On Thursday, four teams of readers participated it the annual "Battle of the Books" competition at North Middle School, hosted by Ms. Mills, the school librarian. Each team had to read 12 books and be able to answer detailed questions about them. At the competition, teams participated in three head-to-head question rounds as well as the speed buzzer round. Our top two teams, Pantheon and North Stars, will be heading to the county "Battle of the Books" competition on March 16th! We wish them luck as they travel to Musselman Middle to compete!

As 7th grader Xavier put it, "If you think about it guys, we all won! Those books were pretty good!" That's right Xavier, you are always a winner when you read!

The end of the year brings many celebratory activities for the 8th grade including field trips and the 8th grade dance. Your teachers would like everyone to be allowed to participate, so they are taking this opportunity to remind students and parents that participation in these activities must be EARNED.

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!

ALSO, check out the information below about the James Rumsey Summer Career Academy and the upcoming Golden Horseshoe Test!

Every year, 8th graders all over the State of West Virginia participate in the Golden Horseshoe competition. Students take an essay and multiple choice test about WV history, culture, geography, & economics. The top 250 students in the state will be invited to a special ceremony in Charleston, WV in the Spring. It is quite an honor to be one of the "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe." North Middle has been honored to have students named to the top 250 in the past and we look forward to it again!

Students already took the essay portion of the test. The multiple choice portion is scheduled for March 28th. Eighth graders, please see your social studies teacher for more information.

The end of the third nine weeks was YESTERDAY (Friday, March 10th)!

SAVE THE DATE: Report cards will be issued to students on MARCH 17th, this FRIDAY!

March also brings back events like NMS' 1st ever talent show, spring pictures, and the Royce Sock Sale, which is returning for the first time in several years! We are very excited about everything happening in our building! Please refer to the list of upcoming events below!

Parents, this is just a reminder that Tuesday, March 14th is our Math For All event from 8-9am in the cafeteria! Our math interventionists will explain the middle school math curriculum and give you special tips and tricks to help your child with their math classes. You will learn about math games and activities to help build your child's math skills as well as have a chance to win a few prizes! You won't want to miss this special event just for you! Your child has a form to RSVP but there is also one attached to this newsletter below if you would like to print it out. Please send in RSVP forms by Monday, March 13th if you are interested in attending with your child!

The NMS band is participating in a preview concert on Wednesday, March 15th at Martinsburg High School. NMS will be performing along side South Middle & MHS bands starting at 7pm! Don't miss it!

After a few-year-hiatus, the Royce Sock Sale is BACK at NMS! Come out on March 25 or 26 to North Middle's cafeteria to buy good quality socks at discounted prices! Every pair is only $1!!! Time to stock up on socks for the whole family! NMS receives a portion of each pair sold so come join us!

From 5-8pm on June 8, 2023, FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS will be available at the Dorothy McCormick Center. Save this date on your calendar! More details will be available as the date grows closer!

Edible drugs are substances that are ingested orally, usually in the form of food or candy, and contain mind-altering chemicals such as THC, CBD or even heroin and fentanyl. These products can be dangerous because they often look like regular snacks or candies, making it easy for teens to mistake them for harmless treats. According to the National Poison Data System, "In 2020, pediatric cases of edible marijuana ingestion accounted for more than 40 percent of all human poison exposures reported that year" and the numbers have been steadily on the rise for the past five years. The effects of edible drugs can be unpredictable, as the potency can vary greatly from one product to another and can take longer to feel the effects. This can lead to accidental overconsumption, which can cause serious health problems, including hospitalization or even death.

It is important to teach students about the prevalence of edible drugs in our society today in order to keep them safe. Here are some tips that students can follow to avoid accidentally ingesting an edible drug:

1. Read the packaging carefully: Edible drugs often come in packaging that resembles regular snacks or candies, so it's important to read the label carefully before consuming anything.

2. Don't share food or drinks: Avoid sharing food or drinks with friends or acquaintances, as this could lead to accidental ingestion of an edible drug.

3. Educate yourself: Learn about the different types of edible drugs and how they can affect the body. This can help you make informed decisions and avoid risky situations.

4. Speak up: If someone offers you a snack or candy that you are unsure about, don't be afraid to ask questions and clarify what it contains before consuming it.

5. Trust your instincts: If something doesn't feel right, err on the side of caution. It's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to ingesting unknown substances.

As always, our school counselors are available to help families if you need help talking with your kids about issues like these. We are here to support you as you navigate our everchanging culture as parents. Please click the links below for more information.

The Parent Climate Survey will be available on Monday, March 6th for parents to take. This survey asks similar questions to the student. We use the information at the school and county level to determine focus areas for improvement and we look for trends from year to year. The information is shared with the Board of Education to inform them of school needs so they can make decisions to better the entire district. We encourage you to click on the link below ON MONDAY (the survey will not be open until then) and give your honest feedback. Thank you for your help!

Read about more of the amazing activities happening in our building!

*Ms. Mills' Battle of the Books teams competed in the school competition on Thursday! Congrats to the teams "North Stars" and "Pantheon" for moving on to the county competition next week!

*Ms. Moreland and Ms. Shade's social studies classes participated in the Renaissance mixer activity this week. Each student had to research a Renaissance artist, writer, scientist, or politican and then pretend to be that person as they chatted with other students in the class. Students had to figure out if their Renaissance character would agree or disagree with others in the classroom.

*Ms. Heck's science students participated in a water cycle simulation activity this week. They pretended to be water droplets and played a dice game to simulate how that drop can be cycled around. Now they are working on writing prompts about the simulation and the water cycle!

*The students in Mrs. Simmons ELA class have been learning Figurative Language. They had a food tasting, and had to describe each food item using simile, metaphor and hyperbole.

*Ms. Gantt's science students looked at the phenomenon of continental shift through plate tectonic movement. Every student got a puzzle piece. They were told to outline the puzzle piece in black and create their own continent. The black outline represents the tectonic plate and the blue getting represents the ocean. In the end, they put it together to make their own world!

*Ms. Gantt's honors science students are working on round 2 of their NASA plant experiments. They are using the same medium and grow lights found on the International Space Station to simulate growing plants in space. All of their data is being communicated to NASA!