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:
- SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION: Food is distributed to all children who live in Bethlehem at Nitschmann Middle School from 10am-1pm on Mondays & Wednesdays (This is a change!) If you need a Chromebook repair, complete the form below first!!
- NEED CHROMEBOOK HELP? Any BASD students needing Chromebook 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 direct you to go to Nitschmann to pick up the needed supplies.
- SCHOOLOGY PARENT LOGIN/PASSWORD: Need to parent/guardian login information for Schoology? Email Dr. Mayes at pmayes@basdschools.org.
- PHONE & EMAIL UPDATES: Our secretarial staff (Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Falcone, & Mrs. Sanchez) will be contacting families & update phone numbers and emails. If you want to email your changes in, please send to Mrs. Scott at sscott@basdschools.org.
- PARENT LEADER IN ME SURVEY: Please take a moment to complete our 2020 Leader in Me Survey for Parents/Guardians: https://www.leaderinme.com/s/nitschmann-middle-pa/parent
- ZOOM VIDEOCONFERENCING: Teachers may be connecting over the next week or two about opportunities for teachers to video conference with students, now that they have completed their Zoom training. This is not going to be “live” or synchronous classes, but more like office hours to check in with students.
Parent & Student Weekly Email
Nitschmann Middle School Weekly Update, Home of the Nitschmann Nation!
Sunday, April 5, 2020, to Sunday, April 12, 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
Weekly Schedule & Highlights
Monday, 4/6/20 Week 1 Remote Learning Assignments Due 12pm; Week 2 Remote Learning Begins 9am; First Day of the 4th Quarter
Tuesday 4/7/20
Wednesday, 4/8/20
Thursday, 4/9/20
Friday, 4/10/20 No School for Students & Faculty (Spring Break/Good Friday)
Saturday, 4/11/20
Sunday, 4/12/20
Monday, 4/13/20 Week 2 Remote Learning Assignments Due 12pm; Week 3 Remote Learning Begins 9am
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Academic Information
Weekly Assignments (Mayes) All students should be working on their weekly assignments on Schoology. If you have a wifi issue, please email your child’s guidance counselor (information below).
Start of 4th Quarter (Mayes) The 4th Quarter will be from Monday, March 30, 2020 to the end of the school year (date TBD).
Grading for the 3rd Quarter (Mayes) Teachers are working on the 3rd Quarter grades & report cards now that the quarter has closed on Friday, April 3, 2020. Information on distribution of report cards will be posted next Sunday.
Grading for the 4th Quarter (Mayes) Grading for all subjects in the 4th quarter for middle schools will be assigned a “pass/fail” grade for the quarter and for the school year.
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School-wide Announcements
BASD E-News (Dr. Roy) Please see Dr. Roy’s videos on our BASD Website.
No Place for Hate 2020 (Sierra) Congratulations to Nitschmann Middle School for earning the designation as a No Place for Hate school for 2020 for the 13th year in a row!
Distributing Field Trip Money (Mayes) Dr. Mayes is working with the district & secretarial staff to prepare to disribute field trip money back to students by mail.
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Teacher Updates
Assistant Principal – Mr. Horlick
Student Services: Each grade level’s school counselor now has a schoology group to provide resources and additional communication for students. Please contact your grade level school counselor with questions or concerns via email.
Team Lafayette (6th) (Twitter @NMSLafayette Team Leader Mrs. Hackman) Team Lafayette teachers were pleased with the number of students who logged onto Schoology and completed the assignments. If you have not completed week 1 assignments, you have until noon on April 6th. Make sure to set aside time during your day to complete the assignments, so you don’t get behind. If you have any questions, please email your teacher.
Team Lehigh (6th) (Twitter @NMSTeamLehigh Team Leader Mrs. Oliver) Hello Team Lehigh. First of all let us say that we miss you all and hope you are all healthy and well. As we complete the first official week of online school several things come to mind. This is a totally different kind of learning. That may be the subject morning message tomorrow. I have said all year that I can not learn for you. I can teach, but learning is your responsibility. That is never more true than now. You are going to have to look at assignments differently. Instead of viewing them as a task to be done, you are going to have to look at them as learning tools. With each one, you are going to have to ask yourself what do they want me to learn from this and make it your responsibility to be sure you learn it. It brings to mind two of my other favorite sayings: 1) You only get out of something what you are willing to put in and 2) If you are going to take the time to do something, take the time to do it right otherwise you are just wasting your time. Ok then, you might have just gotten a preview of tomorrow’s morning update. Enjoy!!
Team Moravian (6th) – (Twitter @NMSTeam Moravian/Facebook@NMSTeamMoravian Team Leader Mrs. Roufakis)
Hello, Team Moravian. It has been great to hear from some of you. If you have not responded to the email you received, please do so. Continue to check Schoology for your new assignments and complete them before the due date. Email your teacher with any questions you have.
Team Kutztown (7th) (Twitter @TeamKutztown Team Leader Mr. Hess) Team Kutztown Teachers wish all of our students good health and happiness . It is great to see that so many students have checked in on Schoology and are completing the required assignments. Please email us on Schoology or through school district email if you need any clarification on your assignments. Please try to invest some time for your studies each day, and of course, do your best work.
ELA (Mr. Falteich and Mrs. Gomez) – Please review your TDA response comparing Yellow Fever to Covid 19. This is not simply a question that should be answered in a few sentences. Please write a complete response (a couple paragraphs), and be sure to include textual evidence to support your response. If you need to have your StudySync assignment “re-opened” to fix this assignment, please email your ELA teacher. Remember, one hour or so per week is not too much time to put into a quality English assignment. If you recall, we were putting in more than that each day with our block schedule. Be sure to check out Week #2’s required ELA assignment on Schoology. Again, you will have one week to satisfactorily complete this assignment. Bonus ELA (Falteich) – Before our extended leave, we read “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. We discussed Dystopian Literature and satire. Why not check Youtube for an appropriate satire and share the link with me on Schoology? Be sure to tell me in a sentence or two what the video clip is satirizing. (Do you remember when I showed you a 35 second clip of the Simpsons making fun of/satirizing the emphasis on standardized tests in school?) Have fun! 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. Science (Mr. Pearson) – Please make sure that you completed and SUBMITTED THROUGH SCHOOLOGY the “Remote Learning Week #1 Assignments” by Monday, April 6th at 12 noon. This includes the required LEAD assignment that is posted to your Schoology class page. The “Remote Learning Week #2 Assignments” will be posted to Schoology and activated as of Monday, April 6th at 9 AM and are due the following Monday, April 13th 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. 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) We are very proud of the many students who have completed assignments and checked in onSchoology. Parents and students, please continue to email us (through Schoology or district email) with any assignment that needs clarification. Use the habits learned in LEAD and budget your time for your coursework. We also enjoy getting emails from students and parents sharing how your family is doing. Reminder: All coursework for week one is to be submitted by noon on Monday, April 6.
Team East Stroudsburg (8th) (Twitter @@nmsteamesu Team Leader Mr. Amen Instagram @nmsteamesu8)
History students: I have posted two 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 review for various history topics, again OPTIONAL. ELA students should check Schoology Monday morning for your weekly Study Sync assignments. There will be more options for some background learning this week. As always, Mrs. Pogue and Mr. Danyi are available to answer any of your questions. And we both love hearing how all of you are doing. Mrs. Jarosz will be posting next week’s assignment along with supplemental materials meant to help you learn. Any questions or trouble, PLEASE message her or email her for help. That’s what we’re here for.
Team Northampton (8th) (Twitter @TeamSpartanNMS Team Leader Mrs. Hood) In ELA classes (Hinkel and Wallach), we are posting 3 ELA StudySync assignments each Monday morning. Two are extension/enrichment activities and one is a mandatory and graded assignment. 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. Math students should check Schoology Monday morning for your weekly assignment. I have also posted an additional folder to help with the assignment with notes and formula sheets, video tutorials, practice worksheets (with answers) and additional Math XL and IXL sections (all optional).
Encore (All Grades):
From Mr. Carlstrom. Once again, go into Schoology to check for your assignment. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. All questions are good ones.
Kocon&Burzynski:
Music (de Vries): I loved seeing you class playlists! Thanks for sharing your ideas. Please check Schoology for our next lesson. If you’ve never used Incredibox, you are in for a treat. As always, stay in touch. I’m always here to help.
Spanish (Bouhana & Sierra): Make sure to check Schoology for your weekly assignments. If you have any questions, feel free to message me directly on Schoology or email me. The projects we have been getting are great.
French (Lare):
German (Sofka/Schwarz): We hope you are staying safe and healthy at home! Our goal is to review and practice all of the German we have learned this year! Make sure to check Schoology for your weekly assignments and announcements from us. If you have any questions, feel free to message us on Schoology or email us.
Team PITT (Hoffman/Villani/Long/Weinert):
Library (Pohlidal) Hello everyone! Don’t worry about trying to return library books at this time. There are no due dates even if you received an email about an overdue book. Keep on reading! Have you looked at the OverDrive eBooks on the library web page? You can read these books right from home. I’ve also added a page of extra activities for you to try just for fun. Miss you!
ESL (Bartolacci)
Art (Lund/Kozero) Check Schoology for your weekly assignment. Fun at-home projects!! Don’t be afraid to challenge
yourself with the Enrichment Extensions!!
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 Middle School Performing Arts Department Updates
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Nitschmann Middle School Instrumental Music Website (Click Here!)
Mr. Daniel Zettlemoyer, Instrumental Music
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- All band and orchestra students should have joined the band and/or orchestra SmartMusic class.
- All instrumental music students should have joined a SmartMusic lesson book class.
- Parent links and resources will be posted on WWW.NMSIM.ORG
- The performance and event calendar has been updated to reflect cancellations and rescheduled events. You can view the calendar at http://www.nmsim.org/eventscal/
- Information for parents on how to tune your child’s string instrument is available at http://www.nmsim.org/orchestra/
8th GRADE MUSIC AND DRAMA TRIP UPDATE
Complete details of the trip are on the website at http://www.nmsim.org/8th-grade-trip/
SPRING TRIP TO BOSTON
Complete details of the trip are on the website at http://www.nmsim.org/spring-trip/
FUNDRAISERS
- NEW Fun Pasta – March 7 – April 30 (Click here for information)
- 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/
- Gertrude Hawk Candy Boxes – Suspended until further notice.
- Wawa Shortie Hoagie Coupons – Suspended until further notice.
- Weis gift cards – Suspended until further notice.
- ShopRite gift cards – Suspended until further notice.
- Giant gift cards – Suspended until further notice
COLOR GUARD:
LHS MAJORETTES & BAGPIPES
- Any individuals who are interested in auditioning for or joining any of our auxiliary units (majorettes, bagpipes and colour guard) to please be patient. Realistically, auditions may not occur until summertime or early fall. I know many of our rising 8th graders would like a definitive answer but at this time we have none and it would be irresponsible for me to give one.
Stay well and stay safe
Mr. Long
PRACTICE INFORMATION
- Band & Orchestra students should continue to work on the three pieces in the band & orchestra class on SmartMusic.
- Begin with the BASIC LEVEL first
- All instrumental students should be enrolled in a SmartMusic class for their lesson book. You should aim to pass 10-20 exercises per week. (While the number seems high, remember you are beginning with exercises you have already “mastered”)
- Complete and submit the music theory worksheets via Schoology. The wordsearches are something fun for you to do and do not need to be returned.
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, beginning Friday, March 20. . Programming will start at 7 pm Friday and Saturdays, 1 pm Sunday – Thursday, Eastern.
- List of live virtual concerts during the Coronavirus shutdown.
NEWS OF NOTE:
- LHS bagpipe information – If you are interested in receiving information regarding playing the bagpipes at Liberty text @piping2020 to the number 81010.
- Any individuals who are interested in auditioning for or joining any of our auxiliary units (majorettes, bagpipes and colour guard) to please be patient. Realistically, auditions may not occur until summertime or early fall. I know many of our rising 8th graders would like a definitive answer but at this time we have none and it would be irresponsible for me to give one.
Stay well and stay safe
Mr. Long
- 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:
May 4 Orchestra & Jazz Spring Concert 7 PM
May 12 NIMAS General Membership meeting 7:30 PM
May 20 Spring Band Concert 7 PM
June 3 NIMAS General Membership meeting 7:30 PM
June 4 Moving up ceremony 6 PM
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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.