Mr. Geoghegan's Blog Moved to NMS Website

We've Moved

As the year has progressed, Mr. Geoghegan has tried to put more and more information on the Middleborough Public Schools website and specifically on the NMS page.

This is the site:  middleboro.k12.ma.us/NMS 

The utilization of this page is much cleaner and easier to use for parents and Nichols community members.

It will have all the information you wanted from here:  updates, calendar, and the Twitter feed.  If you haven't checked it out yet, please bookmark it.

So from now on, please go to that page for any and all updates as we had typically had them here on the blog.

Thank you so much to all parents and community members, who had followed the Nichols Middle School (Mr. G) blog.

We will continue our communication with updates on the NMS website.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. G at mgeoghegan@middleboro.k12.ma.us

Thank you again for all your support.

Next NMS School Council Meeting, Wed May 23, 3PM

2017-2018 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 some of 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.

Over the past five years, our School Improvement Plan and School Council have been instrumental in helping us to change our bell schedule, adding back a second assistant principal, obtaining a consistent math program throughout the building, affecting change in all areas of our curricula, securing more technology to being a 1-to-1 Chromebook school, getting more student recognition to be a priority for us as a school, to name just a few.

We meet once a month on the 4th Wednesday of each month, except where specified below – with our next meeting happening on Wednesday, May 23, for about an hour, beginning at 3:00 PM and ending around 4 PM, in the NMS Media Center 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 so much similar to the “PTA” in improving the school through fundraising; it is more a group of community members who are looking into school improvement and how we can get the improvement we are looking for.

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 our next meeting, Wednesday, May 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.

2017 – 2018 NMS School Council Meetings

May 23, 2018

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

Let's Finish Strong: Math & STE MCAS Tests for 2018

MCAS 2018 Finishes With 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Math & 8th Grade STE Starting on Tuesday, May 15 Through Wednesday, May 23

We have concluded our ELA portion of this year's MCAS tests, but we now at the Nichols Middle School finish our Math MCAS testing with the 6th Grade students taking Session 1 of Math on Tuesday, May 15, and then finish up Session 2 on Wednesday, May 16.

Then our 8th Grade students will take their Session 1 of Math on Thursday, May 17, and then finish up Session 2 on Friday, May 18.

Then our 7th Grade students will take their Session 1 of Math on Tuesday, May 22, and then finish up Session 2 on Wednesday, May 23.

Also on Tuesday, May 22, and Wednesday, May 23, our 8th Grade students will be completing the Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) portions of the MCAS.

Again, I have had meetings with all 8th, 7th, and 6th Grade students.  In my meetings, I discussed the importance of the tests, some test-taking strategies, and why students should do their best.

I talked with students about getting a good night's sleep, eating a solid breakfast, and bringing in a water bottle to support their learning.

We believe that all of our students can have success with MCAS and we know that we will not be happy until all of them do.

Please re-emphasize to your child that they need to try their best during these testing days, and success should be in our future.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you.

Trimester 3 Progress Reports Distributed Friday, 5/11

Third Trimester Progress Reports

Progress Reports for Trimester 3 will be issued this afternoon, Friday, May 11, and it symbolizes that not only are we halfway through the trimester, but we are getting close to the end of the school year.  Your child will be coming home with the Progress Report as well as a receipt that needs to be signed and returned to school on Monday, May 14.

The marks that you have found on this progress report should never be a surprise to either you or the student.  Please make sure you check out the grades as well as the comments, which could mention progress for Conduct and Effort.  Please make sure you look for them.  

If you feel that discussion regarding your child’s progress or lack of it in any of these categories 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.  We need to make sure there is an open door of communication between school and home that is necessary to bring both the teacher and you to the same page in this educational journey.  As for the progress report, it is just that:  progress.  Students should understand that the marks that are present at the halfway point of a term can change easily in either direction. Students should recognize that they can very simply transform those grades, again, in either direction.  So if the grades were high-quality, students need to continue with the work habits they have displayed in the first month or so, and if the grades were not where they should have or could have been then that student needs to understand that a change in work habits is needed.  Remember also, please keep up with checking in with your child on what's due or might be coming due on a nightly basis and also checking Aspen's parent portal, for this will help in keeping track as to where your child's grades stand as they progress through the rest of the trimester.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us here.  Thank you and have a great weekend.

April 2018 ROAR Award Winners Recognized

April 2018 ROAR Awards Handed Out

A few years ago, NMS began a new program, which recognizes students for achievement and positive school contributions each month.  The ROAR Award is given by each grade's cluster and Unified Arts to acknowledge students who have been Respectful, On-time,  (displaying a 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.  Teachers and faculty get together and decide on two students, who are most deserving for each month of the school year.

We also connect the ROAR program with our TIGERS culture-building protocol.  We are specifically looking for students who are Trustworthy, have Integrity, are Generous, are Empathetic, are Responsible, and show Strength. 

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

The April award winners received their certificates from Mr. Geoghegan, Ms. Rae, and Mr. Thomas in a brief ceremony after Homeroom.  

The ROAR Award winners for April 2018 for each team were:
Grade 6 Adventurers:  Anna Rich and Kyle Grady
Grade 6 Challengers:  Leila Braun and Jake Calogero
Grade 7 Explorers:  Nathan Tullish and Madison Silva
Grade 7 Beacons:  Trevor Puryear and Olivia Austin
Grade 8 Apollos:  Holly Jacobson and Patrick Miller
Grade 8 Comets:  Gavin Estabrook and Cameryn Destrampe
Unified Arts:  Kaylee Nunes-Schaller (6th Grade) and Steven Folger (6th Grade)

Congratulations to all!  Thank you for all your efforts; we appreciate how you are ROARing to an AWESOME school year as TIGERS!

Middleborough Schools 2018 Celebration of the Arts

Middleborough Schools 2018 Celebration of the Arts

Once again the Middleborough Public Schools are proud to announce their annual Celebration of the Arts which will take place on Friday, May 25 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. in the Middleborough High School gymnasium.  This marks the eighteenth year of a truly inspiring exhibition of artwork created by talented students of all grade levels.

On display will be the work of budding elementary artists, eagerly learning about the world of art and discovering the possibilities of working with different art mediums. Also showcased will be the work of talented middle school students, sharpening their art skills and continuing to explore personal expression, as well as the impressive work of dedicated high school students, achieving high levels of artistic skill and self-expression. This is a self-guided tour that enables the viewer to appreciate the gradual blossoming of talent, as it leads them from the artwork of the youngest students up through the grade levels to culminate with the work of high school students. These remarkable years represent the continual guidance of the dedicated visual arts teachers who help their students to think, learn and create in ways that are personal to them.

This exhibit is free of charge and open to all who would like to enjoy a truly remarkable art celebration.

Following the exhibit, the high school students will perform “That’s  Entertainment” in the high school auditorium at 7:00.

Also that weekend, the Nichols Middle School and Middleborough High School marching bands will be performing in the Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28, from 10:00 -11:30 a.m. The parade route will lead through downtown Middleborough.

NMS PTA's Meeting for May Is Wed 5/9 at 7PM in Media Center

Our May Meeting of the NMS PTA Is Next Wednesday

The NMS PTA will hold its monthly meeting on:

Wednesday, May 9, in the NMS Media Center at 7 PM.

Please come and help support NMS.

Hear from Mr. Geoghegan and hear about all the great things NMS PTA does to support all of our students year-round.

Come meet this helpful, supportive group of parents, who are working hard to make sure the Nichols Middle School is a sensational experience for each and every child.

7 PM in the NMS Media Center on Wednesday, May 9th!

Be There.

NMS STEAM Carnival -- Thursday, May 24

Nichols Middle School

&

NMS Parent-Teacher Association

Proudly Present

The 4th Annual

NMS STEAM Carnival 2018

Fun with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics

We are looking for parents/family members/friends/neighbors that use Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) in their careers. The NMS PTA STEAM Carnival is Thursday, May 24, from 2:30-4:30. It would be ideal if the person/company representative could bring something (that would fit on a lunch table or smaller) that the kids could look at/interact with or even take home (company swag or activities are awesome too).

If you have any questions or would like to sign up to come and help, please contact Ms. Mayeski.

Bringing the wonders of

science to life through fun and

interactive experiments!!

Come have fun with STEAM and your friends!

SHARP 2.0 Full STEAM Ahead Summer Enrichment Program

SHARPMiddleboro

SHARP 2.0

Full STEAM Ahead Summer Enrichment Program

July 9-12 and July 16-19

9am to 11:50am

Location: Nichols Middle School
For Students Currently in Grades 5-8

SPACES are LIMITED!

STEM + Art = STEAM. Students will add creativity to problem solving and participate in workshops that include interactive, hands-on fun to build, solve, understand become innovative thinkers and makers. Inside and outside classroom opportunities as we explore our world through STEAM ideas.

Science/Embryology

Green Screen Film Making

Makey Makey

Doodle Bots

Brain Helmet

Recycle Mural

Forensic Fingerprints

Ocean Trash

Human Body Science

Geocaching: GIS Mapping

Chemistry/Food Science

Nature Walk

And LOTS MORE!

ANY Questions please contact 

Joanne Babin

Jbabin1986@yahoo.com

774-766-0178

Next NMS School Council Meeting, Wed April 25, 3PM

2017-2018 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 some of 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.

Over the past five years, our School Improvement Plan and School Council have been instrumental in helping us to change our bell schedule, adding back a second assistant principal, obtaining a consistent math program throughout the building, affecting change in all areas of our curricula, securing more technology to being a 1-to-1 Chromebook school, getting more student recognition to be a priority for us as a school, to name just a few.

We meet once a month on the 4th Wednesday of each month, except where specified below – with our next meeting happening on Wednesday, April 25, for about an hour, beginning at 3:00 PM and ending around 4 PM, in the NMS Media Center 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 so much similar to the “PTA” in improving the school through fundraising; it is more a group of community members who are looking into school improvement and how we can get the improvement we are looking for.

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 our next meeting, Wednesday, April 25, 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.

2017 – 2018 NMS School Council Meetings

April 25, 2018

May 23, 2018

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

NMS's Start of ELA MCAS on Tu 4/3/18

ELA MCAS Begins With 7th Grade on Tuesday, April 3

As the Red Sox have begun their season last week, we at the Nichols Middle School begin our testing season with the 7th Grade students taking Session 1 of ELA on Tuesday, April 3, and then Session 2 on Wednesday, April 4.

Then on Thursday, April 5, all of our 6th Grade students will take Session 1 of ELA, and then conclude ELA on Friday, April 6, with Session 2.

Eighth Grade students will not complete the ELA portion of the MCAS until after April Break on Wednesday, April 25, and then complete Session 2 on Thursday, April 26.

I have had a meeting with 7th Grade students so far, and will meet with 6th Grade tomorrow, and then 8th Grade the week after Break.  In my meetings, I discussed the importance of the tests, some test-taking strategies, and why students should do their best.

I talked with students about getting a good night's sleep, eating a solid breakfast, and bringing in a water bottle to support their learning.  We will also have the cafeteria open prior to the test sessions, so students can purchase breakfast, if they choose.

We believe that all of our students can have success with MCAS and we know that we will not be happy until all of them do.

Please re-emphasize to your child that they need to try their best during these testing days, and success should be in their future.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you.

NMS PTA's Meeting for April Is Wed 4/4 at 7PM in Media Center

Our April Meeting of the NMS PTA Is This Wednesday

The NMS PTA will hold its monthly meeting on:

Wednesday, April 4, in the NMS Media Center at 7 PM.

Please come and help support NMS.

Hear from Mr. Geoghegan and hear about all the great things NMS PTA does to support all of our students year-round.

Come meet this helpful, supportive group of parents, who are working hard to make sure the Nichols Middle School is a sensational experience for each and every child.

7 PM in the NMS Media Center on Wednesday, April 4th!

Be There.

NMS Spring Student-Led/Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wed 4/4 & Thur 4/12

NMS Student-Led/Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, 4/4, 4-6:30 and Thursday, 4/12 6-8:30 PM

We are already two-thirds of the way through the school year; it is truly hard to believe.  

With this knowledge, we also have our Student-Led/Parent-Teacher Conferences scheduled for Wednesday, April 4, in the afternoon/evening from 4-6:30 PM, and Thursday, April 12, in the evening from 6-8:30 PM.  

For the last couple of years, we have successfully piloted some Student-Led Conferences in the Spring, and we have continued this practice this year in pockets in the Fall and within all of our grade levels in this upcoming Spring Conference times led by our ELA2 teachers at each grade level.

We believe Student-Led Conferences put the student, your child, at the center of his/her own learning.  Your child will sit and discuss with you how he/she is progressing, what he/she has been working on, and what things he/she still believes he/she needs to improve upon. 

Research tells us that when we have students at the center of their learning and give them a chance to explain it, they will achieve more.

These Student-Led Conferences have been a sensational success each time we've done it, and we look to continue this enterprise.

All of our teachers will be present, so if you do need to to discuss your child’s progress or lack of it, please just ask to see your child's teacher.  

If you feel that more time is needed, use your meeting to reschedule a time that would offer both you and the teacher enough time to adequately discuss your child’s present situation.  This will open the door and begin the communication that is necessary to bring all of us to the same page on your child’s educational growth.  

Even with Student-Led Conferences, all of our Teachers will be on hand to meet with you and discuss how your child is doing in each and every class.

But with Student-Led Conferences, what you will see and hear is your child will have a better understanding of how she/he is doing and why it is that way.  Many times parents and teachers are just using conjecture to figure out why it is the way it is, but in the Student-Led format, your child discusses the whole learning process with you.

The Unified Arts teachers will be in their rooms and are available throughout the night.

We will have our Spring Book Fair in the Media Center as well.  It is usually a very bustling evening for all.

We hope to see as many of you as we can either on Wednesday, April 4, 4 to 6:30 PM, or on Thursday, April 12, from 6 to 8:30 PM.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us.

Thank you.