January 2014 Dear Parents,

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1 January 2014 Dear Parents, I hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday. We are happy to be back in school after one crazy week of bad winter weather, and look forward to another great semester at NEMS! As always, Miller Matters is full of very important information to help you in your planning. There are two especially important items that I would like to share with you: Ryan Rich Principal Vicki Rardin Assistant Principal Rod Watson Assistant Principal Lizette Baumann Guidance Counselor Lisa Lain Guidance Counselor Jenn Schott Guidance Counselor Rick Fields Athletic Director 300 North 17th Street Noblesville, IN Ph: Fax: Attendance: 317: NEMS was proud to again earn an "A" rating from the Indiana Department of Education. Noblesville Schools also earned an "A" rating for our district's overall performance. These ratings are determined based upon a 4 point scale. Points are earned by each school for overall passing rates on the ISTEP+ as well as the growth made by our students on this assessment. In addition to earning an overall "A" rating, our students' growth in performance also earned our school a "bonus point" in math. At NEMS, we are fortunate to have such supportive families and appreciate all you do to help our school to find such success. 2. Last month I shared general information regarding our upcoming "Technology in the Middle School" parent night. This information is again included in this newsletter and we encourage all parents to attend to learn more about our plans to join our district in rolling out ipads to all students for use in the classroom and at home to support them in their learning. In an effort to gain more feedback and information to help us best plan for this parent night, we have created a very brief survey that we ask you complete. The survey can be accessed by visiting Your feedback and input will be very important to us as we move forward in partnering with you in this initiative! Sincerely, Ryan Rich Principal

2 Make-up days Of the four days of school missed, three will be rescheduled at the end of the school year. The week of June 2 was designated as Flex Days in the calendar in case days were lost due to inclement weather or other emergencies. With three days that need to be added as of January 10, three Flex Days have been changed to School Days and the school year now is scheduled to end on Wednesday, June 4. The revised school calendar as of January 10, 2014 is attached. The Indiana Department of Education announced that each school district could apply for a waiver from the 180- day school year rule so that days missed on Monday and Tuesday would not have to be rescheduled. Because Noblesville Schools was not scheduled to be in session Monday, this applies only to Tuesday. Noblesville Schools will keep parents informed of any changes if the Indiana Department of Education extends the number of days that would be considered for waiver. Notes from the nurse Now that the flu season is upon us, there are many precautions you may take to help from getting the flu. Get a flu vaccine, wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, don t share personal items, eat a healthy diet, and have good personal hygiene habits. Please remember to keep your child home for 24 hours after they have had a fever. HBM Special Services COOP See aaaaaa the attached flyers for opportunities from the Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative. Winter Dance rescheduled for January 24 The Snow Globe Winter dance has been rescheduled for Friday, January 24 from 6:00-8:00 pm. The dance will be held in the NEMS cafeteria. Students who no longer have their original tickets should sign their name on the lost ticket sheet in Student Services and will be issued a new ticket. Students who have their original tickets may use the same ticket for the dance. PTO Sponsored Talent Show February 12 The PTO is sponsoring a student talent show on February 12 at 6:30 pm. Auditions will take place the first week of February after school in the auditorium. Students will be notified of the exact audition day via the afternoon announcements next week. Only NEMS students are eligible. Acts must last no longer than 5 minutes from setup to finish. NEMS Yearbooks There is still time to order a NEMS yearbook! Ordering may take place online at by mailing in the order form you received in the mail, or by phone at Social Studies program review Noblesville Schools is seeking parents, guardians, and other community members to serve on a social studies program review committee. The committee will evaluate the current social studies program, provide feedback on the programming, and assist the school board in approving future social studies textbooks for adoption. The committee will complete a rigorous program review and provide written recommendations to the Noblesville School Board by May. Serving on the committee requires attendance at four twohour after-school meetings. The meetings will begin at 4 p.m. and conclude by 6 p.m. on the following dates: February 10, March 10, April 21, May 12. Parents, guardians, and community members wishing to serve Noblesville Schools as a member of this committee are asked to complete and submit for consideration the information requested on the attached form and return the application no later than Monday, January 27, to Ms. Melissa Brisco, Director of Learning, Noblesville Schools, River Road, Noblesville, 46062, by fax at , or by to melissa_brisco@nobl.k12.in.us.

3 NEMS Important Dates January 20 MLK Jr. Day NO SCHOOL January Freshman scheduling during science classes January 22 6 th grade All-A celebration (7:30 am) January LAS Links Testing January 23 7 th & 8 th grade All-A celebration (7:30 am) January 24 Winter Dance (6:00 8:00 pm) January 29 Early Release Day (2:05 pm dismissal) February 1 Instrumental Solo & Ensemble Contest at Westfield High School February 7 All Pro Dad meeting (6:15 am) February 8 Vocal Solo & Ensemble Contest at Westfield Middle School February 12 PTO sponsored Talent Show (6:30 pm) Community activities for youth Coaches and organizations throughout the community offer a variety of activities for youth. Visit the district website at and click on the community link near the top of the page to access the youth activities available at this time. Technology parent session Our first parent informational session titled "Technology in the Middle Schools" will be held on Tuesday, February 25 from 6:00-8:00 pm in the NHS auditorium. This session will be designed by middle school and district staff to provide parents the important reasons for expanding ipad use into the middle schools, as well as how these ipads will be used to enhance instruction, curriculum, and learning. Our goal is to have as many of our parents attend as possible, so please mark your calendars for this very important night. Balancing enrollments at elementary schools Due to large increases in enrollment at Promise Road and Noble Crossing elementary schools, the school board and district administration appointed a rebalancing committee to look at adjusting enrollment districts to accommodate the growth at those schools. The proposal will be presented at forums at all seven elementary schools during January and early February to allow for patron feedback. Please visit the district website at for more information and the dates and times of the public forums. Miller winter baseball camp Coach Keever, NHS baseball coach, is excited to announce the dates of two camps the Miller Baseball Program will be running this Martin Luther King Day Weekend. See the attachment for more information. Spring Break Intersession Noblesville Schools is planning its intersession program for Spring Break. The sessions will be from 8:30-11:00 am Monday through Thursday both weeks (March 31-April 3 and April 7-11). All sessions will be offered free of charge to our families. Elementary programs will be at North and middle school programs will be at NEMS. Online registration will begin at 10:00 am Monday, February 10, and continue through February 26. Class sizes will be limited and acceptance will be based on the order of registration. Additional information will be sent out as soon as the program is finalized.

4 Counselor Corner School Counseling Department Newsletter Counselors Engage, Inspire & Empower January, th Grade Tip of the Month Take time this month to help your child get reorganized for the semester. Clean out old folders and binders and make room for new materials. 7 th Grade Tip of the Month Help your child set goals for the Spring semester. Review his or her grades and help set realistic goals. 8 th Grade Tip of the Month Your student will select his or her classes for next year in January. Be sure to review this information with your student. Check the Guidance website for more information. Website of the Month A New Year, a Fresh Start As our 8 th grade students begin to prepare for their fresh start at Noblesville High School in the Fall, it is important to reflect on how we all can prepare for a fresh start each year. Students who learn to set and measure goals are more likely to be able to overcome challenges as they arise in life. As parents and students, it is important to set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Goals need to be: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. When setting goals, you will want to determine, what goals you want to set, what tools you will need to accomplish the goals, and how you will measure success. It is important to set an action plan as well as set mini timelines to check your progress. We encourage you to set aside time with your child to review his or her semester grades and set appropriate goals. We want to make sure that every student feels empowered to achieve their dreams. Each month, this section will feature a website or blog that is helpful to our parents and students. During the month of January, the state of Indiana promotes the Cash for College campaign. While it may feels like a long time away, it is important that your family begins to prepare for paying for College. Learn more about 529 savings plans, 21 st Century Scholars and scholarships. /default/files/my-future-myway.pdf Ninth Grade Scheduling: Jan Students Select Courses in Computer Labs May 12 Students will receive draft schedules June 14 Last Day to make Schedule Changes NEMS Counselors Lisa Lain, 6 th Grade Counselor (lisa_lain@nobl.k12.in.us) Jennifer Schott, 7 th Grade Counselor (Jennifer_schott@nobl.k12.in.us) Lizette Baumann, 8 th Grade Counselor (lizette_baumann@nobl.k12.in.us) Follow us on

5 Noblesville School Corporation June 13 July 13 School Year Calendar School Day Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa School Day/Early Release Teacher Work Days/No Students Revised Jan. 10 because of snow days Jan Flex Days Labor Day - No School June 2-4 changed from Flex Days to School Days Fall Break - No School Thanksgiving Vacation - No School 30 Winter Break - No School Marting Luther King Jr. Holiday - No School August 13 September 13 October 13 November 13 Spring Vacation - No School Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Memorial Day - No School Last Student Day/Last K-5 Teacher Day Summer Vactation - No School st semester = 88 days nd semester = 92 days Early Release Days - First Semester Wednesday, August 14 Wednesday, August 28 December 13 January 14 February 14 March 14 Wednesday, September 18 Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa **Friday, September 27 - Homecoming** Wednesday, October Wednesday, October Wednesday, November Wednesday, December Early Release Days - Second Semester Wednesday, January 15 Wednesday, January 29 April 14 May 14 June 14 July 14 Wednesday, February 12 Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Su M Tu W Th F Sa Wednesday, February Wednesday, March Wednesday, April Wednesday, May

6 Social Studies Program Review PARENT GUARDIAN COMMUNITY MEMBER APPLICATION TO SERVE A committee of composed of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members will be used to evaluate Noblesville Schools current social studies program. This committee will provide feedback on the current social studies programming and assist the school board in approving future social studies textbooks for adoption. The committee will complete a rigorous program review and provide written recommendations to the Noblesville School Board by May Serving on the committee requires attendance at four, two-hour after-school meeting from 4:00 6:00 on the following dates: February 10, 2014 March 10, 2014 April 21, 2014 May Parents, guardians, and community members wishing to serve Noblesville Schools as a member of the Social Studies program review and textbook adoption committee are asked to complete and submit for consideration the information requested below. Return the application no later than Monday, January 27, 2014 by mail to Ms. Melissa Brisco, Director of Learning, Noblesville Schools, River Road, Noblesville, 46062, by fax at , or by to melissa_brisco@nobl.k12.in.us. Date Name Home Phone Cell Phone Home Address Address Number of children currently enrolled in Noblesville Schools (if applicable) Schools where children are enrolled (circle all that apply) HD HC NCE NOR PRE SC WR NEMS NWMS NHS

7 2014 Winter Baseball Camps 1st Annual Prospect Camp & 10th Annual Skills Camp Coach Keever is excited to announce the dates of two camps the Miller Baseball Program will be running this Martin Luther King Day Weekend. 1st Annual Miller Baseball Middle School Prospect Camp (January 19 - Noon - 7:00 p.m.) This 7-hour Prospect Camp is meant for each athlete to learn the Miller Way in terms of fundamentals, philosophy & approach. Individual fundementals (w/nhs position coach) will be accompanied with team approach in offense & defense. Each camper will also be working with the NWMS & NEMS head coaches. Dinner will be provided. 10th Annual All-Day Winter Camp - K-6 (January 20-8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) This all-day skills camp will acclimate your son to the fundamentals of Miller Baseball and assiciate it with fun and hard work. Campers will be shown the proper mechanics of the swing and the importance of defensive fundamentals. Lunch will be provided. Register online at

8 Noblesville East Middle School February 7th 6:15am NEMS West Cafeteria NEMS Join other NEMS dads and kids for a quick, beforeschool breakfast and a 45-minute program of fatherhood and family topics. You ll take away some great tips and resources to help you be the best Dad you can be, and you ll strengthen the relationship with your kids at the same time. It s fun...and it s FREE! See you there Mar 7, For more information nmsteamcaptain@allprodadnoblesville.org

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