DECEMBER 2015

NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL
Patriot News ~ DECEMBER 2015
Phone 712-279-6804
FAX 712-277-5941
SHAWN CHESTEEN, Principal • EMILY LLOYD, Asst. Principal • JAMES CLINE, Asst. Principal
12/2, Wednesday
8th graders Career Academy Visit, during the school day
12/3, Thursday
Grades Posted by 3:00 pm
12/4, Friday
Mid-Terms sent home
12/4 & 5, Friday & Saturday
Girls Circle Retreat, Sunnybrook Church
12/5, Saturday
NMS Book Fair at Barnes and Noble, Southern Hills Mall, 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Patriot Choir performing at 1:00 pm
12/7, Monday
PTO Meeting, 3:00 - 4:00 pm, NMS Library
12/8, Tuesday
Band Concert, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, 7:00 pm
12/15, Tuesday
Choir Concert
12/18 & 19, Friday & Saturday
Soccer Tournament
12/21, Monday
NMS/NHS Orchestra Concert, 6:00 pm at North High
12/23, Wednesday
1 hour early out for Winter Break
12/24 - 1/1
NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
1/4, Monday
School Resumes
» 6th grade at 6:00 pm
» 7th grade at 7:00 pm
» 8th grade at 8:00 pm
» Friday, 3:30 - 6:30 pm, small gym
» Saturday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, small gym
Click here to start a conversation with
North Middle School.
Tuesday and Thursday
December 8 & 10
$15.00
Parents please make sure that your students have delivered all
fundraiser items that were ordered in their name.
Thank you to students and parents for helping North Middle to
have a successful fundraiser!
Yearbooks must be purchased and ordered in advance for
publishing. We will be selling yearbooks on December 8th
and 10th during lunches. Yearbooks are $15.00.
Students will receive purchased yearbooks on the last day
of school.
Do you have questions about your child's progress in school?
Feel free to contact your child’s “team” at the following times,
Tuesday - Friday (due to shortened schedule on Mondays):
 6th Grade: 2nd period, 8:44-9:28
Phone: 712-279-6804
Fax: 712-277-5941
Click here to visit us
 7th Grade: 1st period, 7:57-8:41
on Facebook.
 8th Grade: 3rd period, 9:32-10:16
Counselors are also available for your questions:

Mrs. Pottebaum
6th Grade

Ms. Greer
7th Grade

Ms. Mendenhall
8th Grade
Sioux City Community Schools: www.siouxcityschools.org
Visit the Sioux City Community School District’s website to see all
district and school information! Stay up to date, access district or
school information and utilize the links to outside sources to give
you all the information regarding your child’s education.
Soccer Tournament
Virtual Backpack
It is time to register your team for the soccer
tournament on December 18 and 19.
Form your own grade team of no more than 7
students. Your team members have to attend
NMS and be in your same grade level.
All other middle schools are invited. Same rules apply.
Virtual Backpack is another way to inform our parents and
guardians of events and activities in the community that
directly benefit school-age children. Virtual Backpack is also
environmentally friendly. Click here to access Virtual Backpack
For more information please contact Mrs. Tran, room 332.
on the Sioux City Community School Districts Website.
For the past few years, Mr. Linafelter has been a part of collecting donations to help feed families from the
Sanford Center that would otherwise not have a Thanksgiving meal. This year, Mrs. Sanford’s Science classes
collected $463.73. The staff from North Middle and the staff from East Middle, with the help from some business people from the area, collected $4160 to buy turkeys. The turkeys were taken to the Sanford Center and
they put together 200 boxes for 200 families that had all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal.
News from the school
nurse, Julie Thiele:
When a student becomes ill during school
hours...
When a student becomes ill at school during class,
the student should let the teacher know and the
stuent will then go to the nurse’s office. The nurse
or a secretary will take charge of notifying the
student’s parent/guardian if needed. A record of
their arrival and departure will be maintained in
the nurse’s office. Students will be sent home only
after checking with the designated administrator or
secretary.
Students should not call their parent/guardian
from the classroom.
Influenza (also called flu) http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm
Influenza (also known as flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by
flu viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu is different from a
cold. The flu usually comes on suddenly.
Flu symptoms:
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Fever* or feeling feverish/chills * Not everyone with flu will have a
fever
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headache
The Flu Is Contagious:
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Flu symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body
Call your medical provider if your child has symptoms
Stay home for 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of medicine
The winter in Iowa provides us with some days that make it a challenge to hold classes at the regular time, and sometimes we must
close our schools early, late, or close school for the entire day. As you know, our weather is not only challenging at times, it is constantly
changing.
Please remember that parents and guardians have the right to make the decision to keep their child home on any day that they feel it is
unsafe for their student to be in school because of weather conditions. If you believe the weather provides a sincere reason why you
may have to keep your students at home, or take your student home when classes are scheduled to continue, you as a parent or guardian will simply need to contact your child’s school to let them know.
Parents and guardians notification:

Blackboard Phone Message: In the case of late start or school cancellation, a call is sent between 6 - 6:15 a.m. If school is dismissed
early during the day, a call is sent to all phone numbers listed with your child.
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Iowa School Alerts: You may subscribe to this free service by clicking on the “Weather Related School Dismissals” button on the
right-hand side of the district web site’s front page at www.siouxcityschools.org. Iowa School Alerts sends out email notifications to all
subscribers.
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Social Media: A post is made on the district’s Facebook and Twitter social media pages.
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Mobile App: An alert notification is sent to all those who have downloaded the district’s mobile app (available for iPhones and androids.)
If the schools are dismissed early or if school is called off entirely, there will be NO EVENING ACTIVITIES. If you have before and after
school care, please check your provider about their procedures.
Please avoid calling the school about delays, cancellations, or dismissals. Unless you see an announcement or receive a phone call,
assume school is running as usual.
El invierno aquí en Iowa nos provee con algunos días cuando es un reto impartir clases a la hora regular, y algunas veces necesitamos
cerrar nuestras escuelas temprano, tarde, o cerrar las escuelas durante el día entero. Como ustedes saben, nuestro clima siempre está
cambiando y dándonos más desafíos.
Por favor, recuerde que los padres y guardianes tienen el derecho de tomar la decisión de mantener a sus hijos en casa cualquier día en
que sienten que no es seguro para sus hijos estar en la escuela debido a las condiciones del clima. Si usted cree que el clima provee
una razón sincera por mantener a sus hijos en casa, o de llevar a sus hijos a casa cuando se ha decido seguir con las clases, usted como
padre o guardián simplemente necesita ponerse en contacto con la escuela de su hijo para hacerles saber.
Notificaciones a los padres y guardianes:

Mensaje del sistema telefónico Blackboard: En el caso de una entrada tarde, o si se han cancelado las clases, se enviará una
llamada entre las 6:00 y 6:15 a.m. Si las escuelas tendrán una salida temprano durante el día, se hará una llamada a todos los números
de teléfono que son asociados con su hijo.
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Iowa School Alerts: Se puede registrar en este servicio gratuito, haciendo un clic en el botón “Weather Related School Dismissals”
al lado derecho de nuestra página web principal al www.siouxcityschools.org. El servicio Iowa School Alerts manda notificaciones por
correo electrónico a todos los suscriptores.

Medios de socialización digital: Habrá una entrada en las páginas sociales del Distrito de Facebook y Twitter

Aplicación móvil: Una notificación de aviso se mandará a todos los que han bajado la aplicación móvil del distrito (disponible por
iPhones y sistemas Android).
Si hay una salida temprano o cancelación de clases debido al clima, NO HABRÁ ACTIVIDADES POR LA TARDE. Si tiene niñera o alguien
que le cuida a sus niños antes o después de las clases, por favor hable con esta persona sobre sus procedimientos en caso de haya un
cambio en el horario escolar.
Por favor, no llame a la escuela para preguntar sobre entradas tarde, salidas temprano, o cancelaciones. A menos que vea un
anuncio o reciba una llamada, se puede asumir que el horario es regular.
Band News!
First concert TUESDAY DecEMBER 8 AT 7:00 pm:
Warm-up for all bands will be at 6:40 pm. 6th grade warm-up in the small gym, 7th grade in the band room, 8th
grade in the choir room.
ATTIRE for CONCERTS:
All 6th grade band students will wear their grey ALL STARS t-shirts and jeans for their concerts this year.
All 7th & 8th grade band students will wear the navy band polo and khaki pants. Please contact us if you are in need
of assistance locating khaki pants.
JAZZ Rehearsals:
Jazz 1 rehearsals are Tues. and Thurs. after school from 3:05-3:55
Jazz 2 rehearsals are Wed. after school from 3:05-3:55. Rehearsal started Oct. 28. Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student
interested in learning about jazz is welcome to come to the Jazz 2 rehearsal. Consistent attendance is important to
the learning process for this ensemble.
INSTRUMENTS HOME:
All band students should plan to bring instruments home to practice at the end of the week, either Thurs. or Fri.
Students are welcome to bring their instruments home every day! 8 th grade is focusing on being accountable to
each other in their band. Everyone plays a vital part in all of our bands! Be Proud! Play Proud!
Let’s Go Band!!!
Mrs. Ortmann, Mr. Knowles, Ms. Hall, Mr. Sursely ≈ North Band Directors
CHOIR
th
The NMS choir concert will be Tuesday, Dec. 15. 6 grade will perform at 6:00, 7th grade at 7:00, and 8th grade at 8:00. Students
need to meet in the choir room 15 minutes before their concert. Students are to wear their “We Are All Stars” t-shirts they were
given at homecoming time and blue jeans.
Wellness Tip: Be An Active Family
Physical activity is important for children and adults of all ages. Being active as a family can benefit everyone. Adults need 2
1/2 hours a week of physical activity, and children need 60 minutes a day. Follow these tips to add more activity to your
family’s busy schedule.
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Plan for all weather conditions: Choose some activities that do not depend on the weather conditions. Try mall walking,
indoor swimming, or active video games.
Turn off the TV: Set a rule that no one can spend longer than 2 hours per day playing video games, watching TV, and using
the computer (except for school work). Instead of a TV show, play an active family game, dance to favorite music, or go for
a walk.
Include work around the house: Involve the kids in active chores around the house.
Include other families: Invite others to join your family activities. This is a great way for you and
your kids to spend time with friends while being physically active. Plan parties with active games,
sign up for family programs at the YMCA, or find out what programs are offered at your community
recreation center.
Don’t forget to save Hy-Vee receipts, Tyson labels, box tops, and
pop tabs for us. Turn them in at the library.
Remember the Barnes & Noble Book Fair is December 5! It is also Educator Discount Day for those of you working in schools,
so educators get a 25% discount (10% on music and movies)! Book Bash members will be there to wrap your BN presents for a free will
donation. NMS artwork will be on display and there will be a performance by The Patriot Choir at 1:00 pm! Just say you are supporting
North Middle when you check out. For online shopping, please use our ID number 11704384 when you check out—the end date is
December 10. The profit will be used to buy more books and Nook books in the library!
Seventh graders are researching their favorite authors or another report topic and using databases such as Gale Biography in
Context and Teachingbooks.net. They will write a report and start a visual project of their choice after their research. The final step will
be to create a bibliography using our database called NoodleTools. In reading classes, many students are checking out non-fiction
books. They love the series paperback books: Who Is, Who Was, What Was, and Where Is. Ask them about their books!
Please encourage your children to return or renew items on time and to pay or work off their late or lost book fees. Students
may use BoxTops for Education to pay their fines, which are worth 10 cents each.
The user name and password for our online databases (see www.siouxcity schools.org, find Schools -- North Middle – Academics -- Library) are posted at school. These cannot be posted online but bookmarks and small AEA cards are available with this info. Please
encourage your children to visit the library website: www.northmiddlelib.weebly.com for great reference sources; some are provided
by our Northwest Area Education Agency. Examples include Webpath Express in Destiny, Culturegrams, Rosen’s CyberSmarts, EBSCO,
SIRS, Soundzabound, Gale Research, Visual Thesaurus, FreedomFLIX and TrueFLIX. Again this year there are eBooks through MackinVIA!
Students login with an “s” and their ID number for both username and password. Over 1,500 are available at www.mackinvia.com or on
the library catalog site, Destiny: http://destiny.siouxcityschools.org .
Contact Ms. Sweeney or Mrs. Jarman if you have questions. [email protected].
Donate a new toy and add your name to our drawing
for a free book from the library!
Deadline is Dec. 15 to get your toys in the box in the library.
The holidays are here, once again, and it's time to start thinking of how we can help children who
might not be receiving a gift at Christmas this year. Channel 9 KCAU-TV and Bomgaars would like to
invite you to purchase a new toy to help brighten the holidays of Siouxland children.
There are many children, right here in Siouxland, who aren’t able to experience the joys that the holidays bring. Operation Toys is your
chance to give less fortunate children a gift for the holiday season. Toys can be dropped off from November 14th through December
16th.
For more information about Operation Toys or how you , your business or school could help, please call Brian Plantenberg at
712-224-6740 or email [email protected]
For more information on how to receive these toys, please call the Salvation Army at 712-255-8836. To apply for an application to
receive toys, you will need to go to the Salvation Army.
NMS—If you would like to donate cash, please bring it to the library. Toys will be purchased and donated to Operation Toys.
Nondiscrimination Statement
The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. It is an unfair or discriminatory practice for any educational institution to discriminate on the basis of race, creed,
color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status, marital status, or veteran status in any program or activity. Inquiries or grievances regarding compliance of Title VI, Title VII and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Iowa Code sections 216.9 and 19B.11 may be
directed to Jen Gomez, Director of Student Services & Equity Education, at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, [email protected].
Spanish
El Distrito Escolar de la Comunidad de Sioux City es una institución con oportunidad equitativa y acción afirmativa de empleo. Es una práctica injusta o discriminatoria de cualquier institución educativa de
discriminar basado en raza, credo, color, sexo, orientación sexual, identidad de género, origen nacional, religión, edad (por el empleo), discapacidad, condición socioeconómica, estado civil, o estatus de
veterano en cualquier programa o actividad. Las preguntas o quejas sobre el cumplimiento del Título VI, Título VII y Título IX de la Ley de los Derechos Civiles, Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación, La
Ley de los Americanos con Discapacidades (ADA), el Código de Iowa en las secciones 216,9 y 19B.11 pueden ser dirigidos a Jen Gomez, Directora de Actividades Estudiantiles y Educación de Igualdad al
627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101 (712) 279-6075, [email protected]
Vietnamese
Học Khu Cộng Đồng Sioux City là một nơi có cơ hội bình đẳng/ hành động chắc chắn trong việc làm. Đó là không có sự công bằng hay có sự kỳ thị thực hành trong bất cứ các cơ sở giáo dục về phân
biệt căn cứ theo chủng tộc, tín ngưỡng, màu da, phái tính, khuynh hướng phái tính, nhận định phái tính, nguồn gốc quốc gia, tôn giáo, tuổi tác (cho việc làm), khuyết tật, tình trạng kinh tế xã hội, tình trạng
hôn nhân, hoặc tình trạng cựu chiến binh trong bất kỳ chương trình hay hoạt động nào. Ai muốn hỏi han hoặc than phiền về việc chấp hành của Điều Luật VI, Điều Luật VII và Điều Luật IX của Sắc Luật
Bình Đẳng, Điều Khoản 504 của Sắc Luật Phục Quyền, Sắc Luật Công Dân Khuyết Tật (ADA), Quy Luật Iowa Điều Khoản 216.9 và 19B.11 có thể tiếp xúc trực tiếp với bà Jen Gomez, Giám Đốc Dịch Vụ
Học Sinh và Giáo Dục Bình Đẳng (Director of Student Services & Equity Education) tại 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, [email protected]
North Middle Library
Barnes & Noble
Bookfair
Saturday December 5
(Educator Discount Day!)
Barnes & Noble - Southern Hills Mall
Hours: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
See displays of NMS artwork, listen to performances, have
BN gifts wrapped by students - more activities announced
soon! The more you buy, the more profit we receive for
books and Nook books in our library!
Let the cashier know, wear NMS clothing, or take a
bookmark voucher to give them!
Can’t attend our book fair at Barnes & Noble?
Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online
from 12/5/15 to 12/10/15
By entering Bookfair ID 11704384 at checkout.
A percentage of your Barnes & Noble purchases will benefit our school/
organization.
Barnes & Noble Bookfair
Supporting the
North Middle Library
Saturday December 5
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
BN Store at the Southern Hills Mall
Bookfair ID Number 11704384
Shop Online until December 10
Please present this voucher prior to making
your purchase. A percentage of the net sale
will be contributed to your school/
organization.*
*The purchase of gift cards, Barnes & Noble memberships,
textbooks, magazine subscriptions, video games, digital
content, purchases made at Cafés owned and operated by
Starbucks, and other items Barnes & Noble may exclude
from time to time in its sole discretion are not eligible for
bookfair sales. Institutional discounts may not be applied.
See BN.COM/bookfairs for more details and to
shop online.
—————————————————————
Barnes & Noble Bookfair
Supporting the
North Middle Library
Saturday December 5
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
BN Store at the Southern Hills Mall
Bookfair ID Number 11704384
Shop Online until December 10
Please present this voucher prior to making
your purchase. A percentage of the net sale
will be contributed to your school/
organization.*
*The purchase of gift cards, Barnes & Noble memberships,
textbooks, magazine subscriptions, video games, digital
content, purchases made at Cafés owned and operated by
Starbucks, and other items Barnes & Noble may exclude
from time to time in its sole discretion are not eligible for
bookfair sales. Institutional discounts may not be applied.
See BN.COM/bookfairs for more details and to
shop online.