March/April 2014

WARREN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Believe it or not, we now begin to focus on orientation activities for the 2014-2015 school year. Please note that incoming 7th grade students and their parents are invited to visit our middle school on Tuesday evening, April 1, 2014 at 7:00 with a snow date, (yes a snow date!) of Wednesday April 2, 2014. The evening will begin in the middle school gymnasium. The purpose of this evening is to introduce students and parents of the class of 2020 to the middle school setting, to ease their transition and to provide information on our many wonderful programs and opportunities

Speaking of the state’s standardized testing program, you should know that as of right now, according to the state, this is the last year for the NJ ASK; the plan is that we will be moving to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and testing of the Common Core State Standards in the 2014-2015 school year. We have begun preparing our staff and students for these changes and have actually been chosen to engage in a field test to pilot the new assessment this spring. Information on the field test will be distributed to parents of selected students.

Our students have accomplished a great deal but at this point, it is important to keep up the momentum! Please assist us in helping your child focus on academics and on doing their absolute best in all aspects of school. The study habits and work ethic established in middle school are the foundation for success in high school and beyond. Working hard on a daily basis will be the best preparation for high achievement on the state’s standardized test, the NJ ASK, which is coming up at the end of April (April 28, 2014 – May 1, 2014, with Make-ups 5/5-5/9) and for promotion to the next grade. (A copy of the guidelines for promotion is included with this newsletter; we encourage you to review the guidelines with your child at this time).

At this point in the school year, we reflect on all the efforts and successes of our students during the first half of the school year, as there have been many! We recently celebrated our students’ efforts with our 3rd annual school-wide “Student Recognition/Spirit Rally!” It was great fun and certainly demonstrated the varied abilities and talents of our student body. Hopefully, your child shared some of the spirit and excitement from that assembly with you at home as well.

now be in session on April 16th, 17th, and 22nd. Stay tuned should we need to make any further adjustments to our school calendar and thank you for your patience and understanding!

to make up snow days. Please be aware that school WILL know, our Spring Break has been adjusted due to the need it still feels like we are in the middle of winter! As you Well, it is finally March but with our recent cold weather,

The Warren Hills Regional School District challenges and empowers a dynamic, diverse student body in a supportive learning environment by providing academic and co-curricular opportunities to become successful, productive members of the global community.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL MRS. PATRICIA HETRICK

JANUARY/FEBRUARY STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

ATHLETE: Andrea Egerer, Shawnn Flaherty, Sean Morris, Colin MullenACADEMIC: Anju Felix, Maria Martucci, Peter Nichols, Christian EvansPERFORMING ARTS: Elizabeth Smith, Bethany Torsiello, David Genthe, Matt Bautista VISUAL ARTS: Kristen Appleby, Catherine Frascella, Clersen Dessalines, Frank Yerega

More information regarding additional orientation activities will be shared that night and in future newsletters. Please review all additional information included in this newsletter to stay “in the know”; I thank you for your continued support throughout this school year!

Up-coming Events:

3/3/14 PTSA Meeting – HS library 7:003/4/14 Board of Education Meeting – 7:00 District Office3/5/14 Early Dismissal 11:55 – Staff In-Service3/6&7/14 MS Drama Club Production 7:00 – MS Cafeteria3/14/14 International Club Festival 3:00 MS Cafeteria3/14/14 Project Graduation Fundraiser – Hilarious Hypnosis Show

7:00 HS Auditorium3/18/14 Board of Education Meeting – 7:00 District Office3/22/14 PTSA Tricky Tray – 5:30 – HS Cafeteria3/24/14 MS Winter Sports Awards – 1:30 MS Cafeteria3/25/14 Family Literacy Night – 7:00 MS Library3/26/14 Early Dismissal – 11:55 – Staff In-Service4/1/14 In-Coming 7th Grade Orientation 7:00 MS Gymnasium4/2/14 snow date for above4/8/14 Board of Education Meeting 7:00 – District Office4/9/14 Middle States EBD Meeting – 5:00 – HS Library4/18/14 No School – Spring Holiday4/22/14 No School – Spring Holiday4/25/14 MS Spring Fling – 2:30

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY

Attention 7th grade Students and Parents: We will be starting the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) here at the middle school! The NJHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character (and Citizenship for NJHS). The society will meet to complete group and individual service projects that will benefit our school, district and community. More information coming soon.

YEARBOOK NEWSYou still have time; Some yearbooks are still available. The “Parent Well Wisher “ deadline for 8th graders will be April 1, 2014. Please send Jpeg images and messages in to Mrs. McKelvey. Payment for Well Wishers is $25. Orders must be turned in to Mrs. McKelvey. There are only 135 books available and 347 students did not order. Don’t miss out on your middle school memories. Any questions contact Mrs. McKelvey at mckelveyg@warrenhills.org. The cost of a yearbook is $25. While spring cleaning, a box of last year’s yearbook was discovered. If you would like to purchase one of the 2013 yearbooks, the cost is $10.00. You are required to have purchased this years yearbook in order to take advantage of that price. Any questions contact mckelveyg@warrenhills.org.

GUIDANCE OFFICE NEWS

The guidance counselors have been busy holding scheduling meetings for incoming 6th, current 7th and outgoing 8th grade students.

BUILDER’S CLUBBuilder’s club will be sponsoring Pennies for Patients where students will donate ‘pennies’ for patients with Leukemia/Lymphoma. One homeroom from each grade that collects the most will win a special treat!

MIDDLE STATES STRATEGIC PLANNING: Excellence by Design

The next evening meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 5:00 in the high school library. We are looking for interested staff, students, parents, and community members to get involved and we encourage everyone’s attendance as we move into the next phase of the process to work on action plans to meet our goals! It is anticipated that there may be 2 proposals presented for review on this evening. Please feel free to check out our website or contact the middle school internal coordinators, Mrs. Geri McKelvey and Ms. Mary Kaye Bartek for more information, as well!

FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT

Please join us for our first ever Family Literacy Night being held in the middle school library on Tuesday evening, March 25, 2014, starting at 7:00 p.m. This will be a wonderful interactive evening for all members of the family to celebrate the joys of literacy and is open to all Warren Hills Regional Middle School students and their families, along with 6th grade students and their families from our sending elementary districts and 6th – 8th grade students from Oxford Central School.

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” – Emilie Buchwald

WHMS PROMOTIONAL STANDARDSPROMOTION OF STUDENTS TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL

2013/2014

For a student to be promoted to the next grade level, the student may not fail more than one full year subject in any given year. Also, a student may not fail the same full year subject in both seventh and eighth grade and still be promoted.

If a student fails two full year subjects, and still wishes to be promoted to the next grade level, he or she will be required to remediate one of the two subjects.

A student failing three full year subjects and still wishing to be promoted will only be promoted by remediating two of the three subjects.

A student failing more than three full year subjects will be retained with no option for remediation.

Remediation of failed subjects must be completed in a district approved summer school program. Individualized tutorial remediation is not to replace a district approved summer school program.

The Warren Hills Regional School District will provide information regarding tuition based summer school availability to all students in need of remediation necessary for promotion. All costs and transportation necessary for the remediation of failed courses will be the responsibility of the student and parents or guardian.