 1 by writing and solving expressions, equations, and inequalities. We will also briefly talk about problem solving so that they can apply what they learned in class to some challenging word problems. Students should expect a quiz over sections 1 through 5 on Friday, August 26th.
8th Grade Geometry Mr. Lanfear
We had a great first week of school! Next week we will be continuing to build the fundamentals of Euclidean Geometry by learning about the distance and midpoint formulas (1.3), defining and measuring angles (1.4-1.5), and polygons (1.6).
8th Grade Advanced Algebra Mr. Lanfear
We had a great first week of school! Next week we will continue to review Chapter 9 by factoring and solving quadratic equations. We will have a quiz on Tuesday covering 9.1, 9.2, and 9.4. We will then continue factoring trinomials (9.5) and by the Difference of Two Squares method (9.7).
8th Grade Language Arts Mrs. O’Connor
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 Tuesday and Wednesday 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 26th. 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!
8th Grade History Mrs. English
We had a great start to the year! I've enjoyed seeing how much your children have grown and matured over the summer! This past week we introduced the Civil War and talked about the scenarios that ultimately led to division between the North and the South. Next week we will continue this conversation and dive into specific events that further splintered the two regions. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 15.1-2. A reminder that students should bring their headphones because we will start recording Recaps. Looking forward to a great week!
8th Grade Physical Science Mrs. Huennekens
Welcome back to school! We have been busy refreshing our minds about Lab Safety and the Scientific Method. On Monday, we will be conducting a lab on writing a clear and concise lab procedure. The students will then try to follow the instructions provided by their classmates to see if the lab procedure works.There will be a quiz on Lab Safety and the Scientific Method on Friday. All homework is posted on Google Classroom. The students are submitting their homework right to classroom. Please ask them to share their password so you can access their account and see all that we are doing in the lab!
8th Grade Spanish Ms. Hughes
I hope everyone had a wonderful first week of school! Next week in Spanish class, the 8th 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 26th.
7th Grade Algebra 1 Mrs. Reardon
The first week of school is off to a great start! The first chapter in Algebra might look somewhat familiar to the students. We will use concepts that were learned last year, but take them to the next level. Next week we will continue in chapter 1 by writing and solving expressions, equations, and inequalities. We will also briefly talk about problem solving so that they can apply what they learned in class to some challenging word problems. Students should expect a quiz over sections 1 through 5 on Friday, August 26th.
7th Grade Pre-Algebra Mr. Lanfear
We had a great first week of school! Next week we will begin working with our textbook and learning about expressions and variables (1.1), comparing and ordering integers (1.4), and adding and subtracting integers (1.5-1.6).
7th Grade Language Arts Mrs. Hannah
Seventh grade has had a wonderful first few days back in school! Students are working in groups to complete an Amazon listing for their summer reading book, which will be due on Tuesday. Next week, we will review basic literary elements, including plot and theme, in order to have a solid foundation for analyzing short stories. Students will create a personal mission statement and create a symbolic representation of their mission statement. Daily homework assignments will be posted in Google Classroom, and a signed syllabus is due by Monday!
7th Grade History Mrs. English
We had a great first week! It was wonderful getting to know all of your children. We played a game called "Who am I?" to review some of the concepts learned last year and prep our brains for asking good questions (below are a few pictures). Next week we will finish our overview of empires in the Americas and begin studying world religions and cultures that influenced Europe and ultimately led to the Age of Exploration. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 1-Section 1 & 3. Looking forward to a great week!
7th Grade Spanish Ms. Hughes
I hope everyone had a wonderful first week of school! Next week in Spanish class, the 7th grade will begin Chapter 5B. Students will learn about indirect object pronouns, how to describe others, and how to express needs. We will practice our new vocabulary through different listening and speaking activities. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, August 26th.
7th Grade Life Science Mrs. Heyward
6th Grade Accelerated Math 7 Mrs. Reardon
The first week of school is off to a great start!! The 6th graders have transitioned unbelievably well...you’d never know it was their first week stepping into middle school! We started this week by reviewing some prerequisite skills that students should be extremely familiar and comfortable with. The one concept that is a little rusty for the majority of students is adding and subtracting integers. If you get a chance to review this over the weekend, it would greatly benefit the students! Next week we will jump right into Chapter 1 by describing patterns, writing expressions with variables, and exploring powers and exponents. Students should expect their first quiz over sections 1 through 3 on Friday, August 26th.
6th Pre-Algebra Mr. Lanfear
We had a great first week of school! Next week we will begin working with our textbook and learning about expressions and variables (1.1), comparing and ordering integers (1.4), and adding and subtracting integers (1.5-1.6).
6th Grade Language Arts Mrs. Guggenheim
What a great first week! I’m so excited to have the opportunity to teach your children. This week we have been introduced to Quizlet, a fabulous online flashcard app, and have learned about Recap, an app that allows students to video record their responses to a teacher’s prompt. We’ve also discussed and digitally commented on our first Reading Reason: Reading is Rewarding. There may be bugs in the digital system at first, but I’ll work with the students to iron out any kinks. Next week in ELA we will continue our study of annotating text, discuss the nonfiction literature terms, and review writing paragraphs. Have a great weekend!
6th Grade Ancient Civilizations Mrs. Hannah
Sixth grade had had a fabulous first few days! We have become familiar with the textbook and have begun to analyze the importance of time and it’s link to history. Next week, we will begin studying early humans, continental settlement, and the development of cultures and society. Homework and assignments will be posted daily in Google Classroom in the “Stream” section. Unit materials (Notes packets, presentations, activities, and learning resources) will be posted in the “About” section. Have a wonderful weekend!
6th Grade Earth Science Mrs. Huennekens
Welcome back to school! We have been busy learning about Google Classroom, Lab Safety and the Scientific Method. On Friday, the students will be experimenting in the lab on “How many drops of water can a coin hold”? This helps students to remember and also reinforces the lab safety and scientific method that we have been working on all week. There will be a quiz on Lab Safety and the Scientific Method on Thursday. All homework is posted on Google Classroom. The students are submitting their homework directly to our classroom. Please ask them to share their password so you can access their account and see all that we are doing in the lab!
6th Grade Spanish Ms. Sotomayor
We’ve had a great week of getting to know each other by working through the questions from “La Persona Especial” series of questions. We have also started from the very beginning of learning a language by becoming familiar with sounds and going through the Spanish alphabet. Next week, we will interview our first “persona especial”, go over classroom vocabulary, colors and numbers, definite articles, and the word “hay”. We will have an unannounced quiz over the most recently reviewed material as discussed in the syllabus, but I will drop hints to remind them to be prepared. No quiz on Monday. Please make sure your child has added himself or herself to Google Classroom by Monday with the provided code.
Ensemble Mrs. Cookson
What an exciting first week. Many students have now learned a bit more about Ensemble, and how we will work together in the coming weeks to develop the course together. We will continue to establish trust, while sharing ideas, and developing creative approaches to problem solving.
Art Mrs. Cookson
While a few students still have not yet had art, the room came alive this week with the addition of many students and all of their positive energy. After a refresher of basic protocols and expectations, we dove into the new possibilities and project ideas available. In addition to the essential foundation materials, the art room now has new tools with which to explore and create. Keep an eye out for information regarding the Cardboard Challenge.
