Northley Weekly Bulletin 1-16 to 1-20

January 13, 2017

Northley Website

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope you have all had a productive and peaceful week. We have had some exciting news here at Northley. Six of our 6th grade students won Verizon's App Challenge - Best in State. We were one of two schools selected in Pennsylvania and the only middle school. They are now moving on to the next level which includes a Fan Favorite contest. We are asking that you support our team as they work toward this prize. You can read more details below.

Our wrestling team is 4 - 0 in competitions this year. They have a strong group of students who are focused both academically and athletically. Please come out and support all of our winter sports teams. (swimming, basketball, and wrestling)

As we begin the new year, it is always good to remember our Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS) motto: Be Respectful, Be Ready, and Be Responsible. We make daily announcements to students about appropriate actions within each area. As part of our ongoing collaboration, take a minute to discuss what your child can do to fulfill each area. Here are a couple of specific areas:

Be Respectful - You can discuss keeping their hands to themselves. This is anything from public displays of affection (PDA) to roughhousing (play punching) with friends and acquaintances.

Be Ready - You can review their sleeping habits (including media use at night) to ensure that they are alert and ready to learn throughout the day. (See the Guidance section below)

Be Responsible - You can discuss how to complete their nightly school tasks and organize them in their backpack.

Lanny Blair, II, Principal

Northley Middle School

2801 Concord Road

Aston, PA 19014

610-497-6300 X 3400

Encourage, Empower, Excel

Northley Weekly Bulletin ~ January 16th - 20th, 2017

Monday January 16th Day	Martin Luther King Holiday School and Offices Closed NO GAMES SCHEDULED FOR TODAY
Tuesday January 17th Day 1	*DON'T HATE COMMUNICATE WEEK* Be a Hero - dress as a superhero Student Council meeting ~ 3:00 p.m. , Room 110 Art Club grades 7th & 8th, ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Room 8 PBiS Pretzel Sale, $1.00, ~ 2:55 p.m., Lobby Northley Robotics Club ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Room 6 Northley Honor Society ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Room 126 3:30/4:30 8/7 Girls Basketball vs. Ridley (home) 3:30/4:30 8/7 Boys Basketball vs. Ridley (away)
Wednesday January 18th Day 2	*DON'T HATE COMMUNICATE WEEK* Community Heroes day - wear red, white and blue PBiS Student Committee ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Room 202 Honors Choir ~ 3:00 -3:30 p.m., Choir room. Drama Club ~ 3:00 - 5:00 Small Group, Auditorium 3:30 Swimming vs. Westtown School (home) @ Northley Pool 3:45 Wrestling vs. Paxon Hollow (home)
Thursday January 19th Day 3	*DON'T HATE COMMUNICATE WEEK* Team Up Against Bullying Day - wear sports attire PBiS Pretzel Sale, $1.00, ~ 2:55 p.m., Lobby Jazz Band ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Band Room Science Olympiad ~ 3:00 - 3:45 p.m., Room 6 Environmental Club ~ 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., Library Drama Club ~ 3: 00 - 3:30 Full Cast, Choir Room 3:30 - 5:30 Selected Cast, Choir Room 3:30/4:30 7/8 Girls Basketball vs. ETR (home) 3:30/4:30 7/8 Boys Basketball vs. ETR (away)
Friday January 20th Day 4	*DON'T HATE COMMUNICATE WEEK* Keep the Peace day - Wear tie dye Drama Club ~ 3:00 - 5:00 Selected Cast Members, Auditorium 3 :45 Wrestling vs. ETR (away)

Upcoming Events

01/16 Martin Luther King Holiday schools and offices closed

01/17-20 DON'T HATE COMMUNICATE WEEK

02/17 Teacher in Service ~ no school for students

02/20 Presidents Day schools and offices closed

02/27 Spring sports meeting

6th Grade wins "BEST in STATE" for Verizon App Challenge!!!!

Northley is excited to announce that a team of our 6th grade students won Best in State for the Verizon App Challenge, a national competition. The student team was the only middle school team recognized in Pennsylvania with this award. The Verizon App Challenge received more than 1,800 applications in this highly competitive contest.

We are very proud of the following student winners for winning Best in State:

Nate Brooks	Emma Wood
Snaeha George	Tori Burgos
Katelynn Strehle	Julia Dinicola

The students' app concept is a gardening app to help people learn how to grow and take care of their gardens. The application has won $5000 for the school, a Verizon Ellipsis tablet for each team member, a recognition plaque and banner for the school, and other prizes. As a Best in State winner, the team is eligible to enter the Fan Favorite contest, in which people across the country vote for their favorite app concept. Part of this next round will include a voting campaign throughout the Penn Delco district and the county. We will fill you in the appropriate steps for voting in next week's bulletin.

Thank you in advance for your support and congratulations again to our Best in State student winners.

Please click the following link to view the commercial the

students' created for their app Garden Aid.

Green Ridge Memorial Unit of t he American Legion Auxiliary Americanism Essay Contest

Contest rules and required documentation are posted on our community bulletin board and may be accessed at the following link: Essay Contest The contest is open to all grades.

Northley Yearbooks

Place your Northley Yearbook order by January 31, 2017 to get the early bird price of just $16.00. Students should return their yearbook order form to their homeroom teacher. Pay by cash, check (made payable to NMS) or online with a credit card.

All orders after February 1, 2017, will be online only, and at the regular price of $20.00. To order online anytime, visit www.barksdalephoto.com , click "online orders," click "continue" and enter 01047YB as the password.

Don't miss out on the memories, order today for the best price!

Attention Parents and Athletes,

In an effort to provide information about athletic scholarships and the college recruiting process, Dynamite Sports has been invited to conduct an hour long seminar entitled "Guiding the College-Bound Athlete" on Monday, Feb., 6, 2017, at 7:30 p.m., in the Sun Valley H.S. Auditorium.

All of our prospective college-bound athletes and their parents should attend this informative and entertaining event. And although it is NOT mandatory it is recommended for every athlete that is considering playing college sports to attend along with their parents. Middle school families are also encourage to attend. This seminar will help our parents become more knowledgeable and REALISTIC about athletic scholarships and the recruiting process.

Please see the attached flyer for information about your prospective college-bound athletes.

Student Contest Corner for January 2017

Listed here are monthly contests for our students to participate in that offer extra enrichment in a variety of subjects and challenge students' writing, research, and multi-media skills!

Many offer cash student prizes and awards. These contests are optional and can be submitted on your own or also through your teachers. We hope you will take this opportunity to compete academically both locally and on a national level.

Wonder where your student's assignments are?

To access student assignments please click the following links:

6th Grade

7th Grade Blue 7th Grade Gold

8th Grade

Giant A+ School Rewards

We will continue this year with the Giant A+ School Rewards. Please make sure to use ID#23658. To view the sign up form, please click here.

Calling All Curious Minds & Problem Solvers

The 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

is Now Open!

The search is on for America's 2017 Top Young Scientist. Could it be your student? Students in grades 5 through 8 across the country are encouraged to submit their big idea to solve a real-world problem for the chance to work one-on-one with a 3M Scientist and win $25,000!

Click here to enter now.

As the nation's premier science competition for students in grades 5 through 8, the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge encourages them to explore scientific concepts found in everyday life and creatively communicate their solutions to improve lives in their communities and around the world.

Entering is easy as 1-2-3! Students should...

1. Identify a real-world problem they are passionate about

2. Brainstorm a solution to the problem

3. Film a short 1-2 minute video and submit it for the chance to bring their idea to life

Encourage Your Students to Start Early

It's never too early to start innovating! Encourage your students to use time over winter break to brainstorm their idea and challenge them to submit their entry before the April 19, 2017 deadline.

Attendance Procedure for Family Education Trips:

Please note that family educational trips requests are required to be sent to the main office at least one week prior to the student's absence for approval by the Principal. Family educational trips WILL NOT BE APPROVED during the PSSA/PASA testing window. Once given administrative approval, a "Trip Note" will be issued from the principal. The student must have all teachers sign indicating that they are aware of the planned educational trip and the "Trip Note" must be returned to the office for use as an absence note. A maximum of 5 days of absence will be excused as a result of this process. Any additional absences associated with the trip will be unexcused. The student is responsible for all work missed during the trip. Information on District policy #204 can be found on page 36 in the Northley Student/Parent Handbook or on the district website. Click Student/Parent Handbook to access the handbook

Attendance Procedure:

Please note that beginning this year, ALL Parent/Guardian of absent students will receive an automated call informing them of their child's absence from school, regardless if you called to report the absence on the attendance line. In order for an absence to be excused, you will need to present either a signed parent note or doctor's note within three days of returning to school. If a note is not received within the 3 days, the absence will remain unexcused. If your child has a late arrival or an early dismissal, a signed parent or doctor's note is required upon return.

NMS Environmental Club:

Northley Environmental Club is collecting used laser toner and inkjet printer cartridges and cell phones. We recycle them appropriately and earn money for them. Please send them in to Mr. Siegel. We appreciate your support!

"The Guidance Corner"

Tips for 8th Grade Success

Sometimes, we find students are falling asleep during class, causing them to miss important information and instruction! Why is this? Teenage years are the most crucial years for hormone development, which can affect sleep patterns! Children's internal clocks, called circadian rhythms, shift slightly around the time they go through puberty, As a parent, what can you do to help your child get the required amount of sleep per night (9 hours!), which in turn helps their brain growth and mature? Here are some tips!

Take away electronic devices at the same time each night
Disconnect the internet at a certain time each night
Get your child an alarm clock that isn't on their phone
Don't let your child drink caffeine in the afternoon or too much liquids before bed
Encourage your child to turn off their TVs at night
Only allow your child to take a 30 minute nap after school and only if needed
Try to have your child go to bed and wake up around the same time each day and night! Teenagers need routines!
Prioritize sleep! We know teenage schedules are crazy with sports and school work, but make going to bed at the same time each night a priority!
Encourage your child to avoid drugs and alcohol during this difficult time of peer pressure! These toxins interfere with sleep patterns, along with other issues.
Lastly, make a doctor's appointment if you feel your child is overly tired and having trouble sleeping!

_____________________________________________________________

PBiS ( Positive Behavior intervention Support)

The new year is always a time to start fresh! During our first week back from break, students and staff reviewed all areas of the Viking Vision and expectations that go along with them. One area that we are emphasizing this month is the use of backpacks. Students are expected to follow these behaviors when it comes to their backpacks:

Be Respectful-

* Place in designated area

* Pack backpack when teacher dismisses class

Be Responsible-

* Keep only necessary items in your backpack

* Keep hands to yourself and backpack on back (avoid touching others' backpacks)
Be Ready-

* Keep only necessary items in your backpack

* Keep hands to yourself and backpack on back (avoid touching others' backpacks)

By following the three R's for backpacks, students can earn extra punches on their new bookmarks! That means earning those positive rewards even sooner!

Northley Middle School | 2801 Concord Road, Aston, PA | 610-497-6300 | Website