NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD
Monday Assessments
Once or twice each trimester, there are calendar conflicts that push our assessments to a Monday. Due to the adjustment of our schedule for Irma, some classes will be giving assessments this Monday.
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.
High School Admissions - Which school is right for my child?
This presentation will be taking place September 27th from 6:00-7:00pm for 7th and 8th grade parents. In this presentation, we will be discussing what to look for in a high school - how can you tell if it is a good fit for your child? We will touch on the social environment, sports and extracurricular activities, the learning environment, metacognition, school culture and your student’s future goals. There will also be handouts on each of the schools most frequented by Hancock Day School alums available. If you have any questions please reach out to Ms. Pedrick, the School Counselor at apedrick@hancockdayschool.org.
8th Grade Headed to Washington!
The annual 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. will depart Monday, March 5th and return Thursday, March 8th. The students will be finalizing the itinerary this semester as part of their DC Seminar. An outline of the trip, the cost, and possible fundraising ideas will be discussed at the conclusion of the High School Admissions presentation (above) on Wednesday, September 27th.
6th Grade Parent EDU
Supporting Your Middle School Student - a session for 6th grade parents on September 27th from 6:00-7:00pm. Presented by Tricia Guggenheim.
Topics covered include:
- Helping your child navigate homework
- Successful strategies for test/exam prep
- Effective use of Google Classroom
- Time management
These strategies are being discussed in 6th Seminar weekly. Come to the session to hear what your child is learning about and to discover strategies that will support your child at home.
8TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
8th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon - Week of September 18th
Next week in Algebra we will continue working in Chapter 2 by taking a closer look at the operations of real numbers. Students should be prepared to take a chapter quiz over lessons 2.1-2.4 on Thursday, September 21. We will play a fun game of real number BINGO on Friday.
8th grade Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 18th
Next week we will complete the first part of Chapter 10 by practicing solving quadratic equations by graphing a parabola and finding its x-intercepts (10.3). We will also practice using the vertical motion model and its real world applications. We will have a day of review on Wednesday and a test covering sections 10.1-10.3 on Thursday. We will then begin the second part of Chapter 10 by learning how to solve quadratic equations using square roots (10.4).
8th grade Geometry - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 18th
Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by using logical arguments, postulates, theorems, and properties to create some basic geometric proofs. We will start by learning algebraic proofs (2.5) and then move on to proofs about line segments and angles (2.6). We will also begin exploring proofs about angle relationships (2.7).
8th grade Physical Science - Mr. Cooper - Week of September 18th
Next week we will be completing a study guide for the Periodic Table test on Friday. We have a chemical reaction lab on Tuesday, and a review game on Thursday. There will be a review session on Thursday morning @ 7:45 in my 5th grade classroom.
8th grade English Language Arts - Mrs. O’Connor - Week of September 18th
Next week students will finish reading “Flowers for Algernon” and also read a short selection in the textbook called “Charles.” We will review key elements of both pieces and take a test over these selections on Friday, September 22nd. Additionally, we will continue to study vocabulary and pronoun/antecedent agreement rules. 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 18th
This week in American History and Government II, we will wrap up our discussion of the Civil War - final battles, surrender, impact and perspectives. Topics will include the legacy of photojournalist Matthew Brady and Sherman’s total war. We will continue to use Ken Burns’ The Civil War as a resource. Students will also be preparing for their Civil War test on Wednesday, September 20.
8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes - Week of September 18th
Next week in Spanish the 8th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 1B. Students will use comparisons of equality, hacer time expressions, and saber vs conocer through different reading and speaking exercises. The vocabulary quiz will be Tuesday, September 19th.
7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
7th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon - Week of September 18th
Next week in Algebra we will continue working in Chapter 2 by taking a closer look at the operations of real numbers. Students should be prepared to take a chapter quiz over lessons 2.1-2.4 on Thursday, September 21. We will play a fun game of real number BINGO on Friday.
7th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 18th
Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by practicing simplifying variable expressions (2.3) There will be a quiz on Tuesday covering sections 2.1-2.3. We will begin solving one-step equations using mental math (2.4), addition and subtraction (2.5), and multiplication and division (2.6).
7th grade History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English/Ms. Churchill - Week of September 18
This week we will continue our study of European exploration of the Americas. We will focus on the Spanish, English, French, and Dutch in the Americas, examining the ways in which competition among these nations influenced exploration, exploitation, and settlement. We will continue to work on developing effective expository writing skills. Assessments this week will include a South America Political Map Quiz on Monday 9/18 and a Chapter 2 Test on Friday 9/22.
7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes - Week of September 18th
Next week in Spanish the 7th grade will complete Chapter 5B. We will review on Monday, and the chapter test will be Tuesday, September 19th. We will also begin Chapter 6A where students will learn new vocabulary, how to make comparisons in Spanish, and review prepositions. There will be a graded listening toward the end of the week.
7th Grade ELA - Mrs. Boyer - Week of September 18th
ELA: Parents! Next week your students will be focusing on characterization, irony, verb-splits and verb tenses, and Unit Two vocabulary terms. All students are required to make flashcards for the vocabulary words as a part of their weekly homework; we are trying to work on their study skills as a part of this class. Students have begun brainstorming for their short stories and will begin writing their rough drafts at the end of next week. There will be a quiz on After Twenty Years and H-ey Come On O-out on Thursday, a Unit 2 Vocabulary Quiz on 9/26 and a Short Story Unit Test on 9/27.
7th grade Life Science - Ms. Hoffman - Week of September 18th
Students were given back their graded classification quizzes from last week. Some students may want to look at what they missed and how they are studying for assessments. We also began our next unit of study with the history of cells and will focus on cell types and the different cell organelles. We will primarily look at plant and animal cells and use our microscopes to observe various examples, especially their structure and function. We will also have a science notebook next week check.
6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
6th grade Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon - Week of September 18th
Next week in math we will continue in Chapter 2 by taking a closer look at decimals by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing values with larger place values. Students should expect a quiz over lessons 2.1-2.4 on Thursday, September 21.
Pictures from our Decimal Comparison Challenge using dice on Friday, Sept 15.
6th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of September 18th
Next week we will continue Chapter 2 by practicing simplifying variable expressions (2.3) There will be a quiz on Tuesday covering sections 2.1-2.3. We will begin solving one-step equations using mental math (2.4), addition and subtraction (2.5), and multiplication and division (2.6).
6th grade ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim - Week of September 18th
Literature: We will continue our short story unit. There will be a quiz on the terms we are going over in class on Sept 19. 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 - 4 Types of Sentences. There is a grammar quiz over sentence types and subjects/predicates tentatively scheduled for 9/27.
Writing: We will continue to discuss the importance of proofing written work and using proper paragraph form
Vocabulary: List 3 + 7 SAT words were distributed on Sept 14; the quiz will be the following Wednesday, Sept 20.
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 18th
Our unit test on matter and the states of matter is rescheduled for Monday 9/18. For our shortened time this week, students started discussing our next unit on heat and heat transfer and participated in a conservation of mass lab. Next week for heat transfer, students will learn about conduction, convection and radiation and how thermal energy (heat) effects the different states of matter. We will also have a science notebook check on Monday 9/18 and will start gathering information for our heat transfer booklets that we will work on in class. A rubric will be provided towards the end of next week.
6th Grade Ancient Civ - Mrs. Boyer - Week of September 18th
Parents! With the hurricane in mind, next week has a few possibilities. If we do not have school tomorrow or we have a half day, your students will return next week with a quick review over Unit 1 and our test over Unit 1. We will then begin Unit 2 which covers Ancient Mesopotamia. I will be discussing the Ziggurat Project, rules, regulations, materials, etc. Please be advised that the project has changed from last year and has been revamped to fit multiple learning and creative styles.
6th Grade Spanish - Ms. Dubick - Week of September 18th
Hello parents! The 6th grade had their first Spanish test the Wednesday before we had to make our departure for the hurricane, and I’m really impressed by how much they’ve been able to retain. It’s my policy to go over tests and quizzes in class with them so they can make their own corrections as part of their learning process. They miss twice the points if they miss their mistakes while checking, as an extra incentive to follow along closely. We’re going to be covering personal pronouns, greetings and the conjugation of Estar in this upcoming week, and they’ll have a quiz on Thursday. I’m always available in the mornings to help students catch up or get a head start on the material. ¡Que tengan buen finde!
MS Ensemble - Mrs. Cookson - Week of September 18th
The coming week will bring two or three person scripts to the 6th grade. They will also continue to work on listening skills and following directions. In 7th and 8th grades the students will work again with presenting poetry and learning rhythmic games.
MS Art - Mrs. Cookson - Week of September 18th
Next week students will spend more time working on ideas in preparation for a final drawing inspired by two adjectives and a noun. They relaxed a bit when they realized we weren’t really doing ELA in art class. I look forward to seeing how they work out their ideas.
