MAY NOCK NOTES

Greetings Nock Community:

Happy May! We have hit the ground running since our return from April vacation. We are preparing for our next round of MCAS testing in Math and 8th grade Science as well as keeping our eyes on planning some end of the year celebrations for our students. Although the end is almost here, we still have plenty to accomplish before end the school year.

A colleague of mine recently shared an interesting article on teenage sadness. As I read the article, I began to think about my early teenage years. It does not suprise me that 3 of the 4 contributing factors that the article highlights as leading causes to teenage sadness and depression are centered around the information portayed by social media and news outlets. As all sorts of information is just a click away, I think it is extremely important to monitor our child's screen time, engage in discussion with your children and encourage them to disconnect from time to time. Although the pandemic played a role in exacerberating these trends, the socialization of teens and the increase of social media usage are behaviors that we have noticed increasing over the past decade to say the least.

I have included the link to the article below. I am always happy to engage in conversation around how we can support our students as a partnership both in and our of the school walls.

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/04/american-teens-sadness-depression-anxiety/629524/

Below are some more exciting upcoming events, important information and dates for the month of May. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for any assistance.

Best,

Nick Markos

Principal

MCAS Dates: Please take a look below and ensure that your students are well rested and present during these testing dates.

Math- May 16th & May 17, 2022

Science- (8th GRADE ONLY)- May 23rd, 2022

Dear parents and guardians of incoming 8th grade students:

As we shared at the start of the year, the Nock offers a high school level course in Algebra I in 8th grade. Students qualify for this course by meeting criteria that were set by a team of professional educators including our Math Curriculum Leader, the 7-8 math team, and the Newburyport High School (NHS) math department chair (see below for criteria). The course is designed for students who have a high degree of math competence, can independently complete complex math, and are motivated to take a fast-paced math course.

The criteria the math team uses for placement includes:

1. Grade 7 math grade (term average of 93% or higher)

2. Iowa Algebra Readiness Assessment (score of 54 or higher)

3. Teacher recommendations

*Students must have received all three of the above criteria to be automatically placed into Algebra.

* Students who have received two of the three above criteria will have the opportunity to waive into Algebra.

*Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will be notified if their child has met all three of the criteria or at least two of the criteria by June 1st, 2022. If you are not notified that your child has met the criteria they will be placed in 8th Grade Math.

Students taking the 8th grade math course will continue to build confidence in tackling complex problems through exploration of geometry, ratios and proportions, expressions and equations, statistics and probability, and functions concepts. This course is aligned to the Massachusetts Framework for 8th grade mathematics.

It is important to note that students will have many opportunities for honors and AP courses in all subject areas at the high school. Not taking Algebra I in 8th grade will not affect a student’s ability to take advanced math in high school. In fact, NHS data has shown that students who are placed in a math course that best matches the level identified by the criteria, have the most long-term success in math and tend to choose math elective courses as they proceed through high school. I included a complete description of the NHS math pathways in an email sent out to current 7th grade families on 4/25.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Over past week, the Nock has begun accepting applications from students who are interested in getting involved in two great student leadership opportunities- The Yearbook Club and the Principal- Student Council.

I have included some information on both offerings that we have shared with our students. Please take time to encourage your children to get involved.

Two Student leadership opportunities:

1) Calling all interested 6th & 7th grade students who want to assist in the building of next year's Nock Yearbook. Yearbook Club is a student-focused club led by Mrs. O'Neill where students work together to collaboratively build the Nock yearbook. The Yearbook Club will meet twice a month after school to work on the yearbook, plan page designs, and arrange the pictures taken by the students & Mrs. O'Neill. Yearbook staff members work to sort pictures, organize page development, monitoryearbook progress throughout the school year. In addition to our after school meetings, the yearbook staff organizes club photos, track and cross country photos, fall and spring performances and memories, and is responsible for attending after school and evening events to support the Yearbook process. The Yearbook Club would love to have you join the team. All interested candidates must send and email to Mr. Markos, Mrs. O'Neil stating their interest to be a part of the Yearbook Club.

2) Mr. Markos is starting a principal- student council leadership group. For all interested 6th and 7th grade students who want to play a role in the decision making process, this opportunity is for you. The council will meet 1 to 2 times a month and discuss many school issues like the student day, student learning environment, lunch and recess ideas, lead assemblies and most importantly represent their peers and be a voice that is listened to and heard. Through projects and activities, the principal-student council will work to:

• CREATE A WELCOMING SAFE SCHOOL FOR ALL STUDENTS
• EXEMPLIFY THE NOCK ADVANTAGE IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM
• PROMOTE COMMUNITY CITIZENSHIP
• PROMOTE SCHOLARSHIP
• PROMOTE LEADERSHIP
• And much more...

All interested students should email Mr. Markos. There will be a selection process and approximately 4 to 5 student leaders from each grade level will be selected.

Chargers need to be turned in at the end of the year with the students' Chromebook, or families will be billed the cost listed in the handbook ($50). With the next round of MCAS coming up, it is imperative that each student has their Chromebook charged and ready to go. You may choose to purchase your own replacement charger (from Amazon, for example, for about $20). For any questions on our Technology insurance and or Chromebook and charger purchases please contact Jacaquie Rousseau at jrousseau@newburyport.k12.ma.us

I wanted thank you for your support with this initiative as we have noticed a decline in phone usage as well as wireless headphones. This is a daily reminder for our students so all of your support is greatly appreciated. Our main goal is to ensure that students feel safe and can maximize the most out of every minute of their academic day.

A HUGE congratulations to the Cast & Crew of "I Hate Shakespeare"! It was great to have live theater back at the Nock and this one certainly did not dissappoint. A big thank you to Brian Nickerson for his committment, leadership and guidance of such a wonderful production.

We have an array of items in our lost and found. We will have these items on display for parents/guardians to come in and view through May 6th. After, May 6th we will be donating these items to our local partnerships.

Have you visited www.1stdayschoolsupplies.com yet to purchase your child’s back to school kit? I am so happy our school has partnered with them, especially right now. This year get all your school supplies RISK free from the safety and comfort of your own home. We have streamlined our supply list to reflect updated materials needed for each grade level,

you can make your purchase right now, get started by clicking the link below:

https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/kits.php?sid=50062

Readathon Library Donations

Thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of the community during the recent Readathon, the PTO is proud to donate $2500 each to the Bresnahan and Nock/Molin libraries!

Thank you for all of your generosity. We look forward to making the Readathon a yearly tradition!

Box Tops for Education

Gone are the days of clipping those little Box Top symbols off of grocery items. Now, you can download the app and scan your receipts. Box Tops donates a portion of sales from these items back to the school(s) you designate. You can also drop your receipts (from any store) in the box at the Shaw's exit and we'll do the scanning for you. A little bit really adds up over time! Learn more:

https://www.boxtops4education.com/

Black Earth Composting

Sign up for weekly composting collection using the PTO's link and get $5 off! The PTO will also receive credit to go towards raised garden beds for our schools for each person who signs up

https://blackearthcompost.com/create-account/?rk=n7T8Zv4

Save the Dates:

May 12 at 7pm- General PTO Meeting

Saturday July 30- Kitchen Tour Purchase Tickets Here

Scheduling and placement is an extremely important process as it involves input from many. The process that begins in January is ongoing and continues through the summer months. Please know that we put a great deal of time and thought into creating learning communities so our students can thrive. Many factors are taken into consideration when creating each advisory, each mini-group, and each class assignment. Among these are a student’s learning style, academic and social/emotional strengths and needs, relationships with peers, and past experiences. In order to maximize learning for all students, we aim to form classes that are balanced in terms of size, gender, academic needs, and social dynamics. We recognize that some students may do well together in the same classroom setting, while others may be better served if separated. In order to support the needs of all students, requests for specific teachers will not be honored. Additionally, please do not send requests to place your child with particular friends, as all students will be placed in their new classes with familiar peers. Your support is requested to ensure a fair and equitable placement process for all our students. Team placement and homeroom assignments will be released in August. Information on how to access your child’s assignment will also be sent in August.