Dear North Harford Hawks Families:

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year. We are excited to welcome students and support them as they begin, continue, or near the end of their middle school educational journey with us. We are incredibly honored to have your student be a member of the North Harford Middle School family, and cannot wait to welcome students back, to our physical campus, on August 28th, for the first day of school.

We remain steadfast in our continued commitment to academic excellence, innovative practices, school safety, and inclusive excellence. We are proud of our achievements and grateful for our school staff, the PTSA, and the NH community.

The beginning of the year can be an exciting, celebratory time. Please know we put safety at the heart of every decision we make. This year there are a few changes to our practices, most notably will be the E- Hallpass digital pass system.

We are committed to our incoming 8th graders, the next 180 days will set the stage for their next educational path - high school.

Our 7th graders will have 360 days to acquire the skills and experiences needed to complete the path from an elementary student to a high school student. We at North Harford Middle School look to challenge our students to successfully navigate the bridge from elementary to high school student.

We have only 540 days to prepare the incoming 6th graders to be high school students.

It is our mission to create opportunities that prepare them for the challenges ahead. Every instructional day with students should be a day that students are better prepared for the world than the day before. 540-360-180! We make every day count!

To all our families, we welcome you.

Marc Manzo

We are excited for a great start to the new school year! We look forward to meeting our new 6th grade students and families along with welcoming back our 7th and 8th grade students and families.

This year along with several other schools, NMMS will be implementing the use of a digital hall pass, specifically e-Hall pass. E-Hall pass is a contactless digital hall pass system that helps to create a more safe environment, keep students accountable in the hallways, and keep teachers focused on classroom work.

Student planners (handbooks) are on there way! Due to printing delays they will arrive a little later than expected. Please click on the picture of the student handbook for the link to a digital version of the planner. We will have temporary paper planners available until we have the full version.

The State of Maryland defines students to be chronically absent if they miss 10 percent or more of their days enrolled, regardless of if the absence was lawful or unlawful. This means that more than 18 absences in a school year will cause a student to be chronically absent. If you are not sure how many days your child has missed you may contact the main office (410-638-3658) or their school counselor.

Missing school can be stressful as students attempt to make up missed classwork as well as keep up with current assignments. It can be more difficult for students to learn key concepts when they are not present for direct instruction from the teacher. We want students to be successful in school and regular attendance is an important part of the process.

• August 16 7:30-11:30am: Incoming 6th grade Hawk Aviation Academy. Must be registered to attend. Not registered yet? Please email no later than Tuesday, August 15 at 12pm. lisa.schmidt@hcps.org
• August 24 1:00-3:30pm: Open House (all welcome)
• August 28: First day of school
• September 4: Schools and Offices Closed for Labor Day Holiday
• September 6 6:00-8:00: Back to School Night

Are you looking for something to do with family and friends before school starts? Check on End of Summer Fest! Click the picture for a link to tickets.

School counselors are certified/licensed educators who improve student success for ALL students by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. At North Harford Middle School the school counselors will lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan.

The school counselors at NHMS will …

• help students apply academic achievement strategies
• help students manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills
• provide time for students to plan for postsecondary options
• set up individual meetings to express themselves, plan for the future, problem solve and set goals
• provide classroom lessons based on student success standards
• provide small group opportunities for students to grow

NHMS School Counselors

Candy White (Secretary)

candy.white@hcps.org

Office Phone: 410-638-3658

M. Devon Vogt (8th grade)- mark.vogt@hcsp.org

Hannah Bittner (7th grade) - hannah.bittner@hcps.org

Carli Page (6th grade)- carli.page@hcps.org

• Library Card Sign-up Month https://hcplonline.org/digitallibrarycard.php
  
• Blood Cancer Awareness Month
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
• Deaf Awareness Month
• Sickle Cell Awareness Month
• National Suicide Prevention Week (September 5-11)

Student schedules and homeroom assignments will be available in Home Access Center on 5PM on August 18th.

https://hac.hcps.org/HomeAccess/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fhomeaccess

https://www.hcps.org/students/tutoring.aspx

Click here for all the payment options for lunch account, athletic tickets, and all other payment needs.

https://registration.hcps.org/Home/ Click here to complete necessary permission forms for the school year.

· HCPS Daily Substitute Teacher Pay Rates:

• $150.00/day (This rate applies to all substitute teachers who have completed any education under a four year Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.)
• $165.00/day (This rate applies to all substitute teachers who have completed a four-year Bachelor's degree or beyond from an accredited college or university.)

Steps to Become a Daily Substitute Teacher:

1. Complete an Online Employment Application, attach supporting documentation (copy of transcript, degree, teaching certificate, etc.), and provide three professional references (note that friends and family are not acceptable references and will not be accepted). You must provide proof of a high school diploma to be eligible to substitute in elementary and middle schools. To be eligible to substitute in high schools you must provide proof of at least sixty credits from an accredited college or university. Human Resources will then review your application.
2. Completion of a screening interview
3. Upon a successful interview, you will receive further instructions

Email: erin.ohara@hcps.org
Website: https://nhms.ss18.sharpschool.com/
Location: 112 Pylesville Road, Pylesville, MD, USA
Phone: 410-638-3658