Middle School Parent Update

November 1, 2024

The End of Quarter 1 is Coming Soon

Good Morning Norwich Families,

It’s hard to believe that the end of the first marking period is nearly here! Friday, November 15th, marks the final day of the quarter, and we’re excited to see the hard work students have been putting in. We encourage you to check the SchoolTool Parent Portal to keep your child’s academic progress up-to-date. If you need a SchoolTool Parent Portal account, please contact the main office or ask your child to log in to their student account to show you their grades and assignments.

We value your ongoing conversations with your child about their schoolwork and commitment to learning. These small check-ins make a big difference, and reaching out to teachers when extra support is needed can be very helpful. With everyone’s encouragement and support, our students are well on their way to success!

Alongside report cards, attendance reports will also be mailed to each family. We know that regular attendance is essential to your child’s learning and personal growth, though occasional absences for illness or family needs do happen. Each day in school is a valuable chance to learn and connect, and your partnership in supporting consistent attendance means so much to us.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to your child’s education! Together, we’re making this a wonderful year.

Mr. Devine & Mrs. Powers

Parent-Teacher Conferences - November 15

Our parent-teacher conferences are coming up on Friday, November 15th. If you are interested in scheduling a meeting with your child's teachers, please contact the office at your earliest convenience to arrange a time. We look forward to partnering with you to support your child’s success!

Coupon Book Fundraiser

We’re excited to announce that our coupon book fundraiser has officially started and will run through Tuesday, November 19th! This is a great opportunity to support our school while saving on goods and services from local businesses. Each coupon book costs just $20 and is filled with valuable deals that can be used throughout the year!

Here’s how it works:

Coupon books are available for $20 each.
Students can earn fun rewards based on the number of books they sell. The more books they sell, the greater the rewards!

Why Participate? Funds raised from this event will directly benefit our students, helping us continue to provide enriching experiences for all and supporting our year-end trips. By participating, your family helps us reach our goal to enhance learning opportunities at Norwich Middle School.

How You Can Help:

Encourage your student to participate and set a goal.
Reach out to family, friends, and neighbors who might want to save and support our school.

You can order online as well by clicking THIS LINK. Please share with your friends and family from out of town. Coupon books are available for many parts of the country, so they can purchase a local book for the area where they live.

Thank you for your support in making this fundraiser a success! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school office.

Zappone Subaru Fuels Learning at Norwich Middle School!

Norwich Middle School is thrilled to announce a partnership with Zappone Subaru through their amazing Subaru Loves Learning initiative! This generous sponsorship has provided our dedicated teachers with much-needed resources and supplies for their classrooms.

Thanks to Zappone Subaru, our students will have access to materials and supplies for the classroom. This support directly enhances the learning experience for every child at Norwich Middle School and helps foster a love of learning in all subject areas.

The entire Norwich Middle School community extends our deepest gratitude to Zappone Subaru for their commitment to education and for investing in the future of our students. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive community partner!

Fall NWEA Scores

By early next week, your student will be bringing home their recent NWEA score report. Our teachers have already reviewed these scores with students, discussing their progress, strengths, and areas for growth.

We encourage you to take some time to talk with your student about their results. Engaging in a conversation around their achievements and where they can improve can be a great way to support their learning goals. Reflecting on their scores can also help students set personal targets and feel empowered in their academic journey.

If you have any questions about your student’s scores or how to support their progress, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher or the office. Thank you for your continued partnership in helping each student grow and succeed!

On Tuesday, October 29, members of the PLUSE club at Norwich Middle School students participated in an interactive learning experience aimed at educating them about the effects of alcohol on the body. During this activity, students wore goggles simulating various blood alcohol levels while playing Twister. This hands-on experience allowed students to witness firsthand how alcohol impacts balance, vision, reaction time, and judgment.

By incorporating this simple yet effective impairment awareness exercise, we aimed to promote greater awareness of the effects of drugs and alcohol and encourage responsible decision-making.

Cell Phone Free Survey

We want to thank everyone who shared their thoughts in our recent survey on our cell phone-free environment. Your feedback has been essential in helping us understand the positive impact, mixed reactions, and areas where we can improve. Here’s what we heard and what we’re doing:

Positive Impacts: Your feedback has highlighted significant improvements in focus, grades, and social interactions, all of which align with our goals for a better learning environment. These positive outcomes reinforce the value of our cell phone-free policy.
Support for Students’ Well-Being: We recognize that adjusting to the policy has been stressful for some students, and we’re exploring ways to offer support while maintaining a distraction-free environment.

Based on your feedback, here are two specific steps we’re taking:

Meeting with Extracurricular and Athletic Programs: We’re committed to ensuring all students and families receive accurate, up-to-date information on extracurricular activities and athletics. Improved coordination will help ensure everyone stays informed and connected.
Announcements Between Classes: To keep you informed without interrupting class time, we’ll call students to the office between bells for updates and important announcements. This will allow us to respect their learning time while ensuring that critical messages from home are received.

Thank you for helping us shape a supportive, focused environment. We want to assure you that we are committed to ongoing improvements based on your insights and needs, as we continue to strive for a better learning environment.

Congratulations to all Fall Season Activities

Congratulations on an amazing season! Whether you competed on the football field, soccer pitch, volleyball court, cross country course, swimming pool, or represented our school through the marching band, you’ve demonstrated dedication, teamwork, and school spirit. Each of you contributed to a successful and memorable fall season.

Your hard work, determination, and commitment to excellence have made us all proud. You showed up, gave your best, and embodied what it means to be a Norwich Middle School student. We couldn’t be more proud of your efforts both in practice and competition.

As we celebrate your accomplishments, let’s also look ahead to continue building on the great foundation you've set. Keep striving for excellence, both on and off the field, and continue to inspire those around you.

Thank you for representing our school so well. You are the heart and soul of our community!

Amazing Days at the Corn Maze

For our fall celebration, our students went to Peila View Farms to enjoy a half-day celebration at the corn maze. Students had a great time with the corn maze and activities at the farm. This outing was a fantastic way for students to demonstrate our core values of respect, responsibility, resiliency, and self-control. We are looking forward to a continual focus on learning and meeting our goals throughout the school year.

Thank you for your continued support!!