2016 NMS Talent Show Informational Meeting Wed 3/30

NMS Talent Show 2016

Attention all NMS Students:

Can you sing? Can you dance? Twirl a baton? Play an instrument? Tell jokes? Or have any other talent you would like to show off?

The Nichols Middle School Talent Show is where you want to be.

Come to an informational meeting after school on Wednesday, March 30.

All students are welcome to attend. Information packets will be given out at that time.

Late bus passes will also be given out.

Any questions, please see or email Ms. Sally Weaver in Room C206.

Show Your Talent, NMS!

Trimester 2 Report Cards Distributed Thur 3/24

Trimester 2 Report Cards Distributed 3/24

Good morning,  

This afternoon all Nichols Middle School students will be heading home with their second trimester report cards, which were issued today, Thursday, March 24.  They will go home with your child with a receipt saying you received and saw the Report Card, which will need to be signed and returned to your child’s homeroom teacher on Monday, March 28.  

I have said this before but I will say it again, that communication is a powerful tool in closing the gap between home and school and ensuring success for all of our students.  The marks that you have found on this report card should never be a surprise to either you or your child.  If you feel that discussion regarding your child’s progress or lack of it is needed, please call the school to talk to the teacher, to then make an appointment to schedule a time that would offer both you and the teacher enough time to adequately discuss your child's present situation. 

Please make sure that you also pay attention to the comments section of the report card or even whole other sheets attached to the Report Card.  Many of our teachers have been piloting standards-based reporting, where they will have a comment that says where your child is with the standards or, as I said, a whole other "report card" which shows how your child is progressing.  In studying and researching better educational techniques, standards-based grading is a much better means to focus on "learning."  This is our goal here at NMS: we want our students to learn the material, and not continue with a system that doesn't really explain where your child is with their learning.

Please follow this LINK  to an excellent article on the reasons for changing to standards-based grading.   

Or follow this LINK to a blog post I did earlier in the school year about standards-based grading, and why we are doing what we are doing.

Or even check out an article in this LINK in theMiddleborough Gazette by Mark Belanger on how we are piloting standards-based grading.

Also, check out this short VIDEO which explains what standards-based grading is.  

Please also make note of our Spring Student-Led/Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Wednesday, April 6, from 4 to 6:30 PM, and again on Thursday, April 14, from 6 to 8:30 PM for you to see and discuss how your child is progressing.  

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.  

Thank you and have a great weekend,
M R Geoghegan

NMS School Council Meeting on Wed 3/23 at 3 PM in Media Center

NMS School Council March Meeting on Wednesday, 3/23 at 3PM in Media Center

2015-2016 John T. Nichols, Jr. Middle School Council

Are you interested in getting involved with your child’s education in another way besides PTA or fundraising?  Would you like to be more involved in the academic aspects and decision making of your child's education here at Nichols?  If you are, then seriously consider whether you would be interested in joining the Nichols Middle School Council (also called a School Improvement Council).  By law, every school in the country has to have a School Council.  

The law outlines four major areas of responsibility for councils.  School councils are to assist principals in:  

1. Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards; 
2. Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school; 
3. Reviewing the annual school building budget; and 
4. Formulating a school improvement plan.

We meet once a month on the 4th Wednesday of each month, except where specified below – with our next meeting on Wednesday, March 23, for about an hour, beginning at 3:00 PM and ending around 4 PM, to discuss such items as our School Improvement Plan, parent involvement, how we are working with MCAS data, what we are doing to improve teaching and learning, different curricular ideas, courses, etc.  In all, the group is not like the “PTA”; it is more a group of people who are looking into school improvement and how we can get the improvement we are looking for.

This month's meeting we are having at 3 PM time spot to then try to rotate each month between 3 and 7 PM, to hope to see if we can get more participation.  We will be discussing topics that will form our School Improvement Plan for 2016-2017.

The group is made up of parents, teachers, and at least one community member.  

If you are interested or would just like to come and check it out, please come to the our next meeting, Wednesday, March 23, at 3 PM, in the Media Center at NMS or email me at mgeoghegan@middleboro.k12.ma.us. If you have any questions, please let me know.  Thank you.

2015 – 2016 NMS School Council Meetings

March 23, 2016

April 27, 2016

May 25, 2016

** All dates are the 4th Wednesday of each month – except where specified

2 More Awesome Shows of Seussical, Jr. Musical This Weekend

2 PM & 7 PM Must See Shows

Make sure you make it to one (or both) of the Seussical, Jr. The Musical shows on Saturday, March 19, at 2 PM and 7 PM.

The John T. Nichols Middle School

Presents

Seussical, Jr.

The Musical

"Oh, the thinks you can think!"

Seussical will be performed 2 more times: 

Saturday

March 19th at 2PM & 7PM

in the Alan R. Lindsay Auditorium of the Nichols Middle School

Tickets are $5, general admission and will be available at the door

Great job by all NMS Students and Ms. Beth Anne Young & Ms. Eliza Thornton

Here are some pics: