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December greetings and Happy Holidays to you and yours across this month of gatherings and celebrations. We have entered the three week run-up to our Winter Break which spans the final two weeks of December (officially, December 18th through January 1st). School resumes on January 2nd, on a regular schedule. These coming weeks will be busy including a variety of arts, athletics and club events. For more information, please check out our calendar section below.

With special consideration of the many holidays and celebrations this month, our North team wishes you and your family the happiest of holiday seasons. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you as part of our North community. Happy December and goNorth!

Para obtener una versión de este boletín en español, haga clic aquí.

Important December Dates:

• 12/1: North Choir Caroling
• 12/3: FTC League Competition @ Oak Harbor HS
• 12/6: AVID Visit to the University of Washington
• 12/9: Jazz Band Community Performance @ Gipson Sr. Center (10:00am)
• 12/12: Dental Screenings
  
• 12/15: 12:20pm Dismissal
• 12/18-1/1: NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)

Other Upcoming Dates of Note:

• 1/2: School Resumes (regular schedule)
  
• 1/11: January PTA Meeting (6:30pm)
• 1/15: NO SCHOOL (National Day of Service Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
• 1/24: Winter Choir Concert @ EHS Civic Auditorium (7:00pm)

2023/24 Student Calendar

2023/24 Athletics Calendar

Our NMS Spark Club is collecting gently used or new stuffed animals and brand new toys from December 4th through December 12th. Students can turn these in to their second period teacher starting Monday, December 4th. If you can, please consider helping a family in need through this local organization, Christmas House, that has been helping our community for over 40 years!

This year, North and our Everett Public Schools have partnered with The Community Health Center of Snohomish County to provide on-campus dental services. These services are coming to North on Monday, December 11th and will include a CHS dentist and hygienist. They will perform optional screenings to include a visual examination of the mouth, and identification of potential cavities, infections, and/or broken teeth. Families that sign-up for this service will receive a dental report card summarizing the finings of their child’s screening.

This is all offered at no out-of-pocket cost to your family. If you are interested, please sign up here. For more information, please click here. If interested, please take action as soon as possible as we will begin scheduling shortly.

As a school, we continue to adhere to policy pertaining to cell phones and earbuds/earphones. Daily violations are down but still, we continue to pick-up phones and earbuds/earphones on a day-to-day basis. If your child is continually struggling with using their cell phone on campus, we will reach out to request assistance. We support parents/guardians choosing to keep their child's phone at home to eliminate the potential distraction. We also support a check-in/check-out practice to hold phones in the office for students who are unable to keep their phone off/away during regular school hours. If you are seeking options or assistance in this regard, please reach out as we would be happy to partner in this effort.

On normal, 1:35pm dismissal Fridays, our students meet in their second period classes as a designated STAR cohorts. These blocks focus specifically on both social-emotional learning and other "readiness" skills including self organization, grade/assignment checks, etc. We continue to utilize the RULER and Second Step for teaching/learning social-emotional skills.

Other Fridays are dedicated to teaching and reteaching self organization skills ("readiness"). On these Fridays (including today, 12/1) our cohorts work through binder/organizer checks, backpack cleanouts, grade/assignment checks, and student-specific plans for making-up missing work. These Fridays are followed by once-a-month socials for students meeting/exceeding expectations in relation to completing and turning-in assignments. Others are provided time and assistance in identifying missing assignments and working to turn those zeroes into credits.

Our Lost & Found is near capacity and many of the stored items have not moved in weeks. Sweatshirts and jackets abound but other items include backpacks, lunch bags, beanies, and hats. If something hasn't come home as expected, please consider our Lost & Found. If you spot an item you recognize below and want us to connect it with it's owner, send us a message and we will facilitate a happy reunion.

The winter/holiday season is upon us and, as needed, please consider utilizing the many amazing family resources that we have in our Everett and North communities. These include Maverick Care - Holiday Food Resources, Toys for Tots and the organizations listed below.

Additionally, the Salvation Army Everett and Volunteers of America of Western Washington are partnering to provide Christmas Assistance to families in need. The Salvation Army will provide toys and gifts for children 17 and under, and the Volunteers of America will provide Christmas food baskets for each family. More information provided here.

Other resources provided below.

Snohomish County Cold Weather Shelters

2023 Snohomish County Dinner and Toy Distribution Resources

Winter / Holiday Help

Snohomish County Services and Resources

Toys for Tots

As the holiday season begins, we want to extend warm and loving holiday greetings to every family in our wonderful North community. This time of year brings a multitude of celebrations, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions among us. From Diwali, Yule and Hanukkah to Christmas and Kwanzaa, and many more, we celebrate the diversity that makes our community so vibrant.

Heartfelt Thanks for Your Support! A hearty thank you to everyone who supported our recent Holiday Wreath Sales and MOD Pizza Dine Out Night! Your enthusiasm and participation make a significant impact on our ability to enhance the educational experience for all students at North. We are truly grateful for your continued support.

Upcoming Events and Schedule: Holiday Break for PTA Meetings - As we enter the festive season, please note that there will be a break in our general PTA meetings for the month of December. We encourage you to take this time to enjoy the holidays with your loved ones. Our regular PTA meetings will resume on January 25th, 2024, where we will kick off the new year with exciting plans and updates. BINGO nights are coming as is planning and prep for our spring fun run. Come be a part of our team to make these school events happen!

To stay informed about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and the latest news, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram]. We appreciate your involvement and look forward to the continued success of our school community.

May the holidays bring you joy, laughter, and cherished moments with family and friends. On behalf of the North MS PTA, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.

Warmest Regards,

Your NMS PTA

Tiffany Nash, co-president

Heather Rodriguez, co-president

Dora Watson, vice president

Heather Reid, Treasurer

Meaghan Swanson, Treasurer

Our final Everett Public Schools newsletter of this calendar year is linked/attached below. This specifically crafted monthly communication is designed to connect with all of our families and provide information pertaining to all of our schools/programs. This month's newsletter includes updates pertaining to:

• Attendance Reminder
• Family Resources for the Holidays
• Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten Enrollment Information
• and more!

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Thank you again for taking the time to read our December edition of North News. On behalf of our entire North team, we wish you and yours the absolute best across this month of holidays and celebrations.

goNorth!

With Gratitude,

Allison, Drew, & Tyler

North Middle School

tream@everettsd.org - amacgregorfornes@everettsd.org - abaewilliams@everettsd.org

Phone: 425-385-4800

Fax 425-385-4802