

NAHS Family Newsletter
February 2024
Important Dates:
2/5 Report Cards available in FOCUS portal at 4pm
2/9 Systemwide Professional Day-School closed for students
2/19 President's Day- School closed
Principal's Corner
Welcome to Quarter 3! Our students are halfway through the 23-24 school year in the blink of an eye. Parents and guardians, it is imperative that your student continues to come to school each and every day prepared to learn. Please check in with your student and restock supplies such as pencils, pens, papers, etc. We are seeing a steady decline in preparation for learning in some classes.
Also, remember BCPS requires that students maintain an attendance rate of 94% or higher. Please be sure your student is present, barring any illnesses. When your student must be out for illness or an appointment, please send a note in to the main office as soon as they return. Our attendance team will be connecting with families regarding chronic absenteeism throughout this month.
Mark your calendars! The next parent advisory meeting is 2/21 at 5:30 pm via MS Teams. We will share the link via email again the week of the meeting.
Cooler Weather Uniform Expectations
A friendly reminder that students are required to follow uniform expectations at all times while in the building. As the weather changes and temperatures drop, students may wear a plain crew neck, cardigan, or fleece jacket that corresponds to their uniform color. They may also wear a long sleeve shirt under their uniform polo. No hooded sweatshirts or jackets are permitted.
Please take some time this weekend to ensure your student has something that aligns to their uniform colors and is permitted for cooler weather days.
Grade 6- Light Blue or Black
Grade 7- Burgundy or Gold
Grade 8- Red or Gray
Thank you for your support and adherence to this expectation.
If you are unable to provide proper cooler weather items for your child, please email Jmiranda@bcps.org
Quarter 2 Report Cards
In an effort to reduce paper usage, we will not be mass printing report cards for MP2. BCPS instructs families to log onto FOCUS to view their student’s official report card. I’ve attached instructions on how to create a Parent FOCUS account as well as instructions on how to view report cards in the FOCUS portal to this newsletter below.
*Schoology and FOCUS Help*
Creating a Parent Account in Focus
Directions for parents to create a Focus account are located here: HOW TO: Creating a Parent Account in FOCUS. Parents must use the same email address to create this account that they provided to the school or else they will be denied access. Parent access to Schoology is via the Focus Parent Portal. Please use these Parent Portal Instructions.
Attendance
School attendance remains a priority for Northwest Academy of Health Sciences.
Our goal is for every student to attend instruction every day and on time. Regular school attendance ensures your child’s access to a high-quality education and has a major impact on their success from kindergarten through high school.
We understand that some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances.
However, when students miss too much school — for any reason— they fall behind academically and will be considered chronically absent.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as any absence that exceeds more than 10 percent of the 180-day school year.
To help your child achieve the most from their learning experience, make school attendance a priority!
*Have you taken the BCPS Climate Survey?*
Your voice is important to us! The survey is available at www.bcps.org from February 5 through
March 8, the survey takes five minutes or less, is anonymous, and is available in 20 languages for
students, parents/caregivers, and community members.
The survey can be taken from anywhere using a phone, tablet, or computer. You can also visit the school to take the survey at school. Students, parents/caregivers, and staff will be given opportunities to take the survey at school.
If you are a BCPS parent/caregiver and employee, or if you have children in more than one school,
you are encouraged to take the survey more than once to reflect these experiences
Northwest Academy's Black History Month Family Project- EXTRA CREDIT!
The Social Studies Department would like to invite students and families to participate in a fun family engagement project that recognizes and celebrates the history and accomplishments of African Americans. Please see the flyers below for more information.
Family Engagement and Parent Resources
C.A.R.E. Liaison
Hello!
My name is Jessica Miranda and I am Northwest Academy's CARE Liaison! Please take a look at the resources and links provided below.
My email address is Jmiranda@bcps.org
Please let me know if I can help in any way. I have access to many resources available in our community so please don't hesitate to reach out if you or your child needs anything.
My Northwest Academy's family involvement goals are:
• To educate parents on the important role they play in assisting in their child’s education.
• To encourage parents to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.
• To communicate with parents as full partners in their child’s education.
• To provide parents with opportunities, skills and tools to help them engage in meaningful parent-child learning activities.
Local Resources:
Baltimore County Crisis Response: 410-931-2214
Crisis text line: Text the word "HOME" to 741741 for free 24 hour support
Maryland Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 1-800-422-0009
National Suicide Prevention Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK
Baltimore County DSS: 410-887-TIME
Maryland Food Bank: 410-737-8282
211 Maryland: 211, https://211md.org/ or text 898-211
Additional resources: Baltimore County Resource Guide * BCPS Meal Sites * BCPS Social Emotional Support Page * MD Crisis Hotline * MD Food Bank * Baltimore County Crisis Response: 410-931-2214 * Crisis Text Line (Text the word "HOME" to 741741 for free 24 hour support)
Please take a moment to fill out our Q3 family engagement survey!
Parent Volunteer Applications
If you are interested in being a chaperone on a field trip or volunteering this year at NAHS please follow the directions in the link below. You will need to complete the application, watch the training video and get the certificate.
When completed please email the application and certificate to me at Jmiranda@bcps.org or turn it into the main office.
Resources from the Public Library
Home Internet Access Resources for Families/Students
Families needing assistance with paying for or obtaining internet access for their children while at home should be directed to the Maryland Emergency Broadband Benefit (MEBB) service. The State of Maryland has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which provides eligible families access to free or reduced internet access for their homes. This internet access can be used for virtual learning, and access to online resources such as job postings, health resources, and other benefits for adult family members and children.
Maryland Emergency Broadband Benefit can be accessed through the MEBB website by going to a Baltimore County Public Library and using the available internet access.
Baltimore County Public Libraries also has a ‘Long Term Device Lending Program’ where patrons of the library can sign out either a ChromeBook and/or a cellular hotspot for up to six months. More information is available on the Baltimore County Public Library website (https://www.bcpl.info/services/longterm-lending.html ).
An alternative method is to contact the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program directly by calling (877) 384-2575. Services are available in multiple languages. Families must qualify for the service. A family can also contact one of the internet access/broadband providers on the attached listing directly to find out more about the application process.
Links to these resources are available on the BCPS Office of Network Support Services webpage. BCPS will not be providing cellular hotspots to students for virtual learning days. Only students who are verified as being in need, as defined by the Title I office, will be eligible to receive BCPS-provided hotspots. The MEBB, ACP, and BCPL lending programs are administered outside of Baltimore County Public Schools. All questions should be directed to either the Federal Communications Commission, the State of Maryland, or the Baltimore County Public Libraries as it relates to the appropriate program.
Questions regarding this information should be directed to the following individual(s): Greg Vukov, Director 443-809-9888
Interested in attending a workshop on vaping in adolescents?
COVID - TIS THE SEASON
Tis the season for sniffles, sneezes, coughs and more! Many viruses circulate during the winter months. Holiday gatherings and being indoors add to the spread of viral illnesses. To protect yourself and your family:
- Keep up to date on vaccines. Find vaccines near you here.
- Stay home when sick. Students who have a fever of 100°F or higher should stay home until the fever is gone (without fever reducing medicine) for 24 hours. Consult with your healthcare provider about whether you should be tested for flu, COVID or other illnesses.
- Practice good habits – cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands regularly, consider wearing a high filtration mask if you or your family members are at high risk of complications from flu or COVID.
- Follow CDC guidelines on COVID testing. Free COVID test kits can be ordered online. If you are sick consult with your healthcare provider, regardless of the results of your COVID test. Persons with COVID may need medicine to protect them from complications; persons with negative COVID tests may need testing or evaluation for other illnesses, like flu, that can cause significant illness.
Free Vaccinations
The first and most important step to protect yourself against flu viruses is to get a flu vaccine. You can get a flu vaccine at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine. Find your flu vaccine. The injectable quadravalent vaccine will be available, which is not the high-dose vaccine recommended for people 65 and over. See your healthcare provider to obtain the high-dose vaccine. In addition, many local pharmacies offer free flu shots in your community. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for the most up-to-date information on seasonal flu. If you are unable to attend a clinic, find a location offering vaccinations near you. https://www.vaccinefinder.org/
REMEMBER THE FLU FACTS Residents are encouraged to remember the flu FACTS in order to prevent the spread of contagious viruses, including seasonal flu: • Frequently wash your hands with soap and water. • Always get an annual flu shot. • Cover coughs and sneezes.
Parent University
February 7 – 12:30 PM Lunch & Learn – Eating Healthy on a Budget Virtual Presented by Priority Partners
Are you interested in learning new ways to save money while still eating healthy on a budget? Come join the Priority Partners workshop where you will learn seven new ways to save money on the foods that you most enjoy. Our workshop will take you through some main steps of planning before shopping and purchasing the items at the best prices. You will also learn new ways to prepare meals that will help you stretch your dollars. Come join in on our workshop on December 6th to learn more. For registration click here! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eating-healthy-on-a-budget-tickets-773255226197?aff=oddtdtcreator
February 16 – 12:30 PM Lunch & Learn – This is Hard! How to Help Your Child Do Hard Things and Persevere in the Face of Challenges (also offered April 12) Virtual Presented by Mariposa Education
Parents often find it difficult to encourage their child to keep trying when things are hard, or to do hard things. And the many ways we try to motivate our children can backfire. It turns out that when we are learning something new, we need 5 forms of positive feedback for every negative or constructive form of feedback. And yet how we offer that feedback makes a big difference. In this workshop, we will give you the language to reinforce your child so that they can build the self-motivation they need to try again and do hard things. For registration click here! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcO2upz8pH9ci7AKm_r-CYTwQurxXnNnF
NAHS Parent Advisory Meeting 2/21 5:30-6:30pm
**NAHS Parent Advisory Meeting**
CALLING ALL PARENTS!
Please join us for our Parent Advisory Meeting on Feb. 21 via MS Teams! This is an open discussion and opportunity for families to dialogue with Principal Robinson and other members of the NAHS Team. Details below!
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 211 121 202 540
Passcode: eHrX7Z
Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
+1 301-960-8406,,858705365# United States, Silver Spring
Phone Conference ID: 858 705 365#
Find a local number | Reset PIN
Wednesday, Feb 21, 2024, 05:30 PM
Virtual-Microsoft Teams
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Resource Links
Northwest Academy of Health Sciences Career Day
Do you have an interesting career you'd like to share with our students?
NAHS Career Day is coming soon! Please help the career day team by sending the attached invitation to anyone you think would be interested in presenting at our Career Day on March 13th! We are looking for any volunteers or community members who are willing to share their time and career choices with our students.
We hope to provide a variety of interesting career opportunities for students to explore, but to do so, we require your help.
Participants will be asked to provide a brief overview or demonstration of their career to small groups of students at a time. Students will be prepared to ask questions concerning wages, training, education or skill requirements, advantages and disadvantages, opportunities, etc. We ask that all presenters come ready to engage and interact with our students in an exciting and meaningful way.
If you are interested in participating, please fill out the form below and return it to the main office no later than Wednesday, February 21, or email the form to Jmiranda@bcps.org. You may also fill out the form electronically by clicking https://forms.office.com/r/Mxngz5fpF2 or scanning the QR code.
Lost and Found- Room 127
The lost and found will be kept in room #127. Clothing items, shoes, and binders will be stored here for 2 weeks and then they will be donated. If your child has lost something, please have them come and check the lost and found.
I will no longer be keeping backpacks or bags due to items in them attracting unwanted critters.
* Devices, cell phones, ear pods and purses can be found in the main office. *
Athletics
Dear Northwest Academy of Health Sciences Scholar Athletes and Families:
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning LIONS for the 2023-2024 Spring season of athletics! We are excited to announce that we now offer the convenience of online registration for our sports programs through the registration platform, FormRELeaf!
FormRELeaf ls an Intuitive and secure registration platform providing you with a user-friendly way to register for our sports programs, while helping us to be more administratively efficient. The Winter season registration opens from Feb1st through March 10, 2024. Registration will close at 12.01 am March 10, 2024.
All Scholar Athletes must have a G.P.A of 2.0 or above, this is a Maryland state requirement for student athletes.
Begin your online registration using this link to FormRELeaf: English and Spanish version available.
https:/app.formreleaf.com/login
All necessary forms are uploaded and available on the NAHS web page under Athletics.
1. Signup for your FormRELeaf account by entering your name, email address and password; confirm your password. Agree to the FormRELeaf Terms of Service.
2. Now login to Form Leaf using your credentials (email address and password)
3. On the top menu bar select "Find organization"
4. Search for Northwest Academy of Health Sciences by typing the first few letters of our school’s name; once located, click on "Northwest Academy of Health Sciences”
5. Click on the Program ("2023-2024 sports") you wish to register for.
6. After clicking on the appropriate sport(s), complete all required information. Physical forms need to be uploaded and signed by a licensed physician.
7. Sign (using your mouse/finger/stylus) in those fields where appropriate.
8. When finished click "'Submit."
9. You will receive confirmation from FormReLeaf when you have completed your
registration.
10. The Athletic Office will verify all registrations once submitted.
If you need help at any point of the registration process, you may call FormRELeaf customer service support Monday through Saturday at (844) 367-6735.
The Athletics Staff of Northwest Academy of Health Sciences are excited about the registration platform and hope that you will appreciate and enjoy the ease of registering your students for our athletic programs.
We are offering the following sports for our winter season:
*Track and Field
*Softball Co-ed
* Tennis
Please remind your student athlete that athletics is a privilege and not a right.
We appreciate your support. Go Lions!
Social Worker
Managing Cellphones in Classrooms: Tips From Teachers
Math Department
Hello Math Families,
Testing Season has officially arrived! We are currently in the Winter MAP Testing Window for Math. The Math MAP Test is a benchmark test that provides important data about your student’s growth over multiple years as well as a percentile score that that is a comparison of all test takers in the same group.
You may be wondering how you can support your student at home. Scholastic has created an informative webpage with ideas that are appropriate for ages 8-13.
Together we can!
Reading and English Language Arts Department
Please see below what students are working on for Quarter 3
Grade 6
Unit 3: What Tales Tell
How does examining literary elements enhance a reader’s understanding of narrative text?
How does an understanding of literary elements enhance a writer’s ability to compose narrative text?
Students will read a variety of narrative texts in order to identify the literary elements used in each and to examine how these elements work together to create the narrative. Many options for text choices exist within this unit. Students may read a variety of myths strictly, OR they may read a combination of myths and other genres such as fairytales, legends, and folktales, OR they may read only the fairytales, legends, and folktales and not any myths at all. Teachers are encouraged to select a reading pathway that provides students with choice while also responding to the specific needs of their populations.
As part of their studies, students will examine narrative elements as part of a focus on how particular sentences or sections of text help to develop the theme or plot and also how point of view affects the story. Accordingly, it is important that students receive a full introduction to each standard and multiple opportunities to practice/obtain the appropriate and expected level of mastery for this grade level. This unit will focus on the following targeted standards:
Grade 7: Unit 3
Appreciating Historical Fiction
How does an author use or alter history when writing a historical fiction text?
How does the setting of a story affect the character’s choices?
How do authors develop and contrast different points of view of their characters?
The unit "Appreciating Historical Fiction" is designed to allow students to explore the genre of historical fiction. They will come to understand that historical fiction is written based on factual information as well as fictional details from the mind of the author.
Students will read several informational texts about historical events paired with non-fiction texts written about the same events. Students will analyze how the authors of the historical fiction text(s) used details of real-life events to create their stories. They will also consider which details in the non-fiction texts were imagined and/or embellished by the author. As a culminating activity for this unit, the students will complete the “Imagining History” Online Research Module in order to research a historical event. They will use the details that they research in their own original work of historical fiction.
As a focus of this unit, students will be comparing and contrasting fictional portrayals of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. In addition, students will be analyzing how particular elements of a story interact, with a particular focus on how setting shapes characters or plot. They will also be analyzing how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. Accordingly, it is important that students receive a full introduction to each standard and multiple opportunities to practice and obtain the expected level of mastery for this grade level. This unit will focus on the following targeted standards:
Grade 8 Unit 3
Enduring Tumultuous Times: The Power of Craft and Structure
Essential Questions:
· What is the impact of structure and word choice on meaning?
· How are perspectives shaped by conflict?
· What is revealed about humanity in times of trouble?
Unit Overview:
In this unit, students read a variety of text sets, both fiction and non-fiction, to compare and contrast the development of central ideas and theme with a focus on word choice and structure. Students will also read a novel-length work to support study of the unit’s standards and essential questions. They will study texts in various forms including film clips and print/visual texts, as well as shorter and longer texts of both fiction and non-fiction. Texts will frequently be presented as "sets" to encourage students to compare and contrast the way different authors express similar themes or ideas. Most of the texts in this unit will convey perspectives of people who have experienced adversity as a result of conflict and war. Students will explore text-to-self connections and text-to-world connections through identity and criticality goals in each lesson. These goals will directly align to the essential questions. For the Performance Based Assessment, students will compose a literary analysis by explaining how the structure of two differing forms of text conveys a similar meaning. Students will evaluate the effectiveness of each form by examining the stylistic choices of each author to develop a similar, central theme.
Sincerely,
Reading and English Language Arts Department
Guidance Department
School Counseling Updates
Greetings Northwest Academy families! We would like to welcome Ms. Melissa McGee, Loyola University School Counseling Intern. She will be in the building 3 days a week. Ms. McGee will be working on 6- year plans, conducting classroom lessons, and group counseling among other things. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Jones.
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) is excited to announce our school was one of five BCPS middle schools to participate in a pilot program for the Cigna School Support Line. This is a no-cost, confidential service for students, families, and staff. The Cigna Support Line provides support when individuals need help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Students, families, and staff of Franklin Middle School, General John Stricker Middle School, Northwest Academy of Health Sciences, Perry Hall Middle School, and Stemmers Run Middle School can call 833-632-4462 (833-MeCigna) to access the support line. Student Support- English Student Support- Spanish
To schedule an appointment with your grade level counselor please click here: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/NorthwestAcademyofHealthSciencesCounselingOffice@bcpscloud.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/
Deborah Carroll, Registrar dcarroll2@bcps.org
Steffanie Cadogan, 6th Grade School Counselor scadogan@bcps.org
Monica Jones, 7th Grade School Counselor and Department Chair mjones25@bcps.org
Tonya Linton, 8th Grade School Counselor tlinton@bcps.org