Dear Parents & Guardians,
Attached is our Weekly Sunday Update, which can be found at the link or text below.
Thank you.
Dr. Mayes & Mr. Horlick
This Week’s Major Headlines:
- Weekly Homeroom & LEAD Class check-ins! Students have received invites by their homeroom teachers for a Monday check-in period at 9am and by their LEAD teachers for a Thursday check-in period at 9am. Students should attend both periods, check in with their teachers, and see their classmates. This will continue each week until the end of school. Students should check their email & Schoology for information.
- Need Chromebook or Schoology help? Any BASD students needing Chromebook or Technology Help should fill out this form https://forms.gle/ZJE6SJNaX6RSSd927 Once submitted, a BASD Information Services Department team member will contact you via email (the email will come from “ISD Service Desk”). The Service Desk will then help you resolve the issue at home or direct you to go to Nitschmann to pick up the needed supplies.
- Week 8 Assignments: All new assignments in Core & Encore classes are posted every Monday at 9am. Don’t forget to encourage your child to complete both sets of assignments, especially in encore classes which provide opportunities to explore and enrich their studies! Week 7 assignments are due on Monday at 12pm.
Parent & Student Weekly Email
Nitschmann Middle School Weekly Update, Home of the Nitschmann Nation!
Sunday, May 17, 2020, to Sunday, May 24, 2020
All of this information can be viewed at our
Nitschmann Middle School Website under Weekly Announcements (Click Here!)
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Links to Review
Schoology Directions for Parents
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Upcoming Dates to Be Proactive!
All dates are listed from our NMS Website, BASD Event Calendar, & BASD Academic Calendar
2019-2020 School Year
5/25/20 Memorial Day, No School; 6/4/20 Virtual 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony; 6/5/20 Last Day of School
Weekly Schedule & Highlights
Monday, 5/18/20 Online Day; Week 7 Remote Learning Core & Encore Assignments Due 12pm; Week 8 Remote Learning Begins 9am; Food & Supplies Distribution 10am-1pm
Tuesday 5/19/20 Online Day
Wednesday, 5/20/20 Online Day; Food & Supplies Distribution 10am-1pm
Thursday, 5/21/20 Online Day
Friday, 5/22/20 Online Day
Saturday, 5/23/20
Sunday, 5/24/20
Monday, 5/25/20 No School Memorial Day
Tuesday, 5/26/20 Online Day; Week 8 Remote Learning Core & Encore Assignments Due 12pm; Week 9 Remote Learning Begins 9am
2020-2021 School Year (All Dates & Activities are tentative based on BASD directives)
8/3/20 Tentative Schedule Distribution; 8/10/20 First Day of Summer Music Camp; 8/17/20 First Day of Fall Sports Practice; 8/27 Open House Visitation 7pm; 8/31/20 First Day of School; 9/7/20 Labor Day, No School; 9/18 School Picture Day//David Nitschmann’s Birthday; 9/28 Yom Kippur, School Closed;
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Academic Information
Weekly Assignments (Mayes) All students should be working on their weekly core & encore assignments on Schoology. If you have a wifi issue, please email your child’s teacher or guidance counselor (information below).
Student Chromebooks_8th Grade (Mayes) 8th Grade students will hold onto their Lenovo Chromebooks and take them to 9th Grade at Liberty High School this fall.
Student Chromebooks_5th, 6th, 7th Grade (Mayes) 5th, 6th, & 7th Grade students will hold onto their Samsung Chromebooks and will exchange them for new Lenovo Chromebooks this fall when we return to Nitschmann Middle School.
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School-wide Announcements
BASD E-News (Dr. Roy)
Student Locker Items (Mayes) BASD Middle Schools will be preparing student locker contents for distribution once the stay-at-home orders are lifted and our custodial staff is permitted to return to school. This may not happen until after school is completed for the year. Announcements will be made through Sunday Emails for the procedures for pick-up when this is permitted.
NMS Library Books (Mayes) Library books may be returned to Nitschmann Middle School by going through the Food Distribution lines on Mondays & Wednesdays from 10am-1pm.
Band & Cheerleading Uniforms (Mayes) Band & Cheerleading uniforms will be collected once the stay-at-home orders are lifted and our custodial staff is permitted to return to school. Announcements will be made through Sunday Emails for the procedures for pick-up when this is permitted.
2019-2020 Yearbooks (Getz) We are waiting on word from our publisher for the production of the 2019-2020 yearbooks. When they are ready, we will distribute them to students.
ADL- NPFH essay contest (Sierra) With the continued spread of COVID-19, and the school closings that have followed, we have made a few changes to the Anti-Defamation League’s Spring 2020 Student Essay Contest, generously sponsored by TD Bank. First place winners receive a $250 Visa gift card. The ADL created an online submission form for students and parents, which can be found here: https://philadelphia.adl.org/npfh-essay-contest The online form can easily be completed by parents, and a PDF or Word/text file of the essay can be uploaded before submission. All essays must be uploaded by Friday, June 12, 2020. (Information is also found in LEAD classes located in Schoology). Students may have already written an essay in LEAD but couldn’t turn them in for the contest. If they saved the work in their google docs, instructions to make a PDF are found in the LEAD class materials. Yes, there are weekly assignments posted in LEAD classes.
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Teacher Updates
Assistant Principal – Mr. Horlick
Student Services:
Each grade level school counselor has OFFICE HOURS where they can share concerns or just talk. Please log on to their schoology group for the Zoom Meeting link or email to arrange a time.
Mrs. Hipp / 8th grade: Tuesdays 9:00-10:00am & Thursdays 11:00am-12:00pm
Mrs. Kehler/ 7th grade: TBA
Ms. Stewart/ 6th grade: Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:00-10:00am
If you have a concern, or you or someone you know is experiencing cyberbullying, please make a SAFE2SAY referral. If it is an immediate safety matter, please contact the Police first.
Team Lafayette (6th) (Twitter @NMSLafayette Team Leader Mrs. Hackman) For the next three weeks, we will be holding homeroom check-ins on Mondays at 9 AM and LEAD check-ins on Thursdays at 9 AM. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday. Office hours will continue as seen below. Remember that if you have questions, you can email us or come to office hours. Now that the weather is getting nicer, it is important to stay active. Be sure to check out Mr. Horlick’s weekly challenge on Schoology. Stay safe this Memorial Day weekend!
Mrs. Evancho Tuesday 9-10 AM
Mr. Ortwein Tuesday 10-11 AM
Mrs. Hackman Wednesday 10-11 AM
Mrs. Dugan Wednesday 11AM -12 PM
Team Lehigh (6th) (Twitter @NMSTeamLehigh Team Leader Mrs. Oliver) We are heading down the home stretch of the school year. The one thing that we find consistent whether schooling at home or at school, as the days get nicer and longer the motivation to do work goes down. Don’t feel bad or guilty about that, accept it and use the time at home to your advantage. Each morning start your day by checking the weather, looking at schoology to see what needs to get done, seeing what activites you have for the day and plan your hour or two for school work when it best ftis your schedule. If there is rain on the horizon, take advantage of that time being stuck in the house and get work done. Then when it is nice out, it is that much more time you have to be outside enjoying the fresh air. Make time your friend and get the most out of each day by having a schedule of when you will do what!!
For the rest of the school year, we are going to change up how we are doing our Zoom sessions. We will be holding Homeroom check-ins on Monday mornings at 9:00AM and LEAD Check-ins on Thursday mornings at 9:00 AM. Look for the links in your Citizenship and Lead classes on Schoology and use them to connect with us. The whole group will be zooming together so get in the classroom before the music stops!! We can not wait to see
Stay Healthy!!
Team Moravian (6th) – (Twitter @NMSTeam Moravian/Facebook@NMSTeamMoravian Team Leader Mrs. Roufakis)
Hope you are doing well! Please remember to keep checking Schoology for your assignments and announcements. If you have not emailed one of us, please check in. We would love to hear from you!
This week we are starting Homeroom and LEAD check-ins. Please make sure to see Schoology for the link. We hope to see everyone!
Office hours continue. If you need help or just want to say hello, please check in with us. Please be patient as we will only be allowing a few students at a time. If these times do not work, please contact your teacher. Looking forward to seeing you.
Mrs. Dugan Wednesday 11-12
Ms. Kvacky Wednesday 1-2
Ms. Roufakis Friday 1-2
Team Kutztown (7th) (Twitter @TeamKutztown Team Leader Mr. Hess) Team Kutztown Teachers continue to wish all of our students good health and happiness. ELA (Mr. Falteich and Mrs. Gomez) – This week you should watch/read a few clips of people who have accepted the “This I Believe” challenge. Then, there are a few more pre-writing activities that further explore what you chose as your most important values. We are almost ready to begin writing our, “This I Believe” essays – but not yet. You will be writing a similar “This I Believe” essay in the upcoming weeks. (AGAIN..NOT THIS WEEK). MATH (Van Woert) – Make sure you are using ALL the resources given to you in the Weekly folder. Watch the videos THEY WILL HELP YOU. And of Course Email me with questions you have BEFORE you hand in your assignment. Thank you to all students who are trying their best. SOCIAL STUDIES (Mr. Hess) – Virtual Office Hour Wednesday 11-12…take care!!
SCIENCE (Mr. Pearson):
REMOTE LEARNING ASSIGNMENTS – Please make sure that you completed and submitted through Schoology the “Remote Learning Week #7 Assignments” by Monday, May 18th at 12 noon. This includes the required LEAD assignment that is posted to your Schoology class page. The “Remote Learning Week #8 Assignments” will be posted to Schoology and activated as of Monday, May 18th at 9 AM and are due the following Tuesday, May 26th at 12 noon. I will post in Schoology an announcement, as well as, a document with specific instructions on how to complete and submit the assignment.
HOMEROOM & LEAD CHECK-IN – Starting this week, I will be checking in with all of my Homeroom students and LEAD students on Zoom each week. The Homeroom check-in will take place on Mondays at 9 AM and the LEAD check-in will take place on Thursdays at 9 AM. Access information is posted on each class’s Schoology page.
As always, keep checking Schoology and email regularly for updates and email me if you have any questions, problems, or just want to keep in touch. Stay safe and healthy!
Team Penn State (7th) (Twitter @NMSPennState/Facebook @NMSTeamPennState/ Instagram pennstatenms Team Leader Mrs. Miller) .Students of team PSU have been doing a great job getting things completed. Keep it going!!!! This week we will be having homeroom and LEAD check- ins using a zoom link. Make sure your child is checking their email for information. Please continue to email us (through Schoology or district email) with any assignment that needs clarification or any other difficulty you may be experiencing. Please keep us informed….we are here to help! Mr. Kehler meets with our team weekly to review any issues that students may be experiencing. GETZ – Great job keeping up on your ELA work. I loved reading your fables. Stop in my Zoom hour for extra help or to say hello for a few minutes. Need Math Help? You can stop in anytime during the office hour if you need help. Find the link in the “Read This Before Starting” letter in this week’s Schoology folder. Please make sure that you’re using all the resources in the weekly folder. The lesson and videos will help you understand the material. If you go directly to the graded assignment without preparing, it will be very difficult for you.
Team Penn State Office Hours:
Mrs. McLaughlin – Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30
Mrs. Getz – Wednesday 10:00 – 11:00
Mrs. Lafey – Wednesday 11:30 – 12:30
Mr. Kehler – Tuesday, Thursday 9:00 – 10:00 and by appointment.
Team East Stroudsburg (8th) (Twitter @nmsteamesu Team Leader Mr. Amen Instagram @nmsteamesu8)
History students: I have posted MANY videos that are OPTIONAL, they are meant to bridge the gap in the chapters or topics that were not covered. The videos are short, and OPTIONAL. Crash course videos on Youtube are great reviews for various history topics, again OPTIONAL. Honors History Students can challenge themselves with Khan Academy History Lessons. ELA students should check Schoology Monday morning for your weekly Study Sync assignments. Two of the assignments are mandatory and graded and two are optional/enrichment activities.. As always, Mrs. Pogue and Mr. Danyi are available to answer any of your questions. Look for the information onCurrent Events Zoom Meetings on Tuesday afternoons. The format for how you will be submitting math work might be changing. Mr. Vajda and Mrs. Jarosz are looking into other options, such as MathXL, that you are already familiar with and that will help provide you with more feedback. PLEASE UTILIZE OFFICE HOURS for help with math. It is so much easier to show you how to do the work than it is to explain via email. But any contact is welcome when you need help. IF you have ideas as to how to celebrate the end of the year – taking the place of an in-person ceremony, feel free to send ideas to Mr. Amen.
| ESU Office Hours on Zoom this Week: | |||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Mr. Amen | HR 9am – 9:10am Bio 1pm – 2pm | Sci. 1pm – 2pm | Lead
9am – 9:10am |
Sci. 1pm – 2pm | |
| Mrs. Pogue | Eng. 10am – 11am | ||||
| Mrs. Jarosz | Math 9-11 | Math 9-11 | Math 9-11, 1-3 | Math 1-3 | Math 9-11 |
| Mrs. Dugan | 11am – 12pm | ||||
| Mr. Danyi | English *By email appointment for Zoom | ||||
| Mr. Miller | Homeroom: 9am Monday, LEAD 9am Thursday Social Studies *By email appointment for Zoom | ||||
Team Northampton (8th) (Twitter @TeamSpartanNMS Team Leader Mrs. Hood) History – as per the District Assignment – Week 8’s lesson will focus on how the disagreements and crises between 1850-1860 deepened the divide between the North and South. See everyone at the virtual town hall on Monday through the Constitutional Center on the famous Plessy vs. Feguson court case – see weekly update in Schoology. Keep being curious about worldly events! Have you checked out the political cartoons lately? If you need any help, just say the word:) In ELA classes (Hinkel and Wallach), we are posting ELA StudySync assignments each Monday morning. There are mandatory/graded assignments as well as extension/enrichment activities. Please look on Schoology for complete updates and directions and email us with any questions and/or concerns. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. If you need any assistance with your ELA work, please use the link provided in the email every Wednesday morning to visit during those office hours. Math students should check Schoology Monday morning for your weekly assignment. I have also posted additional materials to help with the assignment (guided notes / formula sheets, video tutorials, practice worksheets (with answers) and additional Math XL and IXL sections (all optional). In Science, we will working on a Scavenger Hunt with Discovery Ed. If anyone is interested in other challenging topics in Science, please email me (Mr Landino). I can give you a username and password for IXL Science.
Team NCC Office Hours:
Miss Fehr – Friday from 1:00 to 2:00
Mrs. Hood – By email appointment for Zoom
Mrs. Wallach – By email appointment for Zoom
Mrs. Hinkle – Wednesday from 2:00 – 3:00
Mr. Vajda – By email appointment for Zoom
Mr. Landino – By email appointment for Zoom
Encore (All Grades): There are weekly assignments for ALL Encore classes.
From Mr. Carlstrom. For this week, we will be doing more of an activity. Each student will design and create a keychain. I will print the project out on a 3D printer. The challenge has been getting the project to the students. As of right now, I will ask students individually if they would like me to print it for them. If so, will they be willing to wait until next year to pick it up or would they like me to deliver it to their home? Look for my reply when you turn in your project!
Kocon & Burzynski:
Music (de Vries) (Twitter @ldevriesmusic): Rotation 6 students rock! Please keep up the great participation and try to earn new Schoology badges. This week’s lesson will focus on the Broadway smash, Hamilton. If you are a fan, I highly suggest you complete your assignment by Wednesday. Those who complete the assignment will receive a link for a VERY special live event on Thursday, May 24 @ 4:00. I can’t say more at this time, but if you are a Hamilton fan, you don’t want to miss “your shot!” Do you need help with anything? Need to talk? Email me for a Zoom appointment as needed.
Glee Members: The Music Olympics have begun! This is a special event for Glee and instrumental students only. Entries are due by 4 PM on May 27. Details on Schoology and in your email. Hop on Flip Grid and cheer on your friends.
Glee Club/Singers: Check Schoology group for Zoom times and information
Spanish (Bouhana & Sierra): Did you get your Schoology weekly badge? ¡Gracias! To all those who have been completing the weekly assignments. Make sure to check Schoology for your weekly assignments. If you have any questions, feel free to message directly on Schoology or email. Email if you want to meet outside of posted zoom times. (If there are no times noted, just send an email- an appointment will be made and the link will be sent to you).
Sierra zoom: Gr 6- 2pm M & F, Gr. 7- 1pm Tu & Th, Gr 8- 1pm W & F — (LEAD 2pm Thur) *Clubs see schoology
French (Lare): Bonjour à tous et vous me manquez! Hello everyone – I miss you all! Thanks to most of you who are keeping up with the French assignments posted in Schoology. I’m especially impressed with your recorded responses! Hearing your voices really makes me miss seeing you in person! A special message to 8th grade students – letters from France are here! If you’d like to get a letter (or two) from one of the middle school students in France, please let me know via email. (Please don’t request a letter unless you are committed to writing a thoughtful response.) The French students will be thrilled to hear from you!
German (Sofka u. Schwarz): Hallo! This week’s lesson is the last segment of Nicos Weg for Level 1 before the Summer break. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of Nico’s story! 6th grade is practicing greetings! Guten Tag, 6th grade German language explorers! As always check Schoology for announcements from us. If you have any questions, feel free to message us on Schoology or email us. Zoom meetings are available by email! Vielen Dank and keep up the great work!!
Team PITT (Hoffman/Villani/Long/Weinert):
Library (Pohlidal) I hope you have tried some of the “INNOVATION HOUR” activities which can be found on the library web page. They include engineering, coding, and mindfulness activities. Have fun! Send me an email and picture of what you have done. I would love to see your work. Continue to keep reading those eBooks and any books you have at home. Links to the eBooks can be found on the library page.
ESL (Bartolacci)
Art (Lund/Kozero) Check Schoology every Monday for your weekly Art assignment. Fun at-home projects!! Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself with the Enrichment Extensions!! Check out the Nitschmann Virtual Art Show #2 highlighting student work at https://vimeo.com/412714439 and Nitschmann Virtual Art Show #3 https://vimeo.com/415925579 We are already putting together a 4th show!
Gifted Seminar ( Sukanick/Kozero) Make sure to keep up with assignments on Schoology. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact us by email or on Schoology. Stay well.
Nitschmann Athletics (Ortwein) We are proceeding as though the Fall sports seasons will go on as normal, unless we find out otherwise in the upcoming weeks or months. First day of tryouts would be August 17, 2020. Thank you to all 6th and 7th graders for completing the survey regarding Fall sports interests. Look for information in your email from our fall coaches letting you know some things to think about. Our fall coaches will be listed with their email addresses below. Feel free to reach out to any of them with questions. Opportunities for wrestling and boys volleyball will be at the end of the fall season and information will be out for those after the school year begins.
Cheer- Mrs. Long kllong@basdschools.org
Cross Country– Miss Schwartz lschwartz@basdschools.org
Field Hockey– Mr. Burzynski bburzynski@basdschools.org
Football– Mr. Villani mvillani@basdschools.org
Girls Volleyball– Mrs. Hinkel ahinkel@basdschools.org
Athletic Director– Mr. Ortwein jortwein@basdschools.org
Nitschmann Middle School Performing Arts Department Updates
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Nitschmann Middle School Instrumental Music Website (Click Here!)
Mr. Daniel Zettlemoyer, Instrumental Music
- Parent links and resources are posted on WWW.NMSIM.ORG
Details for participation are located here.
Entries are due by 4pm on May 27.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- 8th grade instrumental music presentation photos can be uploaded HERE.
- NIMAS is working on a process with the LHSGB&OP to roll over 8th grade fair share funds for students who will be participating in the high school instrumental program. While you may have questions, we are asking that you hold them for the time being as there we have many ourselves. Once we have a plan in place we will distribute the information and we can begin to move forward specifics and answer your questions,
8th GRADE MUSIC AND DRAMA TRIP UPDATE
*UPDATE
We have sent out refunds to those who submitted a refund request. If you submitted a request, but have not received your refund email Mr. Zettlemoyer.
Complete details are on the website at http://www.nmsim.org/8th-grade-trip/
FUNDRAISERS
- The Nitschmann Instrumental Music Association is now part of the Amazon Smile program. Now you can shop at Amazon, get great deals and support the Nitschmann Instrumental Music Association all at the same time. Please share this with your friends and family. Go here for more information: http://www.nmsim.org/nimas/fundraising/
SPRING TRIP TO BOSTON
We will be receiving a full refund for the Boston trip. We anticipate receiving the physical check the first week of July. I will send out information regarding the process of requesting your refund so we can immediately issue refunds when we receive the check.
Complete details of the trip are on the website at http://www.nmsim.org/spring-trip/
COLOR GUARD: Check out our color guard video! https://youtu.be/TwRGfLVcLfo
PRACTICE INFORMATION
- Each week your child receives an email via Schoology with the assignments for the week. I will mirror that email to parents through our NIMAS parent email account.
We are all experiencing a substantial disruption in our lives. The assignments are created to provide your child with a basic level of instruction to keep them engaged and to help them maintain their performance level. Encourage your child to practice and complete the worksheets. If they are getting upset because they have hit a performance roadblock, send me an email and I will do what I can to help them. I am working on additional resources to assist your child.
ONLINE LISTENING
- Jazz for Kids – Featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
- Army Field Band Virtual Concerts – The US Army Field Band will program daily content, to include live, interactive performances..
- List of live virtual concerts during the Coronavirus shutdown.
- Jazz at Lincoln Center – Schedule of weekly online events and performances
NEWS OF NOTE:
- Stay up to date on the latest by following the instrumental music groups on Twitter. @NMSBandOrch
- Do not forget to check the Instrumental Music Website www.nmsim.org for everything dealing with instrumental music.
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE:
ALL DATES ARE TENTATIVE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
May 29 Music Olympics Awards Presentation
August 10-14 Summer Music Camp
August 17-21 Summer Music Camp
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Nitschmann Middle School
A LEAD School, partnering with The Leader in Me
“Lions Lead the Way!”
Our Collective Vision Nitschmann Middle School is committed to cultivating a respectful community of innovative learners who are socially competent citizens ready to meet the challenges of their future.
Twitter @NitschmannMS
Facebook @NitschmannMiddleSchool
Instagram @BASDNitschmannMS,
Web http://basdwpweb.beth.k12.pa.us/nitschmann/
1002 West Union Blvd
Bethlehem, Pa 18018
Main Office (610) 866-5781
Fax (610) 866-1435
IMPORTANT/CONFIDENTIAL: This communication is intended solely for the confidential use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and the privileges are not waived by virtue of this having been sent by electronic mail. If the reader of this email is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately & permanently delete this message including all attachments. Thank you.