November 28th - December 1st

NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD

Upcoming Events:

High School Fair - November 29 

Hancock Hall from 6:00pm-8:00pm

8th Grade Yearbook Ads - Due November 30

Order online at www.jostensadservice.com

Middle School Dress Down Day - November 30
Students pay $2.00 to dress down

St. Andrew's School Visit - December 1

Students will be transported by bus from 8:30am-2:00pm

8TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

8th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

This week in Algebra, we will wrap up Chapter 4 by graphing using slope-intercept form. On Wednesday and Thursday, students will complete an Algebra Writing Assessment in class.  On Friday, students will be out shadowing at St. Andrew’s School.  Students should expect to be tested over Chapter 4 on Tuesday, December 5. I will be in Chicago Wednesday through Friday this week at the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics conference, so I will not be available for extra help this week; however, Mrs. Blake will be available for limited help in the mornings starting at 7:45.

8th grade Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue the second part of Chapter 11 by learning about the Pythagorean Theorem and its Converse (11.4).  There will be a quiz on sections 11.3-11.4 on Thursday.

8th grade Geometry - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue Chapter 5 by learning about perpendicular bisectors in triangles and their properties (5.2) and angle bisectors in triangles and their properties (5.3).

8th grade Physical Science - Mr. Cooper

Next week we will cover Chapter 8 in the textbook (pages 218-232).  We will have a lab on concentration of gases on Thursday.  We will have a quiz on Chapter 8, Sections 1 and 2 on Friday.  There will be a pop quiz on Chapter 7 sections 1 and 2.  

8th grade English Language Arts - Mrs. O’Connor

As we wrap up our study of To Kill a Mockingbird, students will view the film and compose an essay drawing on ideas from both the film and the movie.  This essay will be a major process paper that will be due before the winter break.  We will also discuss using strong verbs as we work through the writing process.

8th grade History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English

Hope you all had a great break! Looking forward to starting our World War I unit. This week we will discuss the events that led to World War I and the main countries involved. Students will learn about the major technological advances during the war and how strategies and technology were at odds at the expense of the soldiers and citizens. Readings and homework will come from Chapter 21-Sections 1 & 2. Students should also start thinking about WWI research topics that they would like to work on for a future project.   

8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 8th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 3A. Using irregular preterite verbs and direct object pronouns, students will create and describe the ideal “barrio”. We will also discuss the significance of the International Sister Cities program. The grammar quiz will be Tuesday, December 5th.

7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

7th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

This week in Algebra, we will wrap up Chapter 4 by graphing using slope-intercept form. On Wednesday and Thursday, students will complete an Algebra Writing Assessment in class.  On Friday, students will work through practice problems on IXL.com from chapter 4 in preparation for their Chapter 4 test on Tuesday, December 5.  I will be in Chicago Wednesday through Friday this week at the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics conference, so I will not be available for extra help this week; however, Mrs. Blake will be available for limited help in the mornings starting at 7:45.

7th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue the second half of Chapter 4 by learning about zero exponents and negative exponents (4.6).  We will also begin learning about scientific notation and converting numbers to and from scientific notation as well as comparing numbers in scientific notation (4.7).  There will be a short quiz covering sections 4.5-4.6 on Thursday.

7th grade History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English

This week students will continue their study of the American Revolution. Topics covered include impacts of the French and Indian War, the taxation acts, and colonial views of taxation. Homework and readings will come from Chapter 5.1-2. Students are also continuing their taxes simulation and learning about the role taxes serve in society. Looking forward to a great week!

   

7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 7th grade will continue to work with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 7A. We will discuss traditional clothing and currency in different Spanish-speaking countries. Students will begin their “desfile de moda” or fashion show project as well. The grammar quiz will be Tuesday, December 5th.

7th Grade ELA - Mrs. Boyer

Parents! This week students will be learning about Gerund Phrases compared to Participle Phrases. Students will be learning about Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Iambic Pentameter, and they will be creating their own Sonnets in class. For the next three weeks Students will be learning about Poetry, the vocabulary, the types of forms, multiple writers, etc. Students will be reading, analyzing, critiquing and annotating poems from Robert Frost, E.E. Cummings, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, William Blake and Edgar Allen Poe. Students will be assigned (by the end of this week) a poetry project which they will be working on in class which will be due on December 11th. The Unit 5 Vocab Quiz is on December 8th. The Poetry test will be on December 13th.

7th grade Life Science - Ms. Hoffman

Welcome back from a wonderful Thanksgiving break!  Over the last few weeks, students have been learning about genetics, including Punnett Squares, heredity and, most recently, chromosomes and cell division.  This week we will continue learning about mitosis and then will will focus on the other chapter 5 topics of meiosis and DNA.  We will have a quiz on this chapter on Wednesday, 12/ 6.  Our November Science in Comics is due this Thursday, 11/30.  The following Thursday, 12/7 is our all day laboratory field trip to Skidaway Aquarium to participate in a fish dissection and plankton study.  Field trip permission slip forms should go home with students this Friday, 12/1.

6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

6th grade Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon

This week in math, we will wrap up Chapter 4 by comparing and ordering fractions, mixed numbers, and improper fractions as well as converting between fractions and decimals.  On Friday, students will be practicing problems on IXL.com from chapter 4 in preparation for their Chapter 4 test that will take place on Wednesday, December 6.  I will be in Chicago Wednesday through Friday this week at the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics conference, so I will not be available for extra help this week; however, Mrs. Blake will be available for limited help in the mornings starting at 7:45.

6th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue the second half of Chapter 4 by learning about zero exponents and negative exponents (4.6).  We will also begin learning about scientific notation and converting numbers to and from scientific notation as well as comparing numbers in scientific notation (4.7).  There will be a short quiz covering sections 4.5-4.6 on Thursday.

6th grade ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim

Literature: We will be working on a short poetry unit. Quiz over poetry terms changed to 12/1 (Friday).

Grammar:  Continue to work on: Simple, Compound, Complex, Run-on sentences, Compound/Complex, and Comma Splices

Writing: Writing a variety of sentences

Vocabulary: List 6 distributed on 11/30. Quiz 12/7.

Reading Log: Reading for the reading log begins for Trimester Two this weekend. 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. Reading log minutes for 6th grade are due Wednesday, February 21.

6th grade Earth Science - Ms. Hoffman

Welcome back from a wonderful Thanksgiving Break!  Students have been learning about potential and kinetic energy and the various forms it can come in, including thermal, chemical, electrical and wave. Tuesday and Wednesday will be a hands-on energy lab creating and observing some of these energy conversions. We are also focusing on renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and our human impact on the environment. On Thursday 11/30, students will be given a rubric to begin their energy source project.  (I will also post this on google classroom that day.) Research will be conducted in class, but the project will be created at home and then presented to the class in mid-December.  The project and our test on energy will be Wednesday, December 13th.  Our November Science in Comic is also due this Thursday, 11/30.

6th Grade Ancient Civ -  Mrs. Boyer

Parents!! This week we will be working on a compare and contrast essay that discusses the student’s learning of Egyptian culture and religion to that of scenes from The Prince of Egypt. The students will also be working on a Egyptian Packet full of articles, activities, and maps from which they will incorporate their knowledge from their notes into an interactive and collaborative activity. The Ancient Egyptian Quiz will be on December 4th and the test will be on December 8th.

6th Grade Spanish - Ms. Dubick

Hello parents! The students will be working on making a family tree in Spanish.  They will need to bring in printouts of photos of family members or people who are like family to them. I can make color copies of originals if they need.

Next week we’re going to cover the calendar and seasons, while also working to use ser and estar for descriptions.  We’ll be starting Charlie y La Fabrica de Chocolate (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) soon!

Every Wednesday and Friday morning before school I’ll be doing extra help sessions to reinforce what we are covering, any students who feel they could use the additional support are welcome to come.  

I have added a class Quizlet, students should use this resource to help them review.

MS Art - Mrs. Cookson

This week we will start to learn about the art of collage. Students will have some time to explore the medium and then work on a self-portrait. We will also focus on the responsibility surrounding this new station. I think the students will have fun with this tactile way of making.

CLUBS

Science Club

Last week our 2nd Semester science club students used a baby food jar, marble and heavy cream to make butter.  We used the marble to increase the agitation inside the jar causing the milk fat colloid molecules to stick together quicker.  The students noticed the sound and texture changing as the liquid became a solid and then tasted their creations with some crackers.

Upcoming Events

NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD

> Monday - November, 20
Thanksgiving Feast at 12:50pm.  Thank you to all the parents who are helping to make this event a success!

> Tuesday - November, 21
Community Service Day from 8:30am-12:00pm.  Students will depart HDS at 8:20am and spend ½ the morning helping at Second Harvest and ½ the morning having a wildlife encounter at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. ALL STUDENTS WILL BE PICKED UP BY PARENTS AT OATLAND ISLAND WILDLIFE CENTER AT 11:45am.

> Wednesday - November, 29

Second Annual High School Fair from 6:00pm-8:00pm in Hancock Hall.   This is the perfect opportunity for 7th and 8th grade families to learn about area high schools and get their questions answered about the admissions process by the high school counselors.  

> Thursday - December, 7

Fall Sports Banquet at 6:30pm in Bell Gymnasium.

November 13 - November 17

NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD

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 Ms. Ross in the Middle School Office.

Cell Phones - gotta have one!

As always, we ask that unless a cell phone is needed for a specific assignment they not be brought to school.  On days where a cell phone is needed, students are required to leave them in the Middle School office.

Party On!

The first Middle School dance is scheduled for Friday, November 17th from 6:30pm-8:30pm in Hancock Hall.  The theme is Out of This World.  Pizza and drinks will be provided by Student Government!  Admission is 5 food items for our food drive!

Report Cards Are Coming

Report cards will be emailed home on Thursday, November 16th.  

Basketball Kickoff Night

We have had a very successful football season! Congratulations to our 2017 SPAL Champions! We are ready to experience some great success with our basketball teams. To kick off the season, we will have a night of recognition and celebration of our 8 teams and their coaches. Each team will have an opportunity to demonstrate what they are learning from their coaches and show off their skills as a team. This celebration will take place on November 16 at 6PM in William Bell Gymnasium.

Thanksgiving Feast

The Middle School will enjoy a Feast prepared by Barnes on Monday, November 20th at 12:50.  Mrs. Cook is looking for 6th grade parents to volunteer at this event.  Volunteers would decorate and set tables at 12:00 and serve at 12:50.  If you could spare an hour or two, please contact Paige Cook at pcook@hancockdayschool.org.

Hancock Day School Remembers our Veterans

The Hancock Honor Wall is taking shape to honor our veterans.  If you have not already done so, please discuss as a family the significance of Veteran’s Day. On a 3x5 card or paper of similar size, write the name of a person(s) you would like to honor along with any thoughts or memories. Send the cards to school with your child so they can be added to the wall.

Hancock Day School Community Service Day

November 21, 2017 (8:30am-12:00pm)

   
The Middle School will be performing community service work at Second Harvest and completing a workshop at Oatland Island Wildlife Center on Tuesday, November 21st!  We are looking for volunteer drivers to transport the students. Volunteers will need to stay with the students. Please call ext. 315 or email Madison Ross (mross@hancockdayschool.org) in the MS Office to sign up as a driver!

8th Grade Fundraiser

Wondering what you are going to feed the kids for dinner in-between shuffling everyone to their activities?  Wondering where you can get a quick snack for everyone after school? Well, the 8th graders have the answer!  The HDS 8th graders are selling McDonald’s coupon books to raise money for their Washington D.C. trip in the Spring!  The books are up to $30.00 in value for ONLY $5.00 and can be redeemed at any Chatham or Effingham County McDonald’s.  Please help support our 8th grade in this fundraising effort.  Books will be available for purchase from any 8th grade student, at school events. Students are responsible for selling their books.  Any books that are are not sold are to be returned to the Middle School office.

High School Fair

We are very excited to be having our second annual High School Fair November 29th from 6:00pm to 7:00pm in Hancock Hall! Many schools will be in attendance, giving the students a diverse look at all of their high school options. During advisory, the 8th grade will be preparing for talking to the representatives, what questions they want to ask, and how they want to express themselves as future students. This is a great opportunity for our families and students! If you have any questions, please email Ms. Pedrick, our school counselor, at apedrick@hancockdayschool.org.

8TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

8th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra we will continue in Chapter 4 by graphing using intercepts and finding slope and rate of change.  On Wednesday, we will review for the chapter quiz that will take place on Thursday over sections 1-4.  On Friday, we will do a fun activity in class involving slope.

8th grade Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete Chapter 11.1-11.2 by having 2 days of review and then the test on Wednesday.  We will then learn how to solve radical equations (11.3).

8th grade Geometry - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete Chapter 4 by learning about using translations, reflections, and rotations in the coordinate plane (4.8).  We will then have a day of review and the Chapter 4 test on Thursday.  Then we will begin Chapter 5 by learning about midsegments in triangles (5.1).

8th grade Physical Science - Mr. Cooper

Next week we will cover Chapter 7 in the textbook (pages 190-211)  Section 1 will cover chemical reactions in more detail.  We will focus on the difference between endothermic and exothermic reactions. Section 2 will cover reaction rates.  The focus will be on slowing down and speeding up reactions. We will have a quiz on Sections 1 and 2 when we come back from Thanksgiving Break.  The exact date TBA.  

8th grade English Language Arts - Mrs. O’Connor

Students will finish reading To Kill a Mockingbird just in time for the Thanksgiving Break.  As we conclude the text students will examine major themes and symbolism.  Students will take an open-book assessment over the entire novel on Friday, November 17th.

8th grade History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English

This week students will look at the Progressive Era and the many changes that American citizens tried to make in society. We will read articles and excerpts from famous muckrakers, like Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and look at Jacob Riis’ photographs from How the Other Half Lives. We will have a quiz on Friday over Chapter 19.1 & 2.

8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8th grade will continue to work with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 3A. Students will learn about different communities in Spanish-speaking countries and describe the cultural characteristics of the barrios in Argentina. There will be a graded listening activity midweek and the vocabulary quiz will be Friday, November 17th.

7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

7th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra we will continue in Chapter 4 by graphing using intercepts and finding slope and rate of change.  On Wednesday, we will review for the chapter quiz that will take place on Thursday over sections 1-4.  On Friday, we will do a fun activity in class involving slope.

7th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete the first part of Chapter 4 by learning how to find the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of numbers and monomials (4.4).  We will then have a day of review on Wednesday and the Chapter 4.1-4.4 test on Thursday.  We will then start learning about the rules of exponents (4.5).

7th grade History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English

This week students will begin their study of conflicting ideologies in the American colonies, representative government and the institution of slavery. Students will see how freedoms and rights were given to some, but restricted from others. We will have a short quiz on Friday over Chapter 4.1 & 2. Looking forward to a great week!

   

7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes

Next week the 7th grade will 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 Friday, November 17th.

7th Grade ELA - Mrs. Boyer

This week we will be finishing the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, starting Vocabulary Unit 5, writing a compare and contrast essay on Light versus Dark throughout Tolkien’s world (Due November 20th), and learning about Gerund Phrases, Participles, and Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. Students will be completing The Hobbit and having a take-home test which will be completed over the week. Starting in the Second Trimester, students will be having small quiz-like activities to complete throughout the week during each class. These Exit-Tickets will act as classwork/homework grades and will serve as a guide to me towards understanding student’s comprehension. Looking forward to a great week! Chapter 16-19 Due on Monday! :) Only 32 pages!!

7th grade Life Science - Ms. Hoffman

What a great First Trimester!  Students finished up their in-class science exam project on the immune system by creating a “Most Wanted” poster for a specific pathogen that causes a dangerous disease.  Each student studied something different, and learned about other diseases during our class presentations Thursday 11/9. We will then display them all in the hallway to share our knowledge with the rest of the middle school.  For the project students also completed some enrichment worksheets and chapter review handouts about our immune system and how it works to protect us.  For Second Trimester we will begin a unit on Genetics, which will include learning about genes, chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, Punnett Squares and much more.  Our new syllabus should go home on Monday 11/13 to be returned signed by parents for their first 100 homework grade of our new marking period.

     

   

6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS

6th grade Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon

Next week in math we will continue in Chapter 4 by learning about equivalent fractions and least common multiple.  On Wednesday, we will review for the chapter quiz that will take place on Thursday over sections 1-4.  On Friday, we will do an activity involving least common multiple and greatest common factor.

6th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete the first part of Chapter 4 by learning how to find the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of numbers and monomials (4.4).  We will then have a day of review on Wednesday and the Chapter 4.1-4.4 test on Thursday.  We will then start learning about the rules of exponents (4.5).

6th grade ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim

Literature: We will be working on a short poetry unit. Quiz over poetry terms on 11/30.

Grammar: Simple, Compound, Complex, Run-on sentences and Comma Splices

Writing:

Vocabulary: The introduction of List 6 will be the week after Thanksgiving.

Reading Log: Reading for the reading log begins for Trimester Two this weekend. 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. Reading log minutes for 6th grade are due Wednesday, February 21.

6th grade Earth Science - Ms. Hoffman

All the students did a great job wrapping up our First Trimester with our weather unit and our Severe Weather Project.  Students worked in small groups and created a google slides presentation, hands-on activity and test questions on a specific type of storm.  Then they “taught” their information and shared their activity or demonstration with the rest of the class.  All of the groups worked hard and did a wonderful job.  I definitely enjoyed being a “student” while they shared their knowledge with the class.  Our next unit of study will be on the various forms of energy and energy resources, including renewable and nonrenewable resources and our human impact on the environment. The new Second Trimester syllabus should go home on Monday 11/13 to be returned signed by parents for their first 100 homework grade of our new marking period.

    

 

     

 

6th Grade Ancient Civ -  Mrs. Boyer

This week we will be learning about the Egyptian culture!! Students will be taking notes, interacting with fun mummification activities, and collaborating over videos using compare and contrast methodology. Students will have a quiz over Lesson 1 and labeling ‘new’ additions to the map on Thursday.

6th Grade Spanish - Ms. Dubick

Hello parents! The students have completed some really creative board games to illustrate their understanding of everything they have covered this trimester.  I’m very impressed! Next week we’re going to cover the calendar and seasons, while also working to use ser and estar for descriptions.  We’ll be starting Charlie y La Fabrica de Chocolate (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) soon! Every Wednesday and Friday morning before school I’ll be doing extra help sessions to reinforce what we are covering, any students who feel they could use the additional support are welcome to come. I have added a class Quizlet, students should use this resource to help them review.

MS Art - Mrs. Cookson

There are some interesting hidden worlds coming to fruition. Students will get to start to explore collage this week. They will work on an abstract self-portrait. Let’s hope the discipline of cleaning up continues with this new venture.

CLUBS

Science Club

This week in science club students made helicopter twirlers.  They experimented with different sizes and added paper clips for weight to see if it affected the speed of the propellers as we dropped them off the top of a stepstool. Here are some of their twirlers: