We had a great, though shortened, return to in person learning last week. A school building just has a different energy when students are in person! Wednesday will be an Asynchronous Learning day for all students. There will be no live meets, but students are expected to check each Google Classroom and Canvas site for the activities for the day.

 

For those on Plan A/B/C, Cohort 3/Cohort C will return to in-person learning on Monday. Below are a few reminders about in-person learning:

• Students should stay home if they are not feeling well and follow the Guidelines for Returning to School.
• All students will be screened prior to entering the building.
• Students riding school transportation must have a Bus Attestation form completed.
• All members of the school community must practice the 3 Ws at all times; Wear a mask, Wait 6ft. apart, Wash hands frequently.
• While eating lunch, students will be seated 6ft. apart, face the same direction, and refrain from socializing while they are not wearing a mask. Additionally, masks are to be put back on as soon as they are done eating.
• Student Accountability and Health Protocols are to be reviewed and completed and submitted.

 

Career Connections for 8th Graders: Calling all 8th graders! Don't miss Career Connections on Wednesday! Students will be able to choose from a variety of career related workshops for the first session. Then, at 11:00, they will meet virtually with industry professionals to learn more about what they do. Registration is required via your student's WakeID account. Get more info on the Career Connections event here.

 

Congratulations: The Martin MathCounts team competed in the Chapter Competition last weekend. Jerry Xue’s score qualified him for the Chapter Invitation Competition. We are proud of all team members and Ms. Townsend, MathCounts Coach, for their hard work in this most unusual year. Good luck to Jerry!

 

Black History Month: We have all heard about famous inventions throughout history. However, our history lessons have overlooked some inventions that make our daily lives easier. Among the inventors and entrepreneurs behind these inventions are black inventors. Check out this information from the History Channel to learn more about some products that have sprung from the mind of black inventors.

 

Student Council News: Students Coffee chats are back! Thank you to all students who joined us for “How to Better Practice Self Care?” on Thursday. Mark your calendars for March 5th, March 19th and March 26th, and sign up using this google form to participate in one of our upcoming coffees!  All coffees are during Enrichment. For more information, please visit the “Student Coffee Chats” tab on the Student Council website.  Also don't forget to check out the presentations made for the last Coffee Chats topics on the Student Council website!

Student Council Website link: https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/martinstudentcouncil/home 

 

Are you interested in learning a new stringed instrument? Mr. Harris’s orchestra classes are the way to go. He teaches a variety of levels of orchestra available to all students!  If you aren’t interested in a year long music class, you can try out his semester-long guitar classes. Questions? Reach out to Mr. Harris (NDHarris@wcpss.net). 

 

Second Step Lesson: All students will engage in Second Step this week during Enrichment. Students learning from home are encouraged to join their Enrichment teacher’s class to continue Topics for this week are:

6th Grade (on Thursday)         What Works Best for You  

Family table conversation: Continue to talk about responding to highly emotional situations, including real world examples.

7th Grade                                      Practicing Positive Self Talk

Family table conversation: Each family member shares what they are good at, grateful for and things that went well this week.

8th Grade                                      Changing Strategies and Getting Help

Family table conversation: Identify people you can or do go to when you are having trouble managing stress. Why did you choose them? How did those people help?

 

Athletics: Fall season sports start Monday. Each Plan A/B/C student will attend with his/her cohort. All Virtual Academy students have been assigned a cohort. Rosters for each cohort and season can be found on the Martin Athletics Website. You can also contact Mr. Basaldu, jbasaldu@wcpss.net, with any questions. As a reminder, Virtual Academy students will be screened prior to entering the building.

 

Community Circles: Community circles are social emotional tools used throughout Wake County. If you are interested in learning more about community circles, check out this flyer for more information. 

 

Registration: Elective registration is right around the corner! In an effort to help to prepare for registration, we will be highlighting new and exciting elective opportunities for our students. This is a great time to begin looking through the course catalogue so that you are aware of everything that we offer at Martin! 

 

From the PTA:

PTA Parent Chat: Q&A with Dr. King - 3/4, 8:00am

We’re welcoming back Dr. Emily King, a local child and adolescent psychologist, to answer your questions! Join parents from area middle schools to address challenges and share solutions. Register for the chat here. To make this discussion even more meaningful, please submit your questions in advance.

 

Register Now for Parent Circles: March 18^th and 19^th

This year has been tough! If you’d like to support and be supported by other Martin parents, consider joining one of our upcoming Parent Circles. Each Circle will last one hour. Sign up here!

 

What are Circles? Circles are a part of Wake County’s restorative practices which are a series of approaches and tools that strengthen relationships and connections within communities. The use of restorative practices addresses the needs of the whole community by humanizing every person, building a sense of belonging, encouraging positive relationships and behaviors, and repairing harm when necessary. A foundational piece of restorative practice is the Circle Process. The Circle is a structured dialogue process that is regulated by a trained circle leader. In circle, all participants are respected and given the opportunity to share without interruption. The social and emotional well-being of all circle participants is honored and valued.