NORTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Lancers LEAD Story
February 2025
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Dear Middle School Families,
Please enjoy this jammed pack Newsletter. We hope everyone can rest, rejuvenate and reenergize over February vacation.
NPS Strategic Planning- Your Input Needed!
I am excited to share that our district is developing a new Strategic Plan to guide the future of our schools. Similar to our current Vision 2026, the final plan will serve as a blueprint for all initiatives, priorities, and budgeting over the next three years. Most importantly, this plan will continue to strive to bring a bold vision about learning in a modern context and giving our students what they really need to be successful in an ever-changing world.
We strongly believe that family and community involvement is key to building a vision that reflects the needs of all students. We will be looking for the voices of all stakeholders- staff, students, parents, administrators, and community members- to contribute to this important process through focus groups, survey feedback, and/or serving on the Strategic Planning Committee.
Please take a few moments to share what you believe Norton Public Schools is doing well and what we can improve on as we begin this process. Tell us your hopes and dreams for your students and how we as a school community can develop a plan that will provide a quality educational experience. As part of this survey, you can also sign up to be a part of an upcoming focus group or to be a part of the Strategic Planning Committee.
This survey will be open until Sunday, February 23rd.
NPS Strategic Plan Survey
Be Safe and Be Well
Vincent M. Hayward, Principal
You can follow me on Twitter @NortonMiddle
 
NMS Annual Blacklight Dance was a huge success
We had just under 300 students attend
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Grade 7 Midway Carnival
The Halfway point of our time at NMS
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Margo Bridges in RUBIX CUBE CLUB….They have unveiled their latest puzzle, a well known figure especially in Puxatony Pennsylvania ... .can you guess who it is this month?? Congratulations to 6 Purple's Jayden Corbett whose design was chosen for the upcoming Black Light Dance! 300 glow-in-the-dark lanyards featuring Jayden's design will be 3D printed and sold as tickets to the dance in February. Great job, Jayden!
Kramer in ROBOTICS CLUB…. Mr Kramer’s Robotics club is winding down, kids are having fun trying to get their robot up the bridge. Great to see all the problem solving and trial and error going on LOVE IT!
 In TECH ED…
ART…..Miss Larson is doing a great job engaging the students and art work is yet again up for display in the hallway
 Art club ….What a great year in art club. Our final project was a snowman. Some of the members got quite creative and made some snow birds or creatures and some were right out of the movie Frozen
Stucal … Stucal has been busy since returning from the holiday break preparing for our annual spirit week, black light dance and Valentines day. Here’s a group of the 8th graders filling cups with prizes for a new idea…Poke a Heart. With the help of Mr Kramer some of the STUCAL members made the game.
  MR BRITO and MS MOTYL…. Had a great time with hockey this session as well as venturing into Ultimate Frisbee. By the way Mr. Brito and I are asking anyone who would like to donate a frisbee or 2 , it would be greatly appreciated
Please check out our latest NMS News Broadcast https://youtu.be/6HQWD9_RbWo
If your students are interested in hosting the news, it is open to all students; they just need to reach out to Mr Kramer….everything is pre recorded so the kids get plenty of practice before taping. It has been great seeing NEW faces in the broadcast booth!
In English classes, students in 8P have started their Amplify Emancipation Projects. The goal of the Emancipation Project is to “help students understand the power of reading through two lenses: as detective work, in which students must consider what’s left out of a text by analyzing the clues that currently exist in the text, and as liberation, in which students begin to understand that for Frederick Douglass and many others like him, freedom had to do with being able to write and having their stories read.”
In Science, students learned about the structure of DNA and its role in genetics. Students were able to extract DNA from a strawberry and viewed the DNA under a microscope.
In Social Studies, students just finished a unit on state government.They practiced developing their own laws and voted in class on whether they would pass or not. We will be starting our unit on local government, focusing on how local town governments function.
In Algebra, Students created stories based on concepts in the unit on exponential functions. These stories incorporated concepts including: compound interest, exponential decay and growth, radical expressions, and multiplication and division properties of exponents.
This month we are learning about Happiness and Myth Busting. After each lesson students are given a “Character Dare” to complete before the next lesson. The most recent dare was to
“Really listen during the day for someone who shares something positive and exciting or sad and difficult going on in their life and write it down. Follow up a day or 2 later and ask them a question about what you had heard to show them that you care.” Examples of this could include topics such as moving, a birthday, getting a new pet, or a challenge they are facing. The students have been challenging themselves to complete the dares.
8 White Science
To support understanding of cell division students completed a lab in which they used microscopes to observe onion root tip cells in various stages of mitosis.
8 White Math
Students journeyed to various islands as they completed their Algebraic Archipelago Projects. Popular destinations included Calculus Cay and Quadratic Cove.
 Social Studies
Did Honda violate copyright laws in making a commercial evoking James Bond? Each class participated in mock trials to better understand the trial process and most class juries found for the plaintiff, Honda! Students also played “Go Fish” to learn about some of the different jobs within a court.
8 White ELA
Was Frankenstein’s creature human? Students analyzed evidence, made a claim, and wrote an argumentative essay about whether the creature was human.
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It has been a very productive month for 7 Purple students. In Science class, students are continuing their study of rocks and weathering. They will also study the rock cycle and natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes and with the recent earthquake felt here in Norton, the timing couldn’t be better. English classes finished up their unit on A Christmas Carol followed by some grammar rules and writing complex sentences. Students quickly moved onto the Amplify based unit “Brain Science” and are currently learning about the amazing story of Phineas Gage. Math classes are working with distributive property and adding like terms.
The Algebra class is in a challenging chapter of piecewise functions and step functions. Soon, Math and Social Studies classes will be working on an interdisciplinary unit together. Social Studies classes just wrapped up two "mini-units" on Ancient Korea and Ancient Japan. In one activity, the students had to create an advertisement pretending they were samurai in Feudal Japan looking to be hired by a Daimyo (noble land owner) for protection. Students had to name their top qualities and be creative with their format and profile picture. Finally, they finished the "mini-units" with a Time Cover where students could pick their favorite topics and create a fake magazine cover! We have many talented students here on 7 Purple.
7 White ELA students completed Edgar Allen Poe’s Cask of Amontillado and are currently working on their poetry unit, in which they are learning to identify and apply poetic devices in various forms of poetry.
Math and Social Studies: It's finally here! It's time for 7 White students to enjoy the award winning Polynesian Travel Journal and Expense Project. Students were given a budget- up to $50k!- to plan their dream vacation to the Polynesian Islands. For Social Studies, students will write about what they learned and discovered on each island in a creative writing/journaling format. They'll explore historical sites, famous landmarks, and go on some amazing excursions. What's the catch? And for math-they have to stay under budget! Students will also be researching flights, cruises, hotels, and restaurants as they island hop around one of the most beautiful locations on earth.
 
Science- Students have been studying earthworm structure and behavior. During a hands-on learning activity, students tested the earthworms’ responses to various stimuli such as touch, vinegar, and light. Students were very engaged and had a fun time!
Social Studies- Students have been learning about the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. They completed a research project by finding information about the life and reign of one of the pharaohs, and then they made a creative trading card to represent the pharaoh they chose. Students will also be doing a Black History Month project leading up to the break.
ELA- We recently wrapped up our Mysteries and Investigations unit on Amplify, where students read excerpts from The Secret of the Yellow Death by Suzanne Jurmain and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle among others. The unit culminated with students composing a 5-paragraph essay to show the important traits of problem solvers that were demonstrated throughout each text.
PBIS- Students have been working hard and continue to earn tickets during class for displaying expected classroom behaviors. Each Friday, students look forward to the Friday Raffle where they have a chance to win a prize. Thank you to the NMS Parent Board for providing us with some awesome new prizes!
Both students and staff on 6-White had fun during NMS spirit week! The picture below is from “Minions Day/Wear Yellow.”
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February 2025 - 6 Purple
6 Purple is back into the swing of things now in the new year, and we have hit the 100th day of school! Students are engaged and learning each day and full of enthusiasm!
ELA - Miss Hartnett
First Chapter Fridays: Celebrating Black History Month in 6th Grade EnglishIn honor of Black History Month, our English classes will be participating in First Chapter Fridays, where we end each week by reading the first chapter of compelling stories by Black authors, centered around Black protagonists. This month, we’ll be featuring powerful stories such as Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, and New Kid by Jerry Craft.
These books offer rich storytelling and diverse perspectives, sparking meaningful discussions about history, identity, and resilience. Students are encouraged to continue exploring these stories at home and share their thoughts with family. Thank you for supporting our young readers as they celebrate Black voices in literature!
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Social Studies - Mr. Fiore
Unwrapping the Mysteries of Mummies and the Afterlife6P Social Studies has embarked on a fascinating journey into the world of ancient Egypt, where we're uncovering the secrets of mummies and the intriguing beliefs surrounding the afterlife. We're also discovering the ancient Egyptian concept of the underworld, a realm they believed awaited them after death. We're examining the rituals, beliefs, and challenges associated with this journey, including the weighing of the heart ceremony and the various deities involved.Math - Mrs. HolickerIn math class, we've been making great progress! So far, we've learned about integers, opposites, and how to use the number line. We're now diving into the coordinate plane! We've been practicing plotting points, identifying the four quadrants, and reflecting points across the x- and y-axes.
After our vacation, we'll continue exploring by learning about absolute value and how to find the distance between points on the coordinate plane. We'll also work on finding the area of shapes graphed on the coordinate plane. It’s been an exciting journey, and we can’t wait to see how all these concepts come together!
Science - Mrs. Benoit
In science, we completed our Adaptation Island Projects and displayed them in class. We are wrapping up studying the Animal Kingdom and Human Systems before heading into vacation week. The students even got to study living earthworms to see their responses to external stimuli such as light, touch and smell. Thank you to NEED for the mini-grant that supplied the materials for this lab activity. It is fun to watch them learning and having fun at the same time!
 
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Congratulations to our boys basketball team. After going just 2-14 last season the boys had an outstanding season going 16-2 to win the Massasoit League title. The team was known for their tenacious defense and fast break offense.
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NMS Boys Basketball Team
Kyle Fernandes
Logan Irish
Milton Johnson
Ricardo King
Matthew Lindsay
Jagger Martin
Drew Pendergast
Kingston Robinson
Jackson Rose
John Salem
Kevin Wilkie
Dacion Wormley
Coach Brian Johnson
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Earlier this fall, following the enthusiasm expressed by several students after the school book fair, Mrs. Hall took it upon herself to create and lead a book club for a group of Grade 8 girls. This initiative, centered around Louisa May Alcott's timeless novel Little Women, was entirely driven by her desire to provide an enriching and memorable experience for students who sought an intellectual and social activity beyond their typical classroom experiences.
Mrs. Hall and her Dialogue Divas Book Club recognized at the February 5th School Committee Meeting
 | Students from our Playbook Initiative Partnership with the Boston Celtics! |
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Playbook Initiative. is comprised of a select group of students from all 3 grades
They have begun the important work tasked to the students of the Playbook and the school more broadly of working to make NMS a more inclusive and tolerant place for all students and members of the community. Students involved in Playbook will be traveling to Worcester next week to our partner middle school to conduct a workshop around building skills to combat issues of prejudice and discrimination.
 Norton Middle School Daily Announcements
Every morning, our school broadcasts important announcements through the PA system. These announcements commence with a respectful moment of silence followed by the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. To enhance communication and keep parents well informed while ensuring students can access missed information, we have introduced an online link. The link can be found on our webpage about half you down using the icons in the purple bar.
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Norton Middle School
Student Support “Extra Help” and Office Hours
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Did you know that the teachers at NMS have scheduled Extra Help time?
Additional help and support individually or in a small group is a key intervention to increase understanding and improve student achievement.
Check = Times are mostly stable but can change so we advise checking the day prior if your child plans on staying. There is a link to the schedule below.
Plan = In order to make the most of the time it is beneficial and we strongly encourage that you email the teacher prior to staying. Prior notification can allow the teacher to review records, gather any needed materials and/or missing assignments. NMS Teacher and Staff Email List
Please follow this link to see when your child's teachers are scheduled and available to offer additional help and support beyond the regular school day.
NMS Teachers' Student Support "Extra Help" and Office Hours
The link can also be found on our main webpage
Lancers and Lyons Learning Center |
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Norton Middle School has some exciting news to share with our school community. After a hiatus of several years (largely due to the pandemic) Norton Middle School is pleased to announce our renewed partnership with Wheaton College and the reinstitution of our Wheaton Tutors program, which will henceforth be known as the Lancers and Lyons Learning Center. The LLLC began back in 2011 and ran with great success here at Norton Middle School up until 2020.
The LLLC is intended to serve as supplemental support for any student who needs it across grade levels and content areas. Wheaton tutors will be available for students who need it after school, Monday-Thursday until 4pm Students may come and receive assistance with a variety of academic tasks, including help with homework, writing assignments, and quiz/test preparation.
Here are some important things to know regarding participation in the after school LLLC:
- The LLLC will meet in the NMS cafeteria or Library, directly after school ends
- The program runs 3-4, Monday through Thursday only
- Students must have work that they need to do, and/or are having difficulty with.
- This program is NOT intended for any student who wishes to "hang out" after school and socialize with friends.
- This program is NOT intended to serve as an after school program for families who have no other option for their students after school
- Students who are unable to focus on academic work will be given a warning and then may be asked to leave due to non-compliance
- Students who choose to stay must either have transportation home at 4:00 or wait for the late bus which arrives at 4:15
- Wheaton students are unable to access Google Classroom or any other school based software programs
- Parents are responsible for communication with their students about permission to stay on any given day, and attendance will be taken on a daily basis
We are excited to be able to offer this excellent opportunity to you and your students. We are fortunate to have such a strong community partner like Wheaton College. We hope that students and families are able to take advantage of this opportunity. We anticipate this program beginning on Monday October 7, and running until the first week in December. We also anticipate being able to offer drinks and snacks on select days depending on availability and participation.
We hope to see you there!
If you have any questions please you can contact Assistant Principal Mr. Goldstein
rgoldstein@norton.k12.ma.us
| Calendar and Upcoming Events |
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Unified Sports Fundraiser
We are hosting a fundraiser at Goat City on Monday, February 24th, please save the date and share this flier with students and staff. We have some amazing raffles as well to check out!
20% of your bill goes directly back to Unified. This applies to takeout as well as dine in. You must show this flier!
So, ease back into school after vacation and come see us! Enjoy your vacation week
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Norton Student STEAM Showcase Wednesday March 5 6:00 - 7:30 at Norton High School
Middle School students are welcomed to attend and encouraged to participate
Follow Link on the slide below to learn even more about this exciting event
MCAS testing calendar
Follow this link to access the testing date Schedule
We are excited for our students to show all that they know and and to demonstrate their skills
Spring 2025 MCAS Testing Schedule
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Remember to check this schedule due to rain/snow and reschedule dates:
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Vincent Hayward | Principal
Norton Middle School | 215 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766
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LEARN | EXCEL | ACHIEVE | DREAM
It is the policy of Norton Public Schools to provide a learning environment free from discrimination or harassment. All students, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, limited English proficiency, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or housing status, have equal access to all programs including athletics and other extracurricular activities.
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