NORTH NEWS

September is attendance awareness month, and we are competing against South Middle School. Whichever school has the best attendance holds bragging rights until next September! But that’s not all! We know how hard each of our students work to make it to school each day, so we are also doing a schoolwide competition for prizes. Take a moment and look at the flyer below! Let's continue to work hard this month (and every month) to get to school on time! AIM FOR LESS THAN FIVE ABSENCES THIS YEAR!

Beginning THIS WEEK, NMS weekly newsletters will be distributed through the BCS app rather than text messaged to parents each week. We are trying to keep text messaging for urgent matters, rather than basic information. Our newsletter will be added to the app and to the NMS website each week.

You can also follow us on "X" (formerly Twitter) @nmsteachers and on our official Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/officialNMSpage.

Are you interested in being a Blue Devil Cheerleader? Tryouts continue this week. See Coach Jones for more information.

Student Council members - Remember that Monday, September 11th is the first student council meeting of the year! Meetings take place monthly and students must be picked up promptly at 4:00pm!

See Ms. Updike for more information.

The first NMS Cross Country meet is this week! We are looking forward to another great season! Please join us for one of our upcoming meets!

We hope to see all of our NMS fans out on September 13th at Spring Mills to cheer on the Blue Devils!

On October 10, 2023, the 6th grade is sponsoring a trip to Washington, D.C. Students will tour the US Capitol Visitor Center, WWII Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Wall. The buses will leave at 8am and return around 5pm so students will need to find a ride home that day. The cost is $40.00 ($20.00 will secure your spot) and the seats are first come, first-served. There are only 100 seats available and all money is due by September 22nd. Download the permission form below or see your 6th grade homeroom teacher for more details.

On March 9-10, a group of students & parents from North Middle have the opportunity to travel to NEW YORK CITY! The first 20 students and adults that sign up and pay their deposits (by September 15th) are invited to this big city adventure! Travelers will be visiting the 9/11 memorial, having free time in Times Square, taking a harbor boat ride, watching a Broadway show and MUCH MORE! For more information, contact Ms. Updike at mupdike@k12.wv.us. This not an officially, school-sponsored trip, but is open and available to NMS families.

Did you know that students can attend healthcare visits here at school? Every Thursday, Shenandoah Community health runs a clinic at North Middle from 7:45-11:30am!

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

"I not only have the right to stand up for myself, but I have the responsibility. I can’t ask somebody else to stand up for me if I won’t stand up for myself. And once you stand up for yourself, you’d be surprised that people say ‘Can I be of help?" — Maya Angelou

Invisible challenges aside, anyone can benefit from intelligent, practical strategies to stick up for themselves. Here are the 5 questions you can ask your child to help them learn to self-advocate.

1. “What could make that better?”

When your child brings up a school concern, you can either jump in to fix it for them guide them in finding a solution by asking, “What could make that better?” That single question helps move the conversation from complaining and feeling powerless to strategizing a solution.

At first, students are often hesitant to question their teachers about anything. But slowly, they can learn that they can enjoy concrete, meaningful improvements if they respectfully approach teachers and authority figures with proposed solutions instead of complaints.

It is okay to ask for their locker to be moved away from someone constantly bothering them or ask to modify their IEP, so they don’t need to be moved out of the classroom for every test or quiz. Over time, students who advocate for themselves can recognize opportunities where speaking up is helpful and essential and it is empowering.

2. “Is it worth it?”

Sometimes when we brainstorm ways to fix a problem, we decide that the fix isn’t worth the trouble. Sometimes, it’s better for a student to change their attitude, keep their distance from a particular person, or opt out of a class or activity. Students learn how to pick the battles that either can be easily remedied or found to be most crucial. The more minor, petty stuff drops to the bottom. As parents, we can teach students that advocating for yourself doesn’t mean whining over minor unpleasantness or inconvenience. It also doesn’t mean you expect advantages that aren’t warranted or treatment that isn’t earned.

3. “How can you say that in the best possible way?”

Not all adults or peers like being corrected or challenged, especially not in front of a crowd. Parents can help their students self-advocate by discussing the best way to bring up issues, respectfully. Usually, it’s preferable to address concerns as privately as possible, and to give others the benefit of the doubt that maybe they didn’t know the fine details a problem, or were overwhelmed with a situation or other classroom distractions. Sometimes a polite nudge or reminder is all that’s required; a note on the teacher’s desk, a quick email, or a brief chat after class are usually the most successful ways to have a meaningful discussion.

4. “Do you need some backup?”

Your child might come up with solid reasoning for changing his/ her schedule to help him/ her succeed. However, week after week, nothing seems to happen. Have they spoken to the right school officials? Is there something that has to happen first? Sometimes, as parents we do need to back up our kids to make sure all of the steps are taking place to produce a needed change. With every situation, talking it through can support your child as they navigate school life. Help youe child identify other trusted adults who can provide backup and support. Many teens may rarely need their parents to be involved in school issues, but they should know you are there to provide assistance, if needed.

5. “Can you see how brave you are?”

Scenario: During one language arts class, the teacher assigned a multi-page essay. While everyone got out their pencils and composition notebooks, a student went to the teacher’s desk and quietly asked if he could type it instead. The teacher said, “Sure.”

I know it may not sound like much, but we should praise our kids when they stand up for their own learning. This student showed he was advocating for himself without help or prompting, and he did so in a way that benefited his education. This student's quick, casual approach was brave. He could only do this because he’s learned to identify his needs, pick his battles and respectfully talk to school staff. Plus, he sees how much he benefits when he does, and knows where to find a backup if he needs it.

Our teens will run into challenges throughout secondary school and college, but parents can be comforted knowing their students have self-advocacy strategies to help them. As students act as their best advocates will continue to benefit them in the workplace and later in life.

**Adapted from grownandflown.com

*Mr. Lam would like to brag on Mr. Barclay, our Life Skills teacher, for his meditation time at the beginning of class! He uses it to give the students a brief period of time to focus themselves and prepare for class. He saw great results after starting it last year and has continued it into this year! Great job Barclay!

*P.E. had some guest students playing Matt-ball on Thursday! Ms. Kyker and Ms. Dusing gave up their planning time to play with their 8th graders and build relationships through friendly competition!

*Mrs. UPDIKE's classes focused on How a Bill Becomes a Law, then they analyzed historical documents to see what part of the process they were.

*Ms. Crowley's students built their confidence this week by singing solos to their class!

"Whatever It Takes"

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