
The Start of Something New
Mountview's Fall Newsletter
Time to Cherish
We're so excited to share what's going on around Mountview! This edition will celebrate the old and the new. We'll hear from former students, current students, teachers, and administrators about what's happening here at school and the many memories we can cherish and carry forward with us! Moving forward, you can expect a monthly update about all things Mountview!
Peace One Day
Mindfulness
Mrs. Nosel's students are learning to be more mindful with the meditation app, Headspace. During long-block classes, students take 5-10 minutes to learn and practice the elements of meditation. In a dark, quiet space, taking a moment to chill and let your brain relax is important in creating a balanced life. Go to headspace.com for a free trial.
Golden Mustang
Grade 6: Christopher Pickett & Abigail Blechner
Grade 7: Thomas Tuliano, Daisy McRell & Matthew Bruce
Grade 8: Reid Williams
WRHS 9th graders weigh in on what MTV prepared them for
As a middle schooler, it's sometimes hard to look ahead to the future, or to understand why you're learning a particular skill, or completing homework. We spoke with two recent Mountview grads last week, who are now settling in at the high school, and asked them whether or not they felt MTV had prepared them for the high school. Fortunately, they answered with a resounding YES! "Mountview prepared me for high school by increasing exponentially the difficulty of its classes yearly in order to have us used to the jump in difficulty between eighth and ninth grade," said Aaron Femia. Grace Mita explained, "MTV prepared students for Wachusett by giving the right amount of homework and teaching the right skills needed for high school. Yes, at Wachusett there is more homework but Mountview gave a good amount; as a result it was not that bad of a transition to Wachusett. Along with the homework, we were taught skills that are needed, such as citations and essay writing."
S.O.S.
Seventh grade students participated in the Signs of Suicide presentation program on October 15 & 16. The SOS prevention program is implemented to all 7th grade students throughout the Wachusett district. The overall purpose of this program is to address the problems of youth depression, self-injury and suicide in an age appropriate manner. The program consists of a presentation by Guidance staff to help students recognize the signs and symptoms of depressive and/or suicidal behaviors, encourage help-seeking, and provide a forum for open and honest discussion about depression and suicide. Students also fill out an online screening questionnaire for follow up with students who might be struggling emotionally and need additional support.
Mark your calendars! Here are some events headed your way:
- October 24: Half day for students with an 11:45 am dismissal
- October 25: Student Council Halloween Dance from 6-8 pm
- October 30: Grades close
- November 5: SIMCO meeting at 5:30 pm in the Media Center
- November 7: Term 1 grades ready to view in PowerSchool at 3pm
- November 15: Coffee & Chat at 9:00 am in the cafeteria.
- November 20: PTA meeting at 7:00 pm in the 6 Blue Common Area
Principal's Message
As quickly as the summer ended and school began, the month of September has now become history. It has been a very busy month at Mountview. Students have settled in to a routine of sorts, as have the teachers. Our Back-to-School Curriculum Nights all had wonderful turnouts and I believe parents received a great deal of information with regard to where their children’s teams and teachers are focusing their energies for this school year.
First quarter report cards will be issued on November 7 at 3:00PM. This report is very, very important, as it is a strong indicator of how well a start your child has had over the first several weeks. If any problem areas show up at this point, it is strongly suggested that parents begin talking with the teachers. A bad start can so easily turn into a year of struggle. The parent/teacher partnership will be critical in getting things turned around, if needed. Parents, please remember to check PowerSchool often so that you can keep up-to-date with the progress of your son or daughter.
Grade eight is an important year for our students. Throughout the year, decisions have to be made regarding the next four years. On Monday, October 21, seriously interested eighth graders will have the opportunity to tour Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School. In January, our eighth graders will be taking a foreign language placement test, a midterm math exam, and will be meeting with WRHS guidance counselors to get information about course selections. Parents will have an opportunity to attend an evening informational session at WRHS.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns as we head through this year together, via email at Erik_Githmark@wrsd.net or via telephone at 508-829-5577.
C. Erik Githmark, Principal
Grade 8 Lab
This hands-on activity allowed students to build models that represent the atoms in an element, compound or mixture. The toothpicks and gumdrops arrangement allowed students to visualize the difference and gain a better understanding of compounds, elements, and mixtures by building the models in class and then classifying the models by arranging them on their lab tables.
Grade 7 Art
Grade 6 Cave Art
Shoe Drive Begins November 6!
Starting November 6th, Mountview will be holding a shoe drive to collect sneakers for people in need. Our goal is to fill 100 bags with sneakers and once the drive is finished we will collect a donation that will benefit Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This hospital is special to the Mountview community because we have two staff members that either received care from the hospital or had family members that did. Please help us represent Bethany Shea and Amy Raymond! All shoes can be given to Ashley LeBlanc, the MTV physical education teacher, and the drive will continue through January 6th. We have 60 days to collect as many shoes as possible, so please help donate and we can reach our goal! If you have any questions or would like to set up a time to drop off sneakers you can email Ms. LeBlanc at ashley_leblanc@wrsd.net or call her at 978-870-7960. Thank you in advance for all the support!