NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD
2018 Fall Sports Signing Day Celebration
On Friday April 27th, sixth and seventh grade students received a letter from The Athletic Director regarding Hancock's first Signing Day Celebration that is scheduled for May 11th. To ensure that you child is recognized in the assembly this letter must be completed and returned by Friday May 4th. The letter can be found HERE.
On Friday April 27th, sixth and seventh grade students received a letter from The Athletic Director regarding Hancock's first Signing Day Celebration that is scheduled for May 11th. To ensure that you child is recognized in the assembly this letter must be completed and returned by Friday May 4th. The letter can be found HERE.
All School Half Day
Friday May 4th is an all school half day and there will be no extended. Middle School afternoon carpool will begin at 12:00pm.
Important Dates for all Families!
All middle school students were provided information regarding end of year events with dates and times in Homeroom on Friday, April 19th. In addition, a field trip permission form was given to be signed and returned to the Homeroom Teacher by Thursday, May 24th. The information can also be found HERE.
Important Dates for 8th Grade Families!
8th grade students were given packets with important graduation items in Homeroom on Friday, April 19th. The packets included: a letter from Mr. Crawford with graduation information, end of year events with dates and times, diploma information form, Field Day permission form, invitations w/ envelopes, and a graduation picture form. The information can also be found HERE. Diploma Forms are due May 1. Picture Pre-Order Forms are due May 23. Field Day Permission Forms are due May 24.
Lunch with Ms. Pedrick
7th grade boys lunch groups will start next week - Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Community Service
Hancock Day School has encouraged student involvement in serving the community since it was founded. The Community Service Program at HDS was established to prepare our students for a lifetime of service to others. We hope to provide them with the opportunity to experience firsthand the pleasure of helping others while developing their communication, leadership, and decision making skills. Middle School Students are expected to complete a minimum of 10 hours of community service each school year. Please document service hours on the HDS Community Service Log and submit to Madison Ross in the MS office.
8TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
8th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra, we will begin Chapter 10 by learning all about quadratic equations and functions. We will rely heavily on the graphing calculators for this chapter! We will do the first three sections in chapter 10 and then on Thursday we will do an activity.
8th grade Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will complete our review of solving systems of linear equations by learning how to solve by elimination, having a day of review on Wednesday, and having a quiz on Thursday.
8th grade Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue Chapter 12 by discovering how to calculate the surface area of prisms and cylinders (12.2) and the surface area of pyramids and cones (12.3). There will be a quiz on surface area (12.1-12.3) on Thursday.
8th grade Physical Science - Mr. Cooper
Next week I will be on the 5th grade field trip Monday through Wednesday. Ms. Blake will be covering my class. A packet of work will be assigned as well as a virtual lab. No assessments will be given this week.
8th grade English Language Arts - Mrs. O’Connor
In the week ahead students will select topics for their research projects and review vocabulary for our test on Tuesday, May 1st. More details about the research project will be distributed early next week. Please don’t forget to be keeping up with your reading log!
8th grade History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English
This week in American history we will start our Protest unit. This unit will cover ways to protest and the major themes of protest in 1960s America. The largest portions of this unit will cover the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-war protest against Vietnam. Students finished cutting yarn for our World War II casualties memorial. They will continue weaving their canvases this week. Here are a few pictures of our progress!
8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes
Next week in Spanish the 8th grade will continue to work with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 7A. We will be working with negative commands, formal commands and the impersonal se. They will also talk about indoor and outdoor celebrations, food preferences, and write about food and cookouts. The vocabulary quiz will be Thursday, May 3rd.
7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
7th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra, we will begin Chapter 10 by learning all about quadratic equations and functions. We will rely heavily on the graphing calculators for this chapter! We will do the first three sections in chapter 10 and then on Thursday we will do an activity.
7th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will complete Chapter 9 by having a day of review on Monday and having a Chapter 9 test (only covering sections 9.1-9.4) on Tuesday. We will then begin Chapter 10 by learning about angles in triangles and finding perimeter (10.1) as well as the names of different polygons and the properties of special quadrilaterals (10.2).
7th grade History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English
This week we continuing our research on Native American tribes. Students will need their research and trifolds complete for our research fair on Thursday, May 3rd. Guidelines and examples for the project are located on Google Classroom. Please reference the pacing guide as you go through the research process. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are workdays. Looking forward to a great week!
7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes
Next week in Spanish the 7th grade will wrap up Chapter 9B and the test will be Tuesday, May 1st. Students will begin working with the future tense. We will use this tense to talk about plans, professions, and make predictions. Students will investigate possible careers according to their likes and dislikes, and discuss ways to improve the environment for future generations.
7th Grade ELA - Mrs./ Boyer
Next week:
Students will continue work on their research paper (Due April 30th), which they have already been researching in Mrs. English’s History class.
Animal Farm! We will be working through the novel study a bit differently this trimester; all students will be put into book club groups where they will create their own reading schedule based on book club meeting dates, activities, and assessments. Students will be journaling five nights a week in order to thoroughly respond and participate in discussions and activities.
Students have assigned their reading in their clubs and have begun completing centralized activities in regards to focused objectives. This coming week we will be discussing the themes and motifs within the novel and we will be creating a timeline of events in order for the students to more fully visualize the plot and the characters.
This past week students created their own political cartoon that addressed issues in Animal Farm (social class, enforcing policy, fairness/equality, etc.).
Students have also been completing journal entries each week in order to further their thinking and practice their writing. I really want students to be focusing on what they get out of the reading rather than plot summary. This week they stapled/pasted a ‘Response Starter’ into their journals to help start their journal responses.
There will be a vocabulary/character test on 5/2 and a full novel assessment on 5/11. Quizzes and writing assignments will be used to analyze the students progress in regards to critical thinking. Students need to be prepared for 8th grade next year and this new way of learning is a strategy which will prepare them for next year’s ELA class.
Students need to be prepared for class everyday, which means bringing their novel, journal and a writing utensil.
Reading Logs for T3 are due May 17th. Students will have about two to three class period which will be designated for independent reading. Students may not read any class assigned material, but they may bring something from home (magazines, novels, short stories, etc.) If they do not come to class prepared for independent reading, they may check a book out of the classroom library.
7th grade Life Science - Ms. Hoffman
Students finished up last week participating in a mini-lab observing invertebrate organisms who live on a floating dock. (see photos below) Students used a basic dock guide packet and microscopes to help with identification and then drew the examples they observed. These included sea squirts, hydroids, bryozoan, grass shrimp, scuds, worms and other small creatures.
This week we started discussing the Phylum Chordata, which contains the vertebrates. The largest group, Fish, are also the most primitive. We are discussing the 3 main groups (jawless, cartilaginous and bony), including their basic characteristics and adaptations. Our next vertebrate group will be the Amphibians. As part of this content, we will be dissecting a frog. The specimens are on order and their arrival will dictate exactly when this lab will happen, probably the week after next. We are utilizing chapter 14 in our textbook and will have a quiz next week on either Thursday 5/3 or Friday, 5/4. Don’t forget our last Science in Comic assignment is due Monday, April 30th. Students also have the option to complete one or two extra Comics for additional homework credit.
6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
6th grade Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Accelerated Math 7, we will continue in Chapter 10 by taking a closer look at polygons and determining how to find similar and congruent polygons, as well as using proportions to solve these problems. On Thursday, we will do a quick activity dealing with congruent polygons.
6th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will complete Chapter 9 by having a day of review on Monday and having a Chapter 9 test (only covering sections 9.1-9.4) on Tuesday. We will then begin Chapter 10 by learning about angles in triangles and finding perimeter (10.1) as well as the names of different polygons and the properties of special quadrilaterals (10.2).
6th grade ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim
Literature: Continue reading The Diary of Anne Frank and making entries into an online journal. Begin Act 2.
Grammar: Continue proofreading practice and begin homonyms.
Writing:
Vocabulary: Anne Frank 21-word project - The students should review my comments and edit their slides for a project grade. The project is due 4/30.
Greek/Latin List 10 + 7 SAT words distributed 4/26. Quiz 5/3
As of now, I have scheduled the remaining assessments for the rest of the year. Though they may change, I wanted to give a heads up: Vocab: List 11 + 7 SAT words 5/11; Grammar: Quiz over proofing/editing/homonyms 5/17; Anne Frank unit test 5/15.
Reading Log: Reading for the reading log begins for Trimester Three will begin on Feb 28th. 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 Friday, May 17th.
6th grade Earth Science - Ms. Hoffman
Welcome to Astronomy!! After an overview of Earth in Space vocabulary such as axis, rotation, revolution, seasons, equinox and solstice, we have begun learning about satellites and how they orbit. Our current focus is our natural satellite, the moon. We will review eclipses, characteristics of the moon and moon phases. Students will also discuss space travel and its’ application, and we will have a quiz on this material on Wednesday, May 2nd. The end of next week students will complete a two day lab culminating in an Egg Drop competition.
6th Grade Ancient Civ - Mrs. Boyer
Coming up...We will be venturing into Roman Times!!!
**Students should begin studying new material every night for five to seven minutes in order to prepare for these assessments. If a student is studying every night for five to seven minutes (something as little as discussing what they learned at the dinner table), they have a better chance at comprehending the content for a test. A student should never JUST start studying for an assessment two to three days before. Studying is an on-going process.
Study strategies: Create flash-cards, create a graphic organizer, create an outline, create a quizlet, brainstorm the essays beforehand, have a study party with friends, create your own quiz/test and take it without your notes, USE THE FILL IN THE BLANK NOTES TO QUIZ YOURSELF ON WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, come in for extra help with SPECIFIC questions.
All materials will be on GC.
Assessment Dates:
5/10: Rome Quiz
5/18: Rome Unit Test
The Exam for Ancient Civ has been changed to an activity.
6th Grade Spanish - Ms. Dubick
Hello Parents and Students! The sixth graders will be learning body parts and reviewing numbers next week, which will be integrated into a fun project!
EXTRA HELP:
Every MONDAY and WEDNESDAY 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 also hold study sessions the morning before any assessment. STUDENTS SHOULD EMAIL IF THEY ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND
MS Art - Mrs. Cookson
“Creativity takes courage.” - Henri Matisse
8th grade: The Sgraffito designs are flowing, and students will get into making their tiles this week.
7th grade: If the supplies arrive on time, then we will work on Faux Stained glass in collaboration with math. If no supplies show up, we will work on figure drawing.
6th grade: Will wrap up 1-point perspective drawings, and finish them off with color.
CLUBS
Science Club
Marshmallow catapults...what’s not to love! First, stuedents looked at and discussed different types of catapults. Then each pair of students was given a bag of materials to construct their own catapult. The materials included a plastic spoon, small plastic cup, paper clip, rubber band, pipecleaner, straw, index card, wooden ruler, craft stick and tape. Most groups finished constructing their catapults and we will test them next week for both distance and accuracy.
