Hancock Middle School

Friday, February 20, 2015

March 2-6

Our 8th Graders have had many exciting adventures in Washington D.C. this week!

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

8th Grade Ads

We will be in our last week of our Yearbook deadline! If you have not already sent in your information to Ms. Gordon, please do so now!

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Poetry portfolios are due tomorrow, Tuesday, March 3^rd. This assignment counts as half of a test grade, and all students have very detailed instructions outlining all required components. Students have had over a week to complete this assignment. We will continue to study poetry during the latter portion of this week as we prepare for Friday’s poetry test. This test will be our last major grade of the third quarter. Additionally, we will also explore participial phrases in our GUM books.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will begin Chapter 8 by writing and comparing ratios, using rates to compare two quantities, and finding the slope of a line. Students will take a math facts quiz on Friday, March 6 (outline will be handed out on Wednesday).

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

This week we will be beginning our study of percents and how they are used in the real world. We will begin by reviewing changing percents into fractions and decimals, as well as vice versa (7.1, 7.3). Then we will look at using proportions and the Percent Equation to solve real world problems (7.2, 7.4). Students will take a quiz covering the first 4 sections of Chapter 7 on Friday..

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth Science, we will wrap up Chapter 23 by exploring Earth’s Moon. Students will learn about recent discoveries about the Moon as well as examine facts about the Moon that might influence future space travel. On Wednesday, students will review for their Chapter 23 test which will take place on Thursday, March 5.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake
The sixth graders continue their study of the Earth and Moon. This week, the students have been learning about the phase cycle of the Moon and solar and lunar eclipses. Next week they will finish eclipses and look at features of the moon. Their last chapter test of the quarter will be on Thursday

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, quizzes will be returned, and we’ll continue work on Capítulo 3B. Students will be assigned partners to begin work on a project that is due on Friday, March 13^th. Current events due on Wednesday, the 4^th are: Julia Smith, Ben Bailey, Lucas Tucker and Avery Usher.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

On Monday, we will be presenting the Google Slides assignment your student has been creating this past week. We will have a quiz over these presentations on Wednesday, and a Greece intro test on Friday. The map of ancient Greece will be part of the test.I am in my room at 7:45 each morning for extra help if needed!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah
We have finished studying the five different types of pronouns, and will have a test over pronouns Thursday. We will begin studying myths, legends, and fables next week as well. I am in my room at 7:45 each morning for extra help if needed!

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

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake
Next week the seventh graders move on to chordates and the cold-blooded vertebrates. As they learn about the three classes of fish, they will compare various aspects of the groups. The students are continuing to see a progression in complexity as we move through the animal kingdom. They will have a quiz over chordate characteristics and fish on Thursday

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra I, we will apply exponent properties involving both products and quotients. Thursday, students will review for a Chapter Quiz over sections 1 & 2 that will take place on Friday, March 6

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

This week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will continue to work with the vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 9B. They will learn the difference between the verbs conocer and saber. The grammar quiz over this topic will be Thursday, March 5^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week we will be presenting our Presidential Projects Monday-Wednesday. Starting Thursday we will begin Chapter 8-Section 1 "Washington Takes Office." We will have a quiz NEXT Tuesday covering material from Chapter 8. Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

8^th graders will continue to read and study A Rasin in the Sun this week. Students take a quiz on Thursday, 3/5, over Acts 1 and 2 as well as contextual vocabulary. We will also continue to study parts of speech, sentence parts, capitalization rules, and diagramming through daily grammar practice.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders finished the chapter on chemical reactions before their trip. Next week’s focus will be lab work. They will be performing a two day lab that illustrates the various types of chemical reactions. The students will then begin a new chapter on solubility.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Algebra I, we will apply exponent properties involving both products and quotients. Thursday, students will review for a Chapter Quiz over sections 1 & 2 that will take place on Friday, March 6

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

This week we will complete our unit on Trigonometry, review on Tuesday, and have a test on Wednesday. We will then begin our study of angles, including Complementary, Supplementary, and Vertical Angles.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

This week we will complete our unit on Trigonometry, review on Tuesday, and have a test on Wednesday. We will then begin exploring Chapter 8 and quadrilaterals. We will look at the Polygon Interior and Exterior Angle Theorems (8.1) and some properties of parallelograms (8.2).

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes
This week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will begin Chapter 5B. This chapter discusses injuries and medical treatments in Spanish. Students will learn about some more irregular verbs in the preterite as well as the imperfect progressive tense. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, March 6th

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will begin discussing World War II. Students will study the situations that led to World War II and America's stance on the war. Students will have homework from Chapter 24-Section 1 & 2 and should expect a quiz NEXT Tuesday on material from Chapter 24. I will update the WWII notes on Google Classroom daily. If your student needs to update their notes or misses class they will find the notes there. Looking forward to a great week!

Friday, February 13, 2015

Feb 16-20

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

It was a tough week, it was a great week. Tough because we worked through the death of a good friend. Great because we came together as we always do in these times as a strong Hancock community. It was a time to be proud of our students, or faculty and staff, and our school.

RETURN TO “NORMAL”

All quizzes and tests were postponed from this week until next week. We spoke frequently during the week of the need for advanced preparation for these assessments. Below is the schedule for student assessment next week.

Testing Schedule 2/18-2/20

	Wednesday 2/18	Thursday 2/19	Friday 2/20
8th	-Spanish Test (Hughes) -ELA Paper (O’Connor) -ELA Quiz (O’Connor)	-Adv. Alg Test (Lanfear) -Geometry Quiz (Lanfear) -History Test (English)	-Spanish Project (Hughes) -Science Test (Blake) -Algebra Test (Reardon)
7th	-Spanish Test (Hughes) -Science Test (Blake)	- ELA Test (Hannah) -Pre-Alg Quiz(Lanfear)	-Spanish Project (Hughes) -History Test (English) -Algebra Test (Reardon)
6th	-ELA Paper (O’Connor)	-Pre-Alg Quiz (Lanfear) -Ancient Civ Test (Hannah)	-Math Quiz (Reardon) -Spanish Test (Bender)

CHAMPION CROWNED!

Congratulations to all of our teams on a successful basketball season. All of our teams represented us with commitment and pride. We are very proud of all the players and coaches.

A highlight of the season was the 8^th Grade Girls’ basketball team defeating St. James for the SPAL championship. Congratulations to the girls for a great season and many, many thanks to their coaches, Tracey Dixon and Holden Hayes, for their hours of dedication.

COACHES/PLAYERS GAME FRIDAY

Friday, February 20^th we will celebrate the conclusion of a very successful basketball season. Coaches parents will be challenging the basketball players to a night of games in the William Bell Gymnasium. It is a fun, family time. Come and enjoy the festivities. Games begin at 6:30.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

Wednesday, February 18^th we will induct students into the National Junior Honor Society. The ceremony will be held at 10:30 in Hancock Hall. All are welcomed to attend this inspiring ceremony.

WASHINGTON TRIP IS ALMOST HERE!

We will be departing on Tuesday, February 24^th for Washington. There were several unanswered questions from students and parents after our orientation session. The answers to these questions will be emailed home Friday, February 13^th and sent home in a note on Wednesday, February 18^th. This information can also be found here.

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week the sixth graders will turn in their thematic essays over The Outsiders on Wednesday, February 18^th. We have just started exploring poetry, and we will use the short week to examine a few types of figurative language and sound devices. Students will also take a quiz over lesson five in Wordly Wise on Tuesday, February 24^th.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will continue in Chapter 7 by solving inequalities. The big difference between equations and inequalities is that inequalities don’t contain equal signs – instead they contain an inequality which can be greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, or less than or equal to. On Thursday, we will review sections three through five and have a quiz over those sections on Friday, February 20.

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

Next week we will review Probability (6.7 – 6.8) on Wednesday and then have a Quiz on Thursday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth Science, we will begin taking a look at the Earth’s physical characteristics, as well as differentiating between rotation and revolution and which of those terms each create the seasons and day/night. We will use globes to investigate these questions.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders have just started a chapter dealing with the Earth & Moon. Next week they will be relearning several vocabulary words dealing with Earth's movement on its axis and orbit around the Sun. The students will be using globes to review the seasons and to illustrate how the tilt of the Earth influences these seasons.

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Current Events are due on Wednesday, the 18^th. Our Capítulo 3A test which was originally scheduled for Friday, the 13^th will now be given on Friday, the 20^th. Í Feliz Día de San Valentín !

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We have completed our study of ancient China, and will review on Wednesday in preparation for the test on Thursday. Enjoy your long weekend!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We have completed our study of The Hobbit, and will review on Wednesday in preparation for the test on Thursday. Enjoy your long weekend!

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

Next week we will review Probability (6.7 – 6.8) on Wednesday and then have a Quiz on Thursday.

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

This week the seventh graders have learned about mollusks and annelids. Next Wednesday, they will have their postponed test over chapter 12. Their presentations on invertebrates continue Thursday when they look at the largest invertebrate phylum-Arthropoda.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will review for the Chapter 7 test on both Wednesday and Thursday (this was a content rich chapter!). On Friday, February 20 students will take their Chapter 7 test.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will continue to work on their movie trailer projects and present on Friday, February 20^th. The alternate day for the Chapter 9A test will be on Wednesday, February 18^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week we will finish Chapter 7-Section 3 and take a test on Chapter 7 on Friday, February 20th. We will finish notes and review for the test. Homework will come from Chapter 7-Section 3 (key terms, checkpoint questions, and 1, 2, & 4 on pg221).

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Students have just started studying drama and reading A Raisin in the Sun. Challenge poems are due on Wednesday, February 18^th, and students will also take their Wordly Wise quiz over lesson five on Wednesday.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders spent this week learning about the various categories of chemical reactions. Next, they will look at factors that influence reaction speed. We will review and then have the chapter test on Friday, Feb. 20.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will review for the Chapter 7 test on both Wednesday and Thursday (this was a content rich chapter!). On Friday, February 20 students will take their Chapter 7 test.

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will review Chapter 8 (Polygons) on Wednesday and then have a Test on Thursday. On Friday, we will learn some more Trigonometry.

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will review sections 7.1 – 7.4 on Wednesday and then have a Quiz on Thursday. On Friday, we will learn some more Trigonometry.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will continue to work on their news broadcast assignment and present on Friday, February 20^th. The alternate day for the Chapter 5A test will be on Wednesday, February 18^th.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

We will continue reviewing for the Great Depression Test, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 19th. Don't forget to access Google Classroom for review questions!

Friday, February 6, 2015

February 9-13

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week students will be editing, revising, and typing their Outsiders thematic essays. The finished product will be due on Friday, February 13^th. I strongly encourage students to take advantage of opportunities for extra help (7:30-8:00 AM Tuesday- Friday, Wednesday Eagle Op, or 3:30-4:00PM Wednesday and Thursday) if they would like additional individual help with this assignment. Students will also begin work on our next lesson in Wordly Wise.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon
Next week in Math 6, we will continue in Chapter 7 by solving equations using multiplication and division. We will then take it another step further and combine adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing to solve two-step equations. Mid-week we will look at solving inequalities. Thursday we will review for a Chapter quiz that will take place on Friday, February 13 over sections 4 through 6.

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

Next week, the 7^th graders will take the Chapter 6 Test on Monday. This was pushed back from Friday because of the JRFH event. We will then learn about Probability and the Counting Principle (6.7 – 6.8), and we will have a quiz covering those topics on Friday.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth Science, we will review for the Chapter 22 test on Monday, February 9. On Tuesday (2/10), students will take their test. Mid-week we will dive into Chapter 23 which focuses on the Sun-Earth-Moon system. We will begin the chapter by exploring the properties of Earth including its shape, rotation, axis, and orbit.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

This week the sixth grade finished their chapter on space exploration. We spent a good deal of time on Projects Mercury, Gemini, & Apollo and our race to the moon. They also learned about John Glenn and his space shuttle flight at age 77. Monday they will review for Tuesday’s chapter test. On Wednesday, they will start the chapter on the Sun-Earth-Moon System.

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, we’ll wrap up Capítulo 3A. Students with Current Events due on Wednesday, the 11th are Sarah Lily Javetz, Annabelle Glisson, Maddox Eades, Amelia McCorvey, David Gilpin and Hunter Lanier. We will have a review session on Thursday, and a test over the chapter on Friday, the 13^th.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

The projects that students created for ancient China are so exciting! We will continue project presentations on Monday, then discuss the Han dynasty Tuesday and Wednesday. We have a test over Ancient China on Friday, for which we will review Thursday. I will be in my room every morning by 7:45 for review and assistance!

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We have finished reading The Hobbit, and your student's project is due on Monday. The essay analyzing Bilbo's heroic journey should be submitted via Google Classroom, and the map of Bilbo's quest can be brought to my classroom Monday morning. We will have a quiz over chapters 13-19 on Wednesday, review the novel Thursday, and test over the novel on Friday. I will be in my room every morning by 7:45 for review and assistance!

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

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders continue their study of invertebrates. This week they had two student led presentations about the simple worms. Their test on the first four phyla of invertebrates is Tuesday. On Wednesday, they will start the chapter on more complex invertebrates starting with mollusks.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will wrap up learning about systems of linear equations by solving them using multiplication. We will also take a look at solving special types of linear systems that might not have a solution, as well as systems of linear inequalities. Students should expect a quiz over sections 4 through 6 on Friday, February 13.

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish, the 7^th grade will finish Chapter 9A and the chapter test will be Tuesday, February 10^th. Students will continue to work on their movie trailer assignment and begin Chapter 9B. This chapter discusses technology and the difference between “saber” and “conocer”.

7th American History with Mrs. English

This week we will continue our study of the early government in the United States. We will look at the Constitutional Convention and the debates that took place during the convention. Homework and readings will come from Chapter 7-Section 2 & 3. Students will have a short quiz on Chapter 7-Section 2 on Thursday, February 12th. Looking ahead... Chapter 7 Test will be on February 20th. Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

Next week the eighth graders will complete their challenge poems modeled after two that we have studied in class. Students will have time in class early next week to work on typing and illustrating their poems, and the finished product is due on Wednesday, February 11^th. We will also continue to work on lesson five in Worldy Wise and begin to explore some elements of drama as we prepare to read A Raisin in the Sun.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders have started a new chapter on chemical reactions. They spent some time reviewing chemical formulas and the Law of Conservation of Mass. The students have been working diligently on balancing chemical equations. They will have a quiz on balancing equationsTuesday. At that point, they will look at the different factors that influence the rate of chemical reactions.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will review Chapter 8 on Monday and then have our Chapter 8 Test on Tuesday. We will then move on to learning basic Trigonometry, including the famous SOH-CAH-TOA!!

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will have a quiz on sections 7.1-7.4 on Tuesday. After that, we will move on to learning basic Trigonometry (7.5 – 7.7), including the famous SOH-CAH-TOA!!

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish the 8^th grade will finish Chapter 5A and the chapter test will be Tuesday, February 10^th. Students will continue to work on their news broadcast and begin Chapter 5B. In this chapter students will learn some medical terms in Spanish and the imperfect progressive tense.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will continue studying the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal. We will see how the national government grew during this time. We will have a test on Thursday, February 12th on Chapter 22.4, 23.1,2 & 4. Looking forward to a great week!

SPAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations to our 8th Grade Girls who have advanced to the SPAL Championship to be played on Monday night at Savannah Country Day School. Come support our Lady Eagles!!!

Friday, January 30, 2015

February 2-6

Students from Mrs. O'Connor's ELA class came dressed in their best 50's wear in honor of reading The Outsiders

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

DC TRIP!

There will be a parent/student meeting on Tuesday, February 3^rd at 5:00 in Hancock Hall. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF TIME. We will discuss the details for the upcoming DC trip. Click here for a tentative schedule.

We are awaiting confirmation for our visit to the White House and the Pentagon. Student information was submitted on Friday to secure security clearances. See all 8^th grade families at 5:00 on Tuesday. Please stay and support our students at their basketball games immediately after the meeting.

CELL PHONES

Many of our students are now very active cell phone users. This is becoming a problem as they are now bringing them to school and they are starting to appear on the playground and other inappropriate places. Our policy remains the same, there should be NO CELL PHONES ON CAMPUS. Recognizing that the cell phone does represent a major link for families when not at school, if, for any reason, your child needs to bring a cell phone to school (for possible use later in the day), that cell phone should be checked in the Middle School office with Ms. Gordon during the school day.

Jump Rope For Heart
Hancock has partnered with Memorial Health University to participate in Jump Rope for Heart in our efforts to raise $40,000 for the American Heart Association. The event is February 6th and students Kindergarten-8th grade will participate. Please make sure all permissions forms are turned in to their homeroom teachers and envelope donations are due back February 5th. We hope you will put on your athletic shoes and come jump with your children during their PE time!

LOWER SCHOOL INTRAMURAL - HELP WANTED!!

HDS is able to offer a wide range of quality programs due in large part to an army of volunteers. Intramural basketball is one of those programs. For 4 Saturdays over the next two months students in the Lower School will be playing basketball. We need volunteers to make these games happen, specifically, clock keepers and referees. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY - THIS IS LOWER SCHOOL INTRAMURALS!!! Please consider volunteering as a parent or having your student volunteer to help out.

Please click here for specific dates and times. You may sign up by contacting Ms. Gordon in the Middle School office.

Show Someone How Special They Are!

Student government is sponsoring Valentine Candy Grams for all grade levels. Each Valentine's Day Gram will cost $1 and will have a small piece of candy attached along with a personalized note. Order forms are going home today, and must be turned in by Monday, February 9th. Cupid will be delivering Candy Grams on Friday, February 13th.

6TH GRADE NEWS

6th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
The sixth graders have just started brainstorming for a five paragraph essay over a theme in The Outsiders. Next week students will outline and draft this paper in class. We will also study adverb clauses in our GUM books, and we'll take a short quiz over adjective and adverb clauses on Thursday, February 5th.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will begin into Chapter 7 by writing expressions and equations as well as simplifying expressions. On Wednesday, students will take a math facts quiz (outline for this will go home on Monday). Thursday, we will solve addition and subtraction equations. If your child is still struggling with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers it is essential that they come see me for help. Everything that we do from here on out will involve integers. Friday, we will take a break from taking notes and play simplifying expressions BINGO!

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

Next week we will complete Chapter 6 by learning about using Similar figures to find the measures of sides (6.5). We will also learn about scale drawings and models (6.6). There will be a day of review and the Chapter 6 Test towards the end of the week.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth Science, we will continue exploring space by discussing current and future space missions. The students are really getting into this chapter and are asking some great questions (some that I even have to look up to answer!!). Towards the middle of the week, we will watch a documentary on when man left Earth. Students should expect a test over Chapter 22 on Tuesday, February 10.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders have begun their look at the U. S. space program. They will learn about all three projams that led to the moon landing in 1969. They are taking a close look at the Mercury program right now and will look at Gemini and Apollo next week. This will finish the chapter and they will have their test on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, we’ll continue to work on our food unit and students will create skits covering the vocabulary and grammar that we’ve learned so far in this unit. There will be a chapter test on Friday, February 13^th.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah
Monday and Tuesday will be devoted to project research in the classroom. Students have begun creating their source cards in their Google Classroom account, and can continue researching over the weekend. Students can bring their poster materials to class, if they have completed all 15 note cards and are ready to begin creating the tri-fold poster that accompanies the research portion of the project. The completed project (note cards, source cards, tri-fold, and works cited) are all due Friday. The source cards and works cited can be submitted through Google Classroom. We will finish studying the Qin dynasty on Wednesday, and quiz over the Zhou and Qin dynasties on Thursday. I am in my classroom each morning for any questions or clarification on a topic.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We will complete our reading of The Hobbit by Friday! We are devoting three days of class time to the essay chronicling Bilbo's transformation into a hero. We have already discussed two of the three stages of his journey, and your student is able to write the first two sections of the paper, which will leave time for peer review and editing in class. This paper can be written and submitted through Google Classroom, and is due by Monday 9 February. The map that accompanies the essay is also due 9 February. I am in my classroom each morning for any questions or clarification on a topic.

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

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders are still looking at the simpler invertebrate phyla. Next week they will have student led lessons on flatworms and roundworms. They will also have a short lab in which they will look at slides and specimens of the four phyla studied thus far. Their test over this chapter will be on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will begin into Chapter 7 by solving linear systems using several different methods. We will begin with graphing and then move on to substitution and then adding and subtracting. This chapter can be tricky for some students, so I encourage you to bring your child in for extra help as soon as they begin experiencing difficulty. We will review the first 3 sections on Thursday, and then students will take a Chapter quiz over those sections on Friday (2/6).

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 7^th grade will continue to work with the new vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 9A. We will have a graded listening and a reading comprehension check in the beginning of the week and the grammar quiz will be Wednesday, February 4^th. This quiz will cover “gustar-type” verbs.

7th American History with Mrs. English
This week we will present our Geography Projects (due Monday). We will also begin discussing the problems that the new United States faced after the Revolutionary War. Homework will come from Chapter 7-Section 1. We will have a quiz on Thursday, Feb. 5th over Chapter 7-Section 1.

8TH GRADE NEWS

8th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. O'Connor
The eighth grade students are wrapping up their study of poetry by writing their own ballads in small groups. Students will finish up their ballads on Monday and examine sonnets in preparation for Thursday's poetry test. We will be reviewing the material we have covered all unit on Tuesday and Wednesday, but students are encouraged to begin reviewing their notes and poetry terms over the weekend. We will also spend time in class next week diagramming compound sentences.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders will start a new chapter next week in which they will look more closely at chemical reactions. After reviewing the characteristics of chemical changes and chemical formulas, they will learn about chemical equations. A chemical equation is simply a shorthand method of showing what occurs during a chemical reaction. Because of the Law of Conservation of Mass these equations must be balanced. We will spend the last half of the week working with balancing equations.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue to learn about areas of polygons. We will discover the area formulas for parallelograms, rhombuses (8.5), and trapezoids (8.6). We will begin looking at circles and some of their properties as well (8.7).

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will have our Chapter 6 Test on Tuesday and then continue on with Chapter 7, which covers some interesting properties about right triangles.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class the 8^th grade will continue to work with new vocabulary and grammar from Chapter 5A. We will have a graded listening and a reading comprehension check in the beginning of the week and the grammar quiz will be Wednesday, February 4^th. This quiz will cover the imperfect and preterite as well as irregular verbs in the preterite tense.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will continue discussing the Great Depression. We will have a quiz on Chapter 22.4 and Chapter 23.1 on Thursday, Feb 5th. Homework will come from Chapter 23.1 and Chapter 23.2.

Friday, January 23, 2015

January 26-30

NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

LOWER SCHOOL INTRAMURAL - HELP WANTED!!

Please click here for specific dates and times. You may sign up by contacting Ms. Gordon in the Middle School office.

IT’S A SWEETHEART OF A DANCE!

The Middle School Student Government has planned a Sweetheart dance for Friday, January 30th from 6:30 - 9:00. The students have hired a GREAT DJ for the event. Light snacks will be provided based on the following schedule:

6th grade bring snacks and finger food

7th grade bring “hand held” desserts (cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc.)

8th grade bring 2 liter bottles of soda

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES

Periodically we receive information about extracurricular offerings at other schools inviting our students to participate. As I receive these invitations I will announce them on the BLOG.

This week, I received an announcement about summer school offerings at the Lovett School in Atlanta. Some offerings are purely academic, others are activities like photography and film-making. Additional information can be found by clicking here.

WASHINGTON TRIP

The students have given their final input to trip itinerary. We will be holding a parent information night on Tuesday, February 3rd beginning at 6:30. 8th grade families should plan on attending this session. Along with the announcing the details of the itinerary, we will discuss appropriate clothing and accessories that should be taken and collect emergency information. 4 Weeks and counting!

6TH GRADE NEWS

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

The sixth grade students are reading the conclusion of The Outsiders and preparing for our test (scheduled for Tuesday, January 27^th). Students are also researching different aspects of life in the 1960’s in order to better understand the novel’s setting. Students will present their findings to the class on Thursday, January 29^th. Thursday students also have permission to dress like a Greaser or a Soc instead of wearing the usual HDS uniform! Late next week we will take a closer look at some major themes in the novel as we begin brainstorming for an essay assignment. We will also practice identifying adverb and adjective clauses in our GUM book.

6th Math with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Math 6, we will take Monday and Tuesday to review in depth Chapter 6. Chapter 6 is content heavy, therefore your child should not wait until the night before the test to start studying! The Chapter 6 test will take place on Wednesday, January 28. Thursday and Friday we will take a look into Chapter 7 and explore writing expressions and equations.

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

Next week we will be studying proportions. Students will learn how to write and solve proportions in various ways. We will have a quiz on ratios and proportions (6.1 – 6.3) on Wednesday. We will then begin applying those skills towards geometry with similar and congruent figures (6.4).

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Earth Science, we will continue to explore space by taking a look at the different types of telescopes that are used not only to look at stars, but also to study radio waves traveling through space. We will also discuss some of the early space missions as well as satellites.

6th Earth Science with Mrs. Blake

The sixth graders have just started their unit on astronomy. They have just read about the electromagnetic spectrum and will be learning how we make use of the various types of radiation. They will have a short quiz over this information on Tuesday. At that point, they will begin their look at the U. S. space program which was pushed to the forefront by the 1957 launch of Sputnik I by the Soviet Union. They will look at all three projects that led to the moon landing in 1969. Also, they will construct a time line of the milestones of the program.

6th Spanish with Mrs. Dixon-Bender

Next week, we will continue to cover Capítulo 3A. There will be a vocabulary quiz from this chapter on Friday, January 30^th. We will review together the Thursday prior.

6th Ancient Civilizations with Mrs. Hannah

We are continuing our study of the major Chinese dynasties next week as we cover the Zhou and Qin dynasties. Students received their approved research questions today, along with resources on how to create source cards and note cards as they research their topics. We have class time at the end of next week and the beginning of February devoted to in-class research, but students can begin gathering sources now, so they can maximize the in-class time. I am in my classroom by 7:45 daily for any extra help or clarification.

7TH GRADE NEWS

7th Grade English Language Arts with Mrs. Hannah

We are already halfway finished reading The Hobbit! In conjunction with their project, we have been analyzing Bilbo Baggins' transformation into a hero. Your student has all the resources needed to write the first paragraph and begin the second paragraph of the paper, and should have an idea of how they will create the map that will accompany the paper. We have a quiz over The Hobbit chapters 9-12 on Wednesday, and a quiz over verbs on Thursday. I am in my classroom by 7:45 daily for any extra help or clarification.

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

7th Grade Life Science with Mrs. Blake

The seventh graders continue their invertebrate project. They are working in teams to research a particular phylum and will be responsible for teaching the class about that group of invertebrates. These presentations will be given over the next four weeks. Also next week, they will finish sponges and will move on to the phylum cnidarian.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

Next week in Algebra I, we will wrap up Chapter 6 by graphing linear inequalities in two variables on Monday. Since this chapter is so content rich, we will take both Tuesday and Wednesday to review the material for the Chapter 6 test that will take place on Thursday, January 29. Students should not wait until the night before the test to study!!

7th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 7^th grade will begin a new chapter discussing entertainment and how to express preferences and opinions using “gustar-type verbs”. Students will also create a movie trailer in Spanish using their new vocabulary. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, January 30^th.

7th American History with Mrs. English
We are finishing Chapter 6-The Revolutionary War this week. We will have a test on Wednesday. Homework this weekend, Monday, and Tuesday night is to prepare for the test. Students will begin their geography project on Wednesday in computer class. We will continue working on it on Thursday and Friday. Looking forward to a great week!

8TH GRADE NEWS

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

The eighth graders are continuing to explore poetry by identifying examples of common poetic devices/figurative language through their work on the poetry poster projects. Analyzing why poets choose to include poetic devices is a major component of the assignment. This project is due on Wednesday, January 28^th, and students will have time to work in class on Monday and Tuesday. We’ll spend the second half of the week examining sonnets and ballads as we wrap up our poetry unit and prepare for a test on Thursday, February 5^th. We will also continue to identify parts of speech and sentence parts through our daily grammar practice.

8th Grade Physical Science with Mrs. Blake

The eighth graders are looking at bonding. Next week they will learn about the different types of bonds and do some more work with Lewis structures. They will also review

chemical formulas. This will complete our short chapter on atomic structure and bonds. Their test will be at the end of next week.

7th-8th Algebra I with Mrs. Reardon

8th Advanced Algebra with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will continue our exploration of geometry by studying polygons and their various properties (Chapter 8). We will learn how to classify polygons, as well as some theorems (equations) about the angles of polygons. There will be a quiz on what we have covered up to that point on Friday (8.1 – 8.4).

8th Geometry with Mr. Lanfear

Next week we will finish Chapter 6 by proving triangles are similar by various theorems and postulates (6.4 – 6.5). We will also use some theorems involving proportions (6.6) and learn about dilations in the coordinate plane (6.7). There will be a Chapter 6 Test the following week.

8th Spanish with Ms. Hughes

Next week in Spanish class, the 8^th grade will begin a new chapter discussing natural disasters and exchange information over newsworthy events. Students will also create and present a news broadcast completely in Spanish using the new vocabulary. The vocabulary quiz will be Friday, January 30^th.

8th American Government with Mrs. English

This week we will have a test on Tuesday over the Roaring Twenties. On Thursday I will introduce the stock market and how the Great Depression occurred. Students will also finish their Silent Films on Wednesday and we will "screen" them on Friday. Homework will come from Chapter 22-Section 4 (defining key terms, checkpoint question, and Check Your Progress questions). Looking forward to a great week!