May 1, 2022
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and the Martin community is filled with amazing teachers! Please take a moment to send an email or a handwritten note to your student’s teachers thanking them for their hard work and dedication this year.
Monday, May 2nd is a Workday and Martin will be closed to students while staff will be participating in professional learning. Students are encouraged to enjoy the extra day off!
We have reached the midpoint of the last quarter of the school year and families are encouraged to check PowerSchools/ParentPortal for Interim Reports on Wednesday. This will give you a midpoint check of how your student is doing in each of their classes. Please reach out to teachers, grade level counselors or administrators if you would like to schedule a conference or have questions. As a reminder, you are encouraged to check grades through PowerSchool/ParentPortal regularly.
Second Step: All students will participate in a Second Step lesson on Wednesday through Math classes. Topics and family conversation starters are:
6th Grade: Resolving Challenging Conflicts: Your student will think through different ways to resolve a conflict and choose the one they think is best.
Conversation Starter: Ask your student why they think different conflicts need different solutions. Tell them about a time when you had to think about the best way to solve a conflict. What did you think about? Did it work out in the end?
7th Grade: Resolving Conflicts, Part 1: Your student will learn how to describe a conflict in a non-judgmental way by avoiding blaming language.
Conversation Starter: Discuss with your student a time in your life when you had a particularly difficult time resolving a conflict. How did avoiding blaming language help?
8th Grade: Finding the Best Solution: Your student will learn to find the best solutions to a conflict that everyone can agree on.
Conversation Starter: Ask your student about a conflict they recently had where they got something they wanted after it was resolved. Share a similar situation of your own.
Spring Concerts: The Martin Chorus Department will have their Spring Concert on Thursday. The concert begins at 7:00 in the Martin Auditorium. Mark your calendars for the rest of our concert series as well.
- Band: May 12th
- Dance: May 19th & 20th
School Dance: The Martin Student Council will host a school dance/social that is open to all grade levels on May 6th from 6-8 PM. Please follow this link for additional information, including drop off and pick up procedures.
8th Grade Families: All 8th graders will participate in an interactive Junior Achievement Career Fair where they will learn more about a variety of local businesses and have an opportunity to participate in mini self-guided activities. Ask your student if they have joined the “Making Career Connections” Google Classroom (the code is: ackjarm). Ms. Baxley will work with small groups over the next several weeks facilitating the guided activities.
World Language Testing: Exit Exams for Spanish B and D begin this week with the writing test on Wednesday. The speaking test will be on Wednesday, May 11th. Please refer to the communication from Ms. Barbieri for more details and the rest of the schedule.
Congratulations: Congratulations to Micah Jordan, Patrick O’Connell and Vincent Quaintance. We learned this week that all three were offered a spot in the Cannon Music Camp at Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, along with a scholarship to attend! This camp is one of the most prestigious in the country!
Congratulations: The Martin FFA team competed at Envirothon this weekend and did a wonderful job! The team, comprised of Cora Driscoll, Mugda Ghangrekar, Sarah Kalva, Addy Mulvey-Rose and Riley Olson, placed 3rd amongst FFA teams and 14 out of the 44 overall teams competing.
Mustangs at The Mudcats: The Martin Mustangs Symphonic Band combined with bands from seven other middle schools to play the National Anthem at the Carolina Mudcats Game on April 22nd. Our students were fantastic and had a wonderful time. Here is the video.
Family Survey: This is the final week left to complete the WCPSS Family Survey and we ask families to take a few minutes to provide feedback to help us grow and improve. The survey closes on Friday, May 6th. To complete the survey, please click here.
Chromebook Audit: The Technology Resource Management Team will be contacting students, and parents/guardians via email about their student device to verify that they are using their assigned device. We will also ask students/parents to check that their device is in working order before summer and the transition to a new school year. Students are to keep their Chromebooks at the end of this school year, even if they are transferring or advancing to another WCPSS school. Please be on the lookout for this email!
EOG Retesting Opportunity: Martin GT Magnet Middle is committed to providing all students with an excellent education. At the end of the school year, your student will participate in the regular administration of North Carolina End-of-Grade (EOG) tests (Reading, Math and Science 8). Students who score Level 3 or higher on these assessments are considered proficient.
Students who do not score a Level 3 or higher on the EOG and pass the course have the opportunity to participate in remediation and to retest (take the EOG for a second time) on June 14 and 15. Transportation will be provided and breakfast and lunch will be available.
At this time, we are providing families with information about this opportunity. After students complete their EOGs we will determine which students are eligible and notify those families of their student’s eligibility to retest.
Please complete THIS FORM so we know if you want your student to participate in retesting if they pass the class but do not earn a Level 3 on the EOG.
Athletics This Week: This week’s athletic events are:
- Tuesday Soccer @ Ligon
- Thursday Softball vs East Garner (this game is a double header)
From the PTA:
All Grades Dance: The PTA will sell concessions at the All Grades Dance on Friday, May 6th, from 6-8pm and is looking for volunteers to help. Please sign up here. Remember, this is a Martin only dance.
8th Grade Dance: The PTA and 8th Grade Team will host a Hollywood themed dance on Friday, June 3rd, from 6:30-8:30pm. This dance is for Martin students only and will be held in the cafeteria. We are asking for donations of $10 to help offset the cost of the dance. You can make donations here.
Spring Fling: The 8th Grade Spring Fling will be on June 10th during school hours. This event is planned to be outdoors, weather permitting. More information will come as we get closer to the end of the year
PTA Board Members: If you would like to serve with the Martin PTA next year, our Nominating Committee would love to hear from you! We have positions with varying levels of responsibility. Please email PTA Vice President Angel Bolton at vicepresident@martinPTA.com if you would like to hear more. Stay tuned for more details.
Have a wonderful Sunday evening!