News from the Principal

NO R T H H A V E N

M I D D L E S C H O O L

M I S S I O N NHMS News O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

I T I S T H E M I S S I O N O F T H E

N O R T H H A V E N M I D D L E

S C H O O L T O G E T H E R W I T H

T H E C O M M U N I T Y T O

P R O V I D E A C O M P R E H E N -

S I V E , C R E A T I V E A N D

C H A L L E N G I N G E D U C A T I O N A L

E X P E R I E N C E T H A T D E V E L O P S

I N D E P E N D E N C E , S O C I A L

E M O T I O N A L G R O W T H A N D

A N U N D E R S T A N D I N G O F A

D I V E R S E S O C I E T Y

New Staff Story on page 2

Interventionist Story on page 4

Mental Health Matters

Story on page 5

Hispanic Herit-age Month

Story on page 6

Club News Stories on pages 10-13

Spirit Day Pics Pages 14-17

The students and staff at NHMS are off to a great start. This promises to be a very exciting school year. The fall sports season is in full swing and many other clubs and activities that are offered to students throughout the year have started.

I want to once again thank all those in the community who voted last Spring for the New Middle School Project. We are currently finalizing the design and we look for-ward to breaking ground in June. I encourage you to keep up to date with the Middle School Project through the following web-site: nhmsproject.com.

For those parents and students who want to keep close track of what is going on at NHMS, I encourage you to visit our website often and click on the Daily Announcements tab – you can see what is read each day and this is also where current club meet-ings and after school activities are posted. We encourage getting involved in the various extra-curricular activities that we offer at NHMS – they range from academic to athletic and there is something for everyone!

Our Open House in September was very well attended. Parents and teachers had a chance to interact with each other while par-ents were informed of the various expectations each teacher has of their children during the school year.

Please stay involved in your child’s education. Ask questions every night about their school day. Our mission statement stresses the bond that needs to exist between school and com-munity. I encourage you to contact staff whenever you have a question or a concern.

I look forward to our continued partnership and encourage you to get involved in your child’s education in any way possible.

Welcome our New Staff! We have 4 new staff members and 2 Quinnipiac interns this year, pictured below.

Ethan Sansolo is our new Social Worker. Leslie Fazzuoli is our new Intensive Learning Classroom (ILC) teacher. Shawna Bobbie is the teacher in our new Intervention Class (see her article later in this news-letter). Victoria Formica is one of our 2 Quinnipiac interns, majoring in English; she will do her student teaching on the Red Team Katie Hobson is the new Green Team Math teacher. Shaquille Barksdale is our other Quinnipiac intern, majoring in Math; he will do his student teaching on the Sage Team. Join us in welcoming them to the Middle School family!

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Breakfast Now Available In case you were not aware, breakfast is now served daily at the Middle School from 7:15 to 7:30 am. The cost is $2.65, and that covers a milk or juice, piece of fruit and one other item. The cost for stu-dents who qualify for free/reduced price meals is only $.30. Daily offerings include a variety of egg sandwiches, muffins, yogurt, fruits, cereal and other breakfast foods.

ALS Challenge at 6th Grade Orientation

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Our own Mr. Piazza participated in the ALS chal-lenge this past August, getting doused by a group of willing teachers and students at the 6th grade orientation. Pictured here surrounding Mr. Piazza are the teachers responsible, including Mr. John-son, Mr. Lussier and Mr. Russo.

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What is an Interventionist?

Interventionist -

you may be starting to, or you may have already heard this new title

being tossed around in conversation and all the while thinking, “What

is an interventionist?” This is a new role here at the middle school,

that I am privileged to have. My role specifically is to work with both

teachers and students. There are times when students have a difficult

time in their classes. This could be academically, behaviorally or both.

It is my job to work with teachers to come up with solutions that will

help the student be successful. There are also times when they need extra help outside of the class-

room, and it is my job to help those students get the extra support. I work with the students who are

not already receiving services through special education. As part of my role, I have 3 study halls where

I work with students on different skills. Since the beginning of the year, we have been focusing on or-

ganization of our notebooks, binders, homework and lockers. These are strategies that many already

use to be successful. If you are noticing that your child could use a bit of help being organized, try some

of these ideas.

Helpful Homework Tips 1. Help your child establish a homework folder which they

bring to every class to put their homework in. Once the

homework is graded, it is to go into their subject specific

folder; otherwise this organizational strategy can be-

come a black hole.

2. Encourage your child to write down their homework as

soon as they walk into class; this way they won’t forget to write it down when leaving to catch up

with a friend in the hallway.

3. Help your child establish a homework place. This is the

spot where your child will go to complete their homework eve-

ry day. It should be the same place and the same time. Even if

they say they have no homework, encourage them to at least

sit in the space and check their planner and homework folder.

I hope you all have an organized and peaceful start to the year!

From our new Intervention teacher, Shawna Bobbie

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From Stacy Swartz and Ethan Sansolo, our School Psychologist and School Social Worker

Topic of the Month: Self-Awareness

Who are you?

What are your strengths?

What are your challenges?

What do you believe in?

These are questions to which every individual discovers answers throughout life. For middle school

students, self-awareness evolves significantly during their three years here. As their bodies grow and

change, so does their understanding of themselves.

Self-awareness is critical to success in school. Students should know

what comes easily to them and what requires more effort. For in-

stance, “I understand social studies without much effort, but I really

need to go back for the math help sessions.” Or, "I'm great with hands-

on work but I tend to zone out during teacher lectures… I need to fig-

ure out a way to focus better.” Parents and teachers can help students

recognize their strengths and weaknesses by giving them specific feed-

back (e.g., “You’re a very empathetic person – I like the way you always

go out of your way to help your friends). Constructive criticism can be

given without insulting or undermining a student (e.g., “Let’s figure out

something together to help you organize your materials… what do you

think would help you?”). Usually, students have a general idea of how

they’re doing and what works for them.

In addition to self-awareness in the classroom, middle school students constantly develop self-

awareness in their relationships with peers. Whether they realize it or not, most students are con-

stantly monitoring what they say and what they do (e.g., “Is this a cool thing to say?”; “Am I wearing the

right thing?”; “Does he/she like me?”). Often, students measure themselves against their peers in areas

such as social status, physical appearance, intelligence, and athletic ability. By encouraging kindness

toward others and accepting each person for his/her own individual merits, parents and teachers can

help students feel good about themselves and recognize the impact they have on those around them.

For more information, or with any questions/feedback, please contact: Stacy Swartz, School Psycholo-

gist, at swartz.stacy@north-haven.k12.ct.us; or Ethan Sansolo, School Social Worker, at

sansolo.ethan@north-haven.k12.ct.us.

Mental Health Matters

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World Language News

Hispanic Heritage Month The World Language Department recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month which begins on Sep-

tember 15 and ends on October 15. In the United States it is a time when recognition is given to the

many Hispanic Americans who have made contributions to the United States. It is also a month to cele-

brate Hispanic culture and heritage. President Lyndon Johnson approved Hispanic Heritage Week in

1968, and later in 1988 President Ronald Reagan expanded it to a whole month. It is celebrated during

this time because many Latin American countries, such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,

Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile, celebrate their independence from Spain during this time.

To commemorate this in our school, each morning a different teacher from the department joined Mr.

Piazza during the morning announcements, introduced themselves to the student body and then shared

cultural information and music. The Grade 7 Spanish classes of Mrs. Mangino and Ms. Arboleda did

online research about Hispanic Heritage and Ms. Arboleda’s classes created posters about famous His-

panics in America, including actors, athletes, singers, comedians , scientists and musicians.

Posters about famous Hispanics in America,

created by 7th grade students of Ms. Arboleda’s

Spanish classes. While almost everyone knew

the names Eva Longoria, Shakira and George

Lopez, some of the less famous names dis-

played here include astronaut Fernando

"Frank" Caldeiro, author Sandra Cisneros and

jazz musician Arturo Sandoval.

News from Sage Team Science

The Sage Team was off to a busy start this school year! In science, students were able to show off their

culinary expertise using solar cookers. From nachos to s’mores, everyone was able to taste their sci-

ence experiment (which is usually frowned upon in science class!).

Another task that students were asked to do was construct a DNA molecule out of everyday materials.

The challenge was to make it twisted, but students were very creative in how they accomplished that.

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Adjusting reflector on solar cooker

Adding insulation to solar cooker

Twisted DNA model Process of making a DNA model from paper and toothpicks

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News from 6th Grade Social Studies

The Geography of ME! -

The sixth grade students in Mrs. Kaplan, Mr. Marr, and Mr. Johnson’s Social Studies classes have recent-

ly completed an awesome project titled “The Geography of ME!” Each student applied the “Five

Themes of Geography” to their own personal lives to show how where they live impacts how they live.

The posters have really brightened up our rooms, and have allowed the new sixth graders an oppor-

tunity to learn a little more about each other.

The Five Themes include location, place, region, movement, and human-environment interaction.

“The Geography of ME!”

posters displayed in Mr.

Johnson’s 6th grade Social

Studies class.

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News from the Physical Education/Health Department

Students in Physical Education and Health have

been working hard in preparation for the Connecti-

cut Physical Fitness Test. The test is made up of four

components to help students, teachers, and parents

assess the student’s physical health. The compo-

nents are the mile run, the sit and reach, upper body

strength and endurance, and abdominal strength

and endurance.

“Why are these components considered indicators

in physical health?”, you ask. The mile run is related

to aerobic endurance, also known as cardiorespira-

tory fitness. This tells us how our heart and lungs

are working. Healthy levels of cardiorespiratory fit-

ness are linked to the reduced risk of high blood

pressure, coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes,

and reduced risk of some forms of cancers and other

health related problems. The sit and reach is a

measurement of the flexibility of the hamstrings and

lower back. As we get older and stronger, our muscles can lose their elasticity. This loss can compro-

mise the safety in how we move, pick up, and carry objects leading to injuries of the hamstrings and

lower back. The tests for upper body

strength and abdominal strength are

similar to that of the sit and

reach. The more strength we have in

these areas, the safer we are in our

everyday movements that require

balance and stability.

Talk to your student about the im-

portance of fitness and the contribu-

tions exercise have in leading a

healthy and active lifestyle. You can

work together to encourage one an-

other to improve your physical

health each day. A little bit goes a

long way.

Sit and reach exercise

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Club News

Table Tennis

The Table Tennis Club will meet every Tuesday after school from 2:10-3:00. The faculty advisor for this club is Mr. Smith from the Art Department.

A 7th grade student named Hunter Stenquist started this club last year and pro-vided nearly all of the equipment to “make it happen!” We usually have between 8-10 students attend. All grade levels are welcome to participate. Students should make arrangements for transportation home.

Select Choir

Mrs. Porto held Select Choir auditions on Thursday, 10/9. Select Choir is part of the Creative Learning Program (CLP) and is comprised of 6th, 7th and 8th grade choir members interested in more challenging material and additional performance opportunities. Rehearsals will begin mid-October and a winter performance will be scheduled. At the time of this writing, we believe the meetings will be held on Thursdays after school, and possibly on some Wednesdays as well.

Circle of Friends

Middle school presents certain challenges for all kids, but can be particularly isolating for students with disabilities and social differences. It’s hard to know where you fit in and where you’ll be accepted. That’s what’s so great about Circle of Friends: it’s welcoming toward everybody! It’s a warm and com-fortable place where children can be themselves and know that they’re not being judged. They’re appreciated for who they are.

At the middle school, the students build friendships and target social skills the way that all friendships are built: by spending time together. Our 42 stu-dents come together once a week dur-ing study hall to play games, play Wii, make a craft, or do a group activity. The students talk, laugh, and hang out to-gether. And they come back every week because it’s fun and they truly enjoy the time together!

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Club News, continued

Zoom Team

Zoom Team is a running/walking group led by North Ha-ven Middle School’s principal, Philip Piazza, which meets after school on Wednesdays (when the weather permits) to help promote a healthy lifestyle and to encourage physical fitness to all involved. This group is open to both faculty and students. New members are always wel-come and need to just submit a

signed permission slip which is availa-ble on the website or in the main office. Please check the dai-ly announcements to confirm when the club is meeting.

5K Road Race / Pancake Breakfast 11/9/14 Zoom team members may want to participate in a 5k race or fun run on Sunday, November 9th hosted by the New Haven Rotaract Club at North Ha-ven Middle School. The race course begins at the school and features a mostly flat course going through the neighboring streets and then ending at NHMS. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The 1-mile fun run begins at 9:30 a.m. The road race starts at 10 a.m. After the race, The North Haven Rotary Club will hold its annual pancake breakfast onsite in the North Haven Middle School cafeteria.

Link to register or get information for the upcoming 5 k race: http://www.active.com/north-haven-ct/running/races/the-third-annual-greater-new-haven-rotaract-5k-road-race-2014

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Club News, continued

Best Buddies

The Best Buddies Club here at NHMS is ready to begin an-other wonderful, fun-filled school year! Best Buddies is an international program designed to match students with intellectual disabilities in a one-to-one friendship with a non-disabled peer. This gives both kids a chance at friend-ship that they might not otherwise have.

Since its formation in 2005, the club has grown by leaps and bounds, and is now one of the largest and most vi-brant clubs in the school. The faculty advisors are Ms.

West and Mrs. Mangino. Here at NHMS, Buddy pairs from all three grades are formed on the basis of similar ages and mutual inter-ests. The pairs spend time together inside and outside of school, eating lunch together, playing games or just hanging out, helping both individuals grow and learn.

Our club also began a very fruitful partnership with ACES Village School here in North Haven in the fall of 2007. Each year we have many buddy pairs matched between the two schools. It is so won-derful to see our students interacting with their Buddies and of-fering them the greatest gift they can give-- the gift of acceptance and friendship.

The wonderful members of our club make a difference every day in our school by cre-ating an atmosphere of kindness and ac-ceptance and by shar-ing friendship with children of all abili-ties.

If you are interested in being a part of our club this year, please speak to one of the advisors and also be sure to check out our bulletin board in D Hall. Join us for a great year of friend-ship and fun!

Participants in last year’s Best Buddies Friendship Walk

Club Advisors, Mrs. Mangino and Ms. West

Best Buddies Club members

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Club News, continued

Chess Club

Seventh grade Violet team member, Erik Marro, en-joys playing chess and wondered if other middle school students liked to play as well. After presenting

his idea to Mr. Piazza he found a facul-ty advisor and the Chess Club was born. They meet after school in the library on Tuesday afternoons until 3 pm. All students who have an interest in chess are welcome to join the club. Speak with the Club Advisor, our li-brarian Mrs. Schwartz., for more in-formation.

Chess Club members, pictured with Club Founder Erik Marro (2nd from right)

Library Book Fair Announced

The annual Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the library

from Tuesday December 2nd through Friday December 5th.

Students will visit the fair with their language arts classes.

The fair will also be open during the parent-teacher con-

ferences that week. Scholastic provides a wide assortment

of both fiction and non-fiction books and well as kits, cal-

endars and school supplies of interest to middle school

students. Proceeds from the fair are used to purchase

computer equipment for the school. If you have time,

please stop by and visit the fair.

Club members enjoying a challenging game of chess

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School Spirit —Maroon & White Day

The Student Council held our first School Spirit Day on September 26, and students and faculty were asked to wear our Maroon and White school colors. Here are some examples of the outfits seen in school that day!

Sp

irit

Da

y

Win

ne

rs

6th

grade

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School Spirit —Maroon & White Day, continued

8th grade

7th grade

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School Spirit —Pink Day

The Student Council held a Pink School Spirit Day on October 10 to benefit breast cancer research. A total of $210 was raised from the individual $1 donations, and is being donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Thanks to Mr. Russo’s efforts at selling Pink T-shirts, an additional $1,000 will be donated to The Sisters’ Project. Good job, Middle Schoolers!!

Sp

irit

Da

y

Win

ne

rs

6th grade

7th

gra

de

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School Spirit —Pink Day

8th grade

7th grade

Pin

kie

s fo

r P

ink

Day