Friday, September 30, 2016

An Awesome Start in the Month of September


A Closing of September Message 

I can't believe September is over.  It has been an incredible month of new beginnings.  We are a month into our new school year.  It has been a joy to see the faculty, staff, and students of the Nichols Middle School attack the school year with such energy and motivation.  I have said this before, but I will say it again, the 6th graders have made their transition look as though they have been coming to NMS for years, and the 7th and 8th graders are taking the mantel of school leaders to a new level.  It has been a wonderful opening to the year.

Three things I want to reflect on as we have started the year.


First, I feel this has been one of the best starts to a school year I have ever been a part of.  Whether it is coming in on Thursdays, holding our #PositiveSignThursday with our students attempting to give them the feeling that we love that they are here ...













Or snapping some pics of learning ...










Or just enjoying the day with our students and staff ...





  
Second, we have a renewed spirit here at the Nichols as our students have studied, worked on, and defined what it means to be a TIGER.  Every teacher in the building has had conversations with our students about what these letters stand for, and Ms. Rae and Mr. Thomas continue to stress the importance of this positive culture in their conversations with students.  Students need to show how they are T.I.G.E.R.S. with each letter being a representation for being Trustworthy, having Integrity, showing Generosity, having Empathy, displaying Responsibility, and being Strong.  These are our core values as a school and it is driving force for our school this year.


Third, our renewed school spirit has been incredible with our students wearing their class shirts, graciously supporting fundraisers like September 30's Go Gold Hat Day, and generally making NMS a positive place to be.











It has unquestionably been a terrific opening for all of us here at NMS as we start the 2016-2017 school year.  The whole Nichols faculty and staff could not be happier with how things are progressing.  We have started to put together many changes, which we feel will only make the Nichols' experience greater for all of our students.  

Please make sure you stay in touch through this blog and also to us in the Main Office.  We are here for your students but also for you as well.  


Please remember to check out the calendar at the end of this site, for it holds a wealth of information.  As you can see, there are PTA Meetings, School Council meetings, Parent-Teacher Conferences, and Progress Reports all coming up.  

Please get and stay involved with your child's education.  Middle school is such a special time and the children in these "tweener" years need our help and support more than ever. 

Please continue to visit this website, for I will be updating it as often as I can with posts, events, news, and other school proceedings.  Also continue to check the Twitter site or check here on the right-hand side to see the Tweets I have sent out, which consist mostly of our daily announcements, reminders, pictures from the day, or pictures of learning happening in classrooms.

We're hoping for a great October as we have had an excellent September.

Sincerely,

M R Geoghegan

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NMS 2016 Clubs & Activities Information




NMS Clubs and Activities
We are working on updating an Informational Page on the NMS website on our clubs and activities from the MPS website.


This "What's Happening" section gives a description of the clubs/activities we have to start the school year.  We will be updating this page with any updates as the year progresses with Winter and Spring Sports as well as the Spring Drama Show, etc.

The link is our NMS website front page:  NMS Clubs & Activities

I will also attach the information below.  Our Google Calendar here on the blog (at the bottom or to the right) will have the Clubs and Activities meeting dates as well.

Any questions about specific clubs or activities, please get in touch with the listed Advisor, or contact us in the Main Office.

Thank you.


NMS CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
  
ART CLUB
Advisor - Ms. Tucker
Art club meets every Tuesday after school in the art room.  Since there are so many after school opportunities offered to our students, art club members do not have to meet each time. It is an open door policy, and students sign in when they arrive.  Art club is a chance for students to explore art beyond the general curriculum. Young artists are invited to participate in the cultural or seasonal art projects presented each time, or to work on projects they choose independently. Students may also work on projects for other subject areas with the support offered in the art room.
We also have a student led Anime Group that meets at the same time for students interested in the art of Japanese cartooning. The first meeting for Art Club is in September.  Any questions contact:

BUILDERS CLUB
Advisor - Mr. Redpath
Builders Club meets twice a month beginning in the Fall, after school in room A100. It will be on the 1st Tuesday and the 3rd Friday of each month.  Builders club is a community service club.  It is the middle school version of the Kiwanis Club and is sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club.  Our mission is to help students gain leadership skills while providing service to the community and stressing the value and importance of volunteering. Sign up at lunch or after school.  Any questions contact:


DEBATE TEAM
Advisor - Ms. Conant
Do you like to voice your thoughts and opinions about current topics in our world? Do you want to learn how to best get those ideas across? If so, Debate Team may be for you. Debate Team meets on Monday and sometimes Wednesdays after school. There are two Debate meets each year and we will travel to two schools. The team is limited to 12 students, for more information contact:

FALL MUSICAL
Advisors -Ms. Beth Anne Young, Ms. Eliza Thornton
This year’s NMS Musical is the Tony Award Winning “Bye, Bye, Birdie.” It is a musical set in the late 1950’s. It follows three different storylines that all come together in the end. Students audition and are cast in various roles. Rehearsals are after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Students interested in helping out backstage should see Mrs. Young or Mrs. Thornton. The Crew will begin coming to all rehearsals in early November. Performances of the musical will be Friday, December 9th at 7 pm and Saturday, December 10th at 3 pm and 7 pm. Any questions, please contact:
byoung@middleboro.k12.ma.us ethornton@middleboro.k12.ma.us


FOREIGN LANGUAGE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Advisors - Mr. Michael (Russian) Ms. Laine (Spanish) and Mrs. Ward (French)
The foreign language after school program is a 15 week exploratory language learning opportunity for students in all grades at the NMS.The program meets weekly on Wednesday’s for a period of one hour and for a duration of 15 sessions. Students will spend 5 weeks learning each of the three languages taught at MHS giving them communicative skills in each language as well as helping them to discover which language they will most enjoy studying when they attend Middleboro High School. For further information, contact Mr. Sean Kinney (MHS foreign language department leader):

GSA
Advisors: Ms. Ciulla and Ms. Mayeski
Our GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance) Club is a student/teacher led club at NMS. This club will help bring together LGBTQ and straight students to support each other and provide a safe place to socialize about sexual orientation and gender identity. Our goal is to provide support, build a sense of community, and take action to create positive change in the culture of our school. This club will be offered during D days during lunch with rotating grade levels. We will eat lunch with the kids and we plan to meet with all grades once a month.
Please contact Ms. Ciulla and Ms. Mayeski with any questions:


INTRAMURALS 
Advisor - Mr. Thompson
Four sessions of  Intramurals will be offered on Monday and Wednesdays and sometimes on Tuesdays for make-up dates to all students throughout the year.  First session is Flag Football which will begin on October 3, and end November 15th. The other sessions include Basketball, Floor Hockey, and Kickball/Dodgeball later in the school year. More information to come throughout the year. For further information see Mr. Thompson or contact:


MATH TEAM
Advisor - Mr. Rader
Math Team Meets one day a week starting in early October in room C 306. Math Team is available only for 7th and 8th graders, It is great for students who are looking for a fun, challenging environment to explore Math. We will travel to other schools for two meets during the year. Please see Mr. Rader for further information or contact:
RUBIK'S CUBE CLUB
Advisor - Ms. Mayeski

Do you want to learn how to do a Rubik's cube? How about hanging out and training with other kids to compete for fastest cuber? Would you like to be part of the NMS competitive Rubik's team? If so, come join us every Monday after school in Room B200. Students should purchase their own cubes however, there will be some available to borrow. The first meeting will be Monday, October 17. Please see Ms. Mayeski for further information or contact:
cmayeski@middleboro.k12.ma.us

STUDENT COUNCIL
Advisors -Ms. Bonnie Hudson, Mr. Rothemich

Student Council is available to any interested students in all grades. Meetings for all grades will be held on Tuesdays once a month with other meetings for events as needed.  Meetings are located in the 7th grade A cluster. We encourage students to be  school leaders by raising awareness through fundraisers, food drives as well as helping students find ways to help out in their community.  Additionally, planning of hat days, school functions, etc. Any questions please contact:




THEATRICAL PLAYERS CLUB
Advisor - Ms. Weaver  
The Theatrical Players Club will meet will meet every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday after school starting Wednesday January 4, 2017 in the auditorium. This year's production will be a remake of an old favorite.  Any student who would like to be onstage or work behind the scenes during the production please see Ms. Weaver or contact her at:  

TIGER TV CLUB
Advisor: Mr. Sean Siciliano
Tiger TV club is an after school activity that will start midyear to Winter until the end of the year. We get together every week and learn how to use digital video cameras, editing software and studio equipment. Students can find themselves working a variety of projects. In the past we have done claymation, interviews, short videos and even a monster movie. All NMS students are welcome to check it out but space can be limited. Attendance is important while we are filming projects.
Please contact Mr. Siciliano with any questions:
ssiciliano@middleboro.k12.ma.us
YEARBOOK COMMITTEE
Advisor - Ms. Walgreen
Yearbook committee meets after school twice a month starting in October in the Media Center. A small group of students are selected by Mrs. Walgreen to help create the Nichols Middle School yearbook.  Jobs include taking photos, creating and editing pages, interviewing staff and students, writing, and promoting yearbook sales. Students will be expected to help take photos at school events and spirit days. Students who are interested should pick up an application from Ms. Walgreen in the media center. Any questions please contact:
After-school meeting dates through December: 10/17, 10/31, 11/7, 11/21, 12/5, 12/19



ATHLETICS
Fall Coaches: Girls Field Hockey- Ms. Rich
              Girls Soccer- Ms. McLaughlin
            Boys Soccer- Mr. Van Riper
Tryouts for Fall sports begin in late August and sports run through the end of October. Tryouts are open to students entering grades 6-8 with roster size varying between 17-22. All athletes are expected to commit to practices and games scheduled Monday through Friday during the season. There is also a $175 user fee due when selected for a team. Both soccer teams compete in the Massasoit League that includes teams from Norton, Dighton, Rehoboth, Bridgewater, Berkley, Freetown-Lakeville, Seekonk, and Swansea. Field Hockey has an independent schedule that has a mixture of middle school teams and freshmen teams primarily from the Patriot League and South Shore Leagues.

 Winter Coaches: Girls Basketball: Mr. Powers
     Boys Basketball: Mr. Russell
Tryouts for Winter sports begin in late November and run through the end of January. Tryouts are open to students entering grades 6-8 with roster size varying between 8-12. All athletes are expected to commit to practices and games scheduled Monday through Friday during the season. There is also a $175 user fee due when selected for a team. Both basketball teams compete in the Massasoit League that includes teams from Norton, Dighton, Rehoboth, Bridgewater, Berkley, Freetown-Lakeville, Seekonk, and Swansea.

Spring Coaches: Softball: Mr. Hansen
     Baseball: Mr. Thompson
Tryouts for Spring sports begin in late March and run through early June. Tryouts are open to students entering grades 6-8 with roster size varying between 12-17. All athletes are expected to commit to practices and games scheduled Monday through Friday during the season. There is also a $175 user fee due when selected for a team. Both basketball teams compete in the Massasoit League that includes teams from Norton, Dighton, Rehoboth, Bridgewater, Berkley, Freetown-Lakeville, Seekonk, and Swansea.

For further information on any school athletics, contact Athletic Director, Mr. Mike Perry: mperry@middleboro.k12.ma.us

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NMS Got the Gold in Gold/Hat Day Fundraiser for Cancer Research


NMS Gold/Hat Day for Childhood Cancer

On Friday, September 30, the Nichols Middle School community participated in a Wear Your Gold and Hat Day to raise funds for cancer research as we were "Going for Gold" for Kids with Cancer.

This week announcements were read explaining how children in hospitals across the world, but even more specifically across our own Middleborough community, are spending their days dealing with cancer.  



We had a Wear Gold and/or Wear a Hat Day to help raise some needed money to help eradicate this horrible disease as we would Go for Gold.

We had many students participate as they brought in a dollar to wear a hat and/or wear gold for the day.  

We raised almost $400 in this one day effort.  Thank you all.

The money we raised was sent to the The Jesse Heikkila Foundation in honor and support of all Middleborough children, who have and are battling cancer.


When contacting Mrs. Dawn Berio and telling her our good news, she couldn't have been prouder of our students, our community, Mr. Rothemich and Ms. Hudson, our Student Council Advisors, for running the event.

She sent us this video of Dylan thanking everyone:


The students had an excellent time wearing their hats, gold, and supporting such an awesome cause.  There were many a Batman and much Bruins Black&Gold, but overall it was great to see all the support for defeating cancer.

Thank you all.  Please enjoy some of the photos from the day.
























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