PENNICHUCK PRESS

The Newsletter of Pennichuck Middle School

Dates To Remember:

4/25         Progress Reports marks close

4/28-5/2   Spring vacation

5/7           PTO Meeting 7pm

5/8           PTO Family BBQ

5/9           Progress Reports sent home

5/13-15    Gr. 8 NECAP Science Testing

5/14         Early Release for Elementary/High Schools only.

5/21         Early Release for Middle Schools.   Dismissal at 12:38pm – Grade 5 Orientation to Middle School

5/22         Grade 5 Parent Night 7pm

5/23         Green Team Field Trip

5/26      No School, Memorial Day

 

 

WARM WEATHER REMINDERS

Riding Bicycles to School

NH State Law Title XXI Motor Vehicles, Chapter 265, Section 144, Item X states that no person less than 16 years of age may operate or ride upon a bicycle on a public way unless he/she wears protective headgear of a type approved by the commissioner of health and human services. Any Pennichuck student that rides a bicycle to school without a helmet will have the bicycle taken away and the school resource officer will be notified.

Student Dress Code

This is the time of year when schools typically face issues with the student dress code.  Below are guidelines that parents may use to help with the purchase of school clothes for the upcoming months.  We hope that by providing parents with this information we can avoid issues with student dress in the future.

We often hear that the vendors are to blame as it is not possible to purchase school-appropriate clothing.  Throughout this newsletter you will find examples of clothing that is school appropriate.  A search of local vendors (Abercrombie, American Eagle, Gap, Hollister, Macy’s, Old Navy, Target and Wal-Mart) provided us with these images.

• Should not interfere with the education, safety, and health of that student or his/her fellow students.

• Clothing should be worn in such a manner that undergarments are not visible.

• Should be neat and clean and without holes.

• Should be appropriate school attire (no cigarette, drug, or alcohol advertising, or inappropriate language or sayings.)

• Hats, headbands, bandanas and gloves are not allowed. Headbands ½ inch or narrower are permitted.

• No halter-tops, bare midriff, tank tops or overly revealing attire. Straps on tops should be, at a minimum, the width of a dollar bill.

• Shorts, skirts and dresses must be a minimum of 15 inches in length measured from top to the bottom or have a hemline no more than 2 inches above the knee. No cutoffs of any kind allowed.

• No pajama tops or bottoms

• No chains, spiked collars or bracelets

• No pins or safety pins hanging on clothes.

Should a student be inappropriately dressed there are the following consequences: 

1^st offense: Student must immediately change out of inappropriate clothing.  They may use clothing the student has, a parent brings in, or that the school provides.

2^nd offense: See 1^st offense plus student will serve 1 day of in-house suspension.

3^rd and subsequent offenses: See 1^st offense and student will be sent home to serve 1 day out-of-school suspension.

 NURSES NOTES

What is Tetanus?

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a serious but preventable disease that affects the body's muscles and nerves. It usually comes from a skin wound that is infected with a bacteria named Clostridium tetani, which is often found in soil.

Once the bacteria are in the body, a neurotoxin (a protein that acts as a poison to the body's nervous system) that causes muscle spasms is produced. As it circulates throughout the body, the toxin interferes with the normal activity of nerves in the body, leading to generalized muscle spasms. Without treatment, tetanus can be fatal.

In the United States, most cases of tetanus follow a cut or deep puncture injury, such as a wound caused by stepping on a nail. Sometimes the injury is so small the person never even sees a doctor. Wounds contaminated with soil, saliva, or feces — especially if not properly cleaned — and skin punctures from non-sterile needles (such as with drug use or self-performed tattooing or body piercing) are also at increased risk.

 Can this be prevented?

There are two important ways to prevent tetanus: getting vaccinated against tetanus along with other routine immunizations, or, after an injury that could cause tetanus, receiving a shot.  For kids, tetanus immunization is part of the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) vaccinations. They typically receive a series of four doses of DTaP vaccine before 2 years of age, followed by a booster dose at 4 to 6 years of age. After that, a booster (Tdap) is recommended at 11 to 12 years of age, and then a tetanus and diphtheria booster every 10 years through adulthood. Be sure your kids don't miss their appointments so that the immunizations are given on time.

Please see http://www.kidshealth.com/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/tetanus.html for more information

This is the time that parents of all eighth  graders need to be sure they have turned in proof of their child as having received the tetanus booster either via a Td or a Tdap immunization (shot)

Proof is a copy of your child’s immunization record or a note from his/her physician indicating the date the immunization was administered.  Without this information, your child will be excluded from attending grade nine at our high schools.  Some parents have turning in proof recently and if you have done so, you don’t need to do it again.  Please turn the immunization paperwork in the Paula Edwards, our school nurse.

Library News:

Please mark your calendars for the Pennichuck Spring Book Fair that will be held in the library from May 7 to May 16.  We had a very successful Winter Book Fair which added 80+ new books to our library collection.  If you would like to volunteer to work at the upcoming book fair, please contact Jean Inzerillo at jinzerillo@comcast.net.  Thank you for your support!

Choral Department News:

The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade choruses performed at Nashua High School North Auditorium on Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.  This was our first formal evening performance of the year and we were very excited about it. 

Five talented 8th grade students were selected by the NHMEA to participate in the annual South Central Middle School Choral Festival on Saturday, May 10.  The concert will be in the late afternoon.  Details to follow, or check the Music Department website at: http://www.nashua.edu/stewarts

Ms. Stewart is looking for interested parents of choral and general music students to contact her with ideas for a few fun field trips to round out the year.  Please feel free to email your ideas or willingness to help.  We'd love to end the year on a high note...perhaps a high C even!

Art News~ Pat Goss

Grade 8

The orange team students began by exploring the first and most basic element of art ~ line; this lead up to their first project “Sun Faces

With an Attitude”. Creatively shaped “sunrays” were filled with active, bold, organic and geometric line and shape and have wonderful color or the powerful contrast of black and white. In the center, the face displays an air of ….attitude. Some are funny, goofy or just gloriously beam. I know we all think it is about me for a little sunshine. Stroll on by the office hallway to catch some rays.

Form and value are the second and third most widely used elements of art.  The project “Wooden Forms with a Surprise” contain various shaped wooden forms arranged in collection, somewhat like a still life, and shaded using five different values but have an additional surprising feature.  Perhaps you will see a monstrous hand, a racecar, or a street scene in among these forms? The realistic forms, with a hint of surrealism, will soon be on display.

Grade 7

After viewing “Warrior Shields of the American Plains Indians” with their mystical symbols, the blue team students produced important symbols of their own.  They came from their heritage, activities, beliefs, and important people from their lives. The circular shape was filled with bright overlapping symbols, which basically give the viewer insight about the artist. Repeating borders of shapes or symbols grace the outer edge of their own “Personal Shield”. A brief message about the shield is attached. These are currently on display. 

The students are currently participating in exercises, such as upside down drawings, found in a book by Betty Edwards, “Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain”. By doing these drawing exercises, the students learn how to quiet the verbal “left hemisphere” of the brain in order to allow the creative “right hemisphere” to take over. In this way, they learn to “see” in a brand new manner. While making drawings of their hand, first with a blind contour, then in a modified one, participants actually experience the “shifting” from left to right. When comparing the results from a hand drawn before the exercises to one drawn afterward, well, the results are actually terrific! Look for them soon.

Grade 6

The maroon and crimson teams have “My Name in Pictures” on display.  In this project, students creatively used objects to spell out their name. Colorful backgrounds give them some extra pizzazz! 

The students have now eagerly embarked on a lengthy ten-step assignment, “The Body:  A Study in Proportion”. The first step was to use a wooden mannequin posed in an activity that they personally like to participate in. Then a two-dimensional drawing of themselves along with props and placed in a scene was drawn and colored.  This completed phase one. Next, the students fashioned a wire armature using that same position and will be adding on clothes made from newspaper. Now comes the really fun part of applying “Pariscraft”, a plaster infused gauze, which will give a more three-dimensional appearance and also make it more durable. When dried, it will all be realistically painted. After that, a wooden base will be sanded and painted for the figure’s platform.  Then, the last details and additional props, as well as a short paragraph will complete phase two of the assignment. The last phase will involve measuring and comparing the mannequin’s body to that of the student.

REACH

There will be no REACH sponsored activities until after April vacation.  Ms. W. is on disability leave. 

All 8th grade IAPs will be updated through email and phone.  Please check your email and make any corrections needed on your IAP, and have your parents sign and return to the Main Office at PMS, attention Ms. W.

If you are an 8th grade REACH student and would like to visit Nashua High North in May to meet the REACH Specialist and students, please email Ms. W at wojtkunc@nashua.edu.

Recycling

Thank You to all who have been sending empty printer cartridges and unwanted cell phones.   Our school receives up to $2 for an ink jet cartridge, $8 for a laser cartridge, and $30 for a cell phone.

Did you know?

  It takes up to 3 quarts of oil to make a single inkjet cartridge!

 It takes millennia for one inkjet cartridge to decompose!

 125 million pounds are dumped into our landfills annually!!

Students can bring cartridges and phones to their Advisory Homeroom or drop them off in room 31 (Computer Lab next to library)!!!   Thanks! 

Reserve your copy of the 2008 Pennichuck Middle School Yearbook $30.00

The 2008 Pennichuck yearbook is currently on sale at school for $30.00 until April 25, 2008

No specialty orders will be accepted and orders can no longer be placed through the Jostens’s web page.

If you wish to order a yearbook today contact Mrs. Cawley in Room 14C.  Include your child’s name, Advisory Number (Yearbooks cannot be delivered with out this number!), Advisory teacher, grade and team name

Include payment, cash or check.  (Please make checks out to Pennichuck Middle School)

Any remaining yearbooks sold after April 25 will have a price increase of $35.00

Reserve a copy today before they are all sold out!