NORTH NEWS

Thanks to the efforts from our students, educators, and stakeholders, we successfully collected around 300 food items to help feed those in need this season during our Sources of Strength food drive! This achievement is a testament to the generosity and compassion that defines our school community. A special "thank you" to Ms. Sigler for her leadership of the program along with Ms. Poe & Ms. Griffin for their support!

Check out these December schedule changes! Mark your calendars! Tomorrow, students will arrive two hours late due to a Faculty Senate meeting. We look forward to welcoming students back to the building tomorrow at 9:15am!

NMS would like to thank Angelo's Pizza, Pyramid Health & Martinsburg Bible Church for supporting our Angel Tree program this year!

• Angelo's Pizza - several gift cards donations
• Pyramid Health $500
• Martinsburg Bible $1000

Several representatives from Family Bible Church visited NMS on Nov 20th bring their $1,000 donation to our Angel Tree fund. This church, with only 35 members, felt it in their hearts to adopt North Middle this school year! They have contributed to our school community in so many ways, including luncheons for teachers, donating school supplies, & now a contribution to the Angel Tree program! Thank you Family Bible Church for your support to our community!

During P.E. classes in November, students participated in the FitnessGram assessments! Congrats to these students who distinguished themselves during these activities!

Push-Ups: Zahlia White in 6th grade with 37 push-ups & Jaedon Carter-Butts in 8th Grade with 44 push-ups.

Sit & Reach: Sophia Rockinberg in 6th grade with 17 in. & 18.5 in & Bentley Moore in 8th grade with 15 in. & 15 in.

Pacers:

6th grade - Jasmine Kegueni-Aliguen with 55 & Jordan Chambers with 71

7th grade - Daesia Smith with 57 & Trey Locke with 88

8th grade - Aliyah Greenberg with 61 & Jaedon Carter-Butts with 80

The “80 Club” ( for sit-ups):

6th grade: Aamir Green, Bentley Murray, Olivia McPherson, Azaria Taylor, Kayden Mensah, Alex Fuson, Mariyah DeGraff, Aeris Oliver, Zahlia White

7th grade: Derrick Redman, Vanessa Munoz, Alexis Ramirez, Ray Stamat, Cedric Mitchem, Trey Lock

8th grade: Cami Diaz, Marcus Silva, Isaiah May, Keidyn Johnson

Staff: Mrs. Kocik & Officer Tracy

The week before break, the teachers had a secret spirit week each day to see if students noticed something "different" in the building.

• Monday was monochromatic day where staff members wore all the same color
• Tuesday was atheltic-wear day
• Wednesday was "anything but a cup" day where teachers put their coffee, water or powerade in strange containers (our favorites included drinking from a spray bottle, milk carton, Pringles can, or IV bag).
• Thursday was "dress as your favorite holiday" day (we had every thing from Christmas & Thanksgiving to the 4th of July represented).
• Friday was "dress like a student" day.

On Monday & Tuesday, students starting wondering if something was going on, but by Wednesday they definitely knew something strange was happening! These types of fun activities help lighten the mood and build a culture of fun in our building. Thanks to all of the staff members who participated!

Our choir department is proud to present their winter concert on Friday, December 6th at 5:00pm in the main gym! You won't want to miss this opportunity to celebrate the hard work of our 6th, 7th, 8th grade choirs and the "Northern Lights" Show Choir! Come "UP NORTH" with us for an amazing adventure in music! ** Don't forget to bring $3 to enjoy cookies & cocoa during the intermission!

Don't know what to get your loved ones for the holidays? Stop by the annual NMS Sock Sale! Every pair of socks is $1! Help Royce get rid of their extra inventory while contributing North Middle!

Due to a change in sports schedules, we have moved the date! Please be aware of the change! The new dates are DECEMBER 7th & 8th!

Our students have been working very hard this semester on reading & math using the iReady program. Now it's time to see how they have grown! Beginning December 9th, students will take their second diagnostic assessment of the school year in reading & math. It is imperative that students have a CHARGED iPad to assist them with testing. Student failure to bring an iPad for testing becomes disruptive to their ability to take the test as we do not have extra iPads for them to use. PARENTS, PLEASE HELP US BY REMINDING YOUR CHILD TO PLUG IN THEIR iPADS EACH NIGHT! We look forward to seeing how our students have improved in their reading & math skills.

**We are planning to celebrate on December 20th if our students reach their goals! More details to come on the celebration!

The next LSIC (Local School Improvement Council) meeting is at 3:15pm on December 17th. All are welcome!

Students who want to visit the library during recess should fill out a future pass in SmartPass during homeroom on the day you want to visit. Click on the link below to watch a video tutorial about how to sign up!

The boys & girls basketball seasons begin on December 5th with games against Wildwood! Check out the flyer below for all of the home games at NMS this December. All home and away JV games start at 6pm with Varsity starting around 7pm with two exceptions listed below:

• On December 12th, the girls & boys basketball teams will play South Middle at Martinsburg High School. Girls start playing at 4pm; boys play at 6pm.
• On December 16th, the girls basketball team will play at Spring Mills at NMS during school at 1pm! Students who have earned 8 or more Ren points will be able to attend for FREE. Students with 6 or 7 points will be able to purchase tickets for $2.00. Students without 6 points or students who have earned ISS after November 12th or OSS this year will remain in class

Please visit the school website to view the basketball game dates & times for the whole season.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We had another successful Spaghetti Dinner, Raffle, and Showcase Fundraiser on November 15th. We appreciate the continued support from our parents, NMS staff, and our North Middle community. With your support, we raised over $1300! We would like to send a big THANK YOU to Ms. Melinda and her sister for preparing our spaghetti dinner. We cannot thank you enough!

Due to scheduling conflicts, we have to change the date for our Little Blue Devil Cheer Clinic. It will now be on January 18th from 10 am to 1 pm. You can scan the QR code on the flyer to register for the clinic.

Exciting news for Martinsburg High School's Esports team! The team has qualified for playoffs and will be competing at West Virginia Wesleyan College on December 13th. Congratulations to our former NMS students on this incredible achievement!

8th graders interested in joining the MHS Esports team next year are encouraged to visit Mr. Kramer (7th grade Science) for more information on how to get involved in this competitive and growing program. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action!

We are still looking for a few more donations to assist several NMS families for the holidays. If you can help in any way, please click the link below to make your secure donation. Every little bit helps to put smiles on the faces of NMS students & their families in need during the holiday season!

West Virginia has partnered with My Mobile Witness to implement a “see something, send something” reporting system that can be completed on a smartphone or other mobile device. All West Virginians are encouraged to participate in this initiative by downloading the free See, Send application from the App Store or Google Play. All of our students have this app on their school-issued iPads. The user may submit tips for “Crime/Suspicious Activity” or “School Threat or Safety Issues,” and they may also request help for “Suicide or Addiction.”

Our students also have access to our school counselors from their iPads as well. There is an icon on the iPad that takes students directly to the school counselor forms on our website where they can request to see Ms. Poe or Ms. Sigler for assistance.

NEVER SUFFER IN SILENCE! As Mr. Rogers once said, in times of crisis "look for the helpers."

Did you know that your student could receive important health care at school? This can help save time in making doctor's appointments. If you would like your child to see one of Shenandoah Community Health's medical providers, contact our school nurse or the main office for a permission form. The Shenandoah Community Health van visit North Middle EVERY THURSDAY throughout the school year.

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!

Check out the Middle School Parents newsletter for December 2024! Click on the PDF below to read more!

On November 19th, the BCS community had the opportunity to learn about the hidden dangers of disappearing messages during the "Hidden Messages" webinar with Dr. Saxe & Smart Social. This insightful session focused on how disappearing message apps impact middle school students and offered practical advice for keeping children safe in today’s digital world. If you were unable to attend the webinar, please read on; this information could very well save your child's life from harm.

What Are Disappearing Messages, and Why Are They a Concern?
Disappearing messages are a feature on many social media platforms that allows conversations to vanish after being read. While these features may seem harmless or even fun, they create an environment where inappropriate or harmful communication can go unchecked. Predators often exploit this technology to target kids, using phrases like:

• "Let’s turn on vanishing mode."
• "Your parents wouldn’t understand us."
• "Send me a picture of yourself—just one."
  These tactics are designed to isolate and manipulate children, making them feel unsafe to seek help.

Questions to Start the Conversation with Your Child
Open communication is the number one preventative method to keeping your child safe online. In addition to adding safeguards to your child's technology, parents are encouraged to engage their children with questions like:

• Why do you need a disappearing messages app?
• Are you using multiple apps to communicate?
• Are you worried about people screenshotting your messages?

Such open-ended questions can help children reflect on their online behavior and encourage transparency.

Popular Apps with Disappearing Message Features
Does your child have and use any of these apps?

• Snapchat
• Instagram (Vanish Mode)
• Facebook (Vanish Mode)
• WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal
• Shared notes on devices or Google Docs
• Fake calculator apps that function as chatrooms

Building a Safer Online Environment
To promote online safety, the webinar highlighted the value of creating a family media agreement. This agreement sets boundaries, outlines expectations for digital behavior, and fosters trust. Parents can also discuss risks with their children, such as messages being saved or screenshotted without their knowledge and the emotional toll of someone threatening to expose private conversations.

The digital world offers incredible opportunities but also presents risks that families must navigate together. Open communication and proactive strategies are key to ensuring that children feel supported, protected, and informed about the potential dangers of disappearing messages.

If you missed the webinar and want to watch the replay, click the link below! We have also attached a sample technology contract you can use with your child to help you have these important conversations.

NEW POLICY NOTICE: All documentation relating to absences shall be provided to the school no later than three instructional days after the first day the student returns to school. In the event documentation is not provided to the school within three instructional days after the first day the student returns to school, the absences are unexcused.

When you're online, it’s easy to feel like you’re just chatting with friends, but not everyone on the internet is who they say they are. Predators often use sneaky and manipulative tactics to try to gain your trust and form relationships with you. They might say things like:

• "Your parents wouldn’t understand you, but I do."
• "You’re so special—don’t tell anyone about our conversation."
• "Where are you right now? What school do you go to?"
• "Here’s a photo of me. Now send me one of you."

These messages may seem harmless at first, but they are designed to make you feel comfortable, to isolate you from the people who care about you, and sometimes even to threaten or manipulate you into doing things you wouldn’t normally do. That’s why it’s so important to only talk online with people you personally know in real life. Predators can create fake profiles and pretend to be someone your age or with similar interests, but their goal is not to be your friend—it’s to take advantage of you.

Even apps with "disappearing messages" aren’t safe. Those messages can be screenshotted or saved, and they never truly go away. To stay safe, think before you share. Ask yourself, "Would I be okay if this message or photo was seen by my parents, teachers, or the whole world?" If the answer is no, don’t send it. And if you ever feel uncomfortable with a message or conversation, trust your instincts—stop responding and tell a trusted adult immediately. Your safety is what matters most. Check out the infographic below to learn more about how to stay safe online.

IF YOUR ANSWER WAS "YES" TELL A TRUSTED ADULT!

Don't miss a thing!

Thanks to the Student Council for making sweet treats for the teachers to show their thankfulness for their teachers.

Ms. Long's students created a candy apple bar for teachers during the week before break. It was SO delicious!

There is a mystery to solve! Students in Ms Updike's classes were reading clues to determine who stole Jacob Astor IV’s jewels from the Titanic before it sank!

Thank you to Ms. Kyker's students for helping to create donation boxes for the Angel Tree program. We will be accepting donations during the month of December! Some donation ideas include: backpacks, hoodies, sketchbooks, markers, colored pencils, gloves, hats, perfume, deodorant, soap, lotion, personal care items, books, board games, clothes, toys.

The week before break, Ms. Mills started an escape room activity in the library. Students had to rescue NMS from the AI which threatended to take over the school! By solving several clues, students were able to not only rescue NMS from the hands of AI, but also locate and use several online library databases. Great job to these students who successfully escaped!

Mrs. Neff taught Mr. Malcolm’s class new academic vocabulary words through song and dance. Watch out people! There could be a flash mob coming!

Mrs. Keppler's art class enjoyed using embroidery floss to make "gods eyes" the week before break! They are using them to decorate their class Christmas tree.

Ms. Long's Family & Consumer Science classes made Thanksgiving cookie kits before Thanksgiving.

Ms. French's class joined the 6th & 7th grade field trip to the Apollo to see "The Little Mermaid."

Ms. Khamala's students were using multiplication charts to work on basic division before break. They did a wonderful job!

Congrats to Ms. Updike's 3rd period class for working so hard on their Government & WWI units. Students were treated to a popcorn party because of their tremendous growth!

Some of Ms. Long's 7th grade students have been working on sewing their pajama pants projects. There are SO many wonderful fabric designs to choose from!

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