Weekly News
3/30-4/2
Spring is in full swing and Middle School students and teachers are enjoying the weather even with the pollen! We started our week with our Spring Trip reveal to the students and there was much enthusiasm about the newly renovated cabins we will be staying in. We are looking forward to a safe and fun trip! Please remember to check your email for the trip information sent out from our Parent Trip Meeting that was held on Tuesday evening. Email your student’s advisor with any particular questions or concerns you may have.
This week in History, students began reading Howard Zinn’s A Young People’s History of the United States. We will be reading the first few chapters to help us build background knowledge and provide context in our American Revolution unit. Students examined written and visual primary sources about the Middle Passage and students did an excellent job interacting with and processing the heavier historical topics we are learning about. In Science, students read and annotated a primary source written by Charles Darwin as they learn about natural selection. They ended their week with a Battle of the Beaks lab! Students were hard at work in English on a mini-project on Jefferson’s Sons.
Middle School had a fun and productive week in our daily morning meetings. We played a Blooket trivia game about Women’s History, played hot potato for “National Tater Day, and introduced an April’s Fools challenge! 100 miniature ducks have been hidden in the Middle School teacher’s classrooms and students have been rapidly locating them for prizes next week! We ended our week with a discussion and scenarios from Clarissa on understanding the differences between “requests” and “boundaries” and the importance of both.
3/23-3/27
What a crazy week of weather we’ve had! It started beautifully and then got chilly again. Middle school students are thankful that, as the week has progressed, we’ve been able to enjoy eating outside more consistently.
This is a busy time of year in middle school. The days seem to fly by once we return from Spring Break! Students are working hard reading “Jefferson’s Sons,” learning about taxonomy and evolution, and creating mini-collages in history. Mathematicians have been exploring geometry, systems of equations, and polynomials.
The Stewardship Committee is working on getting milkweed ready to plant on campus. The Community Committee has been working on planning a wonderful Spring Dance that will be held on Friday, May 8th. Quaker Life continues to plan meaningful opportunities for our weekly Quaker Meeting.
We had a wonderful time during Service Learning, helping students at Jefferson Elementary, doing odd jobs around the Guilford Campus, helping in lower school classrooms, clearing the trail on Bob Page Campus, and working at Camp Carefree. As a reminder, our Literacy Buddy group will continue to meet next year, so please keep us in mind when sorting through books and stuffed animals. Gently loved children’s books, stuffed animals, and gift bags can be dropped off at the front office on either campus.
3/17-3/20/26
Important Announcements
MS Spring Trip: April 20-24
MS Spring Virtual Trip Parent Meeting: March 31st, 5:30-6:30pm
Join us on Tuesday, March 31, for a virtual meeting from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm by clicking here.Parents and guardians will learn more about student activities and any required permission forms, and will have an opportunity to ask questions. *If your child may need to leave early or join the trip later, please email or phone your child's advisory teacher immediately. Having this information is vital, as we must plan for late arrivals and early departures on our trip.
Class News
Middle School students hit the ground running upon their return from Spring Break. Students in each Math class completed their next set of lessons and attempted a quiz on Friday. In Science, students worked on their taxonomic skills by finding the taxonomy of a particular species assigned to them by Madison, and finished the week by converting a menu into its taxonomic parts after finding the scientific names for the ingredients! Students are starting their American Revolution and Economics unit in History, beginning their study with an accounting of the Indigenous Peoples who were on the continent pre-colonization. In English, students continued their reading of our class novel, Jefferson’s Sons, as well as reviewing several previously introduced figures of speech and figurative devices. Students were given a mini choice project which asks them to draw a scene, create a character monologue, or create a “found poem” from one of the important events in the novel.
3/2-3/6/26
It was a short week in Middle School, but it was not a slow one! Students gave presentations on African American scientists, completed math assessments, learned about figurative language, wrapped up their world religion unit, enjoyed a new dry spot for the gaga ball pit, aced a tornado drill, learned a new card game, and celebrated our new State champions in Men’s Basketball during a special lunch on Wednesday. Whew!
At NGFS, we are dedicated to building a student’s sense of ownership and intrinsic motivation regarding their own education. One of the most important things students engaged in this week were their preparations for Student Led Conferences that were held on Thursday and Friday. When we come back to school following spring break, we are eager to promote the SMART goal that each student set for themselves.
Last, but not least, we want to wish all of our students and families a safe and restorative Spring Break. We will see you all on March 16th!
2/23-2/27/26
This week, students are celebrating Black History Month in Science Class by choosing an African American scientist to highlight in a presentation. During this project, students are building research skills, analyzing credibility of course, and constructing a slideshow to share the importance of their scientist’s discoveries. We will be able to share and learn about African American scientists throughout history during presentations on Monday!
MS students had Service Learning this week, which included opportunities such as helping at Peacehaven Farms, reading to students at Jefferson Elementary, and building community with our younger friends at the Guilford Campus. Our middle schoolers always amaze us with their dedication to helping others and their understanding of the world around them. We can’t wait to return to our service sites next month!