NIS Weekly Update
November 20th, 2020
Celebrations
Congratulations to the 66 Northside students who participated in the Noetic Learning Math Contest this week! Students had 50 minutes to solve 20 challenging math problems that required them to use a variety of math strategies. The top 6 scores from each grade level will be submitted as a team score to compete against other grade-level teams across the nation. Results will be announced in the first week of December!
The Penny War held by NIS Student Council to benefit Milton Food Pantry was a huge success.
While the grade level totals are still being tabulated, the total amount is over $1,500. Thank you for the great participation in giving back to our community!
Lastly, we would like to give a shout out to our students and staff for their extraordinary work over the last two days preparing for the temporary shift to virtual learning. The feedback from students and staff alike is that we are much more confident and prepared to make the most of the transition and the virtual learning adventure.
Please note that our staff is hosting live class meetings next Monday and Tuesday at 9am to practice the breakout room feature in google meets as well as review their learning plan for the day.
Due to the holiday, we will not have a newsletter next week. We are very thankful to work alongside such caring and supportive families. We deeply appreciate you sharing your children with us! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Virtual Ratios: Kings to Full Deck
Ecosystem Poster
Milton Food Pantry Donations
Spotlight on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
Fourth-grade students just finished a unit on large number multiplication up to 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication. Students were also taught various methods to solve multiplication problems. Fourth graders enjoyed learning about sound in Science. They created hearing enhancement devices with the criteria of comfort as well as restraints. Students also conducted engineering experiments by creating toilet paper ropes strong enough to lift a bucket of books.
Fifth-grade students are at the end of unit 3 test working on multiplying fractions & unit fraction division. The students enjoyed story problems and diagramming equations! They are also learning to write "situations" (story problems) while distinguishing between division and multiplication. Some of our fifth-graders completed a project on invasive species where they created "Wanted" posters.
Sixth-grade students just finished a unit about ratios, ratio table, tape diagrams, and unit rate. They also graphed different ordered pairs of ratios and learned about metric conversions. Our virtual learners found examples of ratios around their house and shared them with their classmates. Sixth grade will now begin their next unit working with percentages. Our sixth-grade students created an ecosystem project where they chose a way to demonstrate their knowledge. Along with a five-paragraph research essay, students were able to get creative using either a poster, presentation, or diorama. These projects were then shared online through Flipgrid.
Practicing Asynchronous Learning
Invasive Species Wanted Poster
Word Art: "Courage"
Northside Virtual Learning Guidelines for Families / Students
Students will be expected to engage in daily learning activities for about 3-4 hours total daily
Students are expected to join morning meetings by 9am in Google Meet as well as live lessons as scheduled by their teacher. Attendance will be taken daily and will be based on progress toward daily learning tasks and attendance in live Meets.
Art, Music, PE, and Hawk Time lessons will be posted in Schoology and students will be expected to complete related arts lessons and activities.
Monday: Hawk Time & PE
Tuesday: Art & PE
Wednesday: Music & PE
Thursday: Second Step & PE
Friday: Current Events & PE
Students are expected to log-in into Schoology to access their learning materials daily. Learning content will be available by 9am.
Families and students should expect a blend of both recorded and live lessons from their teachers. Teachers will communicate the weekly and daily schedule with students and families in Schoology.
Students are expected to leave their camera on for live meets to better engage with their teacher and classmates. Students may elect to use the background blur feature in Meet or make alternative arrangements with their teacher if this is not possible.
We will issue standards-based grades for 4th-5th grade and traditional letter grades in 6th grade. Marks are based on participation and engagement in virtual learning activities as well as student performance on classroom based assessments.
Communication between school and families is critical to student success in virtual learning. Classroom inquiries or communication should be directed to your child’s teacher and our goal is to respond to family questions within 24 hours. We also encourage students to utilize the scheduled daily office hours for more immediate assistance in completing learning activities. If you have an immediate need please call our front office team for assistance.
If families would like additional support with Schoology or Skyward, please reference the weekly bulletin for tutorials or contact the Northside office.
Hearing Enhancement Device
Virtual Ratios: Bunnies to Chickens
Ecosystem Diorama
Tips & Reminders
- If you or your child have been in close contact with anyone who is seeking or awaiting a COVID test, please stay home.
- Change in Learning Preference for Second Semester -- please complete this form if you are interested in changing your child learning preference for the second semester.
- Yearbook Coordinators Needed -- please email lyonj@milton.k12.wi.us if interested in helping.
- November 23-24: Asynchronous Learning Days - No in-person school.
- November 30: Virtual Book Fair Begins!
- December 1: Scoopie Night at Culver's from 4:00 - 8:00 pm
Classroom iReady Goals
Northside Intermediate School
Website: https://www.milton.k12.wi.us/schools/northside/
Location: 159 Northside Drive, Milton, WI, USA
Phone: 608-868-9280