Middle School Happenings
April 2016
April was packed full with PSSA testing. Each day, students received motivational treats before facing the test. For example, one day students received Mounds bars and were encouraged to “show off the Mounds of knowledge” in their heads. In addition, students who worked hard and employed test taking strategies during the testing sessions were rewarded through our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports.
With PSSAs behind us, in math we are focusing on areas of need to work towards mastery. Algebra 1 students have been working to ensure they are confident for the upcoming Keystones. They have studied radical and rational expressions and will be covering box and whisker plots before they take the exam. If students pass this exam, they will receive high school credit for Algebra 1. All other math students are learning important concepts to be prepared for their next course of instruction.
In social studies, seventh grade students recently had the opportunity to learn about the Middle East. While studying this part of the world, students were able to Skype with Megan Walck, who currently resides in United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Melinda Martin, a Northern Potter Alumni, living in Jordan (Amman). Students compared and contrasted the two vastly different countries in the Middle East.
Eighth grade students continue to learn the geography and various contributions that the people of Pennsylvania have made to the rest of the world. Students, through the PA Geo Alliance, were able to participate in a two-day mapping activity where they had the opportunity to explore Pennsylvania and interact on a large scale map of PA. Students had to do this activity in the New Gym as the map is bigger than the traditional classroom.
Science 8 students have completed their unit related to Plate Tectonic concepts by studying volcanism and mountain building. They have now started a unit that involves the study of basic astronomy including stars, galaxies, the solar system, comets, meteors, and asteroids.
Science 7 students are studying Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians. They will soon study Biomes and Ecosystems, including populations and ecological communities. Following that, they will study Birds and Mammals focusing on various systems including the Digestive, Muscular, Skeletal, and Circulatory.
In English, the Vocab.com challenge continues! In January, we ranked 4th in the state. In February, we finished in 8th. In March, we again placed 4th. In April, our rank in the state was 6th. For our class challenge in April, students were competing in each class section to see who could master the most words in the month. Winners of the challenge for April in eighth grade are Caitlyn Magarigal, Jordan McClellan, Savannah Herring, Hannah Mull, Austin Wheater, Hope Porcuri, Jamie Vandegriff, and Mitchell Perovich. In seventh grade, the winners are Audrianna Torrey, Ryan Langworthy, Carter Anderson, Megan Byron, Chris Gibble, and Timmy Porcuri.
In English 7, students are finishing a unit on poetry. They will soon finish and move on to a more advanced study of fiction, in which they will reassess on standards they haven’t mastered, and continue to work through the remainder of the standards within the fiction literature unit.
In English 8, students are working with elements of nonfiction and are continuing to use research methods throughout the unit. They will also be assessed on speaking standards as they deliver a presentation.
In addition to working towards mastery in the content areas, we have also worked with students on life lessons, careers, and making positive choices. In an attempt to warn students of the negative impacts of tobacco use, on Friday, April 29th, we had a guest speaker discuss tobacco use and its dangers with the middle school students. Mrs. Eckenrode is also working to schedule future guest speakers to provide information on careers.
The year is quickly winding down, and we are working hard to help our student strive towards reaching their goals and achieving mastery in their courses. We are hoping to see a strong finish to our first year as Northern Potter Middle School!
March 2016
Greetings from Northern Potter Middle School! We have been very busy in the past month working on a variety of academic projects, as well as service and character building activities. We have many accomplishments to report that make us proud of our students.
Currently, all Middle School students are participating in a Penny War. We are collecting the money to be donated to the Arnot Ogden Medical Center’s NICU for the Children’s Miracle Network Radio-thon. We specifically chose this organization, as it is near and dear to us. Mrs. Hamilton knows first-hand about the great and life-sustaining services that are provided in the NICU. We set a goal of $590 for our Middle School Penny War, which is the weight in grams that Marian, Mrs. Hamilton’s daughter, was at birth. Each den is competing against each other to have the most points, with pennies counting positively and silver and dollars counting negatively against the Den. Students are driven by the competition. However, they are also learning to be charitable and to help others in need. We will wrap up our Penny War on March 9th. Mrs. Hamilton will deliver the money to the NICU on behalf of the Northern Potter Middle School family.
Another activity in which we are proud of our students is Vocabulary.com. In January, we started using the online program to encourage independent vocabulary practice with our students. Mrs. Pomeroy has been tracking points for a monthly competition between her students. The winners of the February challenge were seventh graders, Audrianna Torrey, Zachary Wright, Caleb Crawford and Megan Byron, and eighth graders, Jordan McClellan, Dani Perry, Hope Porcuri, and Alyssa Hoopes. In addition, Vocabulary.com has a challenge that is ranked by state and also in the nation. The challenge is to master the most words, which means that each word is assessed in a variety of ways and must be correctly identified in a minimum of six different questions. The number of questions per word varies based upon the number of definitions each given word has. Vocabulary.com has notified us that we ranked in the top ten schools for words mastered in Pennsylvania in both, January and February. Students have been working hard to increase their vocabulary knowledge in all content areas. As of January, they have mastered 6,098 words with vocabulary.com. We are very proud of their accomplishments.
Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. LaBarron, and Mrs. Pomeroy recently had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Association of Middle Level Educators State Conference in State College. It was an empowering conference to attend and reinforced for us that our middle school model is what is absolutely best for our students. We listened to three powerful keynote speakers. One of the speakers was Manny Scott who was one of the students who inspired the novel and movie, Freedom Writers. He spoke to us about making sure that every student has someone to trust in and to make sure we encourage, rather than to discourage, our students. We also heard from Dr. Janet Rose Wojtalik who gave a talk entitled “ Reaching and Teaching Girls: It takes a Village”. In her talk, Dr. Wojtalik encouraged us to make sure we are delivering the right message to our female students and helping them to see that the message the media delivers about what they should or should not be or do is not the best message. Dr. Kathy Harrington also led an empowering keynote speech in which she made us get out of our comfort zones and encouraged us that we really have two options in our classroom: “We can be boring, or we can be ridiculous.”
In addition to attending keynote speakers’ talks, we also participated in many breakout sessions. These included workshops on grading practices, differentiating instruction, content specific strategies, ways to go paperless, how to develop character education, and many others. We attended a workshop on Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch as well. We were able to see the criteria needed to be designated as a School to Watch and we had the opportunity to ask questions. We also heard from administrators who had been designated, and were able to have insight from them about their experiences with the process. We learned that we are on the right track to receive this designation, and will be eligible to apply with three years of data collection from our Middle School.
Another highlight from the conference was that we were able to attend a table-top discussion session. We spent about an hour of time with one of the School’s to Watch former program directors, Dave Brown. Brown is also the author of What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know. With Brown and four other middle level teachers, we were able to talk about what we have done with our Middle School and to receive feedback from them. It was a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm that what we are doing is what is best, but also empowered us to see that while what were our doing in our middle school is new, innovative, and challenging, it is the direction that education is heading. We heard time and again, that we jumped in with both feet and that we are doing something that is inspirational. Dave Brown requested and encouraged us to present at next year’s conference.
Back in our academic setting, we are currently working through our final round of CDTs for the year. These tests show us what skills we need to work on with individual students and also give us an idea of how students will perform on the PSSA testing. PSSAs are rapidly approaching and we have been working with our students on tips and strategies to be ready for them.
In Den, we have continued to work on team building and character development. We have worked on career interests and awareness, listening comprehension skills, critical thinking skills, and personal growth. We have also participated in a rocket building challenge, and we will test rockets in the spring.
Math 7 students are learning about how geometry can help us describe real-world objects. They are learning about angle relationships, triangles, scale drawing and models, and 3D figures. Math 8 students are reviewing exponent properties and learning about using scientific notation to represent numbers. We are also discussing exponential growth and decay function and how compound interest impacts the cost of cars, homes, and any other types of loans. We are also discussing how compound interest can work to your favor in investments and savings accounts. In both, Math 7 and 8, we are all getting excited to celebrate Pi Day on March 14th! Students will be exploring circles during in-class activities. We are also having a pi chain competition, digits of pi memorization competition, and will enjoy eating some pie too!
Social studies students in the 7th grade recently celebrated Mardi Gras and French culture around the world. Students are currently working on an Instagram project as they tour through Russia. 8th grade social studies students recently finished a unit on the Holocaust, which was a cross-curricular unit with the English Language Arts course, and we will begin studying Pennsylvania's role in the Civil War next.
In English 7, students have continued to study elements of fiction and nonfiction. We have also worked on improving writing skills and applying the conventions of language to writing. Students have shown increasing struggles with use of commas and writing complete sentences. We continue to work through these areas to strengthen the overall quality of written communication. In English 8, students have recently read the play The Diary of Anne Frank in an Elements of Drama unit. We studied the background of the Holocaust in English and Social Studies 8. Students are using this background information, and are practicing narrative writing skills in their own Holocaust diaries. They are using what they have learned to imagine what it would have been like to be a victim of anti-Semitism. Next, students in English 8 will begin a nonfiction unit. We are also planning a cross-curricular day of instruction to incorporate Pi Day activities in the English classroom on March 14th.
In Science 7, students have been studying simple plants. They are now moving into the study of complex plants. Upon completion of this unit, we will move into the study of simple animals.
In Science 8, students are studying waters, glaciers, and deserts. We will then study earthquakes and volcanoes.
This six-week instructional term ends on March 11th. Parents can expect to see progress report cards on Monday, March 14th. As always, if you have any questions, please contact the middle school team.
February 2016
Greetings from the Northern Potter Middle School!
We have implemented a few new things to the middle school recently. The first is that we now have a school wide positive behavior cart. Students can use Roar tickets to buy items from the cart each week. Of course, students have the opportunity to save their tickets for our end of the quarter drawing as well, but the cart gives students a more immediate way to celebrate a positive behavior or attitude.
We have also started using vocab.com for cross-curricular vocabulary studies. We received notice that in a competition for the month of January, Northern Potter placed 4th in our state. Students are competing against each other while learning new words and many of them are enjoying it and having fun while learning.
In our classrooms, students are continuing to work towards mastery of standards. Social Studies has been in full swing since returning from the Holiday break. 7th grade social studies have learned two more continents, making a total of three so far this year. Students were able to explore Central America and listen to music from the islands. Some of our students have actually visited the islands or have had family members who have, and they enjoyed sharing their experiences. Currently, students are studying Central Europe. We are starting a unit on Mardi Gras and students will learn about the culture and influence of the French in Louisiana. Students will construct floats out of shoe boxes.
8th grade social studies students have been learning about the three branches of government and how they work. They have also been studying the Constitution and how the Judicial system works. Students have had the opportunity to look at primary sources including the case Miranda V. Arizona and the development of Miranda Rights. Students had to develop an argument as to whether they are for or against Miranda Rights and why.
We are celebrating 100 days of school in both classes. Students have been working together to create a list of 100 things that they have learned in Social Studies this year.
In math, students have recently completed a unit on ratios, rates, and proportions. Next, we will focus on percents and percent applications such as tax, tips, mark-ups, and simple interest. In eighth grade, we are working on writing linear equations and solving systems of linear equations. Students will be able to transfer this skill to solve any situations with two unknown quantities.
Science 8 students have been studying weathering and soils. Science 7 students are finishing a unit on human genetics. Next, they will learn about invertebrates.
In English, 7th graders are finishing a unit on elements of nonfiction. As they move out of that unit, students will begin to participate in a fiction study in literature circles. Students are using fiction materials at their independent reading levels. They will revisit standards they have not yet mastered in regards to fiction studies. They will also practice writing skills in this unit.
In English 8, students are finishing a unit on argumentative writing and persuasive speaking. Upon completion of that, students will learn about elements of drama and historical background of the Holocaust. We will then read the play, The Diary of Anne Frank.
The middle school has also signed up to participate in the Labels for Education program and we are pursuing the Box Top program from General Mills as well. Please send in box tops and labels for us. These will be used for our incentive program for our students.
January 2016
Happy New Year! We find ourselves returning from Christmas break with almost a full semester complete. While we have come a long way in implementing our middle school model, we know that we have more work to do to accomplish all of our goals. New Years tends to bring about reflection in all of us, so it seems an appropriate time for our students to reflect upon their personal progress towards their goals, as we as academic leaders also reflect upon our own goals within our classroom and within our middle school. With this in mind, we are asking our students to revisit goals they set in the beginning of the school year as well. Have they accomplished their goals? Have their goals changed? What do they need to do to meet their goals? Goal setting and reorganization are on the top of our agenda as we return to school.
Before break, students spent time assessing with the CDTs to give us an updated look at their progress. We will use this data along with their current progress on student’s mastery reports to guide us in our instruction. Parents, please remember you can access your child’s progress at anytime through Mastery Connect. If you do not have log-in information, please contact us so that we can assist you. You can also expect the next mastery report to come home with your child around February 1st.
Middle school students used Den time before break to work on holiday projects. Attached are pictures from some of our holiday door decorating with a cartoon character theme.
Upcoming topics you can expect to see students working on are as follows: In English 8, students will be moving toward learning argumentative writing and persuasive speaking. In English 7, students are working on making comparisons and organizations of writing. In social studies 7, students will continue to study geographical areas and 8th graders are learning about local and state governments. In math, 7th graders are continuing to work on ratios and proportions and 8th graders are working on linear functions. In science, 8th grade will study rocks and soils and 7th grade will study basic genetics.
We are looking forward to a successful second half of the school year!
December 2015
This year is flying by! It’s hard to believe it’s already December. We have had so many exciting things going on that time seems to slip away.
Parents should be seeing report cards for the second six-week term. These reports will provide an updated look at students’ progress in each of their courses.
In Den, we have been working on a variety of things. Currently, we are working on holiday ornaments to make our tree festive for the season. We will also participate in a holiday door decorating contest with a cartoon character theme. We are continuing to work on team building and communication activities. Students are identifying strengths and weaknesses and are working on helping others with their strengths and are developing areas of weakness to improve upon them. Other topics we have discussed are having a growth mindset, having intrinsic motivation, and placing value on things money cannot buy. Students have also made a grown-up Christmas list in which they placed value on qualities and characteristics rather than on possessions.
In courses, students have been busy working on many things as they continue to works towards mastery of standards. Students are currently participating in the second round of CDT testing for science, math, writing, and reading. We will use this data in comparison to the first round to determine growth of knowledge and progression of skills. This will also tell us what students need help with most on an individual and group level. Students will also take a second STAR reading assessment to see if they have increased their independent reading levels from the previous round of testing.
In English Language Arts, 7th graders have recently read Where the Red Fern Grows and have furthered their knowledge with elements of fiction. They will also learn to compare and contrast literature to film in this unit. English Language Arts 8 students have been working on a research project. As they wrap that up, we will move into a unit on persuasive techniques used in advertising, speech, and writing.
Math 7 students have continued to practice writing and solving equations. Another section of math students have worked with ratios and proportional analysis. In 8th grade math, students are graphing linear functions, while Algebra students are writing linear functions.
Science 8 students are studying mineral characteristics and identification. They will follow that with learning about types of rocks. In Science 7, students are studying cell processes, and next they will be studying genetics.
In social studies, 7th grade students are learning about our northern neighbor. 8th grade students are developing characters that they will follow through the Revolution.
In addition to course work, students have also helped to organize and host a fundraising Holiday Bazaar. We hosted craft and direct sales vendors and had a Chinese Auction and bake sale on December 5th. It was a huge success. Many vendors were impressed by our students’ willingness to help to unload and set up their materials, and we received many compliments about our event. We were able to raise just over $2000.00 in our fundraiser, and we are looking forward to holding another event in the future. We could not have done this without the support of the Northern Potter administrators and staff, the community, the numerous people who donated to our event, and the students and parents who graciously gave up their time to help us. We truly appreciate everything they did to make our first Holiday Bazaar a success. Thank you so much to everyone who played a hand in making our event profitable and enjoyable.
We wish all of our Northern Potter Middle School family a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!
November 2015
Northern Potter Middle School News
The Northern Potter Middle School students are continuing to progress towards mastery of standards. Parents received progress reports at the 6 week mark of the school year and will receive updates at each 6 week mark for the remainder of the school year. Additionally, parents who have provided their e-mail addresses have access to see students progress as often as they would like via an electronic log-in.
In ELA, 7th graders have learned the elements of a short story and have composed their own narratives. They will apply the elements they learned about a short fiction story to a fiction novel and compare and contrast short stories to novels. While we will read the novel together, students will participate in individual activities throughout that are based on their individual needs, as demonstrated by their current mastery status as well as their CDT data.
Some 8th grade students have finished reading a work of historical fiction, while others are finishing their reading of the novel. Students who are finished have researched a topic from the 1930’s, which is the time period of the novel we read, and are working through the research paper process. This includes learning MLA formatting, how to avoid plagiarism, how to write an informative essay, and how to organize writing.
Students in 7th grade social studies have been discussing and researching various Biomes and Ecosystems around the world. Students are also studying the major bodies of water found around the world. Students seem to be enjoying the mapping component of 7th grade Social Studies.
8th grade Social Studies students have been focusing on the theme of leadership. Students researched and created leadership profiles on individuals found throughout Pennsylvania’s history. Students recently wrapped up a unit about William Penn and his contributions to the state of Pennsylvania.
In 7th grade science, students are learning cell parts and functions for both plant and animal cells. 8th grade science students are learning basic concepts of matter including atoms, compounds, and mixtures.
In math, 7th grade students are finishing up the rational number operations unit and will soon be starting a unit on ratios and proportional relationships. Math 8 students are working on solving multi-step equations and graphing linear functions.
Dens have recently participated in a door decorating contest that combined a Halloween theme with breast cancer awareness. Mrs. Hamilton’s door was selected as the winner of the contest. In addition, members of Mrs. Hamilton's DEN have also been working on team building activities and have had discussions about how to be an effective team player whether in the classroom, at home, or on the sports field. Mr. Baker’s den is working on a bridge building project. Mr. Bryant’s den has worked on overcoming obstacles and dealing with the pros and cons each student experiences throughout the week. Mrs. Pomeroy’s students have been working on identifying strengths and weaknesses and how to turn weaknesses into strengths. They have also started a unit on making positive choices and the effects of making negative choices. Mrs. LaBarron’s students have become newspaper reporters and have written articles about each other as if they were 100 years old. They used an app to see what they would look like at 100 years of age. Mrs. Bailey’s den has revisited goal setting, and has also participated in communication and team building activities.
Middle school students also participated in decorating our halls to show school spirit during Homecoming week. They also created a float and participated in the Homecoming parade.
In other recent news, on Friday, October 30, middle school students attended Teen Conference at Coudersport High School. Students watched a magician and heard his story about making the most of the hand you are dealt in life. Students then participated in hands on learning workshops. They ended the day with a concert put on by a band based out of Bradford, PA. Our team was extremely proud of our students at the Teen Conference. They were great listeners and seemed to enjoy the trip.
We would also like to share that the Middle School will be hosting a Holiday Bazaar on December 5. We are holding a bake sale and a Chinese auction. In addition, we have vendors coming to sell their merchandise. We will offer gift wrapping services as well. This event will take place from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. All money raised from this event will be used for middle school activities. In order to be successful in this event, we are asking for donations of baked goods, Chinese auction donations, and gift wrapping supplies. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Mrs. Pomeroy. Also, if you know someone who would like to participate as a vendor, please have them contact us as well.
April was packed full with PSSA testing. Each day, students received motivational treats before facing the test. For example, one day students received Mounds bars and were encouraged to “show off the Mounds of knowledge” in their heads. In addition, students who worked hard and employed test taking strategies during the testing sessions were rewarded through our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports.
With PSSAs behind us, in math we are focusing on areas of need to work towards mastery. Algebra 1 students have been working to ensure they are confident for the upcoming Keystones. They have studied radical and rational expressions and will be covering box and whisker plots before they take the exam. If students pass this exam, they will receive high school credit for Algebra 1. All other math students are learning important concepts to be prepared for their next course of instruction.
In social studies, seventh grade students recently had the opportunity to learn about the Middle East. While studying this part of the world, students were able to Skype with Megan Walck, who currently resides in United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Melinda Martin, a Northern Potter Alumni, living in Jordan (Amman). Students compared and contrasted the two vastly different countries in the Middle East.
Eighth grade students continue to learn the geography and various contributions that the people of Pennsylvania have made to the rest of the world. Students, through the PA Geo Alliance, were able to participate in a two-day mapping activity where they had the opportunity to explore Pennsylvania and interact on a large scale map of PA. Students had to do this activity in the New Gym as the map is bigger than the traditional classroom.
Science 8 students have completed their unit related to Plate Tectonic concepts by studying volcanism and mountain building. They have now started a unit that involves the study of basic astronomy including stars, galaxies, the solar system, comets, meteors, and asteroids.
Science 7 students are studying Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians. They will soon study Biomes and Ecosystems, including populations and ecological communities. Following that, they will study Birds and Mammals focusing on various systems including the Digestive, Muscular, Skeletal, and Circulatory.
In English, the Vocab.com challenge continues! In January, we ranked 4th in the state. In February, we finished in 8th. In March, we again placed 4th. In April, our rank in the state was 6th. For our class challenge in April, students were competing in each class section to see who could master the most words in the month. Winners of the challenge for April in eighth grade are Caitlyn Magarigal, Jordan McClellan, Savannah Herring, Hannah Mull, Austin Wheater, Hope Porcuri, Jamie Vandegriff, and Mitchell Perovich. In seventh grade, the winners are Audrianna Torrey, Ryan Langworthy, Carter Anderson, Megan Byron, Chris Gibble, and Timmy Porcuri.
In English 7, students are finishing a unit on poetry. They will soon finish and move on to a more advanced study of fiction, in which they will reassess on standards they haven’t mastered, and continue to work through the remainder of the standards within the fiction literature unit.
In English 8, students are working with elements of nonfiction and are continuing to use research methods throughout the unit. They will also be assessed on speaking standards as they deliver a presentation.
In addition to working towards mastery in the content areas, we have also worked with students on life lessons, careers, and making positive choices. In an attempt to warn students of the negative impacts of tobacco use, on Friday, April 29th, we had a guest speaker discuss tobacco use and its dangers with the middle school students. Mrs. Eckenrode is also working to schedule future guest speakers to provide information on careers.
The year is quickly winding down, and we are working hard to help our student strive towards reaching their goals and achieving mastery in their courses. We are hoping to see a strong finish to our first year as Northern Potter Middle School!
March 2016
Greetings from Northern Potter Middle School! We have been very busy in the past month working on a variety of academic projects, as well as service and character building activities. We have many accomplishments to report that make us proud of our students.
Currently, all Middle School students are participating in a Penny War. We are collecting the money to be donated to the Arnot Ogden Medical Center’s NICU for the Children’s Miracle Network Radio-thon. We specifically chose this organization, as it is near and dear to us. Mrs. Hamilton knows first-hand about the great and life-sustaining services that are provided in the NICU. We set a goal of $590 for our Middle School Penny War, which is the weight in grams that Marian, Mrs. Hamilton’s daughter, was at birth. Each den is competing against each other to have the most points, with pennies counting positively and silver and dollars counting negatively against the Den. Students are driven by the competition. However, they are also learning to be charitable and to help others in need. We will wrap up our Penny War on March 9th. Mrs. Hamilton will deliver the money to the NICU on behalf of the Northern Potter Middle School family.
Another activity in which we are proud of our students is Vocabulary.com. In January, we started using the online program to encourage independent vocabulary practice with our students. Mrs. Pomeroy has been tracking points for a monthly competition between her students. The winners of the February challenge were seventh graders, Audrianna Torrey, Zachary Wright, Caleb Crawford and Megan Byron, and eighth graders, Jordan McClellan, Dani Perry, Hope Porcuri, and Alyssa Hoopes. In addition, Vocabulary.com has a challenge that is ranked by state and also in the nation. The challenge is to master the most words, which means that each word is assessed in a variety of ways and must be correctly identified in a minimum of six different questions. The number of questions per word varies based upon the number of definitions each given word has. Vocabulary.com has notified us that we ranked in the top ten schools for words mastered in Pennsylvania in both, January and February. Students have been working hard to increase their vocabulary knowledge in all content areas. As of January, they have mastered 6,098 words with vocabulary.com. We are very proud of their accomplishments.
Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. LaBarron, and Mrs. Pomeroy recently had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Association of Middle Level Educators State Conference in State College. It was an empowering conference to attend and reinforced for us that our middle school model is what is absolutely best for our students. We listened to three powerful keynote speakers. One of the speakers was Manny Scott who was one of the students who inspired the novel and movie, Freedom Writers. He spoke to us about making sure that every student has someone to trust in and to make sure we encourage, rather than to discourage, our students. We also heard from Dr. Janet Rose Wojtalik who gave a talk entitled “ Reaching and Teaching Girls: It takes a Village”. In her talk, Dr. Wojtalik encouraged us to make sure we are delivering the right message to our female students and helping them to see that the message the media delivers about what they should or should not be or do is not the best message. Dr. Kathy Harrington also led an empowering keynote speech in which she made us get out of our comfort zones and encouraged us that we really have two options in our classroom: “We can be boring, or we can be ridiculous.”
In addition to attending keynote speakers’ talks, we also participated in many breakout sessions. These included workshops on grading practices, differentiating instruction, content specific strategies, ways to go paperless, how to develop character education, and many others. We attended a workshop on Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch as well. We were able to see the criteria needed to be designated as a School to Watch and we had the opportunity to ask questions. We also heard from administrators who had been designated, and were able to have insight from them about their experiences with the process. We learned that we are on the right track to receive this designation, and will be eligible to apply with three years of data collection from our Middle School.
Another highlight from the conference was that we were able to attend a table-top discussion session. We spent about an hour of time with one of the School’s to Watch former program directors, Dave Brown. Brown is also the author of What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know. With Brown and four other middle level teachers, we were able to talk about what we have done with our Middle School and to receive feedback from them. It was a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm that what we are doing is what is best, but also empowered us to see that while what were our doing in our middle school is new, innovative, and challenging, it is the direction that education is heading. We heard time and again, that we jumped in with both feet and that we are doing something that is inspirational. Dave Brown requested and encouraged us to present at next year’s conference.
Back in our academic setting, we are currently working through our final round of CDTs for the year. These tests show us what skills we need to work on with individual students and also give us an idea of how students will perform on the PSSA testing. PSSAs are rapidly approaching and we have been working with our students on tips and strategies to be ready for them.
In Den, we have continued to work on team building and character development. We have worked on career interests and awareness, listening comprehension skills, critical thinking skills, and personal growth. We have also participated in a rocket building challenge, and we will test rockets in the spring.
Math 7 students are learning about how geometry can help us describe real-world objects. They are learning about angle relationships, triangles, scale drawing and models, and 3D figures. Math 8 students are reviewing exponent properties and learning about using scientific notation to represent numbers. We are also discussing exponential growth and decay function and how compound interest impacts the cost of cars, homes, and any other types of loans. We are also discussing how compound interest can work to your favor in investments and savings accounts. In both, Math 7 and 8, we are all getting excited to celebrate Pi Day on March 14th! Students will be exploring circles during in-class activities. We are also having a pi chain competition, digits of pi memorization competition, and will enjoy eating some pie too!
Social studies students in the 7th grade recently celebrated Mardi Gras and French culture around the world. Students are currently working on an Instagram project as they tour through Russia. 8th grade social studies students recently finished a unit on the Holocaust, which was a cross-curricular unit with the English Language Arts course, and we will begin studying Pennsylvania's role in the Civil War next.
In English 7, students have continued to study elements of fiction and nonfiction. We have also worked on improving writing skills and applying the conventions of language to writing. Students have shown increasing struggles with use of commas and writing complete sentences. We continue to work through these areas to strengthen the overall quality of written communication. In English 8, students have recently read the play The Diary of Anne Frank in an Elements of Drama unit. We studied the background of the Holocaust in English and Social Studies 8. Students are using this background information, and are practicing narrative writing skills in their own Holocaust diaries. They are using what they have learned to imagine what it would have been like to be a victim of anti-Semitism. Next, students in English 8 will begin a nonfiction unit. We are also planning a cross-curricular day of instruction to incorporate Pi Day activities in the English classroom on March 14th.
In Science 7, students have been studying simple plants. They are now moving into the study of complex plants. Upon completion of this unit, we will move into the study of simple animals.
In Science 8, students are studying waters, glaciers, and deserts. We will then study earthquakes and volcanoes.
This six-week instructional term ends on March 11th. Parents can expect to see progress report cards on Monday, March 14th. As always, if you have any questions, please contact the middle school team.
February 2016
Greetings from the Northern Potter Middle School!
We have implemented a few new things to the middle school recently. The first is that we now have a school wide positive behavior cart. Students can use Roar tickets to buy items from the cart each week. Of course, students have the opportunity to save their tickets for our end of the quarter drawing as well, but the cart gives students a more immediate way to celebrate a positive behavior or attitude.
We have also started using vocab.com for cross-curricular vocabulary studies. We received notice that in a competition for the month of January, Northern Potter placed 4th in our state. Students are competing against each other while learning new words and many of them are enjoying it and having fun while learning.
In our classrooms, students are continuing to work towards mastery of standards. Social Studies has been in full swing since returning from the Holiday break. 7th grade social studies have learned two more continents, making a total of three so far this year. Students were able to explore Central America and listen to music from the islands. Some of our students have actually visited the islands or have had family members who have, and they enjoyed sharing their experiences. Currently, students are studying Central Europe. We are starting a unit on Mardi Gras and students will learn about the culture and influence of the French in Louisiana. Students will construct floats out of shoe boxes.
8th grade social studies students have been learning about the three branches of government and how they work. They have also been studying the Constitution and how the Judicial system works. Students have had the opportunity to look at primary sources including the case Miranda V. Arizona and the development of Miranda Rights. Students had to develop an argument as to whether they are for or against Miranda Rights and why.
We are celebrating 100 days of school in both classes. Students have been working together to create a list of 100 things that they have learned in Social Studies this year.
In math, students have recently completed a unit on ratios, rates, and proportions. Next, we will focus on percents and percent applications such as tax, tips, mark-ups, and simple interest. In eighth grade, we are working on writing linear equations and solving systems of linear equations. Students will be able to transfer this skill to solve any situations with two unknown quantities.
Science 8 students have been studying weathering and soils. Science 7 students are finishing a unit on human genetics. Next, they will learn about invertebrates.
In English, 7th graders are finishing a unit on elements of nonfiction. As they move out of that unit, students will begin to participate in a fiction study in literature circles. Students are using fiction materials at their independent reading levels. They will revisit standards they have not yet mastered in regards to fiction studies. They will also practice writing skills in this unit.
In English 8, students are finishing a unit on argumentative writing and persuasive speaking. Upon completion of that, students will learn about elements of drama and historical background of the Holocaust. We will then read the play, The Diary of Anne Frank.
The middle school has also signed up to participate in the Labels for Education program and we are pursuing the Box Top program from General Mills as well. Please send in box tops and labels for us. These will be used for our incentive program for our students.
January 2016
Happy New Year! We find ourselves returning from Christmas break with almost a full semester complete. While we have come a long way in implementing our middle school model, we know that we have more work to do to accomplish all of our goals. New Years tends to bring about reflection in all of us, so it seems an appropriate time for our students to reflect upon their personal progress towards their goals, as we as academic leaders also reflect upon our own goals within our classroom and within our middle school. With this in mind, we are asking our students to revisit goals they set in the beginning of the school year as well. Have they accomplished their goals? Have their goals changed? What do they need to do to meet their goals? Goal setting and reorganization are on the top of our agenda as we return to school.
Before break, students spent time assessing with the CDTs to give us an updated look at their progress. We will use this data along with their current progress on student’s mastery reports to guide us in our instruction. Parents, please remember you can access your child’s progress at anytime through Mastery Connect. If you do not have log-in information, please contact us so that we can assist you. You can also expect the next mastery report to come home with your child around February 1st.
Middle school students used Den time before break to work on holiday projects. Attached are pictures from some of our holiday door decorating with a cartoon character theme.
Upcoming topics you can expect to see students working on are as follows: In English 8, students will be moving toward learning argumentative writing and persuasive speaking. In English 7, students are working on making comparisons and organizations of writing. In social studies 7, students will continue to study geographical areas and 8th graders are learning about local and state governments. In math, 7th graders are continuing to work on ratios and proportions and 8th graders are working on linear functions. In science, 8th grade will study rocks and soils and 7th grade will study basic genetics.
We are looking forward to a successful second half of the school year!
December 2015
This year is flying by! It’s hard to believe it’s already December. We have had so many exciting things going on that time seems to slip away.
Parents should be seeing report cards for the second six-week term. These reports will provide an updated look at students’ progress in each of their courses.
In Den, we have been working on a variety of things. Currently, we are working on holiday ornaments to make our tree festive for the season. We will also participate in a holiday door decorating contest with a cartoon character theme. We are continuing to work on team building and communication activities. Students are identifying strengths and weaknesses and are working on helping others with their strengths and are developing areas of weakness to improve upon them. Other topics we have discussed are having a growth mindset, having intrinsic motivation, and placing value on things money cannot buy. Students have also made a grown-up Christmas list in which they placed value on qualities and characteristics rather than on possessions.
In courses, students have been busy working on many things as they continue to works towards mastery of standards. Students are currently participating in the second round of CDT testing for science, math, writing, and reading. We will use this data in comparison to the first round to determine growth of knowledge and progression of skills. This will also tell us what students need help with most on an individual and group level. Students will also take a second STAR reading assessment to see if they have increased their independent reading levels from the previous round of testing.
In English Language Arts, 7th graders have recently read Where the Red Fern Grows and have furthered their knowledge with elements of fiction. They will also learn to compare and contrast literature to film in this unit. English Language Arts 8 students have been working on a research project. As they wrap that up, we will move into a unit on persuasive techniques used in advertising, speech, and writing.
Math 7 students have continued to practice writing and solving equations. Another section of math students have worked with ratios and proportional analysis. In 8th grade math, students are graphing linear functions, while Algebra students are writing linear functions.
Science 8 students are studying mineral characteristics and identification. They will follow that with learning about types of rocks. In Science 7, students are studying cell processes, and next they will be studying genetics.
In social studies, 7th grade students are learning about our northern neighbor. 8th grade students are developing characters that they will follow through the Revolution.
In addition to course work, students have also helped to organize and host a fundraising Holiday Bazaar. We hosted craft and direct sales vendors and had a Chinese Auction and bake sale on December 5th. It was a huge success. Many vendors were impressed by our students’ willingness to help to unload and set up their materials, and we received many compliments about our event. We were able to raise just over $2000.00 in our fundraiser, and we are looking forward to holding another event in the future. We could not have done this without the support of the Northern Potter administrators and staff, the community, the numerous people who donated to our event, and the students and parents who graciously gave up their time to help us. We truly appreciate everything they did to make our first Holiday Bazaar a success. Thank you so much to everyone who played a hand in making our event profitable and enjoyable.
We wish all of our Northern Potter Middle School family a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!
November 2015
Northern Potter Middle School News
The Northern Potter Middle School students are continuing to progress towards mastery of standards. Parents received progress reports at the 6 week mark of the school year and will receive updates at each 6 week mark for the remainder of the school year. Additionally, parents who have provided their e-mail addresses have access to see students progress as often as they would like via an electronic log-in.
In ELA, 7th graders have learned the elements of a short story and have composed their own narratives. They will apply the elements they learned about a short fiction story to a fiction novel and compare and contrast short stories to novels. While we will read the novel together, students will participate in individual activities throughout that are based on their individual needs, as demonstrated by their current mastery status as well as their CDT data.
Some 8th grade students have finished reading a work of historical fiction, while others are finishing their reading of the novel. Students who are finished have researched a topic from the 1930’s, which is the time period of the novel we read, and are working through the research paper process. This includes learning MLA formatting, how to avoid plagiarism, how to write an informative essay, and how to organize writing.
Students in 7th grade social studies have been discussing and researching various Biomes and Ecosystems around the world. Students are also studying the major bodies of water found around the world. Students seem to be enjoying the mapping component of 7th grade Social Studies.
8th grade Social Studies students have been focusing on the theme of leadership. Students researched and created leadership profiles on individuals found throughout Pennsylvania’s history. Students recently wrapped up a unit about William Penn and his contributions to the state of Pennsylvania.
In 7th grade science, students are learning cell parts and functions for both plant and animal cells. 8th grade science students are learning basic concepts of matter including atoms, compounds, and mixtures.
In math, 7th grade students are finishing up the rational number operations unit and will soon be starting a unit on ratios and proportional relationships. Math 8 students are working on solving multi-step equations and graphing linear functions.
Dens have recently participated in a door decorating contest that combined a Halloween theme with breast cancer awareness. Mrs. Hamilton’s door was selected as the winner of the contest. In addition, members of Mrs. Hamilton's DEN have also been working on team building activities and have had discussions about how to be an effective team player whether in the classroom, at home, or on the sports field. Mr. Baker’s den is working on a bridge building project. Mr. Bryant’s den has worked on overcoming obstacles and dealing with the pros and cons each student experiences throughout the week. Mrs. Pomeroy’s students have been working on identifying strengths and weaknesses and how to turn weaknesses into strengths. They have also started a unit on making positive choices and the effects of making negative choices. Mrs. LaBarron’s students have become newspaper reporters and have written articles about each other as if they were 100 years old. They used an app to see what they would look like at 100 years of age. Mrs. Bailey’s den has revisited goal setting, and has also participated in communication and team building activities.
Middle school students also participated in decorating our halls to show school spirit during Homecoming week. They also created a float and participated in the Homecoming parade.
In other recent news, on Friday, October 30, middle school students attended Teen Conference at Coudersport High School. Students watched a magician and heard his story about making the most of the hand you are dealt in life. Students then participated in hands on learning workshops. They ended the day with a concert put on by a band based out of Bradford, PA. Our team was extremely proud of our students at the Teen Conference. They were great listeners and seemed to enjoy the trip.
We would also like to share that the Middle School will be hosting a Holiday Bazaar on December 5. We are holding a bake sale and a Chinese auction. In addition, we have vendors coming to sell their merchandise. We will offer gift wrapping services as well. This event will take place from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. All money raised from this event will be used for middle school activities. In order to be successful in this event, we are asking for donations of baked goods, Chinese auction donations, and gift wrapping supplies. If you would like to make a donation, please contact Mrs. Pomeroy. Also, if you know someone who would like to participate as a vendor, please have them contact us as well.
Middle School News by Mrs. Christina LaBarron
The middle school students and teachers have been working hard toward mastery of PA Core Standards. We are using a program called MasteryConnect to track students growth and progression toward mastering grade level standards. There are upcoming parent meetings on MasteryConnect and Middle School topics on October 26th at 3:15 in the middle and high school library and December 7, 2015 at 6:15 in the Children School library.
In DEN we have continued working on team building and communication skills. Students wrote their fall resolutions/goals and decorated the hallway bulletin board with them. Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. LaBarron and Mrs. Pomeroy’s DEN are writing newspaper articles about a classmate as if that classmate were 100 years old. The team building activities continue with activities like Train Wreck and Poisonous Spider Web. The middle school will also be working on a float for the Homecoming Parade on October 17th. The students will be directly involved in creating the floats for the parade. They will also participate in Spirit Week and the Pep Rally.
In ELA, 7th graders have been working on elements of fiction and of a short story. 8th graders have studied figurative language devices and are now reading a piece of historical fiction and are building on their research skills.
In Math, 7th graders have been working on order of operations, integer operations, and are now beginning a unit on expressions and equations. The 8th grade classes have been working on classifying and approximating rational and irrational numbers and just began a unit on solving linear equations and graphing linear functions.
In Science, 7th graders are studying classification and cell types. The 8th grade is studying map making, types of maps, and topographic maps specifically
The middle school students and teachers have been working hard toward mastery of PA Core Standards. We are using a program called MasteryConnect to track students growth and progression toward mastering grade level standards. There are upcoming parent meetings on MasteryConnect and Middle School topics on October 26th at 3:15 in the middle and high school library and December 7, 2015 at 6:15 in the Children School library.
In DEN we have continued working on team building and communication skills. Students wrote their fall resolutions/goals and decorated the hallway bulletin board with them. Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. LaBarron and Mrs. Pomeroy’s DEN are writing newspaper articles about a classmate as if that classmate were 100 years old. The team building activities continue with activities like Train Wreck and Poisonous Spider Web. The middle school will also be working on a float for the Homecoming Parade on October 17th. The students will be directly involved in creating the floats for the parade. They will also participate in Spirit Week and the Pep Rally.
In ELA, 7th graders have been working on elements of fiction and of a short story. 8th graders have studied figurative language devices and are now reading a piece of historical fiction and are building on their research skills.
In Math, 7th graders have been working on order of operations, integer operations, and are now beginning a unit on expressions and equations. The 8th grade classes have been working on classifying and approximating rational and irrational numbers and just began a unit on solving linear equations and graphing linear functions.
In Science, 7th graders are studying classification and cell types. The 8th grade is studying map making, types of maps, and topographic maps specifically