Nathan Hale Middle School

Coordinates: 41°7′0.1″N 73°23′45.3″W / 41.116694°N 73.395917°W / 41.116694; -73.395917

Nathan Hale Middle School
Location
176 Strawberry Hill Ave Norwalk, CT 06851
Information
Type	Public
Motto	Knowledge for the Head and Wisdom for the Heart
Opened	1952[1]
Principal	Mr. Robert McCain
Enrollment	approximately 600
Team name	Patriots
Newspaper	NHMS Newsletter
Information	[phone]
Website	http://norwalk.k12.ct.us/nathanhale

Nathan Hale Middle School is a middle school in Norwalk, Connecticut, Fairfield County, United States of America. Nathan Hale is the top middle school in Norwalk due to the outstanding test scores of the class of 2007. It feeds into Norwalk High School, a high school with a renowned music program. The school is named after American Revolutionary War figure Nathan Hale, who departed from Norwalk to undertake his doomed spying mission.

On 14 May 2008 Nathan Hale was selected as a Spotlight School award recipient by the New England League of Middle Schools from among 12 competing schools.^[2] It is one of only a few middle schools to have received the award throughout New England. With the award Nathan Hale will represent NELMS as one of their Spotlight Schools for the next three years. It will host visitors from other middle schools from throughout New England to share teaching practices.^[3]

The student body is organized into 6 "teams" (teams of 5 teachers, of which approximately 100 students belong to each one), two in each grade. They are:

• 6th grade:
  • Blue
  • Red
• 7th grade
  • Purple
  • Yellow (formerly Gold)
• 8th grade:
  • Orange
  • Green (formerly Gold)

There is some level of competition between teams on the same grade. The Gold team which was a combined team of 7th and 8th grade students was split due to the large class 7th grade class of 2010.

The school's students actively participate in the National Geographic Bee, with a 6th grade Social Studies teacher as the organizer.

Electives in NHMS include family and consumer sciences, general music, chorus, band, orchestra, technology education, computers, and art.

A notable alumnus of the school was Wilfredo Perez Jr., a soldier who was killed in action in Baquba, Iraq on July 26, 2003. Perez has been commemorated with a bronze sculpture along the River Heritage Park along the west bank of the Norwalk River. The Nathan Hale Middle School began an "Adopt-a-Platoon" program in 2003 to also commemorate Perez. It is one of the oldest Iraq War charities in the state of Connecticut.^[4]

In 2001 faculty member Tedd Levy served on the National Center for Education Statistics NAEP U.S. History Assessment Standing Committee.^[5]

See also

• Education in Norwalk, Connecticut
• National Geographic Bee

References

1. ^ Connecticut State Department of Education. "Nathan Hale Middle School Norwalk School District STRATEGIC SCHOOL PROFILE 2002-03" (PDF). http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/der/ssp/sch0203/jr087.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-16. 
2. ^ "NELMS Spotlight Schools". http://www.nelms.org/spotlight/spotlight.html. Retrieved 2008-05-15. 
3. ^ "Nathan Hale Middle School Newsletter • April-May 2008" (PDF). http://www.norwalk.k12.ct.us/nathanhale/April-May%202008%20PDF.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-17. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "NHMS Operation Adopt-a-Platoon". http://www.norwalk.k12.ct.us/nathanhale/NHMSAdoptaPlatoon.html. Retrieved 2008-05-15. 
5. ^ "NAEP Item Development - NAEP 2001 U.S. History Assessment Standing Committee". http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/tdw/item_development/develop_hist_committee.asp. Retrieved 2008-05-17. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Nathan Hale Middle School
• New England League of Middle Schools