Nissitissit Middle School News

It's hard to believe we are already halfway through the first trimester! Trimester 1 Progress Reports are going home today. This is a great opportunity to check in on your child's academic progress, celebrate their successes, and identify any areas where they may need additional support.

This year, we have made a change to the comments included on progress reports. Teachers will now provide one comment about work habits and one comment about conduct. We believe this will give families a clearer picture of how their child is doing in school, beyond just their academic grades. Please remember that progress reports are a snapshot of where students are right now, not their final grades. There is still plenty of time for students to make improvements before Trimester 1 report cards go home on December 4. We encourage you to review the progress report with your child, celebrate what's going well, and set goals for the remainder of the trimester. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress, please reach out directly to their teacher. We value our partnership with families and know that working together makes a difference in student success.

Looking ahead, Caregiver Conferences will be held on November 23 and 24. These conferences are another wonderful opportunity to connect with teachers and discuss your child's progress. More information about scheduling conferences will be shared soon.

Also, next week is NM Sprint Week. The entire district will celebrating their Patriot Pride at the same time! See details for each day below. Also, next Thursday night is the NMRHS Showcase from 6:00-8:00 pm at the high school. Come learn all about what NMRHS has to offer!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to a strong finish to our first trimester!

Kind regards,

Lauren & Evan

October 16- Progress Reports

October 20- Grade 8 Tour of NMRHS

October 22- High School Showcase 6-8 pm

November 6- Team and Group Photos

November 3- No School for Students, Staff Professional Learning

November 11- No School, Veteran's Day

November 23 & 24 Caregiver Conferences, Early Release at 11:05

November 25-27 -No School, Thanksgiving Recess

December 9- Early Release at 11:05

December 22- Early Release at 11:05

December 23- January 3- No School, Winter Recess

This week in Mrs. Carbone’s history class, students traveled back thousands of years to the Paleolithic era—and became cave artists!

After learning about some of the earliest known examples of human art, students explored why the creation of art was such an important turning point in human history. Paleolithic cave paintings, which date back tens of thousands of years, provide evidence that early humans were capable of symbolic thinking—using images to represent animals, people, ideas, or experiences. Creating art also shows that early humans were communicating, expressing ideas, and thinking creatively about the world around them, rather than simply focusing on basic survival.

To experience a small piece of this challenge firsthand, students transformed their classroom into a “cave.” With the lights off and only a few tealights providing their firelight, students attempted to create their own prehistoric-inspired artwork. They quickly discovered that working in a dark cave was much harder than it looked! Seeing the walls, choosing where to draw, and creating recognizable images by the flickering light proved to be quite a challenge.

When the classroom lights finally came back on, students got their first good look at their finished masterpieces—and many were surprised by what they saw!

This hands-on activity gave students a chance not only to learn about Paleolithic art, but to experience some of the challenges early artists may have faced. History really does come to life when you turn off the lights!

Our Chess & Card Club is putting those thinking and strategy skills to work! Students are having a great time challenging each other, planning their next moves, and enjoying some friendly competition with Mr. Parsons! We love seeing our students connect, have fun, and build new skills outside the classroom!

Check out some photos of our fifth graders doing a Lego Build Challenge in STEM class! Great creativity!

Thanks to the hard work, generosity and participation of our school community, NMS raised $ $250.00 through the 2026 Hannaford Helps Schools program. These funds will help us continue creating a positive, thriving environment for every student. Your support has made a meaningful impact on our school and your involvement and encouragement truly make a difference for our students, teachers and staff. Thank you for your continued dedication to our school community! Let's do it again this year!

Looking for a fun way to get outside, learn something new, and hang out with friends? Join Mr. Stevens for our Disc Golf Club!

Students will learn the basics of disc golf, practice different throws, and discover how throwing a disc golf disc is different from throwing a Frisbee!

🌳 Where: Outdoor Classroom
📅 When: Tuesdays – October 13, 20, 27 & November 3, 10
⏰ Time: 2:30–3:45 PM
👨‍🏫 Club Advisor: Mr. Chad Stevens

No experience needed — just come ready to have fun!

Sign Up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdA6ZFVPywt4Yos7_DzCRC3PktLw6BkekaC4VsWZo6I8-ROfw/viewform?usp=header

Check out the October Math Newsletter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jaxDgck2OTCj0WwYNS4wQeb-ZLZAcqzo/view?usp=sharing

The NMRHS Honor Society is offering peer tutoring! Sign up using the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIToVw0OV9EajGSwHFlpNr6CfEDVSfIpvG9-diy78p1oKV5A/viewform?usp=header&urp=gmail_link

♻️ Help NMS Take on the Trex Challenge! ♻️

We’re collecting plastic film and bags to donate as part of the Trex Recycling Challenge, and we’d love your help! Save your used grocery bags and other plastic wraps/film and send them our way. Donation bins are available right here at NMS. It’s an easy way to keep plastic out of the trash while helping our school reach our recycling goal.

Start saving those bags and wraps—we’ll take them!

Attention 5th grade parents and guardians:

5th grade vision screenings are scheduled to occur at school October 19 & 23, 2026. Please make sure your child brings their glasses, if they have them. IF you do not want your child to participate, please send me an email or send in a note to opt-out your child from this screening.

Attention 7th grade parents and guardians:

7th grade hearing, vision, BMI screenings, and SBIRT screenings will occur at school on October 19 & 23. . IF you do not want your child to participate, please send me an email or send in a note to opt-out your child from this screening.

It's Lyman Pie Fundraiser Time! The holidays are right around the corner, and the NMS PTO is kicking off its Lyman Orchards Pie Fundraiser! Order some delicious pies for your holiday celebrations while supporting our NMS students and staff!

Order forms have been sent home with students, so be sure to check those backpacks!

Every pie purchased helps support the wonderful programs and activities our PTO provides for our school community. Thank you for supporting the NMS PTO!

Email: nms@nmrsd.org

Attendance Email: nmsattendance@nmrsd.org
Website: https://www.nmrsd.org/Domain/10
Location: 33 Chace Avenue, Pepperell, MA, USA
Phone: (978)433-0114
Facebook: facebook.com/nissitissitmiddle