THE LANCER
Norton Middle School Newsletter March 2017
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go
Everything takes longer than you expect.
And if anything can go wrong,
It will, at the worst possible moment
PRINCIPAL'S PODIUM
Dear Middle School Families:
As March arrives, we all feel rejuvenated from the winter vacation and are looking forward to the activities and events that mark the start of spring in our school. Our school’s drama production of Beauty and the Beast is underway, spring intramurals and clubs are also in full swing. These extracurricular activities are what really make a school and give the students at NMS a well-rounded middle school experience. We are very fortunate to have some great advisors and dedicated people in these roles. In addition to these extracurricular activities, Norton Middle School also has numerous competitive sports teams that compete in the Massasoit Middle School league. Due to high interest and limited space we regrettably have to make cuts. Cutting students is never an easy process and, at times, far from an exact science. Having coached two high school sports at the varsity level for more than 10 years, I can tell you tryouts can be a difficult process. That being said, I encourage many students to tryout, accept the decision, and then continue to play and learn from the process so that eventually they can reach their goals. It is a philosophy and belief of a growth mindset that carries over into our classrooms– fall down seven times get up eight.
In the academic arena we have been working hard to prepare our students and as a school for our first computer based school wide state assessment. During the testing period, we encourage all students (staff and parents, as well) to get plenty of rest, eat a good, balanced breakfast and, most importantly, come with a positive attitude. Our highly educated staff has been working diligently to get our students ready, and I am confident that everyone will come prepared to do their best!
As always, we greatly appreciate your support.
Vincent M. Hayward, Principal
ABOUT US
Email: brossi@norton.k12.ma.us
Website: www.norton.k12.ma.us/norton-middle-school
Location: 215 West Main St, Norton, MA 02766
Phone: 508-285-0140
Twitter: @nortonmiddle
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Norton Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday March 16, 2017 Session 1 = 1:00 – 3:00 / Session 2 = 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 pm
The reason you are receiving this information earlier than usual and well ahead of our scheduled date is because we will be utilizing an online parent teacher conference scheduler.
As with anything involving computers and technology, sometimes things go wrong. The timeline below has been developed in case technical difficulties beyond our control require us to revert to our traditional paper based scheduling method.
Saturday February 25 Parent notification of Conference date and registration process.
Saturday March 4 Conference Registration window opens at 8:00 am. Slots fill up fast.
Parents can go to the webpage and begin the registration process by following the link to the NMS registration web site:
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Norton_Middle_School
Monday March 13 Conference registration window closes at 9:00 am or once all available slots are filled.
Strong parent teacher communication should be ongoing and as needed when issues arise. While face to face meetings are a great chance to strengthen the parent teacher connection they are only one small piece of the puzzle to improve student outcomes. PTC at the middle school level are great for meet and greets, discussing general strengthens and weaknesses, overview of social skills, sharing family information, and reviewing expectations. Conferences are only 6 minutes long and generally are not the best venues to discuss involved or complicated matters. At the middle school level teachers have more than 100 students and there are only 40 available time slots over the two spring conference sessions. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you think additional discussion outside of the conferences may be required. Below is a link to our staff e-mails.
http://norton.finalsite.com/norton-middle-school/about-us/staff-directory
In order to register and sign up for a conference, you will need an e-mail address and access to the internet. If you do not have an e-mail address or access to the internet, please call your child’s counselor listed below by grade level. Counselors will attempt to register you for conferences when the registration window opens.
Counselor Contact Information:
Grade 6 Mrs. Alison Tosches 508-285-0140 Ext 142
Grade 7 Mrs. Norma Fowler 508-285-0140 Ext 143
Grade 8 Mr. Christopher Maloof 508-285-0140 Ext 178
School Adjustment Counselor Mrs. Lisa Daley 508-285-0140 Ext 179
Thanks
Vincent M. Hayward – Principal NMS
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH JANUARY 2017
6 White: Kevin Marinilli and Sienna Pietresiewicz
7 Purple: Michael Cibotti and Emmalee Schepis
7 White: Sophia Winston and Sean Graham
8 Purple: Nick Andreasen and Lily Cormier
8 White: Sean Wynne and Orianna Hale
Specials: Jordan Robbins and Mathieu Charette
E-MAIL ADDRESSES
You can send a note in with your child with the information or call the office at 508-285-0140.
Thanks!
MCAS Testing Schedule- April 3-7 AND May 1-22
April 4- Grade 8 English Language Arts
April 6 Grade6 and Grade 7 English Language Arts
April 7 Grade 6 and Grade 7 English Language Arts
May 1 Grade 8 Math- ** NOTE change of date
May 2 Grade 8 Math ** NOTE change of date
May 16 Grade 6 and Grade 7 Math
May 17 Grade 6 and Grade 7 Math
May 18 Grade 8 Science, Technology and Engineering
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
Insist that homework be completed each night. It's easier to feel good about school when your child completes his/her work.
Schedule doctor/dental/orthodontist visits after school or during vacation weeks whenever possible.
Refer to attendance policy in the student handbook and discuss with your child.
IMPORTANT DATES IN MARCH
March 4- Parent Conference Registration window opens at 8:00 AM
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Norton_Middle_School
March 9- Course selection night at NHS for Grade 8 from 6:00-7:00 PM
March 10--Annual Kathy Bailey Memorial Basketball game. Norton Teachers Vs. Norton Police.
March 13 Parent Teacher Conference registration window closes at 9:00 AM (if slots are not already filled)
March 16--Early Release- 12:00 Noon
Parent Teacher conferences: 1:00-3:00 and 6:00-8:00 PM by appointment
March 22- Spring Photos
March 24- Districtwide Early Release. NMS releases at Noon.
SPRING PHOTO DAY
Homeroom photos must be prepaid.
Individual Photo packets will be sent home with students on approval. Families may choose to buy all, some or none of the photos. Any photos that families do not wish to purchase must be returned to school.
Forms will be sent home with students about a week before Photo Day.
NMS BLACKLIGHT ACTIVITY NIGHT/DANCE
Students were encouraged to wear white or neon colored clothing to enhance the effect of the 40 or so Black Lights that had been dispersed in the cafeteria. Some excellent decorations were produced and displayed in the cafeteria. Many students enjoyed taking selfies and group photos with the decorations throughout the evening. The gym was also open for Volleyball and Basketball and concessions were sold by the NMS Parent Board.
MARCH MADNESS
6:00PM-9:00PM for grades 6 and 7
7:00PM-10:00PM for grade 8
Basketball, inflatable obstacle course in gym,
Dancing/music in cafeteria
Karaoke in the auditorium
Video games down in 8th grade units
Concessions available for purchase
Cost is $10, tickets will be on sale the week of the event