News

Eighth Grade Graduation will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, at 11:00 am. EEighth grade parents and students received a final communication this week with additional Eighth Grade Graduation details and upcoming important dates. Please contact Mrs. Christenson with any questions.

Our highly anticipated Green and White Day is just around the corner! Throughout the year, students have been earning points in various activities and challenges during PE classes. On Green and White Day, they'll showcase their skills, team spirit, and sportsmanship in a day packed with thrilling competitions, friendly rivalry, and unforgettable memories. Middle School students will participate in Green and White Day in the afternoon on Thursday, May 21. Please refer to these guidelines:  

As students clean out lockers, we have some reminders that will be helpful for them. The expectation is that they will leave their lockers in the condition received. Students may want to bring in a rolling suitcase or sturdy totes for easy transport of items to carpool. Cleanout time for all Middle School grades will take place on Wednesday, May 20. Students may continue to use their lockers after clean-out for items needed for the remainder of the school year, including blazers for the year-end assembly. All lockers, 5/6 Commons, and 7/8 Commons will be checked on the afternoon of Friday, May 22, and any belongings found at that time will be donated to charity. 

The Eighth Grade Musical Faculty Team will be holding a Virtual Meeting for current seventh grade parents and new eighth grade families on Thursday, May 7 from 6:00-6:30 pm to provide some useful preliminary information. Parents have received the meeting link in separate communications.

Now that spring sports are over, afternoon carpool traffic will be a bit heavier until the end of the school year. Afternoon carpool dismissal times are:

As multiple end-of-year activities and festivities are rapidly approaching, a friendly reminder that any treat or food that your daughter is asked to bring to school needs to be nut free.

 

All library materials checked out to Middle School students must be returned to the Lower/Middle School Library by Friday, May 8. Students receive weekly overdue notices at their Hockaday email address. Questions about a library account? Please reach out to Ms. Coats at ecoats@hockaday.org.

All incoming fifth graders are placed in the same level math class; however, based on teacher recommendation, we offer enriched sections of math in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and a modified approach section in eighth grade.  

When making math placement recommendations, we analyze a wide variety of criteria: the end-of-year math inventory, report card grades and feedback, ERB scores, the ability to comprehend new and more abstract concepts, enrichment/bonus (higher level) problems, and comfort with risk-taking. Most students are placed in our already advanced regular sections of math. Math teachers will reach out to families if your daughter is recommended for a sixth, seventh, or eighth grade enriched or modified section in eighth grade. 

Required summer reading information, organized by grade, will be available beginning Monday, May 18, through the Library Tile on OnCampus.

 

You will receive an email packet from the Middle School Office in late July with back-to-school information. Please note that next year's Back-to-School Day is on Monday, August 17. 

 

When your daughter says, “I’m bored,” it may be tempting to fix it right away. Many adults quickly offer an activity, suggest a screen, or make a plan. But boredom is not always a bad thing. In small doses, it can help adolescents grow in healthy ways. As psychologist Lisa Damour reminds parents, “The job of teenagers is to become independent.” Unstructured time gives them opportunities to practice that independence in everyday ways.

Middle school students live busy lives filled with school, activities, friendships, and technology. While those things are important, students also need quiet, unplanned time. These slower moments give them space to think, create, and learn how to manage their own time.

The Eighth Grade Musical Faculty Team will be holding a Virtual Meeting for current seventh grade parents and new eighth grade families on Thursday, May 7 from 6:00-6:30 pm to provide some useful preliminary information. Parents have received a communication with the link and will also receive a reminder.

On Thursday, April 23, fifth graders will enjoy a social impact field trip day. They will depart campus in the morning and return in time for regular afternoon carpool pick-up. John Bunker Sands Wetland Center is a nature and education center that highlights the diversity and importance of the waterways to North Texas. Students will tour the wetlands facility, experience the flora and fauna, participate in citizen science and test the water quality. Students should bring a nut-free sack lunch and reusable water bottle. Students should wear a Hockaday t-shirt, long pants, jeans, leggings, or PE-approved sweatpants, socks that cover the ankles, and closed-toe shoes (sneakers). Bug spray and sunscreen are optional and recommended. Students will be given a required Wetland Center waiver and Field Trip Information Sheet to bring home. Please sign the waiver and have your daughter return it directly to her advisor by Tuesday, April 21.

Parents will receive a communication next week when third term interims are available online. Students receive an interim from their teacher when there are areas for growth and improvement that need to be noted. If no interims are written for your child, no interims will show up when you are allowed access. Teachers are asked to call or email parents in advance of the actual written interims.  

On Friday, April 10, seventh graders will enjoy a social impact field trip day. They will depart campus mid-morning and return in time for regular afternoon carpool pick-up. Students should bring a nut-free sack lunch and reusable water bottle. Students should wear a Hockaday t-shirt with jeans, leggings, or PE-approved sweatpants and sneakers; clothes should be appropriate for outdoor work and the weather. Students will engage in their theme of food insecurity by touring Paul Quinn College’s ‘We Over Me Farm’ and volunteering at ’Joppy Momma’s Farm.’  Students have been given a Field Trip Information Sheet to bring home with additional details.

Sixth grade parents received a reminder email earlier this week explaining the process for world language selection for their daughters. The choices broaden in seventh grade to include Spanish, French, and Latin. Students were informed about their options in a recent class meeting. Please submit the online language selection form by Friday, April 10.

On Wednesday, April 22, sixth graders will enjoy a social impact field trip day. They will depart campus mid-morning and return in time for regular afternoon carpool pick-up. Sixth grade students will visit the Trinity River Audubon Center to connect with their social impact theme of water. They will hear from TRAC about the importance of the river and biodiversity to our lives and participate in water testing and exploring the grounds. Trinity River Audubon Center is a nationally recognized leader in site remediation and conservation. Students should bring a nut-free sack lunch and a reusable water bottle. Students should wear a Hockaday t-shirt, long pants, jeans ,leggings, or PE-approved sweatpants, socks that cover the ankles, and closed-toe shoes (sneakers). Bug spray and sunscreen are optional and recommended. Students will be given a Field Trip Information Sheet to bring home with additional information.

The Middle School Student Council will hold elections for the 2026-2027 officers this spring. Middle School Student Council offices include: 

Middle School students in grades 5-7 received an email the week of April 6  with information on the duties of each office, how to file for office, and guidelines on campaign expectations. The deadline to file for office is Monday, April 13.  Elections will be held Friday, May 8. 

Middle School students may wear Limitless sweatpants or Hockaday sweatpants with Limitless t-shirt, sweatshirt, and socks, or any Hockaday t-shirt with uniform shoes on Friday, March 27.

Grandparents’ Day will be held on Thursday, April 2, and the program for grandparents of Middle School students will be in the afternoon. Students will have regular arrival and dismissal times, and Daisy Den and Middle School Athletics will follow their regular schedules. Parents received more details from Mrs. Christenson in a separate communication.

All Middle School students will take the online CTP5 assessment provided by the Educational Research Bureau on the mornings of Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1. Afternoon classes and activities will be held at the conclusion of testing on both days.

This assessment provides a standardized data point for the school and teachers to use in conjunction with classroom assessment to provide an overview of your daughter’s educational growth and our school programming. There is no special preparation needed for any CTP5 test except to be sure students get a good night's sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast. We ask that you not schedule any doctor or dentist appointments on those mornings; we do not provide make-ups as we value and study the longitudinal implications of these assessments rather than the results in any individual year. When you receive the results of these assessments in June, a detailed interpretation of your daughter’s scores will be included. Please keep in mind that these percentiles and stanines indicate how your daughter performed on certain tests on a given day and should be viewed in context of her overall classroom experience in learning and not considered an indicator of her future academic success.  

Eighth Grade Parent Coffee – Friday, February 6 in Biggs Dining Hall from 8:00-9:00 am

Eighth graders will host their peers from both St. Mark’s and Cistercian at our Valentine’s Dance on Friday, February 6, in the Small Gym from 7:00-9:00 pm. Students should wear festive attire and sneakers. Snacks and drinks will be served; please have your daughter eat dinner before the party. 

Middle school brings academic challenges, shifting friendships, and growing independence. These experiences are opportunities for girls to develop grit and resilience. Research shows these are learned skills, not fixed traits. Stress and challenge can also be tools for growth: “We build resilience by being stressed and learning how to cope with that stress.” Lisa Damour, PhD — The Emotional Lives of Teenagers

Happy New Year! As we welcome our girls back in January, this is a wonderful time to reset routines, reestablish healthy rhythms, and plant fresh seeds for a strong second half of the school year. One of the most powerful ways to support your daughter right now is through consistent, healthy sleep routines. Research from sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker reminds us that sleep is essential for adolescent learning, emotional regulation, memory, and resilience. Adequate rest truly fuels everything we ask of our girls each day—academically, socially, and emotionally. 

 

As you transition back into school routines, we encourage: 

At Hockaday, we are excited to nurture your daughters as they continue to grow, stretch, and bloom. Thank you for partnering with us to help them arrive each day rested, ready, and rooted in strong habits. 

On Tuesday, January 20, seventh graders will enjoy a half-day field trip to the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. This visit complements their studies in English class, where they are reading the stories of Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank) and Sophie Scholl (White Rose), as well as learning in depth about the history of this time period. The trip will depart after morning classes and return before afternoon carpool/athletics. Students should wear their dress uniforms and bring a nut-free sack lunch and their water bottle. Students will be given a Field Trip Information Sheet to bring home with additional information.

Second term interims will be available online the week of January 19; you will receive an email when those are posted and open for your viewing. Students receive an interim from their teacher when there are areas for growth and improvement that need to be noted. If no interims are written for your child, no interims will show up when you are allowed access. Teachers are asked to call or email parents in advance of the actual written interims.