NORTH NEWS

On Wednesday, 3/27 our students participated in a reward day for their work in the 3rd nine weeks! The 6th & 8th grades participated in activities like video gaming, science carnival games/ activities, & donut decorating (and eating). There was even an appearance by the Kona Ice truck! The 7th grade walked to Galaxy Skateland for roller skating & arcade games.

There is only ONE MORE quarter of the year left before summer! Interims will be issued Apr 22nd & report cards will be issued on the last day of school! We will also be conducting WV General Summative Assessments on May 2, 9, & 16. Check out the "Parent Corner" article at the bottom of this newsletter for more important dates and tips for how to help your teen have a successful end to the school year!

Thanks to our Sources of Strength students & our guidance counselors Ms. Poe & Ms. Sigler, for an amazing Spring Spirit Week! Each day, students and staff were encouraged to participate by wearing certain colors, sports jerseys, hawaiian shirts, or dressing like a twin. On Thursday, our Sources of Strength ambassadors encouraged their peers to write thank you notes and traveled around passing out snacks, drinks, & thank you notes to the teachers. These ambassadors are spreading kindness and encouragement everywhere they go!

Congratulations to "Absolute Radiance" and "The Saltines" for representing NMS well at the county Battle of the Books competition on Monday, March 25th! Although they ended up in the middle of the pack, they battled hard and got to read 12 books altogether! We are so proud of their hard work and accomplishments!

All Unified Arts classes besides Gym, Choir & Band will rotate for the final time tomorrow, April 8th! Check out the graphic below to figure out where you will go for Unified Arts tomorrow.

The next student council meeting will be April 15th after school in Ms. Updike's classroom. Please have your rides available on time to pick you up!

It's that time of year again! Cheer conditioning begins April 15th from 6:00 - 8:00pm. A parent meeting will be held on April 8th at 6pm. This is open to any current 6th or 7th grade student who is currently attending North Middle or a 5th grade student who will be attending North Middle next school year. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Jones @ natalie.jones@k12.wv.us.

MHS Cheer is holding practices & conditioning this spring/ summer. If you are a current 8th grader who is planning to attend Martinsburg High School in the fall, check out the flyer below!

The Summer Career Academy provides students about to start 9th and 10th grade with a unique opportunity to explore the growing world of career & technical education. Students are invited to participate in activities & live jobs related to some of the free high school courses that the school has to offer. This is a FREE program for students of the tri-county area. (Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan) that takes place June 4-6 from 9am-2:30pm. A bus travels daily from NMS to Rumsey each morning & afternoon! Spaces are limited. Eighth graders, click the link below to register!

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.

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!

The upcoming Primary Election on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, will include a continuation of the Berkeley County School excess levy on the ballot. A school excess levy is an opportunity provided to local boards of education to focus on improving and maintaining the educational system with community approval.

Fifteen percent of the BCS budget is provided by the school excess levy, and 100 percent of the funds benefit BCS students, staff, and the community. Berkeley County voters have passed the school excess levy since 1948; continuing 75+ years of community support for public education.

Please visit the link below to learn more about the school excess levy.

As we bid farewell to spring break and gear up for the final stretch of the school year, it's time to get ready for a successful return to the classroom! With many important end-of-year activities and events around the corner, it's essential to help your teen stay focused and motivated until the very end!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming end-of-year testing dates: May 2, 9, and 16. These tests are an opportunity for students to showcase their hard work and knowledge, and it's important for them to be well-prepared. Additionally, students must have a charged, updated iPad for testing. Interim reports will be distributed on April 22nd, providing valuable feedback on your teen's progress and areas for improvement, with report cards being issued on the last day of school. There are also several fun events for our students to look forward to! Check out a partial list below:

• Spring Picture Day - April 10th
• Strings Concert - April 24th
• "Spring Fling" Semi-formal Dance - April 25th
• Community Day (for the whole family) - April 27th
• Choir Concert - May 1st
• 8th Grade Hershey Trip - May 3rd
• 8th Grade Farewell Dance - May 7th
• Election Day (NO SCHOOL) - May 14th
• 6th Grade Trip to JayDee's - May 20th
• 7th Grade Trip to Antietam Recreation - May 21st

KEEP THOSE iPADS READY!

As we approach the final weeks of the school year, remind your teen to keep their school-issued iPad safe and ready for use (charged and updated). iPads will be needed throughout the rest of the school year for assignments, projects, review & testing. It's crucial for students to take good care of their devices and ensure they are fully charged and in good working condition in class and when they are returned in May to avoid a $400 charge. iPads, chargers, & keyboard cases will be due on May 16th after testing.

EMBRACE THE EXCITEMENT!

The end of the school year is a time filled with excitement and anticipation, and it's important to harness that energy to finish strong. Encourage your teen to set goals for the remainder of the school year and celebrate their achievements along the way. Whether it's earning a top score on a test or completing a challenging project, every accomplishment is worth celebrating. Each grade will be hosting a reward/ celebration field trip. To be invited to attend the trips, students must maintain passing grades and have no in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension for the 4th nine weeks.

STAY FOCUSED & MOTIVATED!

As we prepare to return from spring break, let's channel our energy and excitement into making the most of the remaining weeks of the school year! With end-of-year testing approaching and interim reports just around the corner, it's important for students to stay focused, motivated, and engaged in their learning. By keeping their iPads handy, setting goals, and maintaining a positive attitude, your teen can finish the school year strong and set themselves up for success in the future.

Let's make these last weeks of the school year count!

Please take this survey to provide valuable information to us about our school! Your opinions and views will be used to make decisions for school/ district improvement! Thank you for your help!

SURVEY ENDS APRIL 12th!

Welcome back from spring break! We hope you had a fantastic time relaxing, having fun, and recharging your batteries. Now that we're back in action, it's time to buckle down and finish the school year with a bang. But hey, that doesn't mean we can't have fun along the way!

As we approach the end of the school year, here are a few words of wisdom to keep in mind:

• Stay organized: Use planners or digital calendars to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and activities. Staying organized will help you manage your time more effectively and reduce stress. Remember, interim reports go out on April 22nd!
• Stay prepared: Don't slack off too early and forget your responsibilities! Make sure you have your iPad charged & updated (especially for testing on May 2, 9, & 16). Keep your belongings with you or in your locker, and complete your assignments.
• Ask for help: If you're struggling with a particular subject or assignment, don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether it's from a teacher, parent, or a classmate, there's always someone willing to lend a hand. This nine weeks is your last chance to finish strong and get the best grades you can!
• Participate in the end-of-the-year fun: Find at least one of the fun events happening at the end of the year to look forward to. Having something to look forward to can help you focus when the nine weeks seems long.
• Spring Picture Day - April 10th
• Strings Concert - April 24th
• "Spring Fling" Semi-formal Dance - April 25th
• Community Day (for the whole family) - April 27th
• Choir Concert - May 1st
• 8th Grade Hershey Trip - May 3rd
• 8th Grade Farewell Dance - May 7th
• Election Day (NO SCHOOL) - May 14th
• 6th Grade Trip to JayDee's - May 20th
• 7th Grade Trip to Antietam Recreation - May 21st

As we head into the final stretch of the school year, let's remember to stay focused, stay positive, and give it our all. The end of the school year is just around the corner, and with a little hard work and determination, we can finish strong and set ourselves up for success in the future. So, let's find that balance between fun and academics, stay motivated, and make these last few weeks of the school year the best yet!

STUDENTS! Make sure your iPad is charged (everyday) and updated! Your homeroom teachers will be checking! If you have lost your charger, need a new sticker, damaged your iPad, can't login to your Apple ID or have ANY other iPad problem, scan the QR code or click the link below and fill out the form. Ms. Deavers will contact you this week! Remember, these QR codes are located ALL OVER THE BUILDING in case you ever need to report an issue with your device!

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!

*As part of their reward day, 6th grade students participated in a "Science STEM Carnival". Students used vegetables to play music (what?!), designed egg carriers to protect falling eggs, made tall towers out of spaghetti, and more, proving that it IS POSSIBLE to learn while having fun!

*Mr. Ware's students have been studying the Holocaust. In remembrance, they created butterflies as a memorial to the victims of that terrible event in history.

*Ms. Landerkin's 7th & 8th grade classes went head-to-head in a review game match-up! 8th graders were VERY excited to win! The focus of the activity was to learn about teamwork, organization, and knowing the answers to reading skills, writing skills, and mentor texts.

*Mrs. Wood made lemonade with her math classes! The students had to use ratios to figure out how to make a cup of lemonade. What a fun spring activity!

*Ms. Long's classes are making emoji pillows in their sewing unit! We can't wait to see the final results!

*Ms. Stover's classes are podcasting again! Check out the "Page Turner's Podcast", Episode 3 about how and why to restate questions in your written responses!

*Ms. Keppler's students have been busy making creative paper mache projects! Check out some of them below!

"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