NORTH NEWS

Student Assessment Results for the 2024 West Virginia General Summative Assessment are now available in the online Cambium Family Portal.

Berkeley County Schools will provide a unique access code for each student who took the WVGSA in Grades 3-8. This code will allow students and their parents/caregivers to access student test results by logging into the Cambium Family Portal.

The access code can be retrieved from the student's K-12 email account, which was sent to you by close of business on Friday, September 6, 2024. Please look for an email from noreply.berkeley@k12.wv.us.

Go to login.microsoftonline.com

Username:

• The student's K-12 email address is their Schoology username followed by @stu.k12.wv.us
• For example – Schoology username is smcolli1 and your k12 email address is smcolli1@stu.k12.wv.us

Password:

• Use the same password as the student's Schoology password.

This school year, North Middle School is joining the Josten’s Renaissance Community. A few other Berkeley County Schools are already a part of this community and we are excited to join them.

What is Renaissance?

-It is a school-wide, student and staffulty-led effort that is aimed to enhance school-pride and school community. “We Are North”

-It is built on the six R’s: Respect, Recognition, Rewards, Reinforce, Relationship, Results! Students will be able to earn points based upon their grades, behavior, and attendance to receive rewards.

Potential Reward Opportunities:

*High-Five Friday

*Gratitude Jar

*Point Competitions

*Arts and Sport VIP sections

*Gaming Console Drawings

*Ice Cream & Pizza Socials

*Special Dances

*Plus a lot more!

We will be looking for students to join our Renaissance Team soon! If you think you’d be interested in helping to plan events or activities with Renaissance be on the lookout for a student application coming soon!

We want to thank every parent who has filled out the online or written emergency card information and acceptable use policy! If you have not had a chance to do this yet, please stop and do it now using the links below. As of Friday, we had about 160 students who have not brought back the acceptable use policy or had their parents complete it online. Student iPads will soon lock for those students. To ensure your child's online access isn't impacted, please make sure you fill out these forms today!

Are you ready to make a difference at NMS? Joining the Student Council is your chance to help shape your school community! As a member, you'll get to plan fun events like spirit days and school dances, and work on service projects that benefit our entire school. If you're interested in being a leader and making your voice heard, fill out the Student Council Contract (see the attachment below) or reach out to Ms. Updike in the 6th grade hall for more details. Don't forget, the first Student Council meeting is on September 16th after school in Ms. Updike's room—don't miss it!

Join us for our annual BCS Bullying Prevention Program Community Wide Kick-Off event at War Memorial Park on September 19 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. There will be community organizations, along with student performances, a DJ Dance Party, fun activities, speakers, light refreshments, and more! In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held at North Middle School.

This is a great opportunity learn more about our efforts to prevent bullying and improve school climate. We look forward to seeing you there!

This year, the NMS yearbook cover will be a student creation! If you like graphic design or drawing, this is an opportunity for YOU to be recognized by the whole school for your talents! Submissions are due October 1st to Ms. Sibert in the 6th grade hallway.

This is a great chance for our students to show their North pride and be part of something special. Let’s come together and demonstrate that WE ARE NORTH!

If you are interested in NMS Cheer, tryouts are this Monday-Thursday, September 9-12th from 6-8pm! Students must attend all four nights! If you have any questions about NMS cheer, contact Coach Jones at natalie.jones@k12.wv.us. Remember, you MUST have a doctor's physical dated after May 1, 2024 to tryout!

They have been practicing for several weeks; now is the moment we've been waiting for! The first cross country meet of the school year will be THIS WEDNESDAY, September 11th at 5:30pm at Spring Mills Middle School. North will be facing off against Spring Mills & Hedgesville Middle Schools. Come on out and cheer on our Blue Devil Cross Country runners!

Boys Basketball conditioning is from 3:00-4:30 pm and each Monday and Friday. For more information, see Coach Rhoden or Coach Callis.

The girls conditioning practices THIS WEEK are Wednesday, 9/11 & Thursday, 9/12 from 4:30-6pm. Starting the week of September 16th, girls conditioning will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays from 5:30-7pm.

Don't miss these opportunities to enhance your skills and build relationships with the coaches & other players!

Did you know you can manage which schools you receive communications from on a weekly basis? North Middle will be sending all communications through the app this year, trying to reduce the number of text messages we send to parents. We will reserve text message and emails for the weekly newsletter and the most important information. So, to stay "in the loop" be sure to download the app today!

At North Middle School, we’re excited to offer Schoology as a comprehensive tool to help parents stay informed and involved in their child’s education. Creating a parent account on Schoology is crucial for monitoring your child’s academic progress, communicating with teachers, and staying updated on school news. Unfortunately, many NMS parents are missing the opportunity to stay connected to their student's progress without having their own parent account in Schoology.

To get started, obtain an access code for your child from any teacher or from Ms. Deavers, our Technology Integration Specialist by filling out the form below. Once you have your code, visit www.schoology.com from a laptop or computer, click “LOGIN” in the top right corner, and then select “REGISTER” and “Parent”. Enter the access code, complete your contact information, and set a password. Once you've set up your account, you will login using your email and the password you created. If there are two parents or guardians, you can each use the same code to set up your own accounts.

Once your account is set up, you can view your child’s grades and assignments by clicking on your name in the top right corner of the Schoology interface, and then their name in the dropdown menu. The “Grade Report” section is particularly important for tracking academic performance, while the “Courses” tab will provide you a portal to each class page where you will find detailed information about each class. Each class page includes a red “essentials” folder with crucial documents like the teacher’s syllabus and classroom management plans. Upcoming assignments will be listed on the right side of the screen, making it easy to keep track of due dates and deadlines.

Research shows that parental involvement can significantly boost a child’s academic achievement. Students with engaged parents tend to score higher on tests and make greater progress in their studies. Schoology facilitates this engagement by allowing you to message teachers directly via the envelope icon, view school newsletters, and access important updates. Set up your account on a computer first, then use the mobile app for easy, on-the-go access. For any questions or assistance, please reach out to Ms. Deavers at rachel.deavers@k12.wv.us. Partner with us to support your child’s educational journey effectively!

Hey North Middle School students!

Schoology isn’t just for checking your grades—it’s a powerful tool to help you stay organized and boost your performance. One crucial feature to pay attention to is the gradebook. If you see an orange octagon with a white center, that’s a red flag for a missing assignment. Missing assignments can drastically drop your overall grade. For example, if you have three grades that are worth the same amount of points and one is missing, your highest possible grade could be a 67% D! But if you turn in that missing work, even with a failing score, it could raise your grade to an 83% B. Zeroes are grade killers! Aim for no zeroes in your gradebook!

Another key feature is the “Upcoming” section on the right side of your class pages. This area shows all your upcoming assignments and their due dates. If you miss a deadline, the assignment will disappear from “Upcoming,” but it’s still available in your course folder or on the grade page. Keeping an eye on this section helps you manage your time and avoid late work.

Lastly, don’t forget you can message your teachers directly through Schoology by clicking the envelope icon. This is especially important if you’re absent—sending a quick message to ask about missed work will help you stay on track. Remember, being proactive and communicating with your teachers shows responsibility and helps you succeed. Dive into Schoology and make it work for you!

Don't miss a thing!

Ms. Michael's class had the opportunity to play floor hockey in Ms. Mangold's PE class this week! What a blast!

The Blue Devil Cafe opened on Friday! Ms. Long's 8th grade Family & Consumer Science classes served beverages and breakfast items to participating teachers, all while learning how to manage a kitchen and provide good customer service! Mrs. Burton enjoyed watching her students make her drink and cinnamon roll in Mrs. Long's class. She said it was delicious!

The STAR academy is in full swing! Students are all working at their hands-on stations and enjoying the many different activities. Mr. Callis is having a great time with his classes!

6th grade Family & Consumer Science class was working hard on their hand embroidery stitches, and 7th grade started using sewing machines this past week!

The Northern Lights Show Choir had a WONDERFUL, productive, and fun FIRST practice of the year last Tuesday!!! They got a good amount of the "closer" done for the show, since they are performing it at the BCS Bullying Prevention Program Kickoff September 19th at War Memorial Park! Northern Lights has a lot of hard work to do between now and then, but they hope to see many Blue Devils in the audience for support!

Ms. Heck's 7th grade science teachers started their first labs this week on practicing various forms of measurement. Before the lab, students encountered several lab safety scenarios and had to choose the correct course of action in each.

WE ARE NORTH!

Our mission is to provide a supportative and inclusive learning environment where every student is valued, held to high expectations, and inspired to reach their full potential. We commit to celebrating our diverse backgrounds while implementing strategies that promote respect, responsibility, and academic excellence.

Email: rachel.deavers@k12.wv.us

Website: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/o/martinsburgnorth

Location: 250 East Road, Martinsburg, WV, USA

Phone: 304-267-3540

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialNMSpage

Twitter: @nmsteachers