North Strabane Intermediate School
NSIS INSIDER
October 2022
Quarter One Report Cards
Click here to view a visual guide "How to Directions for Accessing Your Child's Report Card and Teacher Comments"
Fall Fun Night
An electronic permission form will be sent Tuesday, November 1 via Connect5. Students must have permission to attend Fun Night.
White Cane Awareness Day
On October 14, students celebrated White Cane Awareness Day by wearing red and white. The purpose of this day is to recognize that the white cane is a tool to help blind people navigate the environment. In addition, the white can is a symbol for independence and equality for blind people. Sixth grader Alan S., who is blind, was asked what White Cane Awareness Day means to him.
Alan said, "It means a lot. As a blind person, I am proud to have White Cane Day because I love to know that people don't discriminate against blind people like me most of the time."
Terra Nova Test
On November 16 and 17, all sixth grade students will be given the Terra Nova Test. Students will take the language arts, reading, and math sections of the test. The Terra Nova will be used to qualify students for advanced math and advanced language arts classes in seventh grade. A report with the results from the Terra Nova Test will be provided to parents later this year. Please make sure your child attends school and arrives on time for both testing days.
In case you missed it, click here to review the letter from Canonsburg Middle School administrators highlighting the criteria for advanced placement courses.
Fundraiser Update
Parents should plan to pick up ordered items from Joe Corbis on Wednesday, November 14 from 4:30 - 6:30.
Chromebook Loaner for Flexible Instruction Days
Click here to request a Chromebook for your child if they do not have a device at home.
Building Your Child's Self-Esteem
As students navigate their way through the intermediate level it can be challenging to make new friendships from not going to the same elementary school or not having class together the prior year. Therefore it is important to help your child build self-esteem so they can form new friendships and continue to strengthen existing ones.
To learn more about helping your child build high self-esteem, check out the resources below.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Water Rocket Lab
During Science, sixth grade students participated in a Rocket Lab. This project extended students’ understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math. In collaborative groups, students created a rocket by using a plastic bottle and various materials. After deciding to use a rounded or pointed tip for the nose of the rocket, students attached a ping-pong ball with string to act as the recovery system for returning to the ground after being launched into the air.
Using air pressure and water to represent the rocket’s fuel, students launched their rocket to see how far it would travel. Each group of students chose the amount of water to fuel their rocket into space. Students then wrote a hypothesis about how far they believed their rocket would travel based on the amount of water they used and the design of their rocket.
The day of the rocket launch, students presented their rocket design and their reasoning behind the amount of water or “rocket fuel” they chose to use. After their presentation their rocket was loaded on the launch pad and then the class counted down three, two, one before their rocket was launched into the sky!
EcoChallenge
Math Competetion
Teachers Take Roadtrip to Students' Houses
As a cross-curricular activity in English and Social Studies, students on Team Independence applied their knowledge of absolute and relative directions by writing directions to their house. Students used Google Maps to figure out the quickest route to their house and then applied their writing skills to create clear directions for driving to their house from NSIS.
One student from each homeroom on the team won a “home visit” from Team Independence Teachers; Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Haddox, Mrs. Gonze, Mrs. Ihrig, and Miss Wise. The winning students had no idea that their teachers were going to use their directions to surprise them at their house. Students will never forget the day their teachers showed up at their house!
Environmental Science Field Trip
Students in Mrs. Sill class visited Mingo Park to learn from environmental specialists about a variety of interesting topics such as tree cutting, drones and technology in conservation, macroinvertebrates, hydroponics, watershed pollutants, and archery. By hearing from experts in the field, students were able to gain meaningful knowledge about environmental science. This hands-on exploration in the outdoors helped students build background knowledge about relevant topics that may eventually lead them into a career where they will help solve environmental problems.
Book Club Kicks Off
Mrs. Rinehart, who also participates in a book club in her free time outside of school said, "I believe the true benefit of student book clubs is community building. Books have a long history of bringing people together. Communities are built through conversation, which then can build a community of learners. When adults finish reading a book, they want to discuss that book with others. It's no different for our students. They want authentic experiences to respond to what they have read. As an educator, it is so rewarding to take a backseat and listen to students' conversations and watch them build their community and connect with each other through books."
The Mystery Book Club takes place weekly during students' lunch time. Fifth grader meet on Monday and sixth graders gather on Tuesday. The first session is already underway, but your child can join in on the fun when the second session starts in January!
Red Ribbon Week
Everyday Matters
It is imperative that students attend school on a daily basis so they do not get behind in their classes. When a student misses school they should immediately provide a written excuse and submit it to the Excuse Box, which is located in the main lobby. Throughout the school year attendance letters will be mailed when students miss a certain number of days (e.g. 5, 10, 15). If you receive an attendance letter due to your child having days marked as illegal, please contact the main office about providing a written excuse. We understand that intermediate age students may forget to turn their excuse(s) from time to time, therefore by contacting the office we can work together to ensure your child’s absence(s) are recorded accurately.
Everyday Matters.....take a look below to learn why it is important to attend school regularly.
NORTH STRABANE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
Email: abbondanzam@cmsd.k12.pa.us
Website: https://www.cmsd.k12.pa.us/4/home
Location: 20 Giffin Drive, Canonsburg, PA, USA
Phone: (724)873-5252
Twitter: @TeamNSIS