CASTLE NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL
an Indiana Four Star School
John Bertram, Principal
[email protected]
2800 Highway 261 * Newburgh, IN * 47630 * (812) 853-7347
www.warrickschools.com/castlenorth * www.warrick.k12.in.us
Greg Harris, Assistant Principal
[email protected]
LOOKING BACK OVER OUR 2013-2013 SCHOOL YEAR AT Castle North Middle School
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For many of us, it is almost unimaginable that the 2013-2014 school year is coming to a close.
We have made many friends, accomplished many things, and along the way, we have gathered knowledge to help us move on to the next step in our academic future. Nine months
seemed to have flown by before we knew what happened. Let‟s take a moment to look back at
our school year and remember some of what happened at Castle North Middle School.
The beginning of the school year brought with it new faces. We welcomed Miss Ammerman,
Miss Cooney, Mr. Dailey, Miss Dora, Mrs. Hogan, Mr. Oeth, Mr. Vile, and Mr. D. Harris to our
Castle North family.
From there, the games began. Our football teams were running, catching,
and sacking. Our 7th grade boys‟ team went undefeated and won the conference championship. Our 8th grade boys‟ team was the only team to defeat CSMS‟ 8th grade team. The girls‟ volleyball teams got in on the action.
The 6th grade Blue and Gold volleyball teams both advanced to the championship game. The 7th grade Gold team defeated
the 7th grade Blue team, but it took three very close
games. The 8th grade girls finished their season 15-0 and won the conference tournament.
In the midst of the sports flurry, Ms. Walton‟s Language Arts classes
were working on their critical thinking and team building skills with their “Marshmallow Challenge.” Mrs. Kinney got our vocal chords warmed up and began practicing with 2013-2014
Castle North Middle School‟s Troubadours.
Before we realized it, our year was running smoothly. The 6th grade Science classes began
their criminal investigation into “The Case of the Kidnapped Cookies.” Right on the heels of
this criminal investigation, the cheerleaders and dance teams got things shaking as the boys‟ and girls‟ basketball teams began practicing for try-outs.
While inside the school‟s walls we were studying and learning, Andrew Olsen, a
7th grade student, was hard at work on his Eagle Scout project of revitalizing
the bridge and trail in Castle North‟s woods. He did some remarkable work!
At this point, the Student Council had their annual Monster Mash Bash which
brought out many ghostly and creepy creatures to dance the night away. What
LOOKING BACK OVER OUR 2013-2013 SCHOOL YEAR AT Castle North Middle School
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a blast! While the Student Council was focused on dancing monsters, the 7th grade Blue team was out investigating one of the
largest urban wetlands in Indiana. Other students were readying
themselves for the Castle North Spelling Bee and Math Academy.
Zoe Minto, a 6th grader, won the Castle North Spelling Bee and
went on to the local Scripps National Spelling Bee at Ivy Tech in
Evansville.
As we cruised into November, our PTO once again had a fun night planned for us at the Fall
Fling ~ A Knight in Paradise.
Castle North, as always, had a wonderful Veterans‟ Day celebration honoring
those who have served and are serving our country. The Castle North Troubadours and band showed off their talents making beautiful music for the celebration. This celebratory assembly was a great time for us to remember we
have a lot to be thankful for being United States citizens. Also, the 8th grade
entered the Junior Americanism and Government contest which tested their
knowledge of government and American history. Three CNMS students, Aaron Brooker, Sarah Hirsch, and Hadley Titzer Purviance were selected as
winners for the local Post #44.
The 7th grade Gold team visited the Ohio Township Library
and the Mesker Park Zoo where they learned methods of
research to prepare them for their upcoming science fair projects. The 6 th
grade was gearing up for their annual dodgeball tournament to raise money
for their Build-A-Bear project in December. Chappy‟s Happy Unicorns came
out victorious at the end of the tournament. However, the needy children in
our community were the true winners as the 6th grade built 290 bears to give
away for the holidays.
With basketball games underway, the Archery Club sign-ups began, and our
bands and chorus got ready for the holiday season. Mrs. Fussner‟s 7th grade
Social Studies classes enjoyed their Philosopher‟s Tea
where they demonstrated their knowledge of ancient philosophers. And just
like that, we reached the halfway point in the school year.
As we returned from winter break, the weather was relentless! But Castle North students were still hard at work and
very involved in after-school activities. Our basketball season wrapped up
with the 7th grade girls‟ team went 7-6 in their season. Our 6th grade boys‟ A
team was undefeated for the season, and the 6th grade B team completed their season with a
4-2 record. Next, the Castle North wrestling season got underway. Ritik Shah, an 8 th grade student, and Ankush Dhawan, a 6th grade student, both came in first at the state qualifier regional
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LOOKING BACK OVER OUR 2013-2013 SCHOOL YEAR AT Castle North Middle School
chess tournament. The 6th graders were building Mars Lunar Vehicles
(MLV) to learn to about problem solving and cooperative learning.
In January, Castle North began its community service club, Generation On.
They partnered with the Ronald McDonald House in Evansville, St. Vincent
DePaul‟s Thrift Store and the Warrick County Humane Society both of Newburgh. Math Academy students were preparing for the regional competition, and students were experimenting
and recording data for the annual Science Fair in February.
Even snow and ice could not keep Castle North from having a spectacular science fair! Students in the 7th and 8th grades shared projects from botany to behavioral science, and everything scientific subject in between. Many projects
were headed for the Tri-State Science & Engineering Fair at
the University of Southern Indiana. The MATHCOUNTS
competition was held and Castle North participants won first place beating
Evansville Day School and Castle South Middle School. The Castle North
team went on to compete in the state competition at Rose-Hulman University in mid-March where they once again did quite well!
In March, our principal, Mr. Bertram, was named 2013 IASP Middle School Principal of the year. Student Council began their Moving for Change campaign which
included yoga, weight training, Zumba, and Jazzercise to get us
moving for the annual 3K Walk/Run in April. Mrs. Sturgeon, an
8th grade Math teacher, made headlines winning the 2014 Peabody Energy Leadership in Education Award for her commitment to her students at Castle North Middle School.
Our band and chorus students competed in the Indiana State School Music Association competition and all earned gold ratings. The 7th grade band students earned a special rating of
gold with distinction. Around the same time, Mrs. Schaperjohn‟s Excel 6th grade students were
competing in the Regional Sea Perch competition in Mt. Vernon.
Speaking of talent, Castle North students were perfecting their acts for the 28 th
Annual See Our Stars (SOS) Talent Show which collected over 693 nonperishable food items and $1449 for area families in need. Talent and compassion are two wonderful personality traits of Castle North students!
While some were busy with SOS, Elizabeth Cooper, an Excel 6 th
grader, was visiting the State House in Indianapolis with her winning
Hoosier Heroine essay that she wrote about Ms. Toni Ashley, a NeoNatal ICU nurse at Deaconess Hospital. Also, Kunhai Shah, a 6 th
grades student, placed in the top one percent of the nation in the Geographic Bee.
Still others at Castle North were participating in a community event, the Walk for Lit-
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eracy, which proceeds benefited literacy in Warrick County schools.
LOOKING BACK OVER OUR 2013-2013 SCHOOL YEAR AT Castle North Middle School
Mrs. Salley held a few after-school sewing activities. Students created pajama pants and drawstring gym bags. Mr. Mullen had art club
for interested students throughout the year as well.
Mr. Perry‟s 8th grade science students created and launched
rockets while learning about technology, engineering, and
math. Also, Mrs. Fussner‟s 7th graders went on their World‟s Religions
Tour where they learned about religions in our immediate area.
Fourteen 6th grade students from Castle North were selected as semifinalists in the Letters about Literature contest and were invited to an award
ceremony at the Indiana State Library. As well, our VEX robotics club participated in the “Stack „Em Up” competition at Ivy Tech
College in Evansville and came in first and second. The
team was even featured on a television segment of Inspector Gadget. Our Academic Bowl teams also had an excellent performance at the IAP Regional Junior Academic Bowl where they walked
away with numerous accommodations.
Castle North students also participated in the ICTM Math competition that was held at the
University of Southern Indiana and, of course, did a stupendous job! There
were many winners and honorable mentions for participant of our school.
The Archery club finished their season bringing home 4-1st or 2nd place
trophies from 12 different tournaments with many 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
individual medals. We finished ranked 2nd in the state of Indiana and
ranked 16th out of 194 in the United States!
To wrap up the month of April, we celebrated students‟ academic achievements at our annual CNMS Honors Reception where approximately 217 students were celebrated for their academic excellence. Speaking of excellence, again, Castle North Middle School achieved the
rating of “4-Star School of Excellence” from the Indiana Department of Education.
Finally, May is upon us and it too has been a stellar month! The boys‟ and girls‟ track teams
have broken several track and field records. Alexia Voyles, an 8th grade student, set a record again for the third year in a row in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:09. Seth Miles, a
7th grade student, set a new record with his 104 foot discus throw. Alyssa Avery and Faith
Jefferson, both 6th grade students, both set new track records. Kenny Dillman, a 7 th grade
student, set a record with his 400-meter dash in 56.96 seconds. These are just a few of the
athletic achievements that occurred in track and field this school year.
The 6th grade had their annual Invention Convention where students learned to creatively
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LOOKING BACK OVER OUR 2013-2013 SCHOOL YEAR AT Castle North Middle School
problem solve using real world problems. Then, they enjoyed an onsite field trip of team building challenges.
Despite the rainy weather, the 8th grade and several faculty and staff
members had a memorable end-of-the-year class trip to Kings Island
in Ohio. We enjoyed rides, games, food, and fellowship as a celebration of the years spent at Castle North before high school next fall.
The three keys to a great school are great students, great parents, and a great staff and
faculty! Castle North Middle School definitely holds the three keys to success! This is just a
glimpse of what occurred during the school year at Castle North Middle School. Much more
occurred: friendships were made; students moved closer to their next academic step; sharing and learning on the part of young and old. We made art, music, and learned to be understanding of others. Castle North Middle School is not a building; it is a community of people,
both young and old, who come together to grow in order to create a better tomorrow for ourselves and others.
We hope that each of you has a safe, enjoyable summer break! For those of you going on to
high school next fall, we wish you continued academic strength to continue your educational
career. For those of you returning next fall, we cannot wait to see what fantastic achievements are in store for you here at Castle North Middle School.