Issue 4

December 1, 2019

NORTHRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Attendance Dates to Remember:

December 10

Concert Band Performance

6:00 p.m.

Symphonic Band Performance

7:00 p.m.

December 11

Early Dismissal 12:00 p.m.

December 12

AVID Holiday Event

5:30 p.m.

December 16

Christmas Choral Concert

6:00 p.m.

December 20

Early Dismissal 2:45pm

December 23

thru

January 6

Winter Break No school

School Resumes

January 7, 2020

Are you planning a family trip for the holidays? As you think about your ar-

rangements, we want to stress the importance of sending your child to school

every day possible. Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after

the winter holiday as families squeeze in a few more vacation days. It’s time

to break that cycle. We know that just a few missed days here and there,

even if they’re excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time

and put your child behind in school. This is as true in kindergarten as it is in

high school. Put simply, too many absences at any age can affect a student’s

chances for academic success and eventually for graduation.

We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with fami-

lies far away. The costs of plane tickets often influence when you want to

travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss

too much school— and the message you will be sending about the im-

portance of attendance. Even if you’ve got a homework packet from the

teacher, it doesn’t make up for the interaction and learning that happens in

the classroom. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learn-

ing, right up until vacation starts (December 23, 2019) and the first day back

(January 7, 2020).

This holiday season, give your children the gift of an education and the habit

of attendance.

Math

There will be a unit 2 test during the week prior to Christmas break!

This test will cover rates and proportional relationships. Students

must be able to determine proportionality using equations, tables, and

graphs. Your child will bring home homework to practice these skills

multiple times weekly. Please make sure your child is keeping up on

homework so that they are prepared for the test. ALL retake work

MUST BE completed by Monday, December 16th. As a reminder, stu-

dents are allowed to retake quizzes, but they must make corrections

to the original quiz and complete alternate assignments or i-Ready

lessons to show that they are ready for the retake. Students can also

work on i-Ready lessons at home. They should log in through Clever.

This will help support what students are working on in class.

As the cold and flu season approaches, donations of Kleenex and

Clorox wipes will be very much appreciated. A homework pass will be

provided to any student who donates Kleenex or wipes! We want to

keep our students healthy and here at school!

Social Studies

The semester will be spent studying the American Revolution. Stu-

dents can expect a comprehensive exam on the Revolution before the

winter break. Please encourage students to review their classwork,

homework, and notes to prepare for the exam. In January, students

will begin studying the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, all students

should have completed their assignments for this semester and have

submitted them to their teachers by the end of the grading period in

December.

Thank you!

ELA

We are getting ready to start Informational writing. Ask your students

to explain to you what they are researching. We will also be taking our

Unit #2 Assessment. Make sure your students are ready to go on test

day. We will also be doing our Annual Christmas Carol story. Students

will get to read different versions of the story and then we will end the

year comparing the text to video!

Please check and make sure your students have all the supplies that

they need to be successful every day. Teachers are in need of tissues

for this cold and flu season!

7th Grade Design and Modeling

Miss Parker's Design and Modeling students will be applying every-

thing they have learned throughout the semester for a final project in

December. Students will design, build, and test a therapeutic toy for

children with Cerebral Palsy. Miss Parker is excited to see

what creative ideas everyone will come up with!

Science

The month of December will be a busy one for the 8th grade Science students. We will cover a variety of topics dealing with Genetics. Pedi-grees and Punnet square classwork will be how we start the month. Cell division, mitosis and meiosis activities and discussion will be our focus during the second week. Peppered moth web quest and read-ings will be how we end the week.

The last week before Winter break, has us reviewing for the book test

over Genetics. The students will be taking the book test around De-

cember 17. Our study of Genetics will end with us looking at Darwin's

Finches and their adaptations.

Please continue to encourage your child to do their personal best.

8th Grade Medical Detectives

In December, Medical Detectives students will take on the role of an

epidemiologist - a doctor who investigates the spread of disease. Stu-

dents will complete a fun project where they will apply everything

they have learned to identify the source of an outbreak and keep a

fictional community healthy.

P A G E 2 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

7th Grade 8th grade

Attention 8th grade parents! Now is the perfect time to get your school physicals done for the 9th grade. I would like for all 8th grade students to have their physicals completed by April 3rd so I can get them to DHS before the end of the year. Get your appointments now, or even over Christmas break, and have your student turn it in to Nurse Ingold.

“When students improve their attendance

rates, they improve their academic

prospects and chances for graduating.”

Life Skills

Reading Pen Pals

Writing Writing Letters to Pen Pals

Math Money, Addition/Subtraction

Word Problems

Cooking Garlic Bread Pizza, Reindeer

Cookies

Functional Skills

Outings: County Market/Possible Outing to

see Frozen 2

Resource 7/8th Grade

If students need tutoring support in any subject please contact Ms. Flesch at 444-3478 for resources. Please check Teach-

erEase to see if your child has any missing assignments. Students should be reading twenty minutes a night and will usually have home-work in math. Check their agenda to see if they have assignments in

other classes.

Scholastic Bowl Informational Meeting

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A lazy person is sometimes referred to as a couch __________.

Which two groups make up Congress?

Name the three primary colors.

By what name is sodium chloride more commonly known?

If you know the answers to these you may be perfect for Scholastic Bowl!

There will be an information meeting for those students wanting to participate in Scholastic Bowl this year on Wednesday, December

18, 2019, from 3:45-4:45 PM in Mrs. Hawker's room 906. Information on the team expectations and practice/meet schedules will be

available at that time. We will have tryouts if more than 12 students express an interest in participating. Practices will begin in January

and the season runs until April. There will be no more than two practices or meets per week.

(Answers: potato; Senators and Representatives; red, blue, yellow; salt)

Choir Concert

The Choir will present the Christmas Concert on Monday, December 16, 2019 at 6 PM in the NR Cafetorium. The Concert will last approxi-

mately 45 minutes and will include performances by the 7th grade Choir, 8th grade Choir and the Redcoats and Radiant Reds. Admission is

free.

Concert Choir

The NR Concert Choir students have the opportunity to purchase a choir t-shirt or sweatshirt. Orders are due to Mrs. Woodrow by Decem-

ber 5. Please contact her for more information.

Music Booster Spaghetti Dinner and Auction Planning Meeting

The Music Boosters will hold a meeting on Monday, December 16, 2019 at 7 PM to begin preparations for the annual Spaghetti Dinner and

Auction. Parents interested in helping should plan to attend this meeting which will be held in Room 907.

The Diary of Anne Frank

The NR Theatre Company will present the Diary of Anne Frank on Thursday, January 9 and Friday, January 10 at 6:00 PM in the North Ridge

Cafetorium. The Diary of Anne Frank was written over a two-year period, tells about her life while she and her family are in hiding in Hol-

land. They are staying in a secret attic of the office building where Mr. Frank used to work in order to escape from the Nazis during World

War II. The cast of the play includes Gavin Baugh, Aidan Cox, Allie Cox, Emily Garrett, Cora Helferich, Camdon O’Herron, Emma Osterbur,

Jillian Potts, Adrian Rivera, and Josiah Young. The play is under the direction of Tina Helferich and Jennifer Woodrow. Admission to the

play is $5.00.

North Ridge Show Choirs

The Redcoats are hard at work on their competition show and will give sneak peeks at the December 16 Concert as well as for two communi-

ty groups on December 9. They are excited about working with a new choreographer, Steven Beering from Purdue University as well as

North Ridge favorite Christy McKinnon from Indianapolis. The Redcoats are set to compete at the Crete Monee Spectacular on January 25,

2020.

The Radiant Reds are working on their show set to debut at the Midwest Classic on Friday, February 7, 2020. They are choreographed by

Rachel Small from Purdue University and our own Tierra Brown of Danville.

Thank you from the Music Boosters

Thanks to everyone who supported our cookie dough and pie sales! We appreciate your help.

P A G E 4 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

Have a Merry Chr i s tmas and a Happy New Year f rom the Pr inc ipa ls and Sta f f a t North R idge Middle School

Winter Break December 23

thru January 6

S tudents return to school on Tuesday January 7

The North Ridge Builders Club has sever-

al important projects taking place during

the month of December. We have the

opportunity to ring bells for the Salvation

Army with the Golden Kiwanis. Mrs.

Delzell will transport the students. Permis-

sion slips will go out next week. We are

also collecting toys for children in need.

The toys will be taken to Your Family

Resource Connection (Women’s Shelter).

Examples of toy ideas are small games,

books for all ages, Barbies, handheld

games, Hot Wheel type cars, action fig-

ures, coloring books, DVD’s, puzzles,

Bath and Body type items for older girls,

or any small gift that you can think of.

Builders Club is also collecting small toi-

letries, men’s socks, playing cards, puzzle

books, Chapstick, etc. to take to the VA

Illiana Health Care System. We need our

members to bring their toy items and the

items for the veterans to our December

11th

meeting!! Our club is small this year

so we would appreciate help with the

donations of toys and veteran items. Any

student/parent at NRMS can donate to

this project. Our club will also be partici-

pating in the Wreaths Across America

Day on Saturday, December 14th

at the

Danville National Cemetery. Builders

Club members will have an opportunity

to help place the wreaths on the graves

of veterans on this day. Our annual goal

is to obtain sponsorships for 200

wreaths. Thank you to everyone who has

sponsored a wreath or multiple wreaths

so far. Permission slips for Wreaths Across

America Day were sent home at our last

meeting. Parents will need to provide

transportation for their child both to and

from the cemetery.

The Builders Club also continues to be in

charge of our school’s paper recycling.

Also, please continue to send in General

Mills Box Tops for Education, or you can

enter your receipts on the Box Tops for

Education App.!! Box Tops should be

sent in a baggie or envelope with the

student’s name on it.

We sincerely appreciate all your support!!

Happy Holidays from NRMS Builders

Club!

Builders Club

Greetings AVID Family and Friends!

The end of 2019 is near. To celebrate the upcoming season, AVID will be hosting a Holiday Ex-

travaganza!!! The extravaganza will be in the form of an Escape Room and is open to AVID fam-

ilies and/or individual AVID students. The extravaganza will be held in the North Ridge cafeto-

rium on December 12, 2019 from 5:30-6:45. Come sip some cocoa and crunch on some cookies

with your fellow AVID families. Students, please bring a canned good to give back to those in

need this season. Let’s bring in the new year with a bang! Remember to uphold the standards of

the AVID program by exhibiting awesome academics, behavior, and attendance.

Being kind is never wasted,

#AVIDROCKS!!!

Office: 444-3400 Report Absences/Dismissals: 444-3404 Homework Requests: 444-3404 7th Grade Guidance: 444-3419

7th Guidance Fax: 444-3485

8th Grade Guidance: 444-3412

8th Guidance Fax: 444-3486

444-1725 School Closing

444-3493 Bullying Hotline

Website: northridge.danville118.org

NORTHRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

North Ridge Middle School is a collaborative school community

focused on ensuring success for all learners.

Eliza Brooks, Principal

Robin Fluno, Associate Principal

Stacie Sollars, Assistant Principal

VISION:

To Engage, Educate, Empower, Every Student, Every Day!

MISSION:

North Ridge Middle School will:

• Engage students by encouraging life-long learning

• Educate them for success in college and careers, and

• Empower them with acceptance and support to be true

to who they are.

SAVE THE DATE!

WHAT? "Meet the Vikings 2020!" Elective Fair

WHEN? Wednesday, January 22, 2020 - throughout the school

day (8th graders will be bused from NRMS)

WHERE? DHS Gym

WHO? Current NRMS 8th grade students*

WHY? Teachers and coordinators of our wide range of amazing

elective courses and programs will display information

so students will make informed choices for the

2020-2021 school year.

*Parents of 8th graders will be invited to an evening program welcoming

them to DHS. Then, they will tour the exhibits with their future Vikings.

These parents will receive invitations in early January!

Important Dates for NRMS

8th

Grade Students

8th

Grade Students Visit DHS Elective Fair

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Field trip from NRMS to Danville High School

All 8th

graders will be visiting DHS during the school day to visit an elective fair showcasing

classes and activities offered to them in 9th

grade.

Informational Meeting for 8th

Grade Parents

Regarding 9th

Grade Registration

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

6:00 PM

Danville High School Auditorium

Please join the DHS Freshman House Counselor, Holly Lemier, as she shares information

and answers questions regarding registration for 9th

grade classes at Danville High School.

Parents will also be invited to visit the elective fair showcasing options for their child at

DHS. Please note that the meeting is at DHS.

8th

Grade Students Signup for Elective Courses

Week of January 27, 2020

During School

DHS Freshman House Counselor, Holly Lemier, will be visiting NRMS to meet with all stu-

dents regarding the process for selecting courses for 9th

grade. Students will have a regis-

tration paper to fill out and turn back in to their NRMS teacher. Please be looking for this

registration paper and talk to your child about their choices.