PSSA Day ?

PSSA Day ?
March Madness/No Child Left Behind-What is the difference?

Preliminary war room fill in the blank-no answer key FOR YOU!

Sweat day tomorrow-NMS' version of "No shower Happy Hour"! 1/2 price tater tots, $1.00 WaWa Ice Teas all day!

Biggest day of the Year tomorrow! In 2 days tomorrow will be yesterday!

As always,
HQ

PSSA Day 3

Day 3 for 8th, Day 1 for Everyone is Over
Biggest news was time change for 6th grade. We all adjusted well to the much needed extension.

Pencil give away was a huge success.

99% OF THE STUDENTS GAVE IT THEIR ALL. 1% GAVE ME MORE GRAY HAIR!

We are examining 7th grade configurations and may make some minute (small) not minute (time) adjustments.

Kudos to all.

Special thanks to State of PA for allowing us to test and show how great we are.

Snack went well. We need some teacher singers at snack. Feel free to bring in music to karoke!

HQ

PSSA Day 2

Blue/Gold Day-3/15/09

Calculators are good for 8th and 6th grade. We need 150 more for 7th grade. If the students do not bring in their calculators we will run to Radio Shack!

8th grade went very well today. We are knocking on the 90% door and getting ready to enter!
15 kids still with extra time today. 6 students for makeups from yesterday. We are at close to 98% testing rate of students.

6th war room meeting was mostly green today-only one dissenter.

Tomorrow we rumble like Dali and Soda Pop in The Outsiders-Greasers vs. Socs!!!-Bring your "A" game!

HQ

PSSA Day 1

Kudos to all in all grades! Whether you participated, moved your cheese, or stayed out of the way the students thank you. What a job that was done by the 8th graders and their proctors today. You can see that the students are confident in their schooling which is a tribute to all of their teachers.

They did test our patience in some areas and a good reprimanding occurred much earlier in testing than planned. We have some early movement of the children for tomorrow.

The pacing was excellent today. About 15-20 students did use extra time and most worked bell to bell. Tomorrow they probably will take longer... so the mystery singer's singing and rapping will have to be cut short during pretzel day.


PLEASE NOTIFY THE STUDENTS OF THE FOLLOWING

PSSA testing themes all grade-Wed Pencil give Away day-wear blue/gold
-Thurs-Thinking Cap Day (Hat day)
-Fri-Annual Don’t Sweat the Test Day-Wear those Headbands

At first glance-90% is real attainable !!!!!!!!!!


Thanks,

As Always HQ

1 Day to PSSA

1 day already? Where did the year go?
(We will still continue our updates to and through PSSA)

1)Any questions on the directions for the PSSA? We will meet in our war rooms to discuss the directions and focus for each day.

1)During PSSA testing your duty is PSSA/war room. Art Cycle will proctor 6/7 lunch.

1)Spirit trophies have arrived. Best $46 dollars PTL has ever spent.

1)We sent out 7th grade small group assignments about an hour ago. If you went to this stellar email first please read the other email. (If this pertains to you)

1)Met with C_ again today to re-go over again the first days of testing again. We will meet one more time tomorrow so we can sleep easy this weekend.

1)Met with union officials to go over the schedule for the week.

1)The students have been doing excellent in their mathletics games. They seem to be making valiant attempts even if they do not know the answer. Great job in keeping them focused and trying their best.

HQ

2 Days to PSSA

2 And 1/2 Men
2 for Money
Doubleshot Tuesday
Ok we'll stop...do the 2's on your own

The testing corporation made another mistake not sending us labels for the first group of 8th grade kids. Mrs C_ found the mistake and they will be fed exing those labels

Well, the boxes are completed!!! The only exceptions are the booklets that I have to bubble on account of the label loss: Tomorrow I will be making the necessary corrections to each testing homeroom list. Each box will have a list of students. I will make index cards to hand out to the students that are testing elsewhere. I will also be putting out a email to the teachers, per your ok, about checking their boxes, what should be in there etc. I will also email L_ and F_to meet their students down in 109. If there is anything else let me know. Other than that we are in pretty good shape. –C_ Circa 2009

Scores are being tabulated for games. Once again all games are close;
percentages need to be made so be patient.

Final schedule being polished as we speak! Theme Days will be included.

Breakfast schedules for PSSA days have been finalized.

Here are revised schedules!!!!!!!!!


7th Grade Revised Schedule as was sent earlier today



PSSA HQ

3 Days to PSSA

3 Stooges
3rd times a charm
3.14
3r's-Reading, Riting, Rohrbaugh
3 of a kind
3 Musketeers
3 pointer
300 level
3 Musketeers Bar
3 Amigos
KYW 3
3 Men in the Tub
3 Blind Mice
AAA
360
Dale Earnhardt
3 Times a lady
3 Bagger
Par 3
3's Company
MP 3
3 Doors Down
3 Rivers(Pittsburgh Shout Out)
My 3 Sons
3 Little Monkeys Sitting on the Bed
3 Mile Island
3rd Man In
We 3 Kings
3 Bean Salad
3 Dog Night
3-Babe Ruth
3 Sides of a triangle
3M
C3PO
3 sheets to the wind
3 headed monster
3D
3-in-1
3 for all
Knock 3 times on the ceiling
3 ball corner pocket
3 legged race
3 days of math testing
3 days reading testing
3 Martini lunch
3 Peat
3 Leaf Clover
3 day weekend-we wish
3 To get ready
3 letters in Sue
3 Days-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

We were going to do Tri's but we would have gotten lost in the Bermuda triangle.

Another great day of mathletic events...attendance is getting to PSSA level! Nice job in motivating the teams. We can really now begin to worry! Put your stress in the basket.

PSSA HQ

4 Days to PSSA

Great job on first days of Mathletics! Results are at bottom of this fine piece of literature. Kudos to all! We will post first day pictures on the "T" drive shortley. New games Poetry Partay and Math Philosophy were a big hit today! Kudos to all that had their hand in those games.

PSSA ALERT: In the directions I gave you that you have all been reading....8th grade states students will have use of a ruler-THAT IS INCORRECT. Please be sure to read all testing directions.

Met with 7th grade gifted students to discuss how we can make the assembly, testing days, and incentives all positive experiences. One student said to give proficient students 3 free homework passes to use next year. Another said a daily pass to not do homework. I feel a reward the 1st couple days of school may be a feasible "bribe" as the gifted students called it! Another student said something about fire that we did not explore further! or maybe he said I should be fired? HMMMMMMM.

Themes for next week include but are not limited to: Blue day, Gold day, Don't Sweat the Test Day-next Friday, Thinking Cap Day-Next Thursday(Hat Day), and give away days such as the students will get a pencil one day, highlighter next, and teacher pictures such as you do when you go to baseball game. 6th grade may host a student appreciation day with a prize for each student. We will send schedule of everything by end of business day Wednesday barring Blizzard of 09 IV(IV means 4 in roman numerals-see 6th grade anchient civilizations teachers for more details)

6th grade will have 2 days of breakfast-One on 1st day of testing and one on 4th day of testing. This way they have leftovers for the other days. (Green eggs and ham!) Let me know what the other grades decide and we will put on the comprehensive schedule.
Art cycle has gotcha cards. Use them wisely. We have more when you need them.
Some preliminary mathletics results
Jeopardy Reading was decided by one point in 8th grade....one stinking point-ouch!

Attendance:

• In 6th Grade, There were no Competition homerooms with perfect attendance. The following homerooms had only one student absent; rooms 201, 203, 202, & 205.
• In 7th Grade, the following Competition Homerooms had perfect attendance: 211,212, 115, & 119. The following Competition Homerooms had only 1 student absent, 102 & 215.
• In 8th Grade only 1 Competition Homeroom had perfect attendance, room 111. Room 100 & room 325 had only 1 student absent.

PSSA HQ

5 Days to PSSA

Winners of 6 Days to PSSA Contest-B_, M_ & J.

The correct answers was scrap-paper scramble.

Kickoff Assemblies went very well as a start into the testing season.

The Scrap-Paper Scramble looked like a modern version of "Supermarket Sweep", combined with a trip to a "Money Machine"!

Everyone take a deep breath before the real fun begins!

An hour lost is an hour gained (in sunlight at the end of the day)!

Rest and breathe, rest and breathe....



PSSA HQ

7 Days of PSSA

• Today and tomorrow we are distributing flags, homerooms, and game equipment.


• Please distribute all students index cards to them in your regular homeroom. This will have their Mathletics homeroom on them. They will convene before the assembly Friday in their homeroom to do their brackets.


• The secretaries worked extremely hard today getting together the Mathletics homerooms and schedules.
  
  The number seven is magical and mysterious number:


• There are seven colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, & Violet. (Roy G. Biv)


• Iron Maiden's second #1 album was entitled 7th son of a 7th son.


• There are seven days in a week.


• There are seven spots on a ladybug.


• Seven is a number found to be representative in religions.


• There are Brackets placed in teachers’ mailboxes, to be filled out before our assembly, in Mathletics Homerooms on Friday.


• There are (with very few exceptions) seven bones in all mammals' necks.


• 7 is a neutral pH value between acidity and alkalinity.


• 7 is the number of periods, or horizontal rows of elements, on the periodic table.


• Our assembly will be pushed back on Friday 5 to 10 Minutes to allow for all classes to fill out Brackets. Team leaders have scores if needed for last years' PSSA. You should all have recent MAP scores if the students do not have them stuck to their assignment books.


• There are seven letters in the name Crowley.


• There are seven stars in the constellation of The Big Dipper.


• There are seven Wonders of the Ancient World. (Can you guess them all? See bottom of post)


• Torches will be delivered the day after seven days before the PSSA.


• Daylight Savings time starts on the weekend of March 7th. (Therefore, you will only get 7 hours of sleep, not your usual 8)


• PSSA Headquarters was sent the AYP cutoffs 7 days before the PSSA.


• And, the most magical & mysterious fact….
  On the Seinfeld episode “The Seven”, George wants to name his son, if he ever has one, “Seven”, after Mickey Mantle’s number. Classic.


• There are 7 points in this post bolded. That is the important stuff to read!!!!!
  

PSSA HQ

ANSWERS - SEVEN WONDERS OF ANCIENT WORLD: Great Pyramid of Giza · Hanging Gardens of Babylon · Statue of Zeus · Temple of Artemis Mausoleum of Maussollos · Colossus of Rhodes · Lighthouse of Alexandria

Crazy 8 Days to PSSA

Blizzard of 09 III did not and will not deter NMS. We laughed at the eye of the storm and continue to tackle the eligible content without fear of repercussions from mother nature.

8 Days to PSSA beginning. 10 for 6th and 7th Grade.

Dick Clark is frozen on roof.

Only 3 days to Mathletics beginning!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check yesterday's email for assembly times.

We briefed the new teachers on mathletics and PSSA proctoring. They read a brilliant article on mathletics!

HQ interviewed 2 distinguished and decorated (check out faculty room) special education teachers who reported that they are doing what the regular education teachers are doing to prepare for PSSA-A dream come true for me-which begs the question why special ed? (We will discuss those philosophical questions after PSSA)

We have divided mathletics homerooms. 8th and 7th's assignments will be given tomorrow. Any change must be completed by 3:00 tomorrow. Changes can only be given to admin. by team leader's in order to prevent individual gain. 8th grades in mailboxes of Homeroom # teacher. Further assignments will start being given tomorrow. We are looking to adopt an art cycle teacher for mathletics. Any grade first come first serve to adopt an art cycle teacher near you. NEXT YEAR WE WILL DO A DRAFT FOR MATHLETICS.

PTL meeting tomorrow night to secure funding for prizes and snacks.

PSSA proctor directions were given to all staff who are proctoring.

Mr. H_ found a remote microphone for the mystery speaker.

Miss S_’s School Navigators will make signs to get spirit going for PSSA.

We need music anyone got some!!!!!!!

THANKS,
HQ

9 Days to PSSA

Blizzard of 09 III
Dick Clark is freezing on the roof right now! The Phillies are in Sunny Florida and 5 of NMS' finest are representing at the PMSA conference while you all sit at home watching Oprah and drinking Yoo-hoos and eating double stuff Oreos(middle first)!

I did watch Simpsons last night and it was hilarious. It was all about standardize testing. I could not believe it.

Mathletics homerooms will be distributed on index cards. We are shuffling all original homerooms using the index card system so that all homerooms have an equal representation of Adv, Pro, Basic, and Below. We are using last year's test scores so some students may have progressed well beyond last year's scores(hopefully). There will be no drafting but feel free to sway the judges with treats! You will have you list of contestants on Wednesday and they will receive their cards Thursday in homeroom. 8 homerooms in 6th/8th Grade and 10 homerooms in 7th grade.

Mathletic games will be next week as follows for those of you planning a week in advance.
6th-11:42-12:22
7th-11:00-11:45
8th-8:57-9:40
The first day we may need an extra minute or two in each area. We will call students back to homerooms a few minutes before the first game next Monday.

Ms. M_ is making the 2 extra signs for 7th grade.

We are looking at the 6th/7th math games and tweaking them.

Assemblies for Friday are as follows in the auditorium:
6th Grade-9:15
7th Grade-10:05(dismiss back to lockers after the assembly)
8th Grade-8:25

We are installing student response systems for mathletics in rooms(some rooms already have them)-203,210, 204, 206, 327, 328, 119, 211, and on a cart. We will use these rooms for competitions. More to come on the games.

Ms. I_ is working on the spirit award through MVP sporting goods. We are thinking a gold plated pom pom or megaphone for the spirit winner!

We are trying to see how we can best use the mystery speaker. We may do a video feed from roof with Dick Clark if the snow melts.

Enjoy the Day,

HQ