Dr Morelle has invited members of the community to participate in the Strategic Planning process. Click here to find out more about the invitation.

May 2008

The Principal’s Corner . . .                                 

Thomas W. Kenworthy, Ed.D.

thomas.kenworthy@cumberlandschools.org          

As we enter the final quarter of the school year, all of us in the North Cumberland Middle School community look forward to continuing to work with you and your family to ensure the best possible educational experience for our students. Some of the highlights for the month of May at NCMS include:

• The 3^rd Quarter marking period has come to a close. Within the next few weeks, we will be having assemblies to recognize those students who made the honor roll. Later this month, we will have an Honors Breakfast during which any student who has made the honor roll during for any of the first three quarters of the 2007-2008 school year may attend. Please keep in mind that 4^th Quarter Progress Reports will be mailed home on May 23^rd.

• During the week of May 5^th we will be celebrating Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week at NCMS. The PTO has many great activities planned. Please encourage your son or daughter to let our teachers and staff members know how much they are appreciated. On May 13^th, we will be announcing the 2007-2008 NCMS Teacher of the Year.

• The Drama Club end of year performances will be held on Saturday, May 10^th. These performances are always great and reflect the hard work and dedication of our Drama Club students, their instructors from Trinity Rep, and our PTO parent volunteers. A special thanks goes out to our Drama Club Advisor, Mrs. Sue Baglini.

• On May 20^th, our School Improvement Team will be hosting a workshop to gather feedback on our School Improvement Plan and Professional Development Plan for the 2008-2009 school year. This workshop is open to all members of the NCMS community. We will begin working at 2:15 p.m. in the Library. Please RSVP by phone or email if you can join us for part or all of this workshop. Refreshments will be available.

• Our Spring Band & Chorus concert will be held on May 21^st, at 7:00 p.m. The concert will feature our NCMS bands and chorus led by Mr. Paul Bowser and Mrs. Shannan Davis.

• Our baseball and softball teams are both off to great starts in their respective seasons. Both teams are looking good for playoff competition. For schedules and updates, please visit: http://www.ripcoa.com/.

• 8^th grade students will be taking NECAP Science Assessments from May 20^th through May 22^nd. This year, the science portion of the NECAP has become part of the official battery of NECAP Assessments given at each level. At the middle level, 8^th grade students will be tested and the results will become part of our school accountability scores.

• The NCMS Variety Show will be held on May 22^nd and May 23^rd, beginning at 7:00 p.m. We will have two performances this year to accommodate the expected guests due to the number of acts. This year’s show has been coordinated by Mrs. Rachel Emery and Mrs. Jacky Carlson.

• Our Spring Book Fair will be held from May 27^th through June 6^th. The book fair will be coordinated by Mrs. Jacky Carlson and we are always in need to PTO volunteers to help out.

• Congratulations go out to the following students: Katarzyna Daz and Timothy DeCotis (gr. 8) who were selected as the NCMS Scholar Leader representatives. Later in May, Katarzyna and Tim will be honored at a dinner sponsored by the Rhode Island Middle Level Educators’ Association and the New England League of Middle Schools. Also, our April Students of the Month were: Zachary Judge (gr. 6); Jillian Bielecki (gr. 7);  Brandon Percy (gr. 8)

• On Thursday, June 12, 2008, 8^th grade students from both NCMS and McCourt Middle School will be traveling to the High Meadows Recreational Facility in Granby, CT. The High Meadows Recreational Facility offers a wide array of games and activities for students. There is a cost of $50 per student for this trip to cover the expenses associated with the facility and busses. This cost includes all meals, snacks, and activities. The only exception is for horseback riding, which has an additional cost of $20 per trail ride, if students choose to take part in this activity. Information regarding the facility can be obtained at: http://www.highmeadowresort.com. The permission slip in this packet must be signed and returned with payment if your child will be participating in this activity. Click here to download the High Meadows permission slip.

•  On Friday, June 13, 2008, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., the annual 8^th Grade Dance will take place at NCMS. For the first time, 8^th grade students from both NCMS and McCourt Middle School will be able to attend the dance. There will be a catered buffet meal and a DJ. The cost associated with the dance in order to cover expenses is $30 per student. There is also a permission slip for this activity that needs to be returned with payment if your child will be participating. Click here to download the 8th grade dance permission slip.

*Tickets for these activities will go on sale from May 12 through May 30, 2008. Please note that we do not want cost to be a prohibitive factor for any eligible student who wants to participate in these activities. If cost is a concern, please feel free to call or email me so we can discuss some options.

•  On Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., 8^th Grade Awards Night will take place in the NCMS cafetorium. This is a night reserved to recognize 8^th grade students for academic achievement and participation in extra-curricular activities. In addition, there are a number of special awards that are given out that evening.

•  On Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., 8^th Grade Promotional Exercises will take place. Weather permitting, this is an outdoor ceremony that will take place behind the school. However, please note the plan for inclement weather that does represent a change from previous years. If we cannot hold the ceremony outdoors, the plan will be to hold the ceremony at McCourt Middle School later that evening at 7:00 p.m. The reason for this change is that there is no longer any feasible way for us to hold this ceremony indoors at NCMS given fire code restrictions. Hopefully we do not need to utilize the inclement weather plan, but if we do a benefit of holding the ceremony at McCourt will be that we do not need to limit the number of guests per student.

I look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events to honor our 8^th grade students as they finish their time with us. Please feel free to call or email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Kenworthy, Ed.D.

Principal

thomas.kenworthy@cumberlandschools.org