February 24, 2017

Dear Parents and Guardians,
 
I hope you are all taking advantage of the mild temperatures. As winter comes to and end and animals emerge from their hibernation, so too our students are energized by the longer days and the sun shine. What my 20+ years in education has taught me about the transition from winter to spring is that 1) students grow, mature, and fill out, 2) The clothes parents bought brand new in September no longer fit appropriately (long pants become capris, shorts become too short, shirts now show bellies and accentuate physical development, etc), and 3) while many students enjoy the additional attention that accompanies their development there are others that become self-conscious &/or embarrassed. Consequently, we ask that you help us avoid any unwanted attention by ensuring your child is dressed in compliance with our established dress code (See the Parent-Student handbook on the NMS webpage or this link http://www.pdsd.org/cms/lib6/PA01000989/Centricity/Domain/242/16-17%20Student%20Handbook%20with%20Policies.pdf). Parents of students found to be out of compliance will be asked to bring in a change of clothes and repeat offenders will be assigned additional discipline.
 
This week we celebrated College and Career week. We had the Neumann Knight out to cheer on our students as they left the building. We emphasized two themes throughout the week: "Northley is College Bound" and that we are "Career Focused and Future Driven." There were daily activities and prizes to focus students on their lives past both middle and high school.
 
We held our annual Spelling Bee today. Phoebe Smith was victorious beating out 41 other competitors along with runner up Kelsey Celestino. Phoebe will represent Penn-Delco at the District championship in a few weeks.
 
Don't forget that this coming Monday will be our Spring Sports assembly after school. Students interested in competing this spring will need to attend and fill out the appropriate paperwork. There are links below.
 
Finally, the NMS Volleyball Marathon will be held this coming Wednesday, March 1st. Monday is the final day for students to sign up. You should have received a flier earlier this week with more detail.
 
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend,
 
Lanny Blair, II, Principal
Northley Middle School
2801 Concord Road
Aston, PA 19014
610-497-6300 X 3400

Encourage, Empower, Excel
Northley Weekly Bulletin ~ February 27 to March 3, 2017



Monday
February  27th
Day 4 
Drama Club ~  3:00 - 4:00 Small Group, Auditorium
Math 24 Club meeting ~ 3:00 - 3:45 p.m., Room 205
7th Junior Honor Society ~ 3:00 - 4:30 p.m,. Room 128
Science Olympiad practice ~ 3:00 p.m. - 3:40 p.m., Room 6
Steel Pan Ensemble ~ 3:00 - 4;30 p.m., Room 4
Yearbook Club meeting ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Library 
Spring sports meeting, 3 p.m., Northley Gym
Tuesday
February 28th
Day 5
Art Club, 7th & 8th grade, ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m. , Room 8
PBiS Pretzel Sale, $1.00, ~ 2:55 p.m., Lobby
Science Olympiad practice ~ 3:00 p.m. - 3:40 p.m., Room 6
Student Council meeting ~ 3:00  p.m. , Room 110

Wednesday
March 1st
Day 6
Science Olympiad all day Regional Event @ Neumann University
PBiS Student Committee ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m. , Room 202
Drama Club ~ 3:00 - 4:00 Small Group, Auditorium
PTL General Meeting ~ 6:30 p.m., NMS Library
Volley Ball Marathon ~ 3:00 - 6:00 or later, NMS Gym

Thursday
March 2nd
Day 1
PBiS Pretzel Sale, $1.00,  ~ 2:55 p.m., Lobby
Jazz Band ~ 3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Band Room
Drama Club ~ 3:00 - 5:30 Full Cast, Auditorium
Northley Robotics Club ~  3:00 - 3:40 p.m., Room 6 
Enviromental Club ~ 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., Library
Friday
March 3rd
Day 2

Drama Club ~ 3:00 - 5:00 Small Group, Auditorium
Upcoming Events                          

3/07              10:48 Early Dismissal, Teacher in service day.
3/10               BLUE  AND GOLD SPIRIT DAY
3/17               SPIRIT DAY - wear Green
3/21               ROCK your SOCKS Day - wear crazy socks
3/23               Verizon App Recognition Event 1 p.m., NMS Auditorium
3/31               SPIRIT DAY ~ Decades Day - Pick a decade and wear it  
3/31-4/01       Northley Drama Club Presents "Once on this Island" 7 p.m., NMS Auditorium
Today, February 24, 2017, we held the Annual Northley Spelling Bee.  We had a total of 41 6 th , 7 th , and 8 th graders participate, spelling words like 'gnarled', 'conflagration', and 'austere'.  Our runner up was Kelsey Celestino  who misspelled her word in Round 18, the champion, Pheobe Smith spelled her Round 18 word correctly followed by the championship word 'nautilus' which she also spelled correctly for the win. 
SPRING Sports Announcement
MEETING MONDAY FEBRUARY 27TH


We would like to remind 7th and 8th grade families that our spring sports meeting for all Northley athletes is on Monday, February 27th.  

The meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. and will be over in time for athletes to ride the late bus.

*IMPORTANT*
 For the Pre-Season Coaches letter click 
here .

Please click the link for more information on Northley Athletics. 

It is important that all athletes submit a PIAA physical or Section 7 (fall/winter athletes) by March 6th.  The first day of practice is March 13th.
We look forward to meeting our athletes on Monday.  Go Vikings!
12th Annual Career Day
We are organizing our 12th annual Career Day, and we are always looking for new companies to collaborate with.  There is no better way to see what a career is like than to experience it first-hand! Check out a list of companies we have worked with in the past: NMS Job Sites.
If you work at a company that would be willing to welcome a group students for Career Day on April 7 to experience the "real world of work," please contact  on of the following counselors:  
                       6th grade Ms. Sayre at nsayre@pdsd.org or ext 3355
                       7th grade Mr. Siegel at ksiegel@pdsd.org or ext. 3332
                       8th grade Mrs. Crowley at gcrowley@pdsd.org or ext 3336
TEDx Youth Conference Applications

TEDx is hosting a youth event in Lancaster on June 17! The  TEDxYouth Conference Applications for speakers and performers  are due next week, March 4, 2017. Do you have an idea worth spreading or a performance worth sharing? The theme is "Moving Forward".  Review all the information about the application proposal  here . 
See Ms. Di Pietro with questions. 
Northley Yearbooks
 
Orders are 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!
Student Contest Corner for February 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.  
Money sent in or dropped off at school
When sending money into school with your child or dropping off at the office, please make sure it is in an envelope clearly labeled with Students name, Home Room , Student ID# and what the money is for (lunch, trip, fundraiser, etc.). It is appreciated if you would bring exact change as we do not always have change available.  Thank you!
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. 

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. 
  "The Counselor's Corner"

Recent and Upcoming Events
  • 8th Grade's Girls Group is officially up and running! If you'd like your child to participate, please contact Mrs. Crowley!
  • Scheduling is underway for the 2017-2018 school year!
  • Career Day Participants Wanted for 6th Grade Career Day on Friday, April 7, 2017 - Contact Ms. Sayre for more info at nsayre@pdsd.org
     
  • Academic goal setting meetings are on-going
  • Parents are being contacted to arrange collaborative Student Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) meetings if there child has a significant amount of unexcused absences
  • We are working with the teachers and administration to plan fun, interactive, and meaningful PSSA preparation activities
INFORMATION BOX!

Please click the following items for additional information.
Northley Middle School | 2801 Concord Road, Aston, PA | 610-497-6300 |  Website