It has been brought to my attention that there have been some questions/comments posted to the Nichols Middle School Facebook page. First, let me say, that I do not have anything to do with the NMS Facebook page. It is a page that is kept and updated by a considerate parent. I do appreciate the work this parent is doing, but I do hope that this blog is the first place parents, students, and community members will go to for information on Nichols Middle School. I have complete control of this blog and try to update it as quickly as I can.
Secondly, I am glad that parents are finding a place for their voice to be heard, but I would rather parents contact us directly with any of their questions. Again, I do appreciate the many positive comments, which have been posted, and the help parents can get from one another on the site.
With that, there are some questions, which I would like to answer myself to support parents and help in their learning about NMS. I have posted the questions/comments in italics with my response underneath.
1. I know that this topic has been posted on multiple times but this DIGITS software is buggy. My child has been working on her homework for three hours because she is afraid to enter the final answer because sometimes it accepts it and sometimes it doesn't, even if you input the exact same response. I sat and watched this happen more than once. She will be getting the paper versions from now on.
My response: Okay, this is a great point to start on. We have begun using a new math program, Digits, and with anything new there are going to be some growing pains with any change. The teachers are new to the program; the students are new to the program; and overall this is a whole new way of "doing business" when it comes to math preparation and learning.
First, with any new technology there may be glitches. I have attached here a link from Digits: http://www.mathdashboard.com/programs/digits/program_updates/29
This link updates some of the issues that our students and families have been experiencing with the program. The producers of Digits have been working with us, as a school, as well as with families to make sure our use of the system is as seamless as possible.
Secondly, within this point, a parent mentions that her child "has been working on her homework for three hours"; please do not let this happen. I mentioned to parents at the 6th Grade Open House, in August, as well as at the first NMS PTA meeting last week, and I will mention again tonight at the 7th and 8th Grade Open House that we, as a school, are looking at 10 minutes per grade on average for homework on a nightly basis. What this means is that a 6th grader should expect 60 minutes of homework for a night; a 7th grader, 70 minutes, and for our 8th graders, 80 minutes a night (average). If your child is doing more than that on a nightly basis, an email or call to the teacher/teacher team would be appropriate. Also, and I know this is very difficult to do, but just a note in the child's agenda to the teacher saying, "My child worked on this homework assignment for over an hour ..." will suffice the teacher. We do not look at homework as a punishment and when it gets to the point of where the student is not getting anywhere with it; it is time to stop.
Homework is practice. Homework is what educators call, "formative." It is not "summative." What I mean by this is that teachers want students to go home and practice the work they are instructing in class. They want to see if what they taught in class can be practiced by the student on his/her own. If the child cannot do this, this is valuable information for the teacher; this means that the teacher needs to reteach this information to that child or maybe to the whole class again. This is the formative piece; it informs the teacher. When teachers are looking at homework, they are more often than not looking for the child's effort in trying to accomplish it; it is not for a grade. Yes, I know, that Digits puts a grade/score on the homework, and this is both a blessing a curse. Students are taking their homework more seriously than they ever have in the past and also getting this immediate feedback from the program telling them whether what they are doing is correct or not. This is insuring that a student is not practicing homework wrongly and getting every answer wrong, only to find out about this fact until the next day in class. With Digits, the student learns whether he/she is getting the first problem wrong and then able to fix this mistake to thus not continue practicing a habit wrongly. But the curse part is that the students now feel that they need to get a 100% on homework because they can see their score. This, again, is not the truth. Teachers are looking to see whether the student is practicing what they were taught in class. This is something all of our math teachers are trying to stress to their students, but we know it will take some time.
Another point was made in this comment that we will get "the paper versions from now on." Again, with Digits, there is the ability for students to learn whether what they are practicing is done correctly or not with this instantaneous feedback. This is such valuable information. One, it tells the student whether he/she is doing the problem correctly instantly. Two, it informs the teacher how long the student spent on each individual problem. For example, problem 5 may have taken the whole class on average 10 minutes to complete. This tells the teacher that she/he needs to go over that problem again in class the next day. Students may be getting the problem right, but for the teacher to see online how long it is taking the students is a valuable piece of data. This is where completing the homework online is such a worthy enterprise. There are going to be glitches in the beginning but we should not give up.
2. When do school sports start? What does the
school offer?
My response: For school sports, we offer Girls Field Hockey for the first time ever this Fall; Boys and Girls Basketball in the Winter; and Boys Baseball and Girls Softball in the Spring.
Also, on this very blog, we update announcements about sports and activities either in a post and/or just directly in the Calendar at the bottom of the page. Announcements for all activities are made many days in advance and multiple times before an event. We have morning and afternoon announcements, and if a child did not hear an announcement, he/she may always ask in the Main Office or a faculty member.
Please continue to check the blog for updates and also the calendar. We update the calendar sometimes multiple times during the day. School activities are just now starting up, so more and more information about these activities will continue to come in, and we will continue to let you know.
3. My daughter is in 5th grade (private school). My
worry is if I put her in public she will not be challenged, she is extremely
smart. Does the NMS have AP classes in 6th and 7th grade? How do you feel about
the academics?
The Nichols Middle School experience is, in a word, awesome. This school year has seen many changes occur to better the experience for all students academically, emotionally, developmentally, socially, and emotionally. Everything we do as a school is looking towards the success of all of our students. Our teachers strive to provide our students with rigorous and relevant learning experiences that will prepare them well for their academic career in high school and their future.
Our school is designed in a team structure with two teams per grade level. Core academic subject teachers of math, science, language arts (1 and 2), and social studies meet daily to discuss curriculum and instruction, individual student needs, and team planning. This school year, we now have a rotating schedule, this insures that classes meet at different times during the day. This was done, for example, to make sure that a student doesn't just have his/her math class first period of the day, everyday. Now math (and any other class) can meet during any period of the day.
Also, with the new schedule students have a more and varied set of options of a rich practical and fine arts program where students are encouraged to explore their interests in art, music (including Band, Orchestra, and Chorus), physical education, fitness, health, STEM, and technological education. Nine periods on a seven-day cycle are dedicated to these courses with the goal of providing students opportunities to investigate where their interests and talents may lie in different arenas. Our alternating schedule increases the consistency value for the specific courses per trimester. Within our schedule, we have a DIAL period (Differentiated Instruction And Learning), where students go to an academic teacher for enrichment, remediation, extra help, or special projects. These DIAL periods meet three days out of the seven-day cycle.
All classes are taught with a heterogeneous classroom makeup, except for Algebra in our 8th grade curriculum. We, as a school, believe this is the best means to help and support all of our students in their learning and we don't believe tracking, especially at this age group, is an effective means of educating our students.
The building of relationships is fundamental to our mission at the Nichols Middle School. Our staff has a clear understanding of the connection between a positive learning environment and student academic success. Our mission speaks to providing support and guidance as our students transition from childhood to adolescence. Teachers and support staff work diligently to cultivate a healthy and safe school where students are valued and respected. The three core concepts of our school are respect, responsibility, and reputation.
In relation to our mission, I tell the students each and every day during the morning announcements for them to “Do the best you can in everything you do today.” If they do their part in doing their best, and we as a school do our best, only great things can and will happen.
We at Nichols Middle School are proud of our learning community and feel that we are working diligently to make sure all of our students will reach success in their future, which is why we have instituted as many changes as we have in the past year-plus.
4. Can someone please explain to me why my 6th
grader can not carry her backpack around during the day for her classes. I
understand that they have locker breaks but I just don't understand why the
backpack is only to bring homework in and home from school.
My response: There is a long-standing school policy that does not allow backpacks in classrooms for two main reasons, which are: 1. We are hoping to keep aisles clear of obstructions in the classrooms; and 2. We want to insure safety in all of our classrooms. Students do have a chance to go to their lockers in between classes, typically after and/or before two periods. We don't want students carrying around all their books to all their classes. Some of these backpacks can get so overcrowded with materials that they end up weighing more than the students carrying them. We want to help organize the students and help them only bring to each class what they need for those individual classes.
5. Does anyone know what groups meet after school.
my daughter wants to join something in addition to the student council but
doesn't know what is offered?
My response: As I have mentioned above, please continue to check this blog for announcements on different after-school activities and also pay particular attention to the calendar, which we continuously update.
We have the sports, I mentioned above. We do some after-school intramural sports, through our After-School Program, such as Floor Hockey. We have Student Council, Drama and Musical Club -- we will be doing a Musical in the Fall/Winter and a Drama Show in the Spring, Builders Club, Spelling and Math Teams, Yearbook, Art Club, A/V Club, Foreign Languages, MCAS Prep, and Tiger Trails.
Many of these activities will have individual fliers, which will go home, but again, this blog and the calendar below are the places to check.
Okay, I hope this post helps answer some questions.
I hope to answer more questions tonight at the 7th and 8th Grade Open House, but please do not hesitate to ask.
Communication is key to supporting all of our students succeed. I hope this blog, my answers, and our open door assist in making us achieve the success we are all striving for.
Thanks again,
M R Geoghegan
