NORTH NEWS

At NMS, our teachers are dedicated not only to the success of their students but also to their own continuous growth. This week, all of our teachers gave up a valuable planning period to dive deeper into the iReady program, a powerful tool designed to help students excel in both math and ELA. Together, we analyzed student diagnostic data and explored the customized lessons iReady offers to target each student’s specific areas of weakness. We are not satisfied with just one year of growth for our students this year; we are aiming for one and a half years of progress in both reading and math.

Parents, you play a crucial role in helping your child reach these goals. Here are a few ways you can support their growth at home:

• Encourage daily reading, even for just 20 minutes, to strengthen comprehension and vocabulary.
• Practice basic math facts, such as multiplication tables, to build a solid foundation for more complex concepts.
• Talk to your child about what they are learning in math and ELA, and ask them to explain it in their own words.
• Utilize online resources like iReady games at home to reinforce what they’re learning in school.
• Set up a quiet, distraction-free space where your child can complete homework and focus on their lessons.

Thank you for partnering with us to help our students thrive this year!

6th Grade - Bryce Taylor & Natalie Pearce

Bryce is outgoing and is well liked by his peers. He desires to make the school basketball team while continuing to do well academically. He makes NORTH shine!

Natalie always has a smile on her face and is willing to help those in need. She is a good citizen and strives to do well academically.

7th Grade: Aubrey Rodriguez, Derrick Redman & Brandon Roberts

Aubrey is hardworking, helpful, dedicated, kind, and involved in the NMS community.

Derrick is hardworking, considerate, helpful and rises to new challenges.

Brandon has been a constant participator in classes. He has shown a willingness to raise his hand to answer questions & has worked hard on all of his assignments. Brandon is a leader in the classroom.

8th Grade: Christee Coleman, Alani Akakpo & Tyler Ferrell

Christee shines in the classroom. She has a strong work ethic and puts her all into every assignment. She consistently volunteers in class and offers to help others. She exemplifies a model student. We are so proud of her!

Alani exemplifies kindness and determination in everything she does. Whether she's diligently working in the classroom or lending a helping hand to her peers, her unwavering focus and dedication speak volumes. Alani’s hard work and genuine support create a nurturing environment for everyone. Join us in celebrating her remarkable achievements and the bright future that lies ahead!

With a heart full of kindness and a knack for making people laugh, Tyler brightens every classroom he enters. Always ready to lend a helping hand, he goes out of his way to support his classmates and create a positive atmosphere. Tyler's compassionate nature and willingness to help others truly embody the spirit of our school community. Join us in celebrating his outstanding contributions and the joy he brings to everyone around him!

UA-Music: Mila Archer & Payshence Womack

Mila works SO hard and learns quickly. She is amazing and kind. She has been great with helping 6th grade learn their dances and songs alongside her peers.

Payshence is a great player and is always prepared and participating. She even helps other students learn their instruments.

Let’s give a huge shoutout to our 8th graders—they're currently leading the charge for best attendance! But hey, 6th grade, you’re right on their heels! It’s anyone’s race, and every single day counts! Now's the time to rally your friends and encourage everyone to come to school. Let’s keep that momentum going! This week, we’ve got some amazing classes shining bright:

- Best attendance in 6th grade: Ms. Crowley’s class!

- 7th grade: Way to go, Ms. Smith’s class!

- And in 8th grade, let’s hear it for Mr. Callis’s class!

Keep up the great work, everyone! Let’s see who can take the lead next week!

Thank you to Dawn Newland & State Farm Insurance for their generous donation to North Middle's Jostens Renaissance program!

Pictured left to right: Ms. Dusing, Ms. Holloway, Dawn Newland (State Farm), Ms. Burton, Ms. Mejias

Join Relay for Life in KICKIN' CANCER with our first dress-up day of the year! MONDAY, September 30th, wear your CRAZIEST boots to celebrate fall & donate $1 to help fight cancer!

TEAM classes are currently competing to see who can sell the most Krispy Kreme donuts to help us fund our Jostens Renaissance program! Doughnuts are sold by the dozen & you can see ANY North Middle School student to purchase yours. The sale ends on Thursday, October 3rd so all money and order forms must be turned in to homeroom teachers on that date by TEAM class. Doughut pick up is at the school on October 12th from 10am-1pm. This is the only time for pick up.

North is rolling out the new Ren Club! This club focuses on student leadership, events, and school initiatives. We need students who exhibit leadership skills and want to make our school a fun place to be. This club will be hosted on Thursdays after school as well as during monthly in school clubs. See Mr. Jackson or Ms. Dusing if you have questions. You will be contacted if you are accepted into the club, but you must use the link below to apply today! You will need to login to your school google account. (yourlogin@bcswv.org)

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!

NMS Cheer & the Girls Basketball teams are hosting a craft & vendor fair on October 26th from 9am to 3pm at North Middle School. If you are a small business or vendor that wants to have a booth, please contact Alexandra Russell at 717-414-8754 to book a spot.

We hope everyone stops by to get some of their holiday shopping completed a little early while supporting two great NMS student organizations.

It is that time of year again, to start thinking about the SCIENCE FAIR which will take place at North Middle on December 10th. If you are a student who loves to experiment, this is the activity for you. (And, it can earn you a TON of extra credit in those Science classes -- see your Science teacher for details!) Check out the due dates below. There is still time to participate if you are interested. Just see your Science teacher.

Mark your calendars for October 10th if you missed picture day this week!

The North runners crushed Mussleman but came up short against Hedgesville in last week's meet. Most importantly, they're times keep getting better! The top finishers were:

Boys Team:

5th Ryan "Smooth" Smith

4th Declan Rock the Kradel

3rd All Day Ray Stamat

2nd Derrick "Rapid" Redman

1st on the team and second overall, Dayon "Fly By" Fischer who finished with a remarkable time of 13:16!

Girls Team:

5th Nevaeh "Never Quit" Cyr

4th Vanessa "AMazing" Munoz

3rd Aubrey "Oh Wow" Rau

2nd Monica "Brilliant" Ball

1st place Olivia "Mighty" Martirano

Come join us next Thursday at Mussleman Middle at 5:30 for our last regular meet before the championship!

Thank you supporting our Double Good Popcorn fundraiser. We don’t have our totals yet, but we appreciate your support.

Along with the girl's basketball team we are hosting a Craft and Vendor Fair on October 26th. Save the date and come out and support some local businesses!

Boys' basketball conditioning will be on hiatus for now, resuming on October 28th. Girls conditioning will continue every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 5:30-7:00pm.

The boys' basketball team tryouts will take place on November 11th, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. All physical forms must be completed and returned to Coach Callis, Coach Rhoden, at the front office or with Nurse Hutzler. Students who participated in Cross Country do not have to submit another form, the physical will carry over to basketball season.

North Boys & Girls Basketball teams are in the process of raising funds to buy new chairs for the home and away team's bench. We are one of a very few schools who does not have our own padded bench chairs, and we would love to give the players in both programs the same experience as other school's players. Anyone interested in and willing to donate, please reach out to Coach Callis, Rhoden or Mejias.

North Middle School is lucky to have the Shenandoah Community Health van visit our school EVERY THURSDAY! If you still need a physical for basketball season, please pick up a form from the nurse so you can be seen by a healthcare provider with Shenandoah Community Health.

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."

There are students all over Berkeley County who just need a positive role model in their lives. YOU could be that person! If you have time to share with a student, apply to be a PASS volunteer. To apply, click the link below!

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 September 2024! Click on the PDF below to read more!

As the school year progresses, we’ve observed a few problematic behaviors in our hallways, particularly students engaging in rough-housing and throwing objects. While it’s normal for middle schoolers, with their changing hormones and new-found independence, to test limits, these actions are disruptive to the flow of traffic in the building. At NMS, we’re dedicated to maintaining an environment where all students can transition between classes smoothly and respectfully. To make this possible, we need your support in reinforcing the importance of these expectations at home.

We’ve put several measures in place to ensure orderly behavior during the school day. Staff members are present throughout the hallways during transitions, and administrators are posted in each wing of the building to supervise. We also walk students to lunch and unified arts classes that are in different areas of the school and enforce hallway lanes of traffic with the expectation that students stay to the right. These procedures help keep our building run efficiently, but as students become more comfortable in their school year, a few have engaged in pushing, shoving, and throwing items—most often with their own friends as they try to enjoy the down time between classes.

We encourage you to take time this week to talk to your child about respecting personal space and following the guidelines already in place. It’s important for them to understand that not only can their actions cause harm, but there are also real consequences. Beyond the risk of damaging school property, students engaging in any kind of rough-housing (even between friends) will be treated as an altercation and they may face in-school or even out-of-school suspension. In addition, it is never safe to throw anything within our school building and this will be met with suspension consequences as well.

At NMS, we will not tolerate unsafe behavior in our hallways or classrooms. We’re grateful for your continued partnership in discussing these important issues with your child and helping us hold them accountable. Together, we can ensure a more respectful school environment for everyone.

Hey NMS Students,

As we get further into the school year, we’ve noticed some things happening in the hallways that we need to address. Lately, there’s been an increase in students rough-housing and throwing things during transitions between classes. We know that middle school is a time where you’re gaining more freedom and figuring things out, but these behaviors can make it harder for everyone to get where they need to go smoothly and respectfully.

Here at NMS, we’ve noticed some specific behaviors that are off-limits in the hallways, and we want to make sure you know what they are:

• Running to buses at the end of the day or when leaving class
• Grouping in the hall to talk with friends (walk and talk to get to your next class instead)
• Throwing things to another person (someone could get caught in the way)
• Flicking other students in the head or back of the neck (always causes the other person to retaliate)
• Not walking on the right side of the hallway during class change
• Bringing friends with you when running errands to the office or nurse (please go alone unless it's a medical issue and you havve permission)
• Playfully pushing or shoving someone, even if you think it’s funny

Remember, these behaviors can cause problems for other students and make it difficult to get to class on time. You could also hurt someone or damage school property. Plus, there are serious consequences if you break these rules, including in-school or even out-of-school suspension.

We don’t want anyone to get in trouble, but we won’t tolerate unsafe behavior in our hallways. Help us keep NMS a place where everyone can feel comfortable and respected. We know you can make the right choices—thanks for doing your part!

Don't miss a thing!

Ms. Deavers couldn't help but jump in as goalie during gym class this week.

Students in Mr. Mazzan's 7th grade math class had a great time in their learning stations this week!

In Ms. Landerkin's class students played a station game called “The Mystery of the Hidden Library”. It was a fun game that focused on sentence structure!

8th grade FCS students celebrated the start of fall by catering fall themed snacks for the staff at North on Monday! Last week, the 8th grade FCS students also had a fun time catering dinner for the NMS show choir (before the bullying presentation event last week). Dinner consisted of salad, pepperoni rolls and freshly made snickerdoodles.

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