Announcements: Jan. 21-24, 2014

7th graders show off their timeline projects!

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

NOTES FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Short week next week so we can celebrate the life of Martin Luther King. New clubs will be starting on Wednesday. Offerings will be chess, dance, film, reading for pleasure/quiet study, board games, Junior National Honor Society and student government.

Our new basketball goal has arrived and is ready for use!  This should expand the activities available to students during their lunch break.  I am working with the President of Student Government and his team to define what other items/games we can put in our area.

HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATIONS

The first group of high school applications were delivered today to St. Andrews.  Next Friday marks the deadline for Savannah Country Day. The high school team is working with families to complete recommendations and assemble documents for this process.  As mentioned before, completed applications are then mailed directly to the high school from the HDS main office.  If you have not yet informed us of your plans, please do so as soon as possible. The process of assembling a quality application with recommendations and supporting documents takes a couple of days and we prioritize them by deadline.  If you need more information, please do not hesitate to call.

FIFTH GRADE VISIT!

On Tuesday, January 21^st the Middle School will host our 5^th grade students for a visit to Middle School classes. The schedule calls for students to join us during our break at 10:20 and then attend short (5 minute) classes from 10:30 – 11:00 to meet our team. Other activities will follow throughout the semester.

BASKETBALL

‘Tis the season!  Our teams are in full swing with games every Tuesday and Thursday and some Saturday mornings.  Not always winning, but ALWAYS EXCITING!  Please come and support our students and teams!

Here at Hancock, we value community service. Here is a segment from a letter by Lily Horton and Caroline Massey explaining their service with the Human Society:

This year we raised money for the Humane Society of a Greater Savannah. We sold rubber              band bracelets from one to two dollars. We decided to do this fundraiser because animals               mean a lot to us. We need to respect them just as we respect others. If there's a will, there's a             way!

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Sixth graders have a quiz over chapters 4-7 of the The Outsiders on Tuesday, January 21^st.  Questions over chapters seven and eight will be checked on Wednesday, and questions over chapters nine and ten will be checked on Friday.  We will also explore complex sentences in our GUM books and begin working on a persuasive essay.  Remember that our test over The Outsiders is scheduled for Tuesday, January 28^th.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

Next week we will be concluding our study of plate tectonics and moving into a study of earthquakes. Homework due Tuesday is a vocabulary word search worksheet. Homework for Wednesday and Thursday will center on completing an internet lab exercise on earthquakes.  Thursday we will also review for a test on material this semester to date which will be Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will start a new chapter on Space Exploration next week.  The first topic to be addressed is the different types of electromagnetic waves.  They will learn about everything from radio waves to gamma rays and the uses of each.  This information will help as they look at the various instruments used to study space.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish, the 6^th grade will continue to work on their recipes and begin a new chapter. Chapter 3B will talk about food and beverages for dinner, descriptions of what people are like, and health and exercise choices. Students will have a quiz over the new vocabulary on Friday, January 24^th. 

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English
This week in World Civilizations we will continue our discussion about Greek myths. We will begin Chapter 8-Lesson 3 on Greek City States. Students should expect a geography quiz on Mediterranean geography on Friday. Have a nice long weekend!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

I will be checking questions over chapters six, seven, and eight of The Hobbit on Wednesday the 22^nd.  Seventh graders also have a quiz over chapters 5-10 of The Hobbit (and contextual vocabulary) coming up on Thursday the 23^rd.  Additionally we will continue exploring subordinate clauses, types of conjunctions, and complex sentences in our GUM books.  Our test over The Hobbit is scheduled for Thursday, January 30^th.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be learning how to solve absolute value equations and calculate absolute deviation (6.5).  We will then take a quiz at the end of the week on solving compound inequalities and absolute value equations (6.3 – 6.5).

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

This week the seventh graders started their study of invertebrates. Thus far they have learned about sponges.  Next week we will begin the first student led class. Each presentation includes a visual presentation of a phylum with notes. Also the students will administer a quiz on their specific phylum. I have been impressed with how hard they have worked putting together their presentations.  

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will finish presenting their charities and we will wrap up Chapter 8B. They will have a chapter test on Thursday, January 23^rd. On Friday we will begin a new unit discussing entertainment, things you have recently done, and “gustar-like” verbs.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week we will introduce the fighting during the Revolutionary War.  We will see how the colonies united against the biggest empire in the world. Have a nice long weekend!

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Eighth graders are continuing to read The Hound of the Baskervilles.  Students have a quiz over chapters 9-13 coming up on Tuesday, the 21^st, and questions over chapters 11-15 will be checked on Friday, the 24^th.  Next week we will also begin working on an essay in which students will analyze the different ways in which Doyle establishes mood in the novel.  Our test over the book is scheduled for Tuesday, January 28^th.  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth grade will spend next week reviewing the periodic table and valence electrons.  They will learn about Lewis electron dot diagrams and how these diagrams help to illustrate which elements will chemically combine to form compounds.  At the end of the week they will look at the different types of bonding.  

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be learning how to solve absolute value equations and calculate absolute deviation (6.5).  We will then take a quiz at the end of the week on solving compound inequalities and absolute value equations (6.3 – 6.5).

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Intro to Geometry class (Grade 8), we will use our discoveries involving medians of triangles and the centroid to build mobiles whose pieces hang perfectly parallel to the ground.  We will complete our exploration of triangles by discussing the triangle inequality (4.7).  We will then have a day of review and our Chapter 4 test at the end of the week.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will finish presenting their biographies and we will wrap up Chapter 4A. They will have their chapter test on Thursday, January 23^rd. On Friday we will begin a new unit discussing manners, customs, and special events. Students will continue to work with reflexive verbs and the imperfect tense.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will have a  quest on the Legislative Branch on Wednesday. We will also work on our President debate projects where students will debate against each other to determine who is the best American president. Have a nice long weekend!

January 10, 2014

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

 

WINTER ATHLETICS – Our basketball schedule got into full swing this week.  While there a couple of dramatic mismatches, games were exciting and our students represented HDS very well.  When Ms. Edie returns next week we will be sure to have photo coverage!  Please support our students, they REALLY appreciated it!  Game are Tuesday and Thursdays with an abbreviated schedule on Saturday mornings. 

LATE ARRIVAL/EARLY DISMISSAL – A clear expectation of HDS is that we know where your child is at all times!  Another is to keep an accurate school register of student attendance.  To ensure that we are meeting both of these expectations it is critical that we accurately account for a child’s late arrival or early departure.  Therefore, if you are late arriving, please drop your child off at the main door of the Lower School and report to Mrs. Monson.  If you are picking up your child early, please reverse the process picking up your child at the main door of the Lower School.  The Middle School team will try and add some consistency to this process by releasing early dismissals through Mrs. Monson.

HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATIONS – If you have application packets to be completed have your child bring them to Ms. Edie.  She will distribute them to the appropriate teachers and the see that HDS mails the documents to the high school (except for Savannah Arts where they will be returned to the parent).  This will ensure everything is processed accurately and in a timely manner.

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Sixth graders are continuing to read The Outsiders and study contextual vocabulary in the week ahead.  Students have a quiz coming up on Tuesday, January 14^th,  over chapters 1-3.  The quiz will include the vocabulary words we are studying, as well as the grammatical concepts we have practiced this week (Lessons 11 and 12 in GUM).  Students also have questions due over chapters 3-4 on Wednesday, and questions over chapters 5-6 due on Friday.  Students will have reading homework every single night next week, so I encourage them to budget their time carefully in order to ensure that they do not fall behind.
 

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will be solving equations by using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  We will then put all of the operations together to solve 2-step equations.  We will review what we covered Monday through Wednesday in class on Thursday and then the students will take a chapter quiz over sections 7.3-7.5 on Friday (1/17).  If possible, please have your child take advantage of Thursday afternoon tutoring sessions from 3:10-3:30 – they seem to be less crowded than the morning sessions.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

The beginning of the second semester presented several challenges for which I did not plan.  As a result, the schedule that I sent last week never got completed.  For a while we fell behind in some areas and still are.  In another area we are ahead!  Over the weekend I will be rescheduling several items.  At this time I do know that the lab we planned on doing will be on Tuesday.  The quiz that was planned for Friday (which I actually postponed due to a 6^th grade overload!) will be on Wednesday.  The quiz will cover the handouts on Continental Drift, Sea Floor Spreading and Plate Tectonics.  The assignment due Monday will be a question sheet on those three topics.  Further details will be emailed Monday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders just finished their chapter on volcanoes and started a quick research project.  On Wednesday, students will present their specific volcano to the class.  At the end of the week, there will be a quiz on the last two sections of this chapter.  We also will resume our current event presentations next Friday. 
 
6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 6^th grade will continue to work with their new vocabulary from Chapter 3A. Students will begin a project where they will choose one of their favorite recipes and translate it to Spanish. We will then compile everybody’s recipes and create a “Spanish Class Cookbook”. The Chapter 3A test will be on Friday, January 17^th.

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

This week in World Civilizations we will be continuing our study of Ancient Greece.  We will see how the early Greeks developed their culture.  We see how literature like the Odyssey and Greek myths played a huge roll in Greek society.  We will have a Quiz on Chapter 8-Lessons 1 & 2 on Thursday January 16^th. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Seventh graders are busy reading The Hobbit and exploring contextual vocabulary.  Questions over chapters 1-3 are due on Tuesday, January 14^th, and students have a quiz over chapters 1-4 on Wednesday, January 15^th.  This quiz will include the contextual vocabulary words from list one.  Questions over chapters 4-5 will be due on Thursday.  Students will have reading homework every single night next week, so I encourage students to carefully plan their time to ensure that they do not fall behind.

  Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra, we will be converting percents to decimals, learning the percent equation and change of percent.  We will review what we covered Monday through Wednesday in class on Thursday and then the students will take a chapter quiz over sections 7.3-7.5 on Friday (1/17).
  7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (7/8) class we will be continuing our exploration of inequalities.  We will be discussing compound inequalities (6.4) and having a quiz on inequalities.  We will then move on to solving absolute value equations (6.5).

 

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders have started their survey of the animal kingdom.  They began by learning about animal characteristics and symmetry.    The students are currently doing research for their invertebrate phylum project.  Their presentations will begin the week of January 20.   Also next week, they will be introduced to the phylum Porifera.  This phylum is made up of sponges-the simplest animal. 
 
7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will continue to work with their new vocabulary from Chapter 8B along with indirect objects. Students will begin a project where they will choose a charity to research and present to the class. We will have a graded listening on Friday, January 17^th and the Chapter 8B test will be the following Wednesday, January 21^st.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week in American History we will continue to see how the American colonists were on the road towards revolution.  As the colonists gained more independence from Britain, Britain grasped tighter control.  Students should expect to read Chapter 5- Section 2, define vocabulary, and answer review questions.  We will also have a quiz on Chapter 5-Section 1&2 on Thursday January 16^th. Finally, the class timeline projects are due Friday January 17^th during class. 

 

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Eighth grade students are currently reading The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Our first set of questions over the novel are due on Monday, and students will also have a quiz over chapters 1-6 on Monday.  Students will take another short quiz on Wednesday over chapters 7-8.  Our second set of questions over the novel will be due on Friday.  Students will have reading homework every single night next week, so I encourage students to carefully plan their time to ensure that they do not fall behind.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders are finishing their chapter on chemical and physical properties and changes.  They have already performed one lab which illustrated chemical changes and will perform one more next week.  They will have a quiz on the last two sections of this chapter next Friday.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (7/8) class we will be continuing our exploration of inequalities.  We will be discussing compound inequalities (6.4) and having a quiz on inequalities.  We will then move on to solving absolute value equations (6.5).

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Intro to Geometry (Grade 8) class we will be exploring more about triangles.  We will discover the Base Angles Theorem of isosceles triangles (4.3) and we will discuss medians of triangles and the resulting centroid (4.6).
8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will continue to with the imperfect tense and vocabulary from Chapter 4A. Students will begin a project where they will write a biography about one of their fellow classmates using our new tense. There will be a graded listening on Friday, January 17^th and the Chapter 4A test will be the following Wednesday, January 21^st.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will continue our study of the United States Congress by examining who is in Congress and what Congress members do in office.  For homework, students should expect to read Chapter 5- Section 2, define vocabulary, answer review questions, and read articles assigned in class. 

January 6th-10th, 2014

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

 

Welcome back to HDS!  I hope everyone had a joyous holiday.

8^th GRADE RECOMMENDATIONS

It is the time of year that our 8^th grade students apply for admission to high school.  Part of that process involves our staff providing recommendations for our students.  To facilitate this process I am asking that all these requests come through my office.  Simply leave the appropriate forms off with Ms. Edie and we will see that they are completed and mailed through our office to the high school.  This will ensure that all requests are met in a timely and accurate manner.

REPORT CARDS

Report cards will be mailed home on Friday with comments from the teachers.  At this time, grades may be viewed on Power School.
 

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Sixth graders are beginning The Outsiders by SE Hinton this week.  On Wednesday I will give students their copies of the novel as well as the reading calendar.  Our first quiz over the book is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14^th.  Students will also have a set of questions due over the first two chapters of the novel on Friday, the 10^th.  While we study this novel we will be examining contextual vocabulary, and these words will be featured on our tests and quizzes during this unit.  Additionally we will be looking at types of sentences in our GUM books.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Math Course 6, we will review our exams in depth on Monday and begin into Chapter 7 on Tuesday.  Students will learn how to write expressions and equations as well as simplify expressions.  On Friday, students will have a math facts quiz – look for an outline to go home on Tuesday.  Side Note: Afternoon tutoring this week has been MOVED from Thursday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon (3:10-3:30).  Please plan accordingly if your child needs to come for additional help.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

We are beginning a study of plate tectonics and continental drift.  I will be mailing home details of this unit as well as the schedule for the entire second semester in the next day or two.  One thing to prepare for this week will be a quiz on  the handout distributed today, “Inside the Earth.”

 6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will be busy this week studying the different types of volcanoes.  They will learn about the composition of each type and how moisture and silica content influence the eruption force for each volcano.  They will start a volcano project and spend two days in class gathering information on their volcano.   They will present their information next week.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 6^th grade will begin a new unit discussing foods, cultural perspectives on meals, and expressing how often something is done. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, January 10^th.

 

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

This week in World Civilizations we introduce our unit on Ancient Greece.  We will discuss the highlights of Ancient Greece society and how geography influenced the formation of Greek city-states.  We will also continue our study of World Geography with a quiz on South America on Friday January 10^th.

 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Seventh graders are beginning The Hobbit this week.  On Wednesday I will give students their copies of the novel as well as the reading calendar.  Our first quiz over the book is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15^th.  Students will also have a set of questions due over the first three chapters of the novel on Tuesday, the 14^th.  While we study this novel we will be examining contextual vocabulary, and these words will be featured on our tests and quizzes during this unit.  Additionally we will be looking at types of sentences in our GUM books.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Pre-Algebra, we will review our exams in depth on Monday and begin into Chapter 7 on Tuesday.  Students will learn about percents and how to form proportions using percents.  On Friday, students will have a math facts quiz – look for an outline to go home on Tuesday.  Side Note: Afternoon tutoring this week has been MOVED from Thursday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon (3:10-3:30).  Please plan accordingly if your child needs to come for additional help.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be reviewing the semester exam and beginning our discussion of solving and graphing inequalities (Chapter 6.1 – 6.3).  There will be a quiz on Thursday on dividing fractions, a topic that many students struggled with last semester.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

This week, the seventh grade classes will start their survey of the animal kingdom.  After learning the general characteristics of all animals, the students will work in groups to research different phyla of invertebrates.  Later, each group will present their phylum to the class.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will begin a new unit discussing volunteer work and ways to protect the environment. The students will also learn about indirect objects. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, January 10^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week in American History we will study the Road to the Revolution.  We will examine how a series of event led American colonists to declare independence from Britain.  We will also work on our class timeline projects in class.  Finally, we continue our study of World Geography with a quiz on South America on Friday January 10^th.

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Eighth graders will begin reading The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle this week.  Our first quiz over the novel is scheduled for this Friday, January 10^th.  Students will also have questions over the first five chapters of the book due on Monday, January 13^th. 

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will continue their study of properties by looking at chemical properties of matter, such as reactivity, toxicity, & flammability.  This will lead to learning about physical and chemical changes.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra (Grades 7/8) class, we will be reviewing the semester exam and beginning our discussion of solving and graphing inequalities (Chapter 6.1 – 6.3).  There will be a quiz on Thursday on dividing fractions, a topic that many students struggled with last semester.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Intro to Geometry (Grade 8) class, we will be reviewing the semester exam and then transition to our introduction to Geometry.  We will begin by looking at different types of triangles and some theorems including the Triangle Sum Theorem (all interior angles add up to 180) and the Exterior Angle Theorem (Chapter 4.1 – 4.2).  There will be a quiz on Friday on classifying triangles and the Triangle Sum Theorem.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will begin a new unit discussing the imperfect and what they were like as a child. The grammar points will cover the imperfect tense with regular and irregular verbs. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday, January 10^th.

8th American Government with Mrs. English 

This week in American government we will expand our current knowledge by digging deeper into the roles and duties of the Legislative Branch.  We will examine this topic by looking at the current bipartisan showdown over unemployment benefits and national healthcare.  We will also continue our study of World Geography with a quiz on South America on Friday January 10^th.

December 20, 2013

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The first semester officially came to an end this afternoon at noon!  Students completed exams and headed out for some much deserved down time.  It is really hard to believe how fast these 5 months passed. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES

With a couple of exceptions second quarter grades are all entered and posted on Power School.  This should give students and families a good indication of their semester grades (semester examinations count 10%).  Over the next two weeks teachers will be scoring the exams and getting them entered into Power School.  These scores will be published on Sunday, January 5^th along with the semester one average.  When we return to school on January 6^th the first order of business will be to return and debrief students on their examinations.  Any questions concerning the exam or grades can be addressed at that time.  We will publish a blog on Monday, January 6^th to update everyone on that week’s schedule.

Enjoy your families over the holidays.  We look forward to seeing everyone back at HDS in the New Year!

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

QUARTER CLOSES, EXAM WEEK IS HERE! A very short newsletter this week!  We completed a pretty frantic week of work getting ready to close grades today for the second quarter. By now each student should have completed any missed assignments and made up any tests or quizzes. Next week will be devoted to preparing for and taking semester examinations. The exam schedule is:

Wednesday – All Spanish sections

Thursday – All English sections; 6^th grade math; 7^th & 8^th grade science

Friday – All Social Studies sections; 6^th grade math & science; 7^th & 8^th grade math

Thursday and Friday will be half day sessions.  All students should be picked up at 12:00.

5^TH GRADE VISITS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Thursday evening we held an open house/information session for 5^th grade families to acquaint them with the Hancock Middle School. The event was well attended and many questions were answered.  MATERIALS WERE SENT HOME TODAY WITH EACH STUDENT WHO WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND!  Please ask your student for the packet.  If anyone has questions or would like a tour of the Middle School please contact us at 351-4500 or hcrawford@hancockdayschool.org.  We would be happy to have you visit!  Next steps will come after the first of the year. Contracts will be issued to returning families mid-January with an early February return date. Please look for those documents.

SICKNESS ON THE RISE!

As I sat in my office today we were flooded with a string of students with headaches and cold like symptoms. This is a stressful time.  Please be sure your child is getting lots of rest!  If they are sick, please keep them home. We will work out a makeup schedule for any missed work.

NEXT NEWS LETTER

Our next newsletter will be published on Monday, January 6^th.  After that we will return to our normal Friday date.

A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES!

Benedictine Military School will be hosting an open house January 14, 2014 at 6:30 PM. See the link below:

BC Open House 

December 9th-13th, 2013

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

SEMESTER COMING TO A CLOSE!

Most teachers will be closing grades this Friday for the second quarter in preparation for the end of the semester. Students who owe work should make sure they are caught up by the 13^th!  It is a busy week in classes as we are all finishing up units. There will be many quizzes, tests and papers due.  Please be keep an eye on the schedule to ensure a balanced workload.

5^th GRADE OPEN HOUSE/INFORMATION NIGHT

It is that time of year when families are making decisions about where their children will attend middle school for the 2014-15 school year, and of course we hope that will be Hancock!  To assist families in that decision, the Middle School team is going to hold an open house/information night on Thursday, December 12^th. At this event we will present our academic curriculum, extracurricular programs, daily schedule and give everyone a flavor of what life at the Middle School of Hancock Day School is all about. The evening will begin with a general information session followed by “mini” classes to meet each of our Middle School team. The program will begin at 6:30 and conclude by 8:00. I hope you will be able to attend as a family to experience our new Middle School. Should this time frame not work for your family, please contact me (351-4500 or hcrawford@hancockdayschool.org) and I will schedule a tour for you. I look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday, December 12^th at 6:30.

You should also receive a formal invitation in the mail within the next few days.

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Sixth grade students are concluding our study of The Giver, and our test over this novel is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10^th.  Students should spend time over the weekend reviewing their study guide for this; we will review in class on Monday as well.  Students can also expect a short quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts we’ve been working with (adverbial prepositional phrases and appositives) on Monday. By the middle of next week we will begin reviewing for our cumulative semester exam.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6 we will finish up with Chapter 6. We will talk about distributive property as well as the coordinate plane. On Wednesday (12/11), students will take a chapter quiz over lessons 6.4-6.8. Thursday and Friday we will begin to review for exams. We will take 2 chapters at a time and review them in depth. The students will receive study guides for each of the chapters. The exam will cover Chapters 1-6.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

This week we will finish up our exploration of weather.  Monday we will discuss clouds.  Homework – Questions #4 & 6 in handout.  Tuesday - Fronts.  Homework – Read 45 – 469;  Questions 12, 14, 15, 17, 18.  Wednesday - Severe Weather.  Homework – Read 470-471;  Study for quiz on Weather and Fronts.  Thursday – Weather forecasts.  Homework – Study for test on Weather unit.  Friday – exam on Weather.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will have a busy week as they head into exams. The students have had their last chapter test of the semester over earthquakes.  They will spend next week learning about volcanoes and the link between earthquakes and volcanoes. There will be a quiz over this one section next Thursday. The classes will receive the exam study guide next week, also. This guide lists the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to prepare for the science exam is to study the old quizzes and tests.   Please take a moment to look at this guide.  The class will spend some time at the end of the week going over the best way to break down their study times into manageable segments. This is especially important for the sixth graders since they have not had exams before and the preparation for a cumulative exam is different from that of smaller chapter tests.

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 6^th graders will finish up “ser” vs “estar” and begin reviewing for their exams. Students should start to organize their binders and make sure they have all of the vocabulary sheets from each of the 5 chapters. It is crucial that all students sign up for extra help if they do not understand a specific topic that we have covered this semester.

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English

This week we will be taking a test on Egypt Chapter 4 Lessons 1-3 on Tuesday December 10th.  We will also be finishing our Egyptian project brochures which will be due on Friday December 13^th. Begin sorting your semester notes because we will also start review for semester exams.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Seventh grade students will conclude our study of A Christmas Carol in the week ahead.  Our test over the play in its entirety will take place on Friday, December 13^th.  Students can also expect a quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts that we’ve been working with (participles, and infinitives) on Monday, December 9^th.  By the middle of next week we will also begin reviewing for our cumulative semester exam.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Pre-Algebra we will continue in Chapter 6 learning about similar and congruent figures using proportions. On Wednesday (12/11), students will take a chapter quiz over lesson 6.3-6.5. Thursday and Friday we will begin to review for exams. We will take 2 chapters at a time and review them in depth.  The students will receive study guides for each of the chapters. The exam will cover Chapters 1-6.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will finish our exploration of scatter plots and lines of fit by applying them to real world situations. We will have a quiz on Tuesday and then begin our exam review for the rest of the week.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders will have a busy week as they gear up for exams. We have been talking about Gregor Mendel and the huge impact his work had on our understanding of how traits are passed from generation to generation. They are now working on different types of inheritance such as incomplete dominance. They will have their last chapter test before exams next Thursday. Also, the class will receive the exam study guide at the end of the week. This guide lists all the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to prepare for the science exam is to study the old quizzes and tests. The classes will spend some time next week going over the best way to break down their study times into manageable segments.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th graders will finish up their projects. They will present these projects on Tuesday, December 10^th. We will also begin reviewing for exams.  Students should start to organize their binders over the weekend. It is crucial that all students sign up for extra help if they do not understand a specific topic that we have covered this semester.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week we will be taking a test on the American Colonies Chapter 4- Sections 1-3 on Tuesday December 10^th.  We will also allot some time for working on our class timeline projects.  Finally please begin sorting your semester notes because we will also start review for semester exams.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Eighth grade students are in the midst of studying several short pieces of fiction and nonfiction thematically related to To Kill a Mockingbird.  We will take a short test over these pieces on Wednesday, December 11^th.  By the middle of next week we will also begin reviewing for our cumulative semester exam.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will be busy as they gear up for exams. We will be talking about physical properties and the difference between size-dependent and size-independent properties. Next week we will focus most of our attention on density. The students will perform two labs on density in order to see that density can be used to identify unknown materials and that the density of a substance is maintained regardless of the size of the sample. There will be a quiz on this material next Thursday. Also, the class will receive the exam study guide at the end of the week. This guide lists all the chapters that we have covered since the first of the year. The best way to study for the science exam is to study the old quizzes and tests.      

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will finish our exploration of scatter plots and lines of fit by applying them to real world situations. We will have a quiz on Tuesday and then begin our exam review for the rest of the week.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Introduction to Geometry, we will start our review for the semester exam.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th graders will have a quiz over the Imperfect tense on Tuesday, December 10^th. We will also begin reviewing for exams. Students should start to organize their binders and make sure they have all of their vocabulary sheets from each of the 5 chapters we have covered this semester. Any students needing extra help should set up a time to see me next week. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will be taking a test on the American Presidency on Tuesday December 10^th.  We will also be discussing the role of the president in current events like foreign affairs and domestic problems. Please begin sorting your semester notes because we will also start review for semester exams. 

Announcements: Dec 2-6, 2013

WORDS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

WELCOME 5^TH GRADE FAMILIES

Beginning with this issue our weekly newsletter will be distributed to all 5^th grade families as well as Middle School families. The goal of our newsletter is to highlight student accomplishments, class activities, and inform families about the upcoming week’s schedule.  Today’s issue is not as comprehensive as usual due to the holiday. Please browse through previous posts to get a flavor of all that goes on in our Middle School community. This week’s issue is being sent on Monday because of the holiday. Normal distribution is on Fridays.  Please look for our email on Friday!

CHRISTMAS CONERT!

This Friday the Middle School students will be presenting its annual Christmas concert. An event not to be missed! Following the concert the school will travel to the Savannah Mall to present a concert at 11:00. Please join us a both locations. THERE WILL BE SHORT CLASSES THAT DAY both before our departure for the Mall and after our return. Students will eat at the Mall so should have enough money to purchase a meal. If your child participates in the HDS lunch program, a Chick Fil A lunch will be sent home.

WE DID IT!

Last Friday we delivered over one TON – THAT WOULD BE OVER 2,000 POUNDS of food to Second Harvest. Students toured Second Harvest and helped stock shelves. While there the staff highlighted a need for volunteers to distribute over 1,700 bags of groceries to families.  These bags are packed on the third Saturday morning of each month from 8 – 10:30am at Second Harvest. PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING to assist in this effort. Volunteers at Second Harvest account for 21 – 8 hour days of work that would otherwise get left undone. They are critical to the success of this organization. 

THE RACE IS ON!

It does not seem possible that there are only 3 weeks left in our first semester. Semester examinations will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, December 18 – 20^th.  Thursday and Friday will be half days of classes. BEING IN SCHOOL EACH DAY IS CRITICAL at this point of the year. Please try scheduling outside appointments after we adjourn for the Christmas holiday. Missing school only puts undue pressure on your child.

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Sixth grade students are continuing to read The Giver. Students can expect a quiz over chapters 1-14 on Wednesday, December 4^th. Our test over this novel is scheduled for the following Tuesday, December 10^th. Students can also expect a short quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts we’ve been working with (adverbial prepositional phrases and appositives) on Monday, December 9^th.

Math 6 with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Math 6 we will continue learning about integers. Today we will multiply integers.  Tomorrow (12/3), students will take a quiz over lessons 6.1-6.3. It is important that students review this material as it was covered before break. On Wednesday and Thursday we will divide integers and talk about rational numbers.

6th Earth Science with Mr. Crawford

Over the next two weeks we will finish our unit on weather. This week we will discuss the basics, What is weather?; Understand humidity; clouds; precipitation. Monday homework – read 456 – 457, problems on page 478 # 11-16 & 21; Tuesday – problems on page 479 # 22, 24, 33 & 35; Wednesday – Dew point lab; Questions on handout and questions 9 & 10 on page 458; Thursday – prepare for quiz on Friday, complete handout sheet in preparation. We will be doing a lab on Wednesday and have a quiz on Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

Next week the 6^th graders will finish their chapter on earthquakes. The students have done an activity in which they plotted data about major earthquakes in the United States and determined which areas are most likely to have strong earthquakes. They will also have an activity in which they apply information from the Mercalli Intensity Index to various locations in order to determine the epicenter of an earthquake. Thursday (Dec. 5) they will have their chapter test which will be the last test before exams. 

6th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 6^th grade will be going over the differences between “ser” and “estar”. There will be a grammar quiz over this concept on Thursday, December 5^th. Students should begin reviewing their notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam review. I encourage any students who are struggling to sign up for extra help.

6th World Civilizations with Mrs. English
This week in World Civilizations class we will be continuing our study of Ancient Egypt in Chapter 4.  Students will discover why the Egyptians went to great lengths to preserve bodies for the afterlife. We will also finish our first semester geography with a test on Thursday 12/5/13. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Seventh grade students are just beginning to read a dramatic interpretation of Charles Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol. Students will take a quiz over the first act of this play on Thursday, December 5^th. Our test over the play in its entirety will take place on Friday, December 13^th.  Students can also expect a quiz over the most recent grammatical concepts that we’ve been working with (appositives, participles, and infinitives) on Monday, December 9^th.

Pre-Algebra with Mrs. Reardon

This week in Pre-Algebra we will solve proportions using cross products. Starting on Tuesday, students will begin a recipe proportion project. They will research a recipe online that contains at least 8 ingredients and yields 6-12 servings. They will use their knowledge of proportions to make their recipe serve 50 people. We will do this in class on Tuesday and Wednesday and then on Thursday students can bring their recipe to share with the class as they present their projects.

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will be finishing the rest of Chapter 5 by discussing scatterplots and lines of fit. We will start using the TI-series (TI 83/84) graphing calculators to plot data points and find the line of best fit.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders have been studying Gregor Mendel and his contributions to the study of genetics. They have also learned how to work inheritance problems using a Punnett Square.  On Wednesday, Dec. 4, they will have a quiz on Mendel and the Punnett Square. The class will then look at incomplete dominance.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will be working on their travel projects. These projects require a lot of research and will count as a test grade. Students will present the projects on Tuesday, December 10^th. Students should also begin reviewing their notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam review. I encourage any students who may be struggling to sign up for extra help.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week in American history we will be continuing our study of English colonial government.  Students will understand why we are a representative government today and who was influential in bringing representative government to the English Colonies. We will also finish our first semester geography with a test on Thursday 12/5/13.

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor

Eighth grade students are currently working on a major paper in which they must analyze a character from To Kill a Mockingbird. The rough draft of this essay is due on Tuesday, December 3^rd, and the final draft is due on Thursday, December 5^th. During the next two weeks our class will be studying several short pieces of fiction and nonfiction thematically related to To Kill a Mockingbird.  We will take a short test over these pieces on Wednesday, December 11^th.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders are learning about pressure and buoyancy with fluids. Next week the students will be looking more closely at the Gas Laws and at density. They will have their last test before exams on Thursday, Dec. 5.  

7th-8th Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Algebra class, we will be finishing the rest of Chapter 5 by discussing scatterplots and lines of fit. We will start using the TI-series (TI 83/84) graphing calculators to plot data points and find the line of best fit.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week in Mr. Lanfear’s Advanced Algebra/Introduction to Geometry class, we will discuss simplifying rational expressions (12.4). This is essentially reducing fractions, but more complicated ones such as those with a variable in both numerator and denominator. There will be a quiz towards the end of the week.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will be working with Imperfect vs. Preterite tenses. There will be a grammar quiz over this material on Tuesday, December 10^th. Students should begin reviewing their notes and organizing their binders for the upcoming exam review. I encourage any students who may be struggling to sign up for extra help. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English 

This week in American government we will be completing our study of the Electoral College and begin discussion on the presidency. We will answer who is qualified to be president? How presidents are chosen?  And what are the powers of the president? We will also finish our first semester geography with a test on Thursday 12/5/13.