Trimester 2 Report Cards Distributed, Friday, March 28

Trimester 2 Report Cards, Parent-Teacher Conferences, & Aspen Parent Portal Access

This afternoon I sent home an AlertNow message reminding parents that Report Cards for Trimester 2 were issued today, Friday, March 28.  They went home with your child with a small sheet 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 31.  

Communication is a powerful tool in closing the gap between home and school and ensuring success for all of our children.  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 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 remember that Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for next Wednesday, April 2, from 6 to 8:30 PM, and then again on Wednesday, April 16, from 4 to 6:30 PM.  Please know that these Spring Conferences are usually lighter in attendance, so you will have a far greater chance of discussing your child’s progress at these conferences.

Also with your child’s Report Card is a letter about setting up your own account for the Aspen Parent Portal.  With this access, you will be able to check on your child’s progress or lack of it as teachers enter grades throughout the trimester.  Please check it out.

Again, second trimester report cards went home today, please sign the sheet saying you saw your child's report card and have the receipt brought back to school on Monday.  Please come to conferences next Wednesday or April 16.  And finally, please set up your access for the Aspen Parent Portal.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.  Thank you and have a great weekend.

Reminder: Spring Picture Day, Monday, March 31

John T Nichols Jr Middle School PIcture Date: 03/31/2014

Picture Day is almost here!  Watch for the Picture Day flyer coming home with your child from school. Review the flyer for details about your child's school photo program. Picture Day ID: MV983407Q0 This spring, we are proud to partner with Operation Smile to transform the lives of over 200 children throughout North America and around the world - one smile at a time.

Lifetouch 2014

February ROAR Award Winners

February 2014 ROAR Award Winners

This year NMS faculty, and specifically Mr. McLaughlin, has begun a new program, which recognizes student achievement each month.  The ROAR award is given by each cluster, and Unified Arts, to acknowledge students who have been Respectful, On-time, (positive) Attitude, and Responsible.  The goal is to recognize students who not only take care of basic expectations in class but are good citizens and role models in our community.

Award winners receive a certificate, a coupon for a free book at the book fair, bumper stickers for their parents’ cars, and their individual picture displayed in the school for the month.

The February award winners received their certificates from Mr. McLaughlin and Mr. Geoghegan in a brief ceremony at the beginning of this month.

The ROAR Award winners for February 2014 for each team were:

Grade 6 Challengers:  Greta Jacobsen

Grade 6 Adventurers: Tori Warner

Grade 7 Explorers: Casey O'Brien

Grade 7 Beacons: Amanda Davis

Grade 8 Apollos: Jake Stephenson

Grade 8 Comets: Paul Steinman

Unified Arts:  Olivia Ventresca (Grade 6)

Congratulations to all our February 2014 ROAR Winners!  Great job during this month and keep putting the right paw forward as you continue this year!

Dress for Sox-cess 2014 for NMS Team Dylan, Opening Day, Friday, April 4

Help NMS-Team Dylan Defeat Cancer by Joining Our Team, Wearing Your Sox Gear, and Donating to the Jimmy Fund on Friday, April 4

Good afternoon Nichols Middle School community,

On Friday, April 4, Opening Day for the Red Sox at Fenway Park, the John T. Nichols, Jr. Middle School community will be participating in a very special fundraiser:  The Jimmy Fund Rally Against Cancer Dress for Sox-cess Fundraiser.

The Berio family has again joined forces with the students of Nichols Middle School to help strike out this horrible disease.  

Students can come to school wearing their favorite Boston Red Sox gear, and all we are asking for is at least a dollar donation to wear your hat during school.  

Students may make more of a donation, if they choose, for all the proceeds will go to The Jimmy Fund in support of Team Dylan Berio as well as Jesse and Hailey, our other Middleborough Community members.



Dylan Berio is a six year old, who is battling cancer.  Dylan is the brother of Hayden Berio, an 8th grader here at NMS.

One can sign-up by making a gift in one of three ways to help strike out cancer:
  1. Bring a cash contribution to school on Friday, April 4.
  2. Bring a check made out to "The Jimmy Fund" to school on Friday, April 4.
  3. Visit the website and make an online donation at:  Click Here to Donate to Rally Against Cancer 2014 NMS Team Dylan

All proceeds raised will go to the Dana-Farber Pediatric Brain Tumor Research fund and to the Dana-Farber Brain Tumor Pediatric Patient Fund.

Please help us Rally Against Cancer and strike out this horrible disease.

Go NMS Team Dylan!

Spring Fever -- PTA Sponsored Event, Friday, March 28, right after school

NMS Spring Fever Friday March 28, 2:30-5

NMS Spring Fever Friday 3/28 2:30-5pm

Join your friends for music, games and dancing.   Or watch a movie and enjoy refreshments. $5 admission- permission slip (available at school) is your ticket.   Refreshments, photos and face painting will be available for an additional fee.

MCAS Starts Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18

MCAS Begins Tuesday, March 18 with Grade 7 Long Composition, and then Wednesday and Thursday, March 19-20, All Students Grades 6 through 8 Complete ELA Reading Comprehension

This afternoon I made an Alert-Now message reminding all parents about MCAS.

MCAS testing begins tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18.  

Our 7th Grade students will begin the ELA portion of the MCAS with the Long Composition.

Then on Wednesday, March 19, and Thursday, March 20, all of the students of Nichols Middle School (grades 6, 7, and 8) will be working on the English Language Arts Reading Comprehension portion of this year's MCAS tests. 

Please try to make sure your child gets a good night sleep and something to eat for breakfast during these days.  We will be providing a snack and a drink to all students, but they are also encouraged to bring in a water bottle, if they choose. 

Please make sure students are here on-time all week, wish them luck and re-emphasize the tests' importance. 

Thank you,

M R Geoghegan

Yearbook Cover Art

News from Ms. Jeriann Tucker

Every year, grade seven students of NMS work on ideas for the cover of their annual yearbook! It is a graphic design assignment that is done during art, and each student has a chance at becoming a published artist!  Usually the cover is designed by a team of students that have each come up with a creative idea, and then collaborate to put their work together to create a personal, unique yearbook design.

The art students of Nichols have been creating their own yearbook cover since 2007. Starting in 2010, young artists of NMS have also submitted work to for the last page design, a final message to their peers for that year, and this tradition has continued!

Congratulations to the team pictured here creating Yearbook 2014:

 Rebecca Comara, Madison Walgreen and Olivia Gherardi.  (Missing from photo: Shannon Geary).

Until the publication of Yearbook 2014, the cover design remains top secret! Watch for it this June, as it is AMAZING!

Past yearbook design covers by the following NMS students:

2007/8:   Ashley Lonergan, Jared Kennedy

2008/9:  Colleen Fogarty, Hayley  Poskus, Vanessa Jabajorian

2009/10: Christian Bean, Ashley Churchill, Ashley Doherty

2010/11: Samuel Botelho, Christopher Kenney, Abigail Markley, Kimberly Olden

2011/12: Cooper Eisner, Ben Martin, Chad McGrath, Brendan Souza

2012/13: Daniel Siefert

NMS PARCC Testing 2014

Only Certain Sections of 6th and 8th Grade NMS Students Selected to Participate in PARCC Field Test

Massachusetts is currently developing a high quality, 21^st century student testing program called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC. The goal of PARCC is to measure student progress toward the state's new academic learning standards in English language arts and mathematics, which were adopted in 2010. Over the next two years, schools statewide will "test drive" PARCC before the state decides whether to fully adopt this new test and replace our current test, MCAS.

I have informed specific sections of students' parents that their child has been selected to take a PARCC test in English language arts (for one section of Ms. Borges and one section of Ms. Fisher’s 6^th Grade ELA2 class to be tested in May) or mathematics (for one section of Ms. Hunter/Ms. White’s and one section of Ms. Macquarrie/Ms. White’s Pre-Algebra class to be tested in late March/early April and in May) this spring. Only those students are the ones participating in the field test for this year.

The purpose of this spring's administration of PARCC is to try out the test questions, before the test counts, and to make certain the questions measure the subject area content contained in the learning standards. Our student's participation is important and allows the Commonwealth to build the best test it can for all of our students.

Students selected to take a PARCC test will also take the MCAS test in that same subject. For instance, if a child is selected to take a PARCC test in mathematics (8^th grade student), he or she will still participate in and receive an MCAS score in mathematics, as well as other MCAS subjects (English language arts; science and technology/engineering for grades 8). If a child is selected to take a PARCC test in English language arts (6^th grade student), he or she will still participate in and receive an MCAS score in ELA, as well as the other tested MCAS subject area of mathematics. A child, who participates in the field test, will not receive a score or grade based on her or his performance on PARCC, but will for MCAS.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you wish to learn more about PARCC, please visit http://www.doe.mass.edu/parcc/, send an email to parcc@doe.mass.edu, or, as always, ask me.

Thank you.

Yankee Candle Sales Due Monday, March 17

Yankee Candle Fundraising Packets Due Back on Monday, March 17

The NMS PTA is asking that all Yankee Candle Fundraising Packets are returned on Monday, March 17, to the students' Homeroom Teachers.

We appreciate any and all sales.

All profits go towards helping our Nichols Middle School students' endeavors.

Any questions, please email nicholsptsa@gmail.com

Thank you.

Digits on the iPad

Digits Mathematics Now Available for the iPad

 

 

Attention iPad users!  

You can now access digits on your iPad using the free application, Click this Link for free Puffin Academy App from iTunes! 

Check out the video below for more information and a tutorial on using the app.

YouTube Video Tutorial for How to Get to Digits from Puffin Academy App

 

We are very appreciative on how Pearson, the makers of digits, continue to get better and easier for our students and families to access their math curriculum. 

After School MCAS Math Program for Grade 6 Students

After School Math Program

 

 

The John T. Nichols, Jr. Middle School is proud to offer a NO COST after school math program for all of our 6th grade students.  Sessions will be held on select Mondays and Wednesdays. Students will be able to take the late bus home. Please  review our brochure for details regarding this program. 

 

Program Dates:

Our after school program will take place from 2:35-3:35 on the following dates:

 March 24 & 31

April 7, 14, 28, & 30

May 5, 7, & 12

6^th grade Math MCAS Exam: May 13 & 14

Submarine Art -- Very Cool Story

March 10, 2014

In the late fall of this year, Mrs.Hudson, (Beacon Team ELA teacher) approached Mrs. Tucker (Art teacher)   regarding a unique opportunity. Admiring the work of our art students shown around NMS, Mrs. Hudson asked if we could contribute some of their beautiful works to cheer the interior of the submarine that her daughter, Beth, was to be on for an indefinite time, for a special mission for the USA. We could not be more proud of the contribution our young artists have made to uplift our service people on their long journey! Each of them will receive a copy of a wonderful letter from Beth, on behalf of her service fellows, and part of this reads:

“Thank you so much for generously donating your pictures to adorn the walls of our submarine. Your work is amazing! You have such creative minds. Each picture is unique, yet  all are bright and cheery. They will make us smile each time we look at them while serving…

When you look at the ocean, know that your picture is traveling very deep beneath the surface, helping us to maintain a positive morale”…

Following is a list of their names and the artwork these students have kindly contributed to a very special cause:

Elizabeth Besse-batik

Hannah Bradley-watercolor-bird

Kristen Cassidy-batik

Hannah Cobb-Surrealism

Julia Dellamano-watercolor-snowman

Ryan Dragunas-flower print

Colleen Egan- Sumi-e

Erin Egersheim-collage

Emily Foye-contour drawing

Bradley Gardner-moonscape

Emily Geddes-mask

Tyler Gotham-print

Erin Graham-oil pastel-fruit

Sarah Marshall-flower print

Danya Mason-watercolor-bird

Shawn McCarthy-scratch art

Katherine Newton-Sumi-e

Brad Richards-batik

Bobby Scully-Swan watercolor

Sarah Sterns-tree painting

Emma Sullivan-oil pastel-fruit

Jose Velez-moonscape

Isabella Ventura-positive/negative design

Avery Warner-watercolor-bird

Olivia Benson & John Boersdamm Honored at SEDMMEA 2014

The South Eastern District of the Massachusetts Music Educator's Association sponsors an annual music festival for advanced music students in Grades 7-9. Hundreds of the best musicians in southeastern Massachusetts audition for the Festival, and each year, a few students from the Nichols Middle School are selected by audition to participate in the Festival. 

The audition is based on the musician’s ability to demonstrate fluency in scales, accuracy in sight reading and musicianship on a prepared solo. Auditions take place in late January, and the festival occurs in early March.  Ensembles include Symphony Orchestra (including winds and percussion), Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Mixed Choir and Treble Choir.  

This year Olivia Benson (violin) and John Boersdamm (euphonium) of the Nichols Middle School, and Noah Yeskewicz (percussion), of Middleborough High School, were chosen to participate in the Junior South East District Music Festival held this past weekend at Attleboro High School. 

The musicians met for the first time on Friday, rehearsing all day Friday and Saturday

morning for a concert that they would perform on Saturday afternoon.  Both Olivia and John agreed that it was a wonderful experience, allowing them to grow musically.  

We know that they will bring their experiences back to Nichols to enrich our local program with their musical contributions and lead by example.

Congratulations to both Olivia and John!  Tiger Pride showing through your hard work!

NMS Baseball and Softball Team Tryouts 2014

NMS Baseball and Softball Tryouts

The Nichols Middle School is hosting its tryouts for Baseball and Softball Teams.  The teams are comprised of students from all three grades (6 through 8) and play games in the Massasoit League.  Announcements have been made each day since February 24.

Any questions, please contact:

Mr. Tommy Thompson, Head Baseball Coach:  tthompso@middleboro.k12.ma.us

Mr. Mike Luppino, Head Softball Coach:  mluppino@middleboro.k12.ma.us

Mr. Mike Perry, Middleborough Athletic Director:  mperry@middleboro.k12.ma.us

Baseball Team Tryout Schedule

Monday 3/10----3:30 - 5:30*

Tuesday 3/11----4:30 - 6:30*

Wednesday 3/12---3:30 - 5:30*

Thursday 3/13----4:30 - 6:30*

If necessary, Friday 3/14---2:30 - 4:00

* This is the indoor Tryout schedule. If the weather cooperates and the Tryouts can be held outdoors, the Tryouts would be 2:30- 4:30. 

Coaches will let the players know at Monday's First Tryout if they are inside or outside for the week.  Please dress accordingly.

Softball Team Tryout Schedule

Monday 3/10----5:30 - 7:30

Tuesday 3/11----2:30 - 4:30

Thursday 3/13---2:30 - 4:30

Tuesday 3/18----2:30 - 4:30

Thursday 3/19---2:30 - 4:30

Good luck to all.