NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD
Carpool
Please remember not to line up in the White Zone carpool line until 3:10. It is even better if you wait to get to HDS until 3:15. That gives the Gold Zone time to clear out of your way. On those days you do get here early, please pull into a designated space to wait until 3:10 to line up.
Boarding School?
Have you ever thought of boarding school as an option for your child? A representative from Chatham Hall, an all girls, college preparatory school in Chatham, Virginia will be on campus to talk to our 8th grade girls. She will speak on Thursday, September 14th, at 10:30. All families are invited to join this presentation. For more information check out this link: https://www.chathamhall.org/page/admissions/why-chatham-hall
Community Service
Please remember that students should complete ten hours of community service each school year. Service opportunities are advertised in the blog weekly. Additionally, if you know of any service opportunities that would be appropriate for our students, please feel free to send them to Ms. Ross so that they may be included here.
Completed service hours should be documented on the Community Service Form and submitted to your child’s homeroom teacher.
Brown Bag for the Elderly at Second Harvest Food Bank
Students and families can volunteer on the third Saturday morning of each month. Upcoming dates are September 16th and October 21st. Volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes and arrive by 7:45am. Those wishing to volunteer should contact volunteer coordinator Jason Brown (jbrown@helpendhunger.org) in advance.
8TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
8th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon - Week of September 4th
Next week in Algebra we will review for the Chapter 1 test on Tuesday and take the test on Wednesday (9/6). On Thursday, we will jump right into Chapter 2 by discussing integers and rational number operations. Students will receive their new challenge problem on Tuesday (9/5) and it will be due on Tuesday (9/12).
8th grade Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 4th
Next week we will begin Chapter 10 by learning how to graph quadratic functions and parabolas (10.1 - 10.2). We will also learn how to find the vertex and axis of symmetry of a parabola (10.2).
8th grade Geometry - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 4th
Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by learning about biconditional statements (2.2) and logic laws such as the Law of Detachment and the Law of Syllogism (2.3). There will be a short quiz on Thursday covering sections 2.1 - 2.3.
8th grade Physical Science - Mr. Cooper - Week of September 4th
Next week we will talk about elements, compounds, and mixtures (oh my!). Students will be use their knowledge of the periodic table to see how elements react. They will practice drawing these bonds using the Lewis Dot (electron dot) method. There will be a Quiz on the Periodic Table on Friday. We will have our rescheduled lab on Tuesday September 12th. :) Information on these topics can be found in the textbook on pages 83-91.
8th grade English Language Arts - Mrs. O’Connor - Week of September 4th
Next week students will be exploring two selections from the textbook as they learn about elements of the Sci Fi genre. We will also be examining pronoun/antecedent agreement and continuing to learn about Greek and Latin roots. Students will take a quiz over the first portion of “Flowers for Algernon” on Thursday, September 7th and a test over two reading selections on Friday, September 15th. Remember to be reading independently in your free time and logging minutes in the reading log document!
8th grade History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English/Ms. Churchill - Week of September 4th
This week in American History and Gov’t II we will discuss the divisions that existed within the North and the South. Topics will range from economic problems to taxes and habeas corpus. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 15.4. Students should also prepare for a Ch. 15.1-3 quiz on Wednesday, September 6th. Looking ahead, students should prepare for their Civil War test Friday, September 15th.
8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes - Week of September 4th
Next week in Spanish the 8th grade will present their writing activities and complete Chapter 1A. We will review all of the grammar and vocabulary on Tuesday, and the test will be Wednesday, September 6th. We will also begin Chapter 1B where students will learn new vocabulary, review the difference of saber and conocer, and how to make comparisons of equality.
7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
7th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon - Week of September 4th
Next week in Algebra we will review for the Chapter 1 test on Tuesday and take the test on Wednesday (9/6). On Thursday, we will jump right into Chapter 2 by discussing integers and rational number operations. Students will receive their new challenge problem on Tuesday (9/5) and it will be due on Tuesday (9/12).
7th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 4th
Next week we will begin Chapter 2 by learning about various properties of addition and multiplication such as the commutative, associative, and identity properties (2.1). We will also learn about the distributive property (2.2) as well as combining like terms and simplifying variable expressions (2.3).
7th grade History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English/Ms. Churchill - Week of September 4
This week we will begin our study of the Age of Exploration focusing on European competition for land and trade in the East and the Americas. The achievements of early explorers and the impact of the Columbian Exchange will be emphasized. Map study will focus on political, physical, and language maps for the continent of South America. A Chapter 2.1 and South American Geography Quiz is scheduled for September 8.
7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes - Week of September 4th
Next week the 7th grade will continue to review ser v estar, and the grammar quiz will be Wednesday, September 6th. Students will also work on their restaurant projects using the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 5B. They will present the skits on Friday, September 8th.
7th Grade ELA - Mrs. Boyer - Week of September 4th
Parents! Next week is going to be a fun and intense week! We will begin on Tuesday with a review over Rikki Tikki Tavi and continue to discuss its relationship with personification. We will also be discussing the popular theme of good versus evil in short stories and film (with relation to Rikki Tikki Tavi and their short story assignment). We will be learning about irony (dramatic, situational, and verbal) and continuing our education on adjectives and adverbs. There will be a quiz over The Treasure of Lemon Brown and Rikki Tikki Tavi on Thursday (9/7) and we will begin Unit Two in Vocabulary. Throughout the past weeks, students have been learning about elements of short stories. Through the next month or so, students will be creating short stories of their own. I understand that writing is a process, and I will be teaching them the process of brainstorming, revising, editing and completing an original story. Students will be creating the brainstorming aspect next week.
7th grade Life Science - Ms. Hoffman - Week of September 4th
Students are getting settled into class and doing a great job with class participation and note taking. We will continue our study of Classification, the 6 Kingdoms of Life and the use of a Dichotomous Key. Students will also participate in a volume and density lab. Our quiz on this material will be on Thursday, September 7. We will then begin looking at the history of cells and cell organelles.
6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
6th grade Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon - Week of September 4th
Next week we will wrap up Chapter 1 on Tuesday, review for the Chapter 1 test on Wednesday, and take the Chapter 1 test on Thursday (9/7). Students will receive their new challenge problem on Tuesday (9/5) and it will be due on Tuesday (9/12).
Pictures from Thursday’s area and perimeter activity in the hall! :)
6th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 4th
Next week we will begin Chapter 2 by learning about various properties of addition and multiplication such as the commutative, associative, and identity properties (2.1). We will also learn about the distributive property (2.2) as well as combining like terms and simplifying variable expressions (2.3).
6th grade ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim - Week of September 4th
Literature: We will continue our short story unit. There will be a quiz on the terms we are going over in class on Sept 13. The students have handouts in their binders to use as study tools. Making flash cards or a Quizlet may assist some students. Talking the concepts out with a parent may help to cement the concepts.
Grammar: Subjects/Predicates - Simple Sentences
Writing: We will continue to discuss the importance of proofing written work
Vocabulary: There will be no Vocab Quiz next week. List 3 + 7 SAT words will be distributed on Sept 7; the quiz will be the following Thursday, Sept 14.
Reading Log: Some students have been very diligent about beginning their reading logs. Others have not yet turned in any minutes. As stated in the syllabus, all middle school students are required to read 360 minutes during the course of the trimester - reading that is outside of their regular assignments. They have a form on which to keep track of their minutes, and on Mondays in class I post their minutes in a spreadsheet. They need to obtain a parent signature to verify the minutes read. This counts as a project grade. The grading scale is written in the syllabus.
6th grade Earth Science - Ms. Hoffman - Week of September 4th
Students have done a great job these past few weeks staying organized, taking notes and participating in class. We are continuing to learn about the 4 states of matter and how they change phases. We have played around with our Plasma Ball and learned some new cool science words like viscosity and sublimation. Next week students will participate in a volume and density lab and our test on this material will be next Friday, September 9th.
6th Grade Ancient Civ - Mrs. Boyer - Week of September 4th
Parents! Next week is going to be a flurry of review and content assessment. We will begin with a review day (9/5) on Chapter 2, early farming societies and techniques, and finish with a Chapter 2 quiz on Wednesday, September 6th. We will then move on to a review day on Thursday with question and answer time and a Jeopardy game that revolves around Unit One. The week will conclude with a Unit One: Early Humans test on Friday, 9/8. I will be having extra help all week long in the morning and on Thursday afternoons. Please do not hesitate to send your student into these extra help sessions.
6th Grade Spanish - Ms. Dubick - Week of September 4th
Hello parents! I’m very impressed with how well these students are adapting to having Spanish as a core course. They will have their first test this upcoming Wednesday September 6th. It will cover everything we have done so far: question words, classroom phrases, numbers, time and some basic greetings. In class we will continue to work on phrases having to do with time and we will be reviewing the personal pronouns, common greetings and the verb estar.
MS Ensemble - Mrs. Cookson - Week of September 4th
Next week 6th graders will be introduced to some games that emphasize listening skills and following directions. They will also have the chance to show off their quick thinking abilities. In 7th and 8th grades, we will continue to work on presentation skills, along with playing some games with student led modifications.
MS Art - Mrs. Cookson - Week of September 4th
We will continue to work on building attention to details skills. Students will stretch their creative thinking with some simple drawing exercises. They will also have the opportunity to start their first self-led drawing project.
