MIDDLE SCHOOL NOTES
FALL SPORTS ENDING
The fall season is coming to a close. Congratulations to the 6th grade girls volleyball team for finishing their regular season undefeated and placing second in the SPAL tournament. The 6th grade boys will play in the SPAL championship game next Thursday, November 3rd. Look in next week’s blast for a time and location. To facilitate attendance at the Championship game, the Middle School will go light on homework that Thursday and will postpone Friday assessments until Monday.
Special recognition to the 7th & 8th grade football team that completed the first season ever for varsity football at HDS! In all, over 75 Middle School student participated on our teams!
FIRST TRIMESTER ASSESSMENTS
The past few weeks have been tumultuous, and we believe that we can best achieve a sense of normalcy by continuing with our rigorous instruction and providing a predictable structure. As we regroup from the disruption caused by Hurricane Matthew, the middle school team has decided to forgo the previously scheduled first trimester exams/summative projects. Eliminating the trimester exams will allow our teachers and students to maximize instructional time and conclude the trimester in a meaningful way, without spending days reviewing for and taking comprehensive exams. This change preserves the scope of our curriculum, and our students will still be provided with ample opportunities for reflection and assessment.
As a result of this decision, Thursday, November 10th, and Friday, November 11th will be full instructional days rather than the half days previously noted on our school calendar.
This decision is one that was reached after significant discussion and careful consideration of the needs of our students. We still believe in the educational value of the trimester exams, and we will give them at the end of T2 and T3. A schedule for those assessments can be found by clicking HERE
As always, we are grateful for your continued support of Hancock Day School. We look forward to seeing many of you at conferences on Thursday.
8th GRADE FUNDRAISING FOR WASHINGTON, D.C. TRIP
The 8th grade parents and students are holding two BABYSITTING NIGHTS to raise funds for their DC trip. These nights are scheduled for Friday, November 11 and Friday, December 9th. Children can be dropped off beginning at 6:30 and picked up between 9:00 and 9:30. Pizza is on the menu and Aladdin will be the movie shown on November 11th!! For complete details including cost and payment click HERE.
Pre registration is required! What a great way to enjoy an evening out or get a jump start on your holiday shopping!!
Pre registration is required! What a great way to enjoy an evening out or get a jump start on your holiday shopping!!
8th grade families - both adult (12 needed) and student (16 needed) volunteers are required for this night to happen. Look for an email from the fundraising committee to request your assistance.
ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE FOR SECOND HARVEST - AND KICK OFF DANCE
We will hold our annual food drive to stock the shelves of Second Harvest beginning with a kick off dance on November 4th. The dance is from 7:00 - 9:00. Admission is 5 can goods or dried food items (pasta, etc.).
On Tuesday, November 22nd, the entire middle school will visit Second Harvest and Fort Jackson for our school-wide community service day. We are looking forward to this field trip, and we need parental support in order to facilitate the awesome opportunity for our students. Because we’ll be visiting two different locations, we need drivers to stay with us from 8:15-12. If you can be with us that morning, please contact Mrs. Chandler as soon as possible (351-4500 Ext 315 for achandler@hancockdayschool.org).
ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
Students can volunteer at Second Harvest Community Food Bank on Saturday morning, 11/19. Volunteers are needed to pack bags of food for elderly persons in our community. The packing begins at 7:45am, and volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes.
NOTES FROM 8th GRADE
8th Grade Algebra 1 Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra 1 we will jump right into Chapter 4 by plotting points in the coordinate grid and graphing linear equations using intercepts. Students should expect a quiz on Monday, November 7 over sections 4.1 through 4.3.
8th Grade Geometry Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue Chapter 4 by learning some more ways to prove triangles are congruent by Angle-Side-Angle and Angle-Angle-Side (4.5) and using congruent triangles to show that corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent (4.6). We will also explore properties of isosceles and equilateral triangles (4.7) as well as learning about transformations in the coordinate plane (4.8). There will be a quiz in the middle of the week covering sections 4.1 - 4.5.
8th Grade Advanced Algebra Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue Chapter 11 by learning how to rationalize a denominator that contains a radical within it (11.2). We will also learn about conjugates and how they are used to rationalize denominators. There will be a quiz towards the end of the week over sections 11.1 - 11.2.
8th Grade Language Arts Mrs. O’Connor
Next week students will closely examine the trial inTo Kill a Mockingbird. We are acting out some moments from the text as we explore major themes and big ideas. Students will take a quiz on Wednesday, 11/4, over chapters 10-21. Additionally, we are also exploring persuasive writing and propaganda techniques as we prepare for a mock election in which students will vote on names for Hancock’s mascot.
8th Grade History Mrs. English
This week in American History we will complete our study of Chapter 18.1 on Monday. The New Industrial Revolution Crossword puzzle is due on Tuesday. Students will also have a Ch. 17. 1 & 4 and Ch. 18.1 test on Wednesday. Lastly, students will begin working on their election projects.
8th Grade Physical Science Mrs. Huennekens
Students will begin studying Waves, Chapter 16, found on page 460 of the student textbook next week. We will start with “What is a wave?” and the properties/characteristic of waves. Students are encouraged to check Google Classroom on a daily basis and to review material covered in class nightly.
8th Grade Spanish Ms. Hughes
Next week the 8th grade will discuss Día de los Muertos, a popular holiday in the Spanish-speaking community. Students will also begin Chapter 3A. In this chapter students will talk about schedules, running errands, and places in the community. We will review direct object pronouns and learn some more irregular verbs in the preterite. The vocabulary quiz will be Monday, November 7th.
NOTES FROM 7th GRADE
7th Grade Algebra 1 Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra 1 we will jump right into Chapter 4 by plotting points in the coordinate grid and graphing linear equations using intercepts. Students should expect a quiz on Monday, November 7 over sections 4.1 through 4.3.
7th Grade Pre-Algebra Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue Chapter 4 by learning how to find the greatest common factor (GCF) of numbers and monomials (4.2). We will also learn how to find equivalent fractions (4.3). There will be a quiz towards the end of the week covering sections 4.1 - 4.3.
7th Grade Language Arts Mrs. Hannah
We have begun our discussion of Johnny Tremain, and students have a calendar that outlines nightly reading assignments, discussion days, and assessments. Please note that there is a change to the calendar for next week: The quiz scheduled for Friday 4 November has been moved to Thursday 3 November.
Please remember that Reading Log minutes are due by 14 November. Students are expected to read 360 minutes each trimester, and this does count as a project grade. Have a great weekend!
7th Grade History Mrs. English
This week in American History we will finish our Salem Witch Trials Historical Activity. We will also begin looking at Colonial life during the 1600s and early 1700s. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 4. 1
7th Grade Spanish Ms. Hughes
Next week the 7th grade will discuss Día de los Muertos, a popular holiday in the Spanish-speaking community. Student will also begin Chapter 7A. In this chapter we will talk about shopping, clothes, and making purchases. Students will learn how to indicate specific items through the use of demonstrative adjectives, and how to express preferences. The vocabulary quiz will be Monday, November 7th.
7th Grade Life Science Mrs. Heyward
Next week, we will continue our discussion and discovery of the various structure and functions of cells. We will perform several labs this week--the compound light microscope, understanding the plasma membrane, and observing cells. We will learn how to identify the structures within eukaryotic (plant and animal) and prokaryotic cells (bacteria). There will be a quiz on Thursday, November 3rd. Enjoy your weekend!
NOTES FROM 6th GRADE
6th Grade Accelerated Math 7 Mrs. Reardon
Next week we will continue in Chapter 4 by learning equivalent fractions and least common multiple (using their favorite method -- the CAKE method!). On Wednesday, we will review sections 4.1-4.3 in preparation for their quiz that will take place on Thursday, November 3. We will do an activity involving GCF and LCM on Friday.
6th Pre-Algebra Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue Chapter 4 by learning how to find the greatest common factor (GCF) of numbers and monomials (4.2). We will also learn how to find equivalent fractions (4.3). There will be a quiz towards the end of the week covering sections 4.1 - 4.3.
6th Grade Language Arts Mrs. Guggenheim
Week of October 31, 2016
We will continue to read The Outsiders and complete related assignments. There will be an open-book quiz on chapters 7-9 on Tuesday. On November 3, there will be a test over the Latin/Greek roots for Lists 1-5. The students will need to know the meaning of each root. The end of the unit test for The Outsiders is scheduled for Wednesday, November 8. We are working to add complex and compound sentences to our writing. Please remember to complete your reading log minutes by November 11th. As stated in my syllabus, it is a project grade. Thanks to all of the parents who came in for Parent Conference Day. Please remember to get in touch if you ever have questions or concerns (or even a pat on the back! :) ). It’s always great to hear from you, and I do believe we are a team working to support your child.
6th Grade Ancient Civilizations Mrs. Hannah
Next week, we will analyze the geography of ancient Egypt and understand how it led to settlement near the Nile. We will also analyze the three dynasties in Egypt, and begin studying the first dynasty: the Old Kingdom. Students will learn about the use of hieroglyphics, the process of mummification, and the architecture of the pyramids. Students can expect a quiz over lessons one and two on Thursday 3 November.
6th Grade Earth Science Mrs. Huennekens
Earth’s surface and topographic maps will be our focus next week. We will also review Latitude and Longitude. This material can be found in the student textbook beginning on page 154, Chapter 6. The key concepts are location, direction, continents, landforms, constructive and destructive forces, ocean basins and features.
6th Grade Spanish Ms. Sotomayor
Next week we will finish up “Brandon Quiere Un Perro” and discuss the remaining chapters in class. We will also continue to work through “La Persona Especial” packet. Finally, because the loss of days resulted in a condensed unit, we will review family vocabulary as well as discuss autumn traditions in Mexico including the arrival of the Monarchs and Day of the Dead.
Ensemble Mrs. Cookson
Room 315 was super animated and having a blast this week as we dove deeper into Charades. While a common parlor game, it helps to increase listening and quick thinking skills along with out of the box thinking. In addition it glosses over the fact that one is standing up alone presenting in front of a crowd. Next week we will continue to build on these skills while adding on some storytelling.
Art Mrs. Cookson
All classes this week watched a refresher video of the elements of art.
6th - The students worked to finish up their one-point perspective drawings. Many of them were amazed at the visual difference between drawing what one thinks something should look like, and following the rules of perspective technique.
7th - The surreal mixed animals came to life this week as the students completed the drawings and added color. We also worked more on figure drawing to reinforce correct proportions. Next week will will work on gesture drawings.
8th - The students got a surprise with a “quiz” about basics of the color wheel. Most did fine once they really tried to remember, or realized they could look on the wall poster of the color wheel. We continued work on the straw project. Next week, we will take a break from the straws to work more on color theory.
Science Club!!!
We’ve been busy learning all sorts of delicious things!
Last week….
Candy Corn Stem Challenge winners:
David Christian and William Barnes!
And this week……
Rainbow Density Lab -- using SKITTLES! We enjoyed a few skittles with a new pack after our lab! Love all the smiling faces below!
