- Middleborough Public Schools
- NMS Extended Learning
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Greetings Nichols Middle School Families,
As we continue on this unprecedented journey together, I hope this note finds you safe, happy, and healthy.
For those that don’t know, I am a huge Walt Disney fanatic. I have always been drawn to his imagination, innovative approach to life, and sense of wonder. No idea was too big for him and there was no problem that couldn’t be solved.
In fact, I’ve always been inspired by one of his quotes, which reads, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
I am not sure if you’d agree with me that this quote applies 100% to the journey we’re presently on together, but I think it does. I feel like as a district, and more specifically,, as a school community, we’ve been asked to do what seems like the impossible. Prior to three weeks ago, remote learning was a term few of us had ever thought about. Now, it’s a term forever etched in our minds.
However, we ALL were presented with this “impossible” challenge and together are making it work. I am so inspired by the work of our district administrators, teachers, custodians, administrative assistants, cafeteria workers, and everyone else that has pulled together in innovative ways to ensure our students continue to receive an education, even if it is virtually.
I am most impressed by the resiliency of our students and the dedication of our families. There is nothing easy about what you are doing at home. Motivating your children and getting them to engage in their education remotely I’m sure is no easy task. But, you are doing it and I am so impressed and appreciative.
As stated in a previous message to you all, we have updated our extended learning program.
Over this past week our faculty and staff have collaborated to develop a more comprehensive extended learning plan. This new plan represents an effort to be more aligned from grade to grade in each subject. This plan also represents an effort to be more balanced in our suggestions for the use of technology, project based learning, social emotional learning and enrichment. Lastly, our plan has detailed steps to ensure equity and inclusion for all students.
At the start of each week you will receive a grade level plan that will outline your child’s virtual learning opportunities with each of your child’s teachers, as well as the times they will be available throughout the week via email (Office Hours). You will also be able to access this through the District Website by clicking here https://www.middleboro.k12.ma.us/Page/5735. In addition, you can expect to hear from your child's teacher via their Google Classroom first thing every Monday morning. This correspondence will include your teachers assignments and expectations of your child in each particular class for the week.
Our priority as educators is to engage our students. However, this is a collaborative effort. Please provide feedback to your child's teacher about the weekly/daily plans as we move forward. There is very little we will be able to do successfully without you as parents and guardians on board. We know the challenges you are facing and we want to be responsive to your needs, so please do not hesitate to reach out, we will be adjusting this plan each week based on the level of engagement and feedback we receive.
If you do not hear from your child's teacher by Monday morning please email me directly.
Our plan and guiding principles were developed in accordance with the guidance provided from DESE.
Guiding Principles
- Our number one priority is student engagement, and the physical and mental well being of our students and families.
- We do not expect our extended learning to replicate or replace learning that takes place during the traditional school day.
- We will seek to offer meaningful, fun, engaging and productive learning opportunities that will take approximately half the length of the regular school day.
- We will provide opportunities for students to connect directly with teachers multiple times per week.
- Teachers will provide feedback to students on work submitted but we will not be grading work.
- We will focus on reinforcing skills already taught this year and giving opportunities to apply and deepen those skills. We will not be teaching new concepts.
- We will include opportunities for physical activity and enrichment such as art and music.
- We will offer a wide variety of learning opportunities that will be consistent across grade levels and classes and will include both the use of online resources and activities that do not require a computer.
- All teachers and special education staff will be working to ensure equity of access for all students.
Remember, we are ALL Tigers! Show us your stripes!
All my best!
Gregory Thomas
Principal
John T. Nichols Jr. Middle School
Extended Learning Information by Grade Level
District Online Resources for Grades 6-8
Resources by Content Area
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English Language Arts
Sora - ebooks available for all MPS students and teachers free of charge. Students can log-in with student Google username and password.
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Health
- EverFi - Healthy Choices for Life
- Project Here Games - Games about mindfulness, decision making and avoiding dangerous activities.
- Heads Up Scholastic - Lots of great articles on health related causes.
- Tobacco Prevention Toolkit - A resource for parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of tobacco.
- TeensHealth - Information about health, growth, and emotions for teens.
- TEDEd - Animations to help one understand all sorts of things about health.
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Mathematics
SolveMe - Use logic to solve visual, interactive mathematical puzzles. Create your own puzzles to share with your friends or the SolveMe Community.
Prodigy - Prodigy is a zero-cost, adaptive math platform used by more than 1.5 million school leaders and teachers, and 50 million students around the world. With 1,500+ math skills, it offers curriculum-aligned content from every math strand and covers 1st to 8th grade.
MathTV - MathTV is the Netflix of online learning. This website is home to 10 thousand free math videos covering topics such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. However, their “Basic Math” topic will be most relevant for middle school students.
PBS Math Club - This collection of videos is aligned to the Common Core Standard for 6th to 9th grade, covering topics from integers and equations to negative numbers and statistics.
Math is Fun - A simple yet fun resource to help engage students while learning math. The content covers topics including data, geometry, numbers, money, algebra, calculus, physics, and measurement. In addition to exercises, teachers can also direct their students to the game, puzzle, and activity sections of the website.
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Music
- A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
- San Francisco Symphony for Kids
- Classics for Kids
- Compose your own music on the following apps:
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Physical Education
- Mrs. Enos' Social Distancing Challenges
- Ms. Rich's Social Distancing Challenges
- Mind and Body Calendar for March
- Fitness made fun by turning a deck of cards into fitness games you and your family can enjoy!
- REFIT YouTube Channel for workout ideas.
- YogaEd YouTube Channel
- Sworkit (Simply Work IT) free workout app
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Science
Bill Nye - Using YouTube students can access thousands of videos created by “Bill Nye”. This link one can be used to access comprehension questions associated with the various episodes.
BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology. Students can access BrainPop through ClassLink.
Earth Science Week - Classroom Activities, categorized by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
HowStuffWorks - Explains thousands of topics, ranging from the flu to black holes to conspiracy theories, with video illustrations so you can learn how stuff works.
NASA Kids - Various learning activities in the science content area.
PBS - NOVA - library of online videos on various science-related topics.
PhET - 958 million simulations in the area of Physics, Chemistry, Math, Earth Science, and Biology
The Physics Classroom - Website which provides classroom tutorials, Physics Interactives, Concept Builders, Physics Video Tutorials, Multimedia Physics Studios, etc.
Smithsonian - Learn fun stuff online through the Simthsonian.
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Yearbook Fun!!
Are you looking for some fun enrichment and would be interested in helping Mrs. Walgreen complete some blank pages in the yearbook? Here are some ideas you can do to help get our 2020 yearbook completed while we are not in school. Mrs Walgreen relies on photos of students to fill the pages and tell a story of how our year is going at NMS. Due to the COVID-19 virus that has taken over our communities and our world, we are unable to get photos of activities such as spring sports, March Madness, and Spring Fling. Here is how you can help. You can take photos at home of activities you are doing to keep busy. What kinds of activities do you ask? Do you play an instrument, exercise, cook, help with chores, paint, draw, read, play with your siblings or pets, play games, clean or organize your room, or sew.
Send your pictures through the app or website below.
Download the HJeShare app
or go to www.hjeshare.com
Enter our school code (case sensitive): Nichols20
Other ideas are listed below that you can write about or take a photo of and send to Mrs. Walgreen. dwalgreen@middleboro.k12.ma.us
- Netflix queue - What have you been watching?
- Bookworm - What books are you reading?
- Show us your home study area.
- Hobby master - Are you crafting? Puzzles?
- Pets (Feature on how pets feel about their family being home with them all day!)
- Tips on how to survive with your siblings during forced family time.(How do they share computers, screentime, etc...)
- Must-have items in your secret survival stash (Doritos? Diet Coke?)
- How are you staying healthy? Are you exercising?
- What is the best thing you are taking from this experience?
- What did you or your parents panic-shop for? Where did you shop?
- How are you filling in some of your free time? How are you staying connected to other people for your social and emotional health?
- March Madness Dress-up days! Take a picture of yourself celebrating March Madness while we are not in school.
Pajama day Monday
Green or Black/Orange Tiger Tuesday
Way Back Wednesday
College Thursday
Fun Sock Friday
**Only school and yearbook appropriate material will be considered for use.
Thank you and stay safe!
Mrs. Walgreen