May 18-22

8th Graders performing an average speed lab!

7th Graders performing a heart rate lab! 

Notes from the Head of Middle School 

S’COOL A BIG SUCCESS!

Many, many thanks to the students, teachers and our directors for making this year’s Hancock play an outstanding success.  All involved put a lot of sweat into the play.  The performances were enjoyed by the entire Hancock community on Thursday and Friday.

SPORTS BANQUET

On Thursday, May 21^st, we will come together to celebrate our basketball and soccer teams.  It was a banner year for 8 Hancock basketball teams.  The 8^th grade girls’ team brought home a championship banner!  This spring we entered both a boy’s and girls’ soccer team in the SPAL league and both teams made the playoffs!  Come celebrate the accomplishments or our students this Thursday at 6:30 in the Bell Gymnasium.  RESERVATIONS ARE DUE IN BY MONDAY, MAY 18^TH!  Please send your payment with your reservation.

STEM AWARD LUNCHES

This week the winners of our STEM contests in October and May will travel to Zaxby’s to enjoy a victory lunch.  To accommodate all the students, victory lunches will be celebrated on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Winners will be notified on Monday which day they will be attending.

FOURTH QUARTER GRADES CLOSE FRIDAY, MAY 22^ND!

All student work is due in by next Friday.  During the week classes will begin preparation for final examinations.  The best way to prepare is a little each night leading up to the exam.  Last minute cramming yields poor results.  Exams will begin on Wednesday, May 27^th and run through Friday, May 29^th.  The Middle School will end at noon each day.  There will be no extended for Middle School students.

HONORS AND GRADUATION CEREMONIES 

The Honors Assembly will be held on Monday, June 1^st at 8:30.  Graduation will be held on Tuesday, June 2^nd at the Isle of Hope Methodist Church.  Please plan on attending these events to support our students.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

The sixth graders are wrapping up their study of The Giver and preparing for our test over the novel.  This test will take place on Monday, and this will be our last major grade of the quarter!  I’m also finishing up grades on students’ research projects, and I hope to have those all entered by the end of next week.  After our test over The Giver we will spend the duration of the week reviewing for our semester exam!

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math students have begun studying chapter 10 "Geometry."  Their next quiz 10.5 - 10.8 will be Thursday, May 21st.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will have our last test on Chapter 10 (10.1 – 10.4) on Monday.  We will spend the rest of the week reviewing for exams. 

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, the students are studying chapter 16 "Weather" and will have the chapter test Wednesday, May 20th.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will spend Monday finishing their chapter on weather and Tuesday reviewing for Wednesday’s chapter test.  At that point our time will be spent getting ready for our final exam.  This will include organization of notes from all of the chapters covered this semester and emphasizing time management for study. 

  

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Our field trips were very successful and everyone had a wonderful time! Thanks to all of those who volunteered to assist in driving. A special thank you to Mr. Crawford who assisted as a chaperone both days and even ordered in Spanish! Due to the Middle School play on Friday, our Capítulo 4B test has been moved to Tuesday, May 19^th.  On Wednesday, students will receive a study guide for their final exam and we will review and prepare together for the remainder of the week.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

6th Ancient Civ- It's hard to believe the end of the year is almost here! We are reviewing Monday for our final test over Ancient Rome on Tuesday. Students should review the map of Italy and previous quizzes to prepare for this final assessment. For the rest of the week, we will begin reviewing for their final exam. Students will receive a study guide for the exam, along with all the notes and quizzes from this semester. I will be in my room daily at 7:45 to answer questions and clarify topics. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
7th ELA-  This semester has flown by so quickly! Our final novel test over Across Five Aprils is Monday, and a grammar quiz over clauses is Tuesday. The best way to study for the test is to review previous quizzes and the major themes we will discuss during our in class review today. Beginning Wednesday, we will begin to review for exams. Students will receive a study guide for the exam that covers major topics that will be covered. As usual, I will be in my room around 7:45 each morning to answer questions and clarify topics. 

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will have our last test on Chapter 10 (10.1 – 10.4) on Monday.  We will spend the rest of the week reviewing for exams.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders will be spending the first of the week finishing the circulatory and lymphatic systems.  They will have their final chapter test on Wednesday.  At that point they will begin organizing their notes for exam review. 

  

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will begin chapter 10 "Quadratic Equations and Functions."  This chapter involves graphing quadratic functions, solving quadratic equations, and comparing linear, exponential, and quadratic models.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in 7^th grade Spanish, we will begin exam review over the five chapters we covered this semester and the future tense. Students should be organizing their binders and looking over vocabulary sheets. The speaking portion of the exam will be on Friday, May 22^nd. 

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week in American History we will finish our study of the Plantation South.  Students will have a test on Wednesday, May 20th on Chapter 11-Sections 1-3. Students should begin studying for the test this weekend.  We will begin Exam review on Thursday. Students should also begin organizing their notebooks in preparation for exams.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

The eighth graders are currently wrapping up their study of Romeo and Juliet.  Our assessment for this novel is a little different than usual, and students will be assigned a take home, open book test that will be due on Wednesday, May 20^th.  Students will receive the test in class on Monday.  The honor code will be in effect for this assessment, and my expectations for all parts of the test will be clearly outlined in the instructions.  On Wednesday we will begin reviewing for our semester exam.  I can’t believe our 8^th graders are almost ready to graduate!

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will be finishing their final chapter on motion and momentum.  This chapter incorporates a lot of math which requires their full attention. They will have their last test on Wednesday.  At that time they will begin organizing their notes for exam review.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will begin chapter 10 "Quadratic Equations and Functions."  This chapter involves graphing quadratic functions, solving quadratic equations, and comparing linear, exponential, and quadratic models.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will be reviewing for exams.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will have our last test on Chapter 12 on Monday.  We will spend the rest of the week reviewing for exams.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in 8^th grade Spanish, we will begin exam review over the six chapters we covered this semester and the future tense. Students should be organizing their binders and looking over vocabulary sheets. The speaking portion of the exam will be on Friday, May 22^nd. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week in American History we will finish our study of the Vietnam War.  Students will have a test on Wednesday, May 20th on Chapter 26-Sections 1&2 and Chapter 27-Sections 1 &2 . Students should begin studying for the test this weekend.  We will begin Exam review on Thursday. Students should also begin organizing their notebooks in preparation for exams.  

  

May 11-15

Notes from the Head of Middle School 

CONGRATULATIONS SOCCER TEAMS!

This week we celebrated the conclusion of a VERY successful soccer season at HDS.  Congratulations go out to the players who practiced and played hard all season.  This was often done on top of many other commitments.  Special thanks to the coaches for working with our students: Girls' coaches Meghan Hughes, Megan Roberts and Candice English and Boys’ coaches Steve O’Hearn and Capers Martin.

SPORTS SIGN UP 2015 – 16

Forms were recently sent home to families to sign up for our 2015-16 athletic teams.  This early sign up is a very important part of our planning process.  It gives us an approximate count for each sport so we can plan for and register the appropriate number of teams with our league, SPAL.  Please make sure to return this form promptly.

ST. VINCENT’S MATH PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT

Many of our 8^th grade girls planning on attending St. Vincent’s Academy received letters announcing a math placement test on Saturday, May 16^th.  This would put our students at a distinct disadvantage as we have a dance on May 15^th.  Mrs. Sykes, the Academic Dean at St. Vincent’s has graciously offered to administer the test to our girls at Hancock on Thursday, May 14^th at 1:30.  Please get a good night’s rest and pack a nutritious lunch to be it top form for this important assessment.

IT’S A SPECIAL PARTY TIME!

Dig out your Hawaiian shirts and get ready for a luau on Friday night (May15th)!  Students will dance in Hancock Hall from 7:30 – 9:30.

Lock-In planned!  The Hancock community came together to support two of its families in the fight against leukemia and lymphoma.  If our community raises in excess of $5,000 to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, plans call for a “lock in” as a reward for this Herculean effort. In anticipation of reaching our goal, we will extend the hours of our party from 9:30 to 12:00 midnight.  During the additional 2 ½ hours we will plan many extra special activities for the students.  

NATIONAL JUINIOR HONOR SOCIETY BYLAWS

Five years ago we began a chapter of the NJHS at the Middle School.  Recently, we discovered that our Chapter was not totally in compliance with the National Constitution of the National Honor Society.  Over the past two months we brought our paperwork into compliance and our new set of Chapter By-Laws was passed by the members last week.  These By-Laws will be available on the Hancock Day School website by mid-week.  Next year, an explanation of the Society and a link to all important documents will be included in the Student Handbook.

SUMMER ACADEMIC SUPPORT

From time to time we receive information from local schools and agencies offering tutoring and other academic support programs to middle school students.  I will be using the BLOG to make families aware of these opportunities.  Ms. Gordon will include links when possible and will keep the paperwork on file for your review.  This week we received information about summer programs from the Royce Learning Center.  This information can be found by clicking:

Study Skills Flyer

Summer Programs 2015 Brochure

8th Grade Graduation Slideshow
Please make sure to have your photos emailed to Ms. Gordon no later than May 15th.


Driver Volunteers Needed
 Monday, June 1^st

10:15 – 2:00 – Community service with the Savannah Tree Foundation at Hull Park.  Volunteer drivers are needed at 10:00 to transport students to Hull Park.  Students will need to bring a bag lunch.  Student pick up will be from Hull Park at 2:00.

Tuesday, June 2^nd

9:00 – 2:00 Middle School Field Day at Skidaway Island State Park.  Volunteer drivers will be needed at 9:00 to drive our students to the Park.  Student pick up will be at 2:00 at the Park.

6:30 – 8:30 Graduation Exercises and reception

S'COOL Performance

The HDS annual play will be the evening of Thursday, May 14.  To facilitate our families attending, there will be minimal assignments given on the 14^th and no assessments on the 15^th.  To provide time for those assessments, we will permit them on Monday, May 18^th.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

The sixth graders will continue reading and studying The Giver next week.  As noted on the reading calendar, students have a quiz on Tuesday over chapters 11-17 and the contextual vocabulary words we have practiced in class.  We will be done reading the book by Thursday, and we’ll spend class time reviewing on the novel on Thursday and Friday.  Due to the Middle School play, I am not giving assessments on Friday (5/15), so our test over the novel will be on Monday, 5/18.  After we finish this test we will begin reviewing for our semester exam!  I can’t believe the school year is almost over!

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math students are studying chapter 10 "Geometry."  The chapter quiz 10.1 - 10.4 will be Wednesday, May13th.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish our introduction to geometry by learning how to find the area of various polygons such as triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, and trapezoids.  We will also learn about the circumference and area of circles.  We will review geometry at the end of the week and the test will be next Monday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, the students are studying chapter 16 "Weather."  The chapter 16 test will be Wednesday, May 20th.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders continue their chapter on weather next week.  They will continue their lab activity dealing with local weather.  The students will look at fronts and the different types of severe weather, especially hurricanes.  They will also study station models and learn how to read a weather map.   At that point, they will have a lab activity dealing with weather maps.   

  

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, we’ll wrap up Capítulo 4B. Students will visit Latin Chicks restaurant on Wednesday and Thursday, May 13^th and 14^th (4^th & 6^th periods respectively). We will have our last chapter test for the year on Friday, May 15^th.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
 We are almost finished studying ancient Rome! Students have a quiz over daily life in Rome and Roman entertainment on Tuesday 12 May, and we will conclude our unit with the fall of the Roman Empire this week. Next Tuesday 19 May will be our unit test, and since we have studied so much information with Rome, I suggest making flashcards to help study for the final assessment. I am in my room at 7:45 each morning for extra help or to clarify any questions. 

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We will finish reading Across Five Aprils next week! The test over the novel will be Monday 18 May. We are also concluding our study of clauses by comparing adjective and adverb clauses, and will have a quiz over grammar Thursday 14 May. I also plan to show the movie version of Across Five Aprils in class, so students can compare and contrast the novel with the film adaptation. 

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish our introduction to geometry by learning how to find the area of various polygons such as triangles, rectangles, squares, parallelograms, and trapezoids.  We will also learn about the circumference and area of circles.  We will review geometry at the end of the week and the test will be next Monday.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

In seventh grade, the students continue their study the heart & blood.  They have followed the pathway of blood through the body and learned about the functions of blood.  They will be reintroduced to blood types.  When they studied blood types previously, it was in connection to the inheritance of your blood type.  At this point they will be learning about antigens and blood compatibility for transfusions.  They will perform two labs—one on heart rates and one on blood typing.  

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will complete chapter 9 and have the chapter 9 test Wednesday, May13th.  We will begin chapter 10 Thursday, May 14th.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will continue working with the future and conditional tense. The quiz over this material will be Tuesday, May 12^th. Students will also finish and present their short stories on Wednesday, May 13^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English
This week we will continue our study of Northern Industrialization (Chapter 11.2) and have our last quiz of the quarter on Wednesday, May 13th.  On Thursday and Friday, we will see how the South turned to the farming, the plantation system, and slavery rather than industrialization.  Homework will come from Chapter 11-Sections 3 & 4.  Looking ahead, students should expect to have their last test on Wednesday, May 20th.  For this course, exam review will begin on Thursday, May 21st.   Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

The eighth grade is concluding their study of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the week ahead.  On Monday students will take a short quiz over Act 2, and on Wednesday they will take a quiz over Act 3.  Next Monday (5/18) students will receive their take-home test over the play.  Students will have until Wednesday (5/20) to complete and submit the take-home test.  We will begin reviewing for our semester exam on Tuesday, 5/19.  I can’t believe the school year is almost over!

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders have started their final chapter on motion and momentum.  They have already learned the difference between distance and displacement and how to calculate average speed.  Over the next week the students will cover acceleration (positive and negative) and momentum. 

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will complete chapter 9 and have the chapter 9 test Wednesday, May13th.  We will begin chapter 10 Thursday, May 14th.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will complete our algebra review by learning how to solve and graph inequalities and systems of inequalities.  There will be a review day on Wednesday and then the unit test on Thursday.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will complete learning about surface area and volume by learning how to find the volume of pyramids, cones, and spheres.  We will also learn about the surface area of a sphere.  We will review surface area and volume at the end of the week and the test will be next Monday.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will continue working with the future and conditional tense. The quiz over this material will be Tuesday, May 12^th. Students will also finish and present their “cooking show” projects on Thursday, 14^th.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will continue our study of Protest in the 1950s-1970s. Discussion will cover the Civil Rights movement and the Anti-Vietnam War protests.  Readings and homework will come from Chapter 26.3 and Chapter 27.1. Looking ahead, students will have their last test on American Protest from the 1950s-1970s on Wednesday, May 20th.  For this course, exam review will begin on Thursday, May 21st.  Looking forward to a great week!

  

May 4-8

Our STEM Day was a huge success!!!

Notes from the Head of Middle School 

SOCCER TOURNAMENT BEGINS!

Both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams should qualify for post season play.  Another GREAT season for HDS teams.  Thanks to all those students and families that made the commitment to play, the coaches to coach and Mr. O’Hayer for his persistence getting everything organized.  Pairings are due to be announced on Tuesday.  Watch your email for game dates, times and locations.  PLEASE SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!

8^TH GRADE MATH COURSES

Our curriculum is designed to address each student’s mathematics ability.  Rising 6^th grade students complete an Algebra Aptitude Assessment at the end of 5^th grade.  The results of this assessment are used along with a student’s ERB scores, math grade and teacher recommendation to ensure the student is placed in the correct math sequence. 

The 7^th grade students who are taking Algebra I will be completing a Geometry Aptitude Assessment next week on Friday, May 8^th.  The results of this assessment along with ERB scores, math grades and teacher recommendation will be used to recommend math options for the 8^th grade.  A letter was sent home with each student explaining the details.  The letter can be accessed by clicking here.

Please ensure that if your child is taking this assessment on Friday that they get a good night’s rest and a good breakfast!

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM!

Beginning this Monday, there are four weeks of classes and then exams left in our school year.  After next week things will begin to ramp up to conclude our activities.  Planning is important to coordinate school expectations with outside extracurricular activities, church and family.  I will make an extra effort to get information out way ahead of time to enhance your planning.

END OF YEAR SCHEDULE

Middle School examinations are May 27, 28, and 29.  Each of those days will be a ½ day of school with dismissal at 12:00.  Beginning on Monday, June 1^st, we will have a variety of activities.

            Monday, June 1^st

8:30 – 9:30 – Honors Assembly -All families invited to attend

10:15 – 2:00 – Community service with the Savannah Tree Foundation at Hull Park.  Volunteer drivers are needed at 10:00 to transport students to Hull Park.  Students will need to bring a bag lunch.  Student pick up will be from Hull Park at 2:00.

Tuesday, June 2^nd

9:00 – 2:00 Middle School Field Day at Skidaway Island State Park.  Volunteer drivers will be needed at 9:00 to drive our students to the Park.  Student pick up will be at 2:00 at the Park.

6:30 – 8:30 Graduation Exercises and reception

Wednesday, June 3^rd

8:15 – 12:00 ½ day of classes (pass back examinations) and activities for the rising 7^th and 8^th grade.  Graduates enjoy their first day at home as 9^th graders!

S’COOL ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY!!

The HDS annual play will be the evening of Thursday, May 14.  To facilitate our families attending, there will be minimal assignments given on the 14^th and no assessments on the 15^th.  To provide time for those assessments, we will permit them on Monday, May 18^th.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

The sixth graders have turned in their research projects, and we still have a few more students that need to present their PowerPoints, videos, speeches, etc.  We hope to wrap up these presentations on Monday and resume our study of The Giver on Tuesday.  Students are expected to keep up with the reading calendar for the The Giver.  On Thursday, May 7^th students will take a quiz over what they have read so far.  Looking ahead, our test over the novel is scheduled for Thursday, May 14^th.

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math students will take the chapter 9 test Wednesday, May 6th.  We will begin chapter 10 on "Geometric Figures" this week.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will be reviewing Chapter 9 (9.1 – 9.4) and the properties of square roots.  We will have our test on Wednesday before moving on to geometry at the end of the week.  We will begin learning about triangles and other polygons (Chapter 10).

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, the Chapter 25 Test will be Tuesday, May 5th.  We will begin chapter 16 on "Weather" this week.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

 The sixth graders will start next week by reviewing for their chapter test on stars & galaxies which they will take on Tuesday.   After that, they will begin their final chapter of the year on weather.   They will review the layers of the atmosphere and learn the difference between weather and climate on Wednesday and finish the week learning about the various types of clouds.

  

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
We are analyzing daily life in ancient Rome; entertainment, city life, social classes, etc. The ABC book project is due Friday 8 May, and students will have only one more day in class to work on their section of the book. I will be in my room around 7:45 each morning for any questions or clarification!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We are continuing our study of Across Five Aprils by reading through chapter eight; we will have a quiz over chapters 5-8 on Friday. In grammar, students have learned about combining dependent and independent clauses to create different sentence structures, and we will begin discussing adjective vs. adverb clauses.  I will be in my room around 7:45 each morning for any questions or clarification!

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will be reviewing Chapter 9 (9.1 – 9.4) and the properties of square roots.  We will have our test on Wednesday before moving on to geometry at the end of the week.  We will begin learning about triangles and other polygons (Chapter 10).

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders will start their chapter on the circulatory system on Monday.  During the week, the students will learn about the three pathways that blood can take through the body and the structure of the heart.  At the end of the week they will do a lab on heart rates. 

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will learn how to factor trinomials with coefficients for a, b and c greater than one.  In addition, they will learn about special products including the difference of squares  and perfect square trinomials.  There will be a quiz over lessons 9.6 and 9.7 Thursday, May 7th.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will begin to learn about the future and conditional tense. Students will also receive the rubric for their final project of the school year. At this time, it is important to start organizing notes and binders for exam review coming up in a couple weeks.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week in American History  we will finish our study of the Cherokee nation and the Trail of Tears.  We will begin looking at how the North and South took different paths in the United States. We will see how the North became industrialized during the Industrial Revolution and how the South became more reliant on the plantation system.  Readings will come from Chapter 11-Section 1 and 2.  We will have a small quiz on Thursday May 7th.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Research papers are due on Friday, May 1^st.  With that behind us, we will spend the majority of our time next week studying Romeo and Juliet.  Students are expected to follow along with the reading calendar.  We have a quiz over Act 1 on Wednesday, May 6^th.  Looking ahead, our test over the play is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20^th. 

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders start next week by learning about biological compounds-proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids.  They studied these biological compounds last year in Life Science; so much of this will be a review for them. Their chapter test is on Thursday.  This will complete the chemistry portion of the text and the students will spend the last two weeks working on speed and momentum.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will learn how to factor trinomials with coefficients for a, b and c greater than one.  In addition, they will learn about special products including the difference of squares  and perfect square trinomials.  There will be a quiz over lessons 9.6 and 9.7 Thursday, May 7th.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will continue our review of solving systems of linear equations.  We will explore different methods of solving them including the Substitution Method and the Elimination Method.  We will review on Thursday and have a quiz on Friday.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue exploring finding the surface area of various solid objects like pyramids and cones (12.3).  We will have a quiz on surface area on Thursday and begin learning about volume of prisms and cylinders on Friday (12.4).

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will begin to learn about the present perfect tense. Students will also receive the rubric for their final project of the school year. At this time, it is important to start organizing notes and binders for exam review coming up in a couple weeks.

8th American Government with Mrs. English
This week we will finish our study of the Cold War and have a test on Wednesday over Chapter 25-Sections 1, 3, & 4.  At the end of the week we will begin studying the Civil Rights Movement in Chapter 26-Section 1.  

  

April 27- May1

Notes from the Head of Middle School 

STEM WEEK!

This week the Middle School will create STEM projects during Eagle Op time.  The week will culminate with student project presentations on Friday.  Events include: Barge Building; Marshmallow Catapults; Straw Bridge Building; Eagle Egg Drop; Mousetrap Car Challenge and Rock and Marble Roll.  STEM week was exciting in the fall.  We are looking for an exciting competition on Friday.

BOOK FAIR

Don’t forget the Book Fair that will be going on this week in the Library!

FRIDAY, MAY 1^ST, 1/2 DAY OF SCHOOL

Middle School will be dismissed at 12:15.  No Extended Care.

S’COOL IS COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU!

The HDS Spring production is coming together.  Students from the 5^th – 8^th grades will be singing up a storm with the play S’Cool on Thursday, May 14^th in the evening and Friday, May 15^th at an 8:30 assembly.  SAVE THE DATE!!

Soccer

Monday, April 27th HDS vs. BSS at Benedictine
Girls: 4:30pm
Boys: 5:45pm

Tuesday, April 28th
HDS Girls vs Calvary 5:30 at Calvary
HDS Boys vs Memorial 8:00pm at Calvary

Thursday, April 30th HDS vs SCDS at Country Day
Girls: 4:30pm
Boys: 5:45pm

If you have taken any pictures during our Soccer season, please email them to mgordon@hancockdayschool.org
Thank you! 

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

This week the sixth graders worked on rough drafts of their research projects, practiced correcting run-ons and fragments, and reviewed how to create and format bibliographies.  By Tuesday students should have a rough draft of their research project to share with me.  We will revise and edit their projects in class Tuesday and Wednesday, and final drafts are due on Thursday, April 30^th.  This is a slight change from the dates given in previous blog posts.  Many students are making PPT presentations or speeches that they will be sharing with the class next Thursday and Friday.

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math students are studying discounts, markups, sales tax, tips and simple interest while using percents.  The chapter 9 test will be Monday, May 4th.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear
Next week we will begin exploring Chapter 9 by looking at square roots (9.1 – 9.2).  We will also learn about the Pythagorean Theorem (9.3).  Friday there will be no class because of STEM Day.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, we are still studying chapter 25 "Stars and Galaxies."  The chapter 25 test will be Tuesday, May 5th.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders will be finishing their chapter on stars & galaxies next week by looking at the classification of stars and galaxies including our Milky Way.  They will learn how to read an H-R diagram and how stars change over millions of years.  They will also learn how the Doppler shift shows the movement of distant galaxies.   This chapter test will be on Tuesday, May 5.  The classes will spend the following two and a half weeks studying weather and will have one final chapter test.  Please help your child stay focused for these last several weeks.  A few sixth graders are no longer giving school the attention needed and their grades are dropping.    

  

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Due to our half day on Friday, our Capítulo 4A test will be on Tuesday, April 28^th and we’ll review in class together on Monday.  We’ll begin our last chapter of the year together on Wednesday, continuing our theme of pasatiempos (hobbies).  

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

 Students have made great progress on their ABC book projects in class! We still have 2 more in class workdays, but I encourage students to work at home on the assignment as well. The ABC book is due on 8 May. We are analyzing the founding of Rome and its rise from republic to empire. On Thursday 30 April, students will have a quiz on both the map of Rome and the founding of Rome through the Second Triumvirate. I am in my room around 7:45 each morning for extra help or clarification on a subject!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
We have begun Across Five Aprils, our final novel of 7th grade! Students have received a reading calendar with chapter reading assignments, discussion days, quizzes, and tests. They have also received a packet for the novel that includes in-class warm-ups and activities, along with vocabulary and comprehension question homework assignments. We will have a quiz over chapters 1-4 on Wednesday 29 April. Please encourage your student to reference the reading calendar often, especially in the event of an absence, as students will be expected to remain on track with reading and homework.  I am in my room around 7:45 each morning for extra help or clarification on a subject!

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will begin exploring Chapter 9 by looking at square roots (9.1 – 9.2).  We will also learn about the Pythagorean Theorem (9.3).  Friday there will be no class because of STEM Day.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders will finish their chapter on nutrition and digestion next week.  They have learned about the 6 nutrients and how to read a nutrition label.  The students can now help find the healthiest foods at the supermarket.  They will learn how the organs of the digestive system work to break down & absorb food.  Their test will be on Thursday, April 30.  The students will spend the next few weeks studying the heart and blood and will have one more chapter test.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will be learning how to factor trinomials into binomial factors and how to factor special products as well.  The quiz scheduled for April 24th was moved to Tuesday, April 28th.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will finish up Chapter 2B. We have been reviewing the preterite tense and demonstratives adjectives. There will be a graded listening on Tuesday, April 28^th and the Chapter 2B Test will be on Thursday, April 30^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English

7th-This week in American History students will learn about the Trail of Tears.  Readings, homework, and notes will come from Chapter 10-Section 4.  We will have test on Chapter 9-Sections 3 & 4 and Chapter 10-Sections 3 & 4 on Wednesday, April 29th.  Students should begin reviewing their quizzes and notes over the weekend.  

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

This week the eighth graders worked on drafting their research papers, diagramming sentences, and mastering lesson seven in Wordly Wise.  By Monday students should have completed a rough draft of their research paper.  We will be editing and revising our papers during the early portion of next week, and the final draft of the paper and works cited page will be due on Friday, May 1^st.  We will also begin studying Romeo and Juliet next week; this will be our final major text of the year!  

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders have been dealing with organic chemistry this week.  They have learned why carbon is present in so many compounds and what constitutes a saturated hydrocarbon.  They also studied isomers and preformed a quick lab activity in which they made models of isomers.  Next week they will learn about substituted hydrocarbons and their uses. 

Check out our 8th Grade working on flame tests and Isomer Models!

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will be learning how to factor trinomials into binomial factors and how to factor special products as well.  The quiz scheduled for April 24th was moved to Tuesday, April 28th.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will continue our fundamental Algebra review with learning about point-slope form of linear equations.  We will review exponents and linear equations and have a test on those two topics.   Friday there will be no class because of STEM Day.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will review Chapter 11 and have a test on Tuesday.  We will then begin Chapter 12 by looking at classifying different 3-dimensional objects (12.1) and finding surface area of prisms and cylinders (12.2).  ).  Friday there will be no class because of STEM Day.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will finish up Chapter 7B. We have been working with formal commands and using “por” in sentences. There will be a graded listening on Tuesday, April 28^th and the Chapter 7B Test will be on Thursday, April 30^th. 

8th American Government with Mrs. English
This week in American History students will begin studying the Korean War period and other Cold War conflicts.  Readings, homework, and notes will come from Chapter 25-Section 3 & 4. 

  

April 20-24

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

CONGRATULATIONS LEXI, CARLISLE AND McKENNA!

                                “Let it be an act of remembrance, for that is what the victims wanted; to be remember, at least to be remembered.”  Elie Wiesel

 To recognize the 70^th year since the end of World War II and the liberation of the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, the Jewish Educational Alliance sponsored a writing and art contest to honor the thought that Elie Wiesel expressed above.  The horrors of the Holocaust appear several places in our curriculum.  Mrs. English’s 8^th grade US History classes are currently studying World War II.  As part of that study the students submitted entries to the contest. 

We are pleased to announce that Carlisle McCullough, Lexi Dixon and McKenna Bazemore’s entries were selected from a pool of over 200 entries for recognition.  They will be presented to the public at a ceremony at the JEA on Thursday, April 16^th.  Congratulations ladies!

BACK TO WORK!

The annual ERB ritual is not behind us and we are set to get back to work.  Please remember that there will be assessments and quizzes on this Monday.  Currently, only 7^th grade science has a quiz scheduled for Monday.  Another VERY important date is Wednesday, April 22^nd.  The 7^th grade is completing a research paper on the Presidents that began in Mrs. English’s History class and is now being written in Mrs. Hannah’s ELA class. 

FRIDAY, APRIL 24^TH and FRIDAY, MAY 1^STGrades 1 – 5 will have their annual field day on Friday, April 24^th.  The Middle School will have a ½ day of regular classes on that day.  Friday, May 1^st is also scheduled to be ½ day.  All grades will be working on a STEM project (similar to the one completed in the fall) during the week and then presented on Friday morning.  There will be NO EXTENDED ON EITHER FRIDAY.  Please plan accordingly for these early release days.

Soccer Game Changes

April 23rd at St. Andrews:
Girls- 4:30pm
Boys- 5:45pm

Congratulations to our Boys team for their victory against The Habersham School! 

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week the sixth graders will wrap up their research projects.  Students will spend class time working on this assignment, but some components of the project will need to be completed for homework throughout the week.  By now every student has completed his/her research, outlined what they plan to create for their project, and begun creating a rough draft.  We will work together in class on creating our bibliographies and proofreading our work so that we are completely done with this assignment by Wednesday, April 29^th.  Students will also take a quiz over lesson seven in Wordly Wise on Thursday, April 23^rd.  

6th Math with Mrs. Johnson

6th Grade math students will continue to study percent problems including percent of increase and decrease.  Chapter 9 quiz 9.4 and 9.6 will be Wednesday, April 22nd.

6th-7th Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish Chapter 8 by learning about graphing linear inequalities (8.9).  There will be a day of reviewing function notation (8.7), systems of equations (8.8) and graphing inequalities (8.9) on Wednesday.  We will have our test on those 3 sections on Thursday.  From there, we will move on to Chapter 9 and start learning about square roots.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Johnson 

In Earth Science, the students are studying chapter 25 "Stars and Galaxies."  They will take a quiz over sections 1 and 2 Wednesday, April 22nd.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders continue their work concerning stars and galaxies.   Next week they will construct a graph showing the fluctuation of sunspots over a thirty year span and they will graph data on solar flares.  They will also learn how to read an H-R Diagram which shows the relationship between a star's temperature and its magnitude. The ability to understand diagrams and graphs is critically important in all areas of science.  They will have a quiz on Thursday of next week.   

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, we’ll wrap up Capítulo 4A. We’ll re-visit POR vs. PARA concepts in preparation for the test on Friday, April 24^th. There will be an in-class review session on Thursday.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We have finished our unit on Greece and will finish the year studying ancient Rome! Students will begin labeling a map of ancient Rome this week, and will have a quiz over the map toward the end of next week. The final project of the year will be an alphabet book that covers Greece and Rome, and students will receive more information regarding that project next week as well.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
We have spent this week peer editing and revising the research paper, and the final draft will be due Wednesday 22 April. Students should turn in their final draft via Google Classroom AND print a hard copy to place in their manila envelope that contains the steps we have completed in the writing process. We will also begin our final novel, Across Five Aprils. Students will receive a reading calendar and comprehension question packet next week

6th-7th Grade Pre-Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish Chapter 8 by learning about graphing linear inequalities (8.9).  There will be a day of reviewing function notation (8.7), systems of equations (8.8) and graphing inequalities (8.9) on Wednesday.  We will have our test on those 3 sections on Thursday.  From there, we will move on to Chapter 9 and start learning about square roots.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The 7^th graders will start a very short chapter on nutrients and digestion next week.  Each student will be asked to keep a 24 hour food log.  They will look closely at the various food groups and see how well each student’s diet falls within the guidelines set forth by the USDA for a healthy diet.  They will also learn why each of the six nutrients is needed by the body.  Next week they will look at the structures that make up the digestive system and the process of digestion.  Their test on this chapter will be Thursday, April 30.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will continue solving polynomial equations in factored form from this week.  Students will then learn how to factor trinomials into binomial factors.  Chapter 9 quiz 9.4 and 9.5 will be Friday, April 24th.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will continue to with the new vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 2A. This includes preterite conjugation and demonstrative adjectives. The vocabulary quiz will be Tuesday, April 21^st and there will be a graded listening activity on Wednesday, April 22^nd.

7th American History with Mrs. English
This week in American History we will discuss Chapter 10-Sections 3 & 4. We will take a look at Andrew Jackson's presidency and Indian removal in the 1820s and 1830s.  Students will have readings and homework from Chapter 10-Section 3 & 4.  Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week the eighth graders will wrap up their research papers.  Students will spend class time working on this assignment, but some components of the paper will need to be completed for homework throughout the week.  By the end of class on Wednesday, April 22^nd students should be done composing their rough drafts.  We will spend time in class revising and editing these papers, and final drafts will be due on Tuesday, April 28^th.  Students will also take a quiz over lesson seven in Wordly Wise on Friday, April 24^th.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

During ERB week, the eighth graders finished their acid –base lab and performed a fame test lab which illustrated the characteristic colors produced by certain metals.  Next week they will begin a chapter on organic chemistry.   They will learn why carbon is present in so many compounds and look at saturated hydrocarbons.  They will also look at isomers and preform a quick lab activity in which they make models of isomers.  They will have a quiz on Friday.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Johnson

Algebra classes will continue solving polynomial equations in factored form from this week.  Students will then learn how to factor trinomials into binomial factors.  Chapter 9 quiz 9.4 and 9.5 will be Friday, April 24th.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear 

Next week we will review exponent rules on Monday and have a quiz on exponents on Tuesday.  From there, we will continue our Algebra Review by learning about linear equations and slope-intercept form, parallel/perpendicular lines, and point-slope form.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will learn about perimeter and areas of similar figures, and how they relate to each other (11.3).  We will also explore circumference, area, and sectors of circles (11.4).  We will have a quiz on area (11.1 – 11.4) on Wednesday.  Then we will start learning about how to find area of any regular polygon (11.6).  We will begin to prepare for the Chapter 11 Test the following Tuesday.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will continue to work with the new vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 7B. This includes formal commands and using por in sentences. The vocabulary quiz will be Tuesday, April 21^st and there will also be a graded listening on Wednesday, April 22^nd.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week in American History students will begin studying the aftermath of WWII and the beginning of the Cold War.  We will examine why the Cold War started and why it is important for us to study today.  Readings and homework will come from Chapter 25-Sections 1 & 2.  Looking forward to a great week!