NOTES FROM MR. CRAWFORD
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 continue in Chapter 9 by finding special products of polynomials as well as solving polynomials equations in factored form. We will begin reviewing for the Chapter 9 test towards the end of the week. Students should expect the Chapter 9 test on Wednesday, April 18. A challenge problem will be distributed on Monday, April 16 and will be due on Monday, April 23.
8th grade Advanced Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue reviewing topics from Algebra 1 by reviewing exponent rules on Monday and having a quiz on exponents on Tuesday. We will then learn about point-slope form of linear equations and equations of parallel and perpendicular lines.
8th grade Geometry - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will continue Chapter 11 by learning about how the perimeters and areas of similar figures relate to each other (11.3). We will also learn how to find the circumference, area, and sectors of circles (11.4-11.5) and how to find the area of any regular polygon (11.6). There will be a quiz covering sections 11.1-11.5 on Wednesday.
8th grade Physical Science - Mr. Cooper
This week students will play an in class review game on Monday. The Waves Unit Test is on Tuesday. We will then get into electric motors!
8th grade English Language Arts - Mrs. O’Connor
In the week ahead we’ll continue to work on watch and discuss Romeo and Juliet. We’ll review major themes from the play, and a test over the play will be given on Thursday, April 19th. ***Notice that this is a change from the previously announced test date of Tuesday, April 17th.*** Vocabulary will be included in a separate assessment in the future. It will NOT included in Thursday’s test.
8th grade History & Gov’t II - Mrs. English
What a great week of research! Your students learned how to create a collaborative World War II Encyclopedia with hyperlinks! This week we will be putting the finishing touches on that project, working on the yarn art project, and beginning our unit on the Cold War. In other news, the end of the year is right around the corner. As a final summative assessment, the 8th grade will complete an ancestry project. We will not start this for many weeks, but you might want to start thinking about a family member or friend that you would like to research for your ancestry project.
8th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes
Next week in Spanish the 8th grade will continue working with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 5B. Students will work with the imperfect progressive tense and irregular preterite verbs to describe accidents that occurred in the past. The vocabulary quiz will be Monday, April 16th and the grammar quiz will be Friday, April 20th.
7TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
7th grade Algebra 1 - Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra, we will continue in Chapter 9 by finding special products of polynomials as well as solving polynomials equations in factored form. We will begin reviewing for the Chapter 9 test towards the end of the week. Students should expect the Chapter 9 test on Wednesday, April 18. A challenge problem will be distributed on Monday, April 16 and will be due on Monday, April 23.
7th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will complete Chapter 8 by having 2 days of review on Monday and Tuesday and then having a test covering sections 8.7-8.9 on Wednesday. We will then begin Chapter 9 by learning about square roots of non-negative real numbers (9.1).
7th grade History & Gov’t I - Mrs. English
We made great progress on our government research. This week we will put finishing touches on our research and make final edits on our thesis statements. We will also begin studying Andrew Jackson’s presidency and the impact western expansion had on American Indians. Students will specifically explore the Cherokee Indians of Northern Georgia and the Trail of Tears. Lastly, we will watch part of the PBS series We Shall Remain about the Cherokees. Looking forward to a great week!
7th grade Spanish - Ms. Hughes
Next week in Spanish 7th grade will continue to work with the grammar and vocabulary from Chapter 9B. Students will also work with the verbs conocer and saber.Using all the new information from Chapter 9B, students will invent helpful products for popular fictional characters. The vocabulary quiz will be Monday, April 16th.
7th Grade ELA - Mrs./ Boyer
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. So far we have discussed propaganda and the themes of Orwell’s writing. Students should be critically analyzing the media and realizing that whoever controls the media controls the mind.
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.
There will be a vocabulary test on 5/2 and a 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 will be coming home with a ‘Book Club Contract’ which will explain everything; parents need to sign this and return Monday/Tuesday. We will begin with our first Book Club activity on Monday. We will be looking at the themes of Orwell’s thought process while writing Animal Farm and his views of society.
Sudents will also be working on multiple IXL activities in class in order to better prepare them for the ELA section on the ERB (discovering word meanings through context, analyzing informational text, picking out the thesis statement/main idea in a story or paper, etc.)
Throughout next week students will be working through the vocabulary in Animal Farm and diving into introduction activities regarding Orwell and Chapter 1 & 2.
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.
Students need to be prepared for class everyday, which means bringing their novel, journal and a writing utensil.
7th grade Life Science - Ms. Hoffman
Our 7th graders have been doing a great job learning about the world of invertebrates. We are looking at preserved specimens and video footage to help in our discussion about these unique organisms, many of which are local to our area. We have finished discussing segmented worms, such as the earthworm and leech, including why they are important. This week our primary focus has been the arthropods (insects, arachnids, crustaceans, milli /centipedes). We are exploring how to tell various groups apart by external body structure, such as the number of legs, body segments and antenna, as well as, the internal differences in circulatory and digestive systems. Animal behaviors, adaptations and feeding habits are also good indicators that separate groups.
Next week we will investigate our last group of invertebrates, the echinoderms (sea stars, sand dollars, sea urchins). We will also have a specimen lab to look more closely at examples of the mollusks, annelids, arthropods and echinoderms. Our Invertebrate Unit Test (both chapters 12 and 13) will be on Thursday, April 19th. Students will need to know the major differences between the groups and how they have become more complex in body design, behavior and adaptations. They will get a study guide on Monday to help them organize this information from their notes. Students will then have another mini-lab on Friday 4/20.
6TH GRADE ASSIGNMENTS
6th grade Accelerated Math 7 - Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Accelerated Math 7, we will continue in Chapter 9 by learning percent of increase and decrease, as well as some real world applications such as discounts, mark ups, tax, and tips. We will review on Wednesday, April 18 and will take the Chapter 9 Test on Thursday, April 19. A challenge problem will be distributed on Monday, April 16 and will be due on Monday, April 23.
6th grade Pre-Algebra - Mr. Lanfear - Week of April 16th
Next week we will complete Chapter 8 by having 2 days of review on Monday and Tuesday and then having a test covering sections 8.7-8.9 on Wednesday. We will then begin Chapter 9 by learning about square roots of non-negative real numbers (9.1).
6th grade ELA - Mrs. Guggenheim
Literature: We’ve finished our intro of Anne Frank. We will begin reading the play and making entries into an online journal.
Grammar: Pronoun test is scheduled for 4/16. Concepts include: subject, object, possessive, indefinite, reflexive, intensive, and vague pronouns as well as change in shift and antecedents. Their handouts are their study guide as well as slide presentations in GC and IXL practice.
Writing:
Vocabulary: Anne Frank 21-word project - 7 words a week for three weeks. Each set of seven is due on the next three Mondays. Working on one word a night will make it stress free! The second set of 7 words is due 4/16.
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
Last Friday, 4/6 we finished up our week with a mini-lab observing marine organisms living under a floating dock. Students picked their own sample and used a basic identification guide to try and identify what whey saw under the microscope or with their naked eye. They then drew the variety of organisms they saw. (See the pictures below.) We found many interesting creatures, including a sea spider, crabs, various types of small shrimp, copepods, hydras, water fleas and sea squirts.
This week students have worked in groups to create an Ocean World diorama showing the various ocean land features and ocean water zones and animals we have been studying. They are also finishing up a short film sharing and explaining this information They will either create a “tour” of this unique habitat or conduct “interviews” with some of the organisms that live there or produce a “newscast” about an event happening in this environment. We hope to have these ready to share during our upcoming Film Festival next week. Next week we will also finish up discussing ocean pollution and then review for our Oceans Unit Test (chapters 18 and 19) on Thursday, 4/19.
6th Grade Ancient Civ - Mrs. Boyer
This week we will be reviewing Chapter 9 in preparation for the quiz on 4/18. Students have received a Ch. 9 study guide and an extra-practice notes guide. Students also received the quiz format.
Students will be working with partners to create their own myths using their knowledge of Greek gods/goddesses, leaders, and philosophers.
**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:
4/18: Ch. 8 L3 and L4 and Chapter 9 quiz
4/19-4/24: Project
4/25: Greek Unit Test
5/10: Rome Quiz
5/18: Rome Unit Test
The Exam for Ancient Civ has been changed to an activity.
Hello Parents and Students! The sixth graders are working on a group interview project, due Tuesday. They will have ample class time to complete it. We’ll continue to work with the verb Gustar with activities and with food.
4/17 present interviews
4/18 Quiz
4/24 Test
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
Whew, we made it through testing, and are ready to get back on track.
8th grade: Will finish up pointillism paintings and move into Sgraffito. What is sgraffito? Ask your 8th grader to explain. It will help to reinforce the art form.
7th grade: Will continue with the final round of the concert poster. Stay tuned for what comes next.
6th grade: Will continue to work on their 1-point perspective drawing skills.
CLUBS
Science Club
No Clubs this week due to ERB testing.
