NORTH NEWS

Several games and special events were canceled last week due to snow:

The annual Social Studies Fair which was to take place on last Wednesday has been rescheduled to TUESDAY, JANUARY 23rd. Students should drop off their projects in the library on Tuesday before homeroom. Their presentation times will remain the same. At 4:15pm, parents are invited to the library to view the projects before the awards ceremony at 4:30pm.

Parent/ Teacher Conference night also got rescheduled due to snow. If you signed up for a conference on January 18th, you will meet on January 25th (Thursday) at the same time. If you need to cancel or reschedule for a different time, you can do so by clicking on the link in your confirmation email. Parents can continue to schedule appointments until this Wednesday, January 24th.

Several basketeball games have also been rescheduled due to snow:

NMS vs. Wildwood will be played on January 24th at 6pm (Boys at home, Girls at Wildwood)

NMS vs. South will be played on January 27th (Boys away at 3pm, Girls at home 5pm)

Visit our website calendar for more details and changes as they take place this winter!

The Berkeley County Science Fair was held last Saturday, January 13th at Spring Mills High School. Several NMS students not only participated, but brought home honors in three categories!

Congratulations to:

Harper Dass & Brayden Gardner - Honorable Mention, Material Science

Macy Hernandez - 3rd place, Chemistry

Xavier Smith - 1st place, Engineering

These students will move on to the regional fair on Feb 2nd to represent North Middle & Berkeley County! Check out the picture of Xavier's first place project above!

This week in Homeroom, students will receive a new password for their school email, Schoology, Google, etc. This is being done to keep our network safe. It's a great opportunity to remind students to keep their passwords private (not handing them out to friends or siblings) and to periodically change passwords on social media and other online accounts.

Virtual students received a phone call & a text from our Technology Specialist with their new password. You can also email Ms. Deavers for more information at rachel.deavers@k12.wv.us.

It's been a long break away from school! Please find your iPad right now and make sure it is plugged in and ready for tomorrow!!! We don't want you to have ANY of the consequences below!

Wednesday, January 24th is Math Field Day. Several of our most accomplished math students will be taking part in a county-wide competition. We wish them luck and a day of good computing!

Since our conference night was postponed due to snow, you still have an opportunity to sign-up until Wednesday, January 24th! If you already signed up for a conference on Jan 18th, your conference time will remain the same! Click the link below to sign up for a conference!

SCHEDULE CHANGES

NMS vs. Wildwood will be played on January 24th at 6pm (Boys at home, Girls at Wildwood)

NMS vs. South will be played on January 27th (Boys away at 3pm, Girls at home 5pm)

ONLINE BASKETBALL TICKETS AVAILABLE!

Did you know that you can purchase your girls & boys basketball tickets ONLINE? Purchase your tickets early and avoid the line! The link to purchase tickets is on our website under Athletics - Basketball. It will also be located right here on all of our newsletters throughout the season! See the link below!

Check out the game schedule below for both the girls & boys basketball teams! There are only a few more chances to see a regular season NMS basketball game!

First United Bank is excited to offer a student saving account special. Students who open a new savings account will be able to have their first deposit matched up to $10.00!

If you are interested in this opportunity, check out the flyer below or call Jennifer Lewis, Community Office Manager at the Edwin Miller Blvd Branch at 304-267-3130.

FREE BCS virtual tutoring is available in Math, Science, English (Reading and Language Arts), and Social Studies for ALL BCS K-12 students Monday-Thursday from 5-7 pm by appointment. Tutoring sessions are approximately 30 minutes.

Please complete the form below and you will be contacted via email on your requested day prior to 5 p.m. with the information for your tutoring session. One of our tutors will call the number you provide between the hours of 5 - 7 p.m. Please be sure you select a date that you are available and able to attend. Also note that you will not have the tutor for the full 2 hours.

Also available daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at no cost for West Virginians, TutorWV provides support for patrons of all ages and stages. For students, the program offers online, on-demand, expert tutoring and homework help in more than 200 subjects, along with drop-off review services for essays and math problems. Tutoring included for AP, SAT and ACT. Read the press release.

Primary & secondary guardians are automatically added to the NMS NTouch list. But if you are an aunt, uncle, childcare provider, or student and you want to receive NTouch alerts & school newsletters, please use the QR code or link below to sign up for alerts!

Shenandoah Community Health visits our school every Thursday. Students can be seen for a variety of reasons, including immunizations and school sports physicals.

If you want your child to be seen in the mobile clinic by a medical professional, please contact the main office for more information!

As we embrace the winter season, it's essential to be prepared for the possibility of virtual learning days due to snowy weather. As you know, last week BCS used 4 out of its 5 snow days allotted for this school year. After one more snow day, our kids will be required to attend virtual learning classes during the 6th-10th snow days. Ensuring your child's success during these potential virtual days requires a combination of preparation, focus, and effective communication. Here are several tips to help your child stay on track and make the most out of virtual learning:

1. Charge and Connect: Encourage your child to start the day with a fully charged iPad. A reliable device is the gateway to a successful virtual learning experience. Ask you child NOW if they have lost their iPad charger. Amazon has chargers for as little as $9.99 if you want to prepare by purchasing one.

2. Establish a Dedicated Workspace: Help your child create a dedicated and organized workspace for virtual learning. Minimize distractions by choosing a quiet area with good lighting, away from the heart of the home and other distracting electronics. Having a designated space for learning helps signal to the brain that it's time to focus on schoolwork.

3. Follow the School Schedule: Students will be required to attend each class at the regulary scheduled time for those classes. CLICK ON THE SCHEDULE BELOW for a detailed bell schedule so your child knows when to attend each virtual class. Remind your child that the virtual links for each of their classes can be found at the top of their teacher's Schoology pages. Familiarity with this process ensures a smooth start to the first virtual day, if it is needed.

4. Encourage Regular Breaks: It's crucial to remind your child to take regular breaks to stretch and recharge. Short 5-minute breaks are available between each class for this purpose. Encourage activities like stretching exercises or a quick walk to keep the energy flowing.

5. Emphasize the Importance of Attendance and Participation: Attendance is mandatory during virtual classes, just as it is in person. Reinforce the importance of active participation and engagement. Let your child know that teachers will be available on Microsoft Teams for each class, providing an opportunity for direct instruction, questions, and clarification. They can use the chat feature inside the virtual meeting to interact and ask questions. Students should also be reminded that they can email their teachers through Schoology if they need clarification or extra help.

Bonus Tip - Stay Ahead, Not Behind: Highlight the significance of completing assigned work promptly. Falling behind on virtual learning days can lead to unnecessary stress. Remind your child that staying on top of assignments ensures a smooth transition back to regular in-person classes.

Being prepared, staying focused, and maintaining open communication are key components of success during virtual learning days. By implementing these tips, you can help your child make the most out of snowy days while staying on track academically. Wishing you a warm and successful winter season!

Schoology is our online grading program. Parents are able to create accounts which allows them to view all of their child's assignments, due dates, & grades! If you do not have a Schoology account and would like one, please fill out the form below and our technology specialist will email you directions to set up that account. EVERY STUDENT benefits when parents and teachers are able to communicate!

Since there weren't any classes this week, we thought we would share what some of our teachers have been up to on their snow days! Don't forget to follow Martinsburg North Middle on Facebook & Twitter (@NMSTeachers) so you can post pics of what YOU did over the week of snow days!

"We at North Middle School are committed to doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to ensure that all student reach their highest potential!"

THE NORTH WAY

BE SAFE - BE RESPECTFUL - BE RESPONSIBLE

Email: rachel.deavers@k12.wv.us
Website: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/o/martinsburgnorth
Location: 250 East Road, Martinsburg, WV, USA
Phone: 304-267-3540
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialNMSpage
Twitter: @nmsteachers