Thanks to Ms. Dusing and Ms. Scott for organizing this event and for all of the teachers & staff who participated!

Next week, we are looking forward to several events!

*Make-up testing will continue next week as we try to catch students who were absent last week during the Reading, Math, ELA writing, or Science assessments. If you were absent for a test last week, expect to be called this week for testing. You should make sure your Chromebook is charged!

*The 6th, 7th, & 8th grade bands as well as Jazz Band will perform at 5:30pm on Wednesday night, May 10th. Band students should wear spring colors or black & white for their performance and be at school by 5:15pm.

*The 6th, 7th, & 8th grade bands as well as the Northern Lights Show Choir will perform on Thursday, May 11th at 5:30pm. Students in the program should dress up and be at school by 5:15pm. (Please NOTE: Students in choir who are unable to attend will have to complete an alternative assignment since performing in the concert is their summative test grade!)

*Friday, May 12th is Testing Reward Day! Students who were on-time and prepared for testing ALL WEEK will be rewarded on Friday with a day of fun indoor & outdoor activities!

Any student who has out-of-school-suspension during the 4th nine weeks (March 13th & after) will NOT be invited to the end-of-year 8th grade activities.

Let's finish this year with strong grades and great behavior so we can ALL celebrate our achievements!

Check out the flyer below for important 8th grade events!

Project Write is offering a Summer Writer's Workshop for students at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. Scholarships are also available. For more information, see the flyer below and/ or download the flyer and scholarship application. TOMORROW is the last day to sign up for the scholarship opportunity!

Cheerleaders interested in SPRING and/ or SUMMER conditioning, check out the flyer below! There is also an information meeting for 2023-2024 NMS Cheer on May 17th! Check out the advertisement below!

Upward Bound is a program for incoming 9th graders at our four Berkeley County high schools. If you are a current 8th grader, check out the flyer below!

Students attending Spring Mills High in the Fall should check out the Cardinal Conference event today until noon at the school where parents and students can attend special sessions about high school / college success!

Hedgesville High School is having a parent/ player soccer meeting for students interested in trying out this fall on May 21st at 8pm in the big Gym at HHS.

Upward Bound (UB) has been funded by the U. S. Department of Education since 1965. Serving students who are historically underrepresented in higher education, UB offers skill building to students to help them achieve success in high school and in their post-secondary pursuits. The program is de-signed to help students gain academic skills, exposure to cultural activities, and information about college-going processes. The ultimate goal of the process is to help students transition from high school to college and to ensure that students are aware of opportunities available for them after high school. All services provided by UB are free to all students enrolled in the program.

Who is eligible for the Shepherd University Upward Bound Program?

Shepherd’s Upward Bound participants must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident

Students must also meet one of two eligibility criteria: Income eligibility as outlined by the U. S. Department of Education

AND/OR

A potential first-generation college student (First-generation refers to neither parent has completed a four-year college degree)

The Upward Bound Program is available to high school students (Rising 9th grade - 12th grade) who attend one of four high schools in Berkeley County Public Schools:

Hedgesville High School

Martinsburg High School

Musselman High School

Spring Mills High School

For more information, click the link below for their brochure or see Ms. Jackson, our guidance counselor.

STS Summer Camp is open to girls ages 11-15 in Jefferson County and Berkeley County West Virginia. We will cover a variety of topics including anti-bullying, healthy friendships, self-esteem and more! Plus, enjoy daily fun summer activities and meet new friends!

Location- Martinsburg West Virginia. Location details and schedule provided upon registration.

​

This is a FREE Day Summer Camp Program. Limited spots are available!

July 5th-July 21st

9am-4pm Monday-Friday

*Drop off begins at 8am

For more information, click the link below!

Talk About Dating Early

Parents should start foundational conversations about what healthy relationships mean as early as elementary school. While these conversations don't have to be exclusive to dating, building parent-child trust is critical to these ongoing conversations that can mature as children do.

"In middle school, kids may start to feel pressure to date," says R.J. Jackson, D.D.S., an Austin, Texas-based teen and family life coach and former orthodontist. He cautions, though, that many pre-teens, and even teens, may not feel ready. And that is totally normal since there really is no set age to start dating.

But when parents create that foundation, kids will know they can trust and have open communication with them when they do begin dating. And these conversations can help build self-esteem and self-awareness, allowing kids to get in touch with who they are as individuals before they start a romantic relationship.

Discuss the Pros and Cons of Digital Dating

A 2015 survey from the Pew Research Center of teens ages 13 to 17 found that about a quarter of teens have dated or hooked up with someone they first met online. Half of teens have also let someone know they are interested by adding them on social media, and 31 percent have sent flirtatious messages on a social media platform.

Online socializing can be positive. It can help teens get to know a potential romantic partner better before hanging out in person. It can also help some teens break the ice. According to the Pew Research Center survey, about one-third of teens feel most comfortable letting someone know they are interested in them by interacting on social media.

But there are also negatives—and some can be serious. Tori Cordiano, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and director of research for Laurel School's Center for Research on Girls in Ohio, says some teens may have unrealistic ideas about expectations versus reality when going on a first date after meeting someone online. There's also the potential of dealing with unwanted advances and online harassment. In fact, 35 percent of teen girls have blocked or unfriended someone whose flirting made them uncomfortable, while 16 percent of teen boys said the same, according to the Pew survey.

Focus on Digital Safety

In today's world, teens send flirty messages back and forth via social media and publicize their relationships on their accounts. But experts point out it's important for teens to know their digital footprint can last a lifetime and how to stay safe. Samantha Greene, LCSW, a clinical social worker with the Greener Pastures Wellness in Plano, Texas, advises parents to prepare teens for what they should do if someone does or says something that makes them feel icky or when a situation just does not feel right.

What about online dating? While the Pew study found most teens are typically dating people from in-person methods, it's important for your kid to know how to protect themselves if they do meet someone online.

Initiate conversations with them about online predators. Teens should also know it's totally OK to block a user who makes them uncomfortable in any way or delete the app entirely. And they should avoid meeting anyone from an online platform by themselves or without telling anyone their whereabouts. "If your child tells you they are going on a date, ask your kid what they mean and get the details of who is going to be there, like if it's a group event or one-on-one," says Greene. "[Whether] teens are meeting someone new or going on a date with someone they know already, parents must communicate with their teens about safety expectations and let their teen know the time they are expected home."

Greene adds: "Let your teens know they can text you to pick them up or get an Uber home, no matter what."

Also, remind kids never to share personal information online, including their home address, full name, or locations, and prepare them for the potential pitfalls that could happen online, like catfishing or adults misrepresenting themselves as teens, Dr. Cordiano points out.

Most importantly, it's critical for parents to really listen to their kids when having these conversations. "Don't automatically try to tell your kids, 'You are too young for this.' You do not want to alienate your kids from talking to you," says Greene. "You want to be a resource for your kids. Model open communication."

And be available. New Jersey mom Parker makes it a point to remind her children they should come talk to her if potential privacy situations arise online or in real life.

Look Out for Teen Dating Red Flags

If your teen is actively dating, experts encourage parents to keep an eye out for red flags. Dr. Jackson says he would be immediately concerned if a teen is not making time for anything but their relationship, starts avoiding previous interests like sports, or stops seeing their friends. "If a straight-A teen starts dating and then they start failing all of their classes, parents have to check in," he explains.

If your teen appears isolated, that's not a good sign either. "If you are noticing that your teen is overly secretive or if they don't want you to meet this person they are dating, that's a red flag," says Dr. Cordiano.

Teens may also be subjected to controlling and jealous digital behavior from their partner. That can include forcing them to remove exes from their friend list or demanding social media passwords. This kind of behavior is a red flag for potential problems, including teen domestic violence, according to Dr. Cordiano, and parents should step in.

As a life coach, Dr. Jackson often facilitates communication between teens and parents if there are any difficulties. "Sometimes we have to coach both sides on how to communicate," he says. Parents should communicate their family values, helping teens understand how to navigate a situation. When parents and teens are not seeing eye to eye, they can also get help from trained professionals who are available to help teens identify potential blind spots and learn how to stay safe.

But most importantly, don't be too hard on yourself or your teen. Having these conversations can be difficult and it's OK if the discussions don't go as planned.

"Your teen needs the same thing that parents need: connection, grace, and understanding," says Dr. Cordiano. "Don't think that teens are not going to make mistakes. That's also true for parents."

*Name has been changed for privacy.

*Ms. Dusing & Ms. Kyker's 8th grade social studies classes have been working on theme park projects. Each group of students had a decade of the 20th century to research and then they had to create theme parks with rides, food, and entertainment from those decades. You can check out some of their designs below! Ms. Moreland and Ms. Shade's 7th grade social studies classes are also making theme park projects on the Age of Exploration. Students needed to work in small groups to design a theme park inspired by the 4 main regions explored during the age of exploration. They had to conduct research on famous explorers to the region, resources and crops found there, and the physical geography.

*Ms. Heck's class designed paper airplanes and experimented with different unbalanced forces to see how far they would travel and how long it would take, give the forces at play. And in this class, no one got in trouble for throwing a paper airplane!

*Ms. Amavisca's sixth graders are learning about line in Art class. They were given the challenge to make their own yarn paintings instead of using markers!