The Spillway

Introducing our incredible 6th grade team!

They put their heart and soul into helping our students navigate the big transition from elementary to middle school. From day one, they've been there to support, guide, and love on our kids, making sure they feel confident and cared for every step of the way.

Sixth Grade Updates:

Sixth grade students are allowed to check out their Chromebooks from their fourth academic class and take them home up to two days a week. The Chromebook checkout form can be found in the Sixth Grade Essentials Google Classroom.

ELA:

This week our students started reading The Giver. They also boarded the ToSEEC express as they started to learn how to format their body paragraphs with the ToSEEC method. They even got specific practice with topic statements.

Next week, we will continue to dig into the specific parts of the ToSEEC model, specifically focusing on evidence and elaboration. We will be continuing to read The Giver, focusing on chapters 4-6 this week. We will also have our first vocab quiz on their unit 2 packet.

Important dates:

Friday, August 30- Unit 2 Vocab packet due and unit 2 vocab quiz

Math:

Students finished Lessons 1 and 2 this week with a quiz. We will look at scores and discuss quiz corrections on Monday. Be sure to ask them about it Monday afternoon.

Next week, we will begin lesson 3. We will be exploring nets and how we can use them to find the surface area of 3-D figures. Students will also be working on their next round of I-Ready lessons. Students will have Senator Time in class on Monday, but will need to finish up on their own time if not completed in class. Two lessons will be due on Friday, August 30 by 3:30 pm.

Important Dates:

Friday, August 30 - Two I-Ready lessons are due.

Social Studies:

This week we wrapped up our study of the foundation of human civilization and took a quiz over six vocabulary terms from our first unit. We focused on the Neolithic people who started agriculture and the characteristics that make up a civilization. Study guides were issued on Tuesday to prepare students for their end of unit assessment. Please review this with your student to better prepare them for their first end of unit assessment in social studies.

Our 7th grade team knows how to keep the energy high and the minds sharp!

Even though our students are in the middle of their middle school journey, this team ensures they stay active, engaged, and ready to rise to the occasion. We're proud of how they challenge and inspire our students every day!

Social Studies:

This week we prepared for and took our first unit assessment. Scores were high and students proved that they had a strong command of the Byzantine Empire standards! Afterwards, students recorded their data and made goals for the next test, and we completed an analysis of the most missed questions from the assessment. We then moved into our second unit, Southwest Asia and North Africa. The unit kicked off with a geography Pear Deck where we focused on how the physical features of the region impacted the lives of the people who lived there. Lastly, we began our look into the predominant religion of the region, Islam.

Science:

Students took their first quiz today over atoms. Corrections are offered for all points back. Encourage your students to complete those as needed throughout the school year.

Science Quiz Corrections:

1) Write out the question(s) missed on Notebook paper. Write the ENTIRE question including

tables or diagrams. Ex. What part of the atom has a negative charge?

2) Write the answer you choose. Ex. Wrong: A. Protons

3) Write the CORRECT answer, get help if needed. Ex. Correct: B. Electrons

4) Write why the new answer is the correct answer. Make it specific, not just, “I don’t know.”

5) Turn into your class basket within ONE week!! *I will still grade them after a week, but on my

timeline.

We will begin a large unit over 3 standards in the coming weeks.

2) Compare and contrast elemental molecules and compound molecules.

3) Classify matter as pure substances or mixtures based on composition.

4) Analyze and interpret chemical reactions to determine if the total number of atoms in the reactants and products support the Law of Conservation of Mass.

Students will see and do tons of experiments to understand the chemical reaction of a bath bomb. They will be challenged to complete their own experiment and analyze the results as their final.

Our 8th grade team is all about preparing our students for the next big step: high school!

While they may be the leaders of the middle school pack, our dedicated teachers ensure they're equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the future. We’re proud to see them grow and can’t wait to watch them soar! The students experience lots of fun events before finishing out their middle school career and our teachers work to make sure they leave on a positive note!

ELA finished our iReady diagnostics and results will come home with students for parents to sign and return. These reports break down student placement for vocabulary, literary, and informational comprehension. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact your student's ELA teacher. In addition, students will analyze Roald Dahl's short story, "Lamb to the Slaughter." This week, we are continuing our weekly vocab assessments on Fridays and Mrs. Cox's students will also have an analysis assessment for "Lamb to the Slaughter."

Math students have been engaged in a rigorous and challenging exploration of the effects of translations, reflections, and rotations on figures on the coordinate plane. We have been impressed with their hard work and conversations! Next week, we will wrap up this topic, and students will be testing on Thursday. We also started our iReady weekly assignments this week, so please encourage your students to get those completed each week.

This week in Science we wrapped up Newton's Laws with our first test. We have started our phenomenon with contact and non-contact forces, leading us into next week's lessons. Coming up includes new labs and new learning opportunities!

Social Studies is taking a tour through the 13 original colonies. During this tour we are learning who settled these colonies, why they are here in the first place, and how they established fundamental principles that we have in the United States today. We took notes on the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, we talked about the first Thanksgiving, we looked at Rebels that branched out and started their own colonies, we analyzed documents on the Pennsylvania Colony in our DBQs (Document-Based Questions), and then we looked the founding of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, finishing with a video on New York City's evolution over time.

Introducing our Special Education Teachers and Assistants.

Our school simply wouldn’t be the same without our incredible special education teachers and assistants. They are the true rock stars who work tirelessly to meet the unique needs of every student, ensuring that each one has the support and care they deserve. We are endlessly grateful for their dedication, compassion, and hard work.

Meet our amazing Related Arts team—the heart and soul of our school! From music and art to PE and STEM, they bring creativity, energy, and a whole lot of fun to learning. These talented educators provide our students with the specialties that enrich their education and make school a place to love. We’re so lucky to have them!

Counseling Services

This year, there are two mental health counselors available to provide therapy services to NMS students. Their information is below, with additional information available upon request. If you believe your student would benefit from services by either provider, please reach out to me and I’ll put in the referral!

Ashley Rush is a school-based mental health counselor through Cherokee Health Systems. She is at our school every other Tuesday. School-based therapists at Cherokee Health Systems provide integrated mental health services for children and adolescents struggling with issues such as anxiety, depression, poor social skills, stress and/or trauma, oppositional or defiant behavior, ADHD, and addiction.

Graham Cohen is a school-based mental health counselor through Anderson County Schools. He is at our school every Thursday. Services include intake assessment, short-term individual therapy, crisis intervention, group

counseling, and referrals as needed.

It’s been a great week for our Norris teams!

Our Senator Football team went up against the Jefferson Eagles and came out with a 20-14 win!

Senator Volleyball had three games this week. They played Philadelphia on Monday, Coalfield on Tuesday, and Oliver Springs on Thursday and won all three!

Next week, our football team has a by week and our volleyball team will play two home games on Monday and Thursday against Norwood and Harriman. On Tuesday, they will play Cherokee away.

Everyone should come out and support our students’ hard work