I know everyone is excited for the Thanksgiving break. I hope all of our students, families, and staff enjoy this time with friends, family, and good food! I am so thankful to serve this school. I appreciate the sacrifices and hard work of our staff, and the support and encouragement of our school community. I'll never take for granted the blessing to work at Northwestern Middle School.

I hope all of our families have a wonderful break. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to email me at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

I can't wait to see our students after the Thanksgiving break!

• Monday, 11/21-Friday, 11/25 - Thanksgiving Break (Schools Closed)
• Tuesday, 11/29 - 7th Grade Field Trip Groups 1 & 2
• Wednesday, 11/30 - NMS Spelling Bee (1:15 pm)
• Tuesday, 12/1 - 7th Grade Field Trip Groups 3 & 4
• Tuesday, 12/6 - Remote Learning Day
• Wednesday, 12/7 - Chorus Winter Concert (7:00 pm)
• Thursday, 12/8 - Band Winter Concert (7:00 pm)
• Tuesday, 12/13 - Orchestra Winter Concert (7:00 pm)
• Friday, 12/16 - Last Day of First Semester

Our Student Council is asking students and families to help us donate non-perishable food items to the North Fulton Community Charities. Please bring items by Monday, December 12.

We are currently interviewing for an Instructional Paraprofessional position at NMS. This position supports students and teachers in multiple classrooms. If you are interested in learning more about this position, and joining our team at Northwestern, please email Mrs. Simpson at simpson1@fultonschools.org.

If your 6th grade student is currently taking Math 6E, or if your 7th or 8th grade student is currently taking Accelerated Algebra I/Geometry A, please plan to attend an informational meeting on Thursday, December 1. Members of the school administration and math department will share details regarding changes to the state math standards that specifically affect these two courses. Only parents of these two courses need to attend.

Please note the date of the meeting has changed to December 1. We are waiting for details that will not be finalized until November 18.

Math 6 E - 6:30 pm in cafeteria

Accel Alg I/Geom B - 7:15 pm in cafeteria

More details will be shared specifically with these classes. Please email Mr. Peterson if you have any questions.

Each grade level has an assessment calendar located on our school website. These calendars can be located on the Northwestern site under Academics Home or the links are below.

The calendars have been updated through October.

The link below includes the weekly study/help sessions available for every teacher at NMS.

At Northwestern Middle School, we believe effective and timely communication is essential to our mission. NMS staff, students, and parents/guardians should maintain open, honest, and respectful lines of communication. Working together is the best way to help each student achieve success!

Parents/guardians have the ability to "turn off" attendance notifications in their Parent Portal. Click on the Silhouette on the top right and select Settings. Unclick the box for the Attendance emails.

The Curriculum Hub provides a variety of resources to assist parents in supporting their student's learning in the areas of English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies including:

• A year-at-a-glance for each course with the standards taught in each unit
• Unit plans detailing the specific learning targets to be mastered
• Parent resources to preview or review concepts and skills taught in each unit

Our School Governance Council has discussed the need to do more as a school community to better understand our student's use of social media and cell phones, and provide education for students and families around this issue. This school year, our students will engage in more discussions with staff around safe and responsible use of cell phones.

Representatives from Bark presented at one of our previous PTO meetings. As a company, Bark provides monitoring service and resources for families. I will be sharing information from Bark and other sources weekly in our newsletter.

There is also a Facebook group that is a great resource: Parenting in a Tech World

Parenting in a Tech World | Facebook

Northwestern will offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2022-23 school year. Check back often for more information!

This club is for former Hembree Springs Elementary students who would like to reconnect with other former Hawks. The club will participate in outreach projects to support HSES.

Contact Ms. Rindt if you are interested in room 906 or rindtj@fultonschools.org.

Club meetings will occur on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month from at 8:10 am.

Students interested in joining the NMS Newspaper Staff should contact Ms. Denna Warrayat at warrayatd@fultonschools.org.

PTO COMMITTEE OPEN POSITIONS!

Sponsorships - Communicate and coordinate membership packages with those interested in becoming a WildCat Sponsor!

PBIS Coordinators - Assist with coordinating the purchase and delivery of PBIS rewards purchased by Wildcat students!

Attention 8th Grade Parents

Be sure to submit a baby photo or purchase a shout out or ad for your student!

Home of the Wildcats!

Email: nmsfrontdesk@fultonschools.org
Website: https://www.fultonschools.org/northwesternms
Location: 12805 Birmingham Highway, Milton, GA, USA
Phone: (470) 254-2870
Twitter: @TheNMSWildcats

Thank you for your continued support of Northwestern Middle School!

Sincerely,

Joel - Principal

Northwestern Middle School: Teach Hard, Love Harder - The Wildcat Way!