We had a GREAT first week of school at Northwestern! I hope you and your students feel the same way. From my perspective, one thing I need to do better is work on the weather for morning drop off. The traffic was bad, and the weather was worse. I will do my best to ensure sunny mornings for the foreseeable future.

We are going to celebrate our great week with ice pops for all students during lunch on Monday. Thank you to the PTO for providing these treats for our students.

Our students did a wonderful job this week. Learning routines is important even for our returning students. I loved what I saw in classrooms. Lots of learning happening already. Your children looked happy - especially the 6th graders! Several of them made sure to tell me that middle school is awesome!

I understand some of our students may not have had a good week. If this is your child, please let me know. I have people ready to jump in and help students who may need some additional support. We're here to help in anyway.

Next week we will host our annual Club Fair. This event is scheduled for Friday, August 18 from 8:05-8:50 am. We have twenty clubs or student organizations confirmed. The event is held in the gym and as students arrive to school, they are free to wander through the gym looking for a club(s) that interest them.

Picture Day volunteers needed! Please see below in the PTO section for more information.

I hope all our families enjoy their weekend. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to email me at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

I can't wait to see our students on Monday!

• Tuesday, August 15 - ELA iReady Diagnostic Assessment (8:55-10:05))
• Wednesday, August 16 - Last Day to Register for Music Program
  
• Thursday, August 17 - Math iReady Diagnostic Assessment (8:55-10:05)
• Friday, August 18 - Club Fair (8:05-8:50)
  
• Thursday, August 24 - Picture Day (during Connections classes)
• Monday, September 4 - Labor Day (schools closed)
• Tuesday, September 5 - Teacher Workday (no school for students)
• Wednesday, September 6 - Professional Development Day (no school for students)
• Thursday, September 7 - Curriculum Night (6:30-8:15 pm)
  

On Wednesday, August 16 our students will participate in a short survey. The purpose is to confirm our students have positive peer and adult relationships at school. We want all of our students to feel connected to people at school and feel like they belong here. The questions are below:

1. Do you have positive friendships with peers at Northwestern? (yes/no)

2. Do you have a trusted adult at Northwestern? Someone you can talk to if you need help.(yes/no)

3. If you answered no to the positive friendship question, would you like your school counselor to help you get connected to a group of peers? (yes/no)

4. Do you feel like you belong at Northwestern? Do you feel like this is your school? (yes/no)

5. Our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) purchased ice pops this week for all students. What are some other ways you would like our PTO to support students this school year? (open-ended)

If for any reason you do not want your student to participate in this survey, please email Mr. Peterson by 4:00 pm on Tuesday, August 15.

All students will participate in the i-Ready Diagnostic Assessments next week. Students will complete the ELA assessment on Tuesday and the Math assessment on Thursday. We will use a modified bell schedule to facilitate a school-wide testing period for these assessments.

If your student is a car rider in the morning or afternoon, please be sure to follow our procedures to ensure a safe experience for our students. In the morning, students should only be dropped off in our carpool lane. In the afternoon, students should only be picked up in our carpool lane or in the Milton HS student parking lot. We have a FCS Police Officer to help students safely cross the street to the Milton Parking Lot.

The following practices are unsafe:

(marked on map in red numbers)

1. Students should not be picked up or dropped off on School Road (between NMS & MHS).

2. Students should not be picked up or dropped off on Birmingham Hwy.

3. Students should not be picked up or dropped off in the rear staff parking lot.

4. Students should not be picked up in the afternoon in the front staff parking lot.

Students need to drink water during the school day, especially during hot summer days. But, middle school students spill....a lot!

Please help us by ensuring water bottles students bring to school are non-glass and spill-proof to avoid messes. We don't want anyone to slip and fall, which has happened. Thank you!!

All students are invited to participate in our Club Fair before school on Friday, August 18. The Club Fair will be located in the gym from 8:05-8:55am. We have 20 clubs and student organizations confirmed. After the Club Fair, we will update the clubs and student activities portion of the website. If you have any questions, or if your student is interested in starting a club, please reach out to our Club Coordinator, Ms. Beth Wylie at wyliee@fultonschools.org.

If you have had any meaningful conversation with me during the last few years, I have shared my concern for how some of our students are treated by their peers. The teasing, taunting, or bullying...regardless of what you want to call it has increasingly been a problem in schools. This type of behavior is not just a Northwestern issue. This is a greater societal issue. But we're going to do something we think might help some of our students.

This summer our leadership team engaged with a company called Speak Life. End Bullying. In July, our School Governance Council approved the use of Charter Money to fund this program.

Our students are going to watch the film in their homeroom on a date in the near future. Popcorn, candy, we're going to make it fun. See below for more details about the program.

A side note. One of the actresses is a former Northwestern student who participated in our drama program.

Speak Life End Bullying the Musical

The company is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower students to act beyond awareness, bringing the power of performing arts and digital theater to educational assembly programs.

This mission began in 2000 when both Dan and Rebecca were deeply and personally impacted by a story of bullying. They realized this was the story they needed to tell and immediately began writing a script aimed at capturing the interest and heart of students. Dan’s background in theater, combined with Rebecca’s experience in dance, brought a riveting and relatable show to the stage in 2001. For the past 20 years, they have produced and performed their original stage show in schools and events nationwide.

Fast forward past the global pandemic and 2020 into 2021, the mission of Speak Life Performing Arts Company is going strong. Through a partnership with the Justin Simmons Foundation, Speak Life Performing Arts Company has released a new version of the Speak Life End Bullying the Musical...ON FILM. (Think Hamilton for Disney+.) The same high-impact stage show is now a high-quality digital theater production, now with BRAND-NEW original music produced by Rhyme Partners. This new format will give every school around the world the opportunity to bring Speak Life End Bullying the Musical to their student body. The vision for 2022 is to reach one million students in one thousand schools across the nation. Just think of the culture shift in schools and communities when millions of lives are impacted for positive change!

Northwestern is an awesome place to work. If you want a flexible, work when you want to job, please consider serving as a substitute. Work with awesome people on your child's schedule!

Eleven out of ten people recommend serving as a substitute at Northwestern!

This week the state announced a delay in the publishing of Georgia Milestones Individual Student Reports to the statewide SLDS portal. The state will not make Individual Student Reports available to families until later in August. Once score reports are available, we will communicate instructions for accessing these reports.

Our new METI, Ms. Allison Tripp, wants to know what students would like to add to our Media Center. What books would you like to add to our collection? What activities would you like to see in our Maker Space? What events or clubs do want to host in the Media Center?

Use the Padlet below to share your ideas with Ms. Tripp!

All 6th graders (new or coming from a feeder school), all 7th graders, and any new enrollees to Fulton County Schools MUST provide TWO documents for residency verification. If you have a returning student in the 8th grade, you will need to submit proof of residency if there has been any address change.

An email address has been created strictly for submitting proofs of residence starting July 14. Please make sure you attach a photo of your document.

· You may email your attached two acceptable documents to NMSResidency@fultonschools.org starting JULY 14.

· Please make sure that in the SUBJECT line, you list the student’s complete name, parent’s complete name and grade.

· If you are moving into a new home, you may provide an email from the Utility company stating the following: your name, date service is to start and the current address.

The approved documentation list is below.

Important note: When you email your residency documents, you will not receive a confirmation email. You will be contacted if the school needs additional information.

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!

7th Grade: Effective July 1, 2014, all 7th-grade students who were born on or after January 1, 2002, and all new entrants to grades 8-12 who are entering a Georgia school for the first time or entering after having been absent from a Georgia school for more than twelve months (one school year) will be required to have:

1 Dose of Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) Vaccine and 1 Dose of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

PLEASE NOTE: These changes only affect rising 7th graders (born on or after January 1, 2002), and students who are considered “new entrants” for grades 8-12.

From Co-Presidents Victoria Tucker & Tracy Lynn Drye

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our first PTO meeting on Thursday! Please join us for the September PTO meeting on Tuesday, September 12 at 9:30 in the Media Center. Our guest speakers will be two of our Business Partners: Tutor Doctor and Summit Counseling. They will share services and discounts offered to Northwestern families.

Thank you to everyone who has joined PTO this school year. MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE: anyone who joins PTO by August 17 will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card! Join here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/242389.

Business Partners

PTO is currently recruiting new Business Partners for the 23-24 school year. Do you own/work for a small business and would like more exposure for your services while at the same time supporting your child’s school? This is also a great opportunity for real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, etc to support our school in many meaningful ways and receive promotion for your business through multiple channels reaching NMS families. Please email northwesternmspto@gmail.com for more information on partnership levels & benefits or sign up here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/237949

Volunteers Needed For Picture Day

Picture day is August 24 and volunteers are needed for each grade level while they are having pictures taken. Volunteers will help direct students to photographers and keep lines moving. See the sign up for times for each grade level: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/114106.

Feel free to reach out to Ms. Godfrey with any questions: GodfreyJ@fultonschools.org.

Parent Prep 101 is a 1 hour webinar created for 7th -11th grade parents to prepare for college and a WIN/WIN for you and your school. You will receive helpful information on what to expect over the next several years, a timeline to follow, and what your student can be doing now to earn FREE college tuition. We also cover information for athletes, career exploration, and when to start standardized testing. You will learn about GaFutures, Grants, HOPE & Zell Miller scholarships, and when to take the ACT/SAT.

You will feel more prepared and able to help your student find a college that is the right fit for them. The Northwestern Middle School session price is $65 and $10 goes back to the Northwestern PTO.

*The price will include a private Facebook group for additional information and ongoing support. The Spirit Day is August 22 with sessions at 12pm and 7pm. Once the registration form and payment is received, a zoom ID link for your session will be sent to you. If you have any questions please text Trisha Caputo at 678-777-7141or email at Parentprep101@gmail.com.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsSk_4Y-dULKjwn9v4nM7-4iqpnxlJNffBlSlZ80SDmx8i8g/viewform

More Info: https://www.facebook.com/parentprep101

The front office likes to have a stash of chocolate and candy (non chocolate) for the staff to access and get them through the day. Please help us keep their stash stocked. After all, most of us can relate to stress eating! Sign up here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/111882

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 2023-24 school year. Check back often for more information!

If you have a question about starting a new school club, please email Beth Wylie at wyliee@fultonschools.org.

FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meetings are held at Northwestern and will take place on Thursdays in the gym from 8am - 8:45am. Students are encouraged to bring friends to the Thursday morning meetings. The FCA at Northwestern is also hoping that some volunteers may be willing to become more active and attend FCA meetings on Thursday mornings or help with things such as picking up food, small group leading, or even character coaching. Not much is required other than attendance for one hour a week. FCA is also looking for part-time and full- time employees. If you are interested in volunteering and/or employment, please contact Denton Carter (FCA leader) via email (dentoncarter@fca.org).

The NMS Student Garden was established in 2011 as a permaculture and wildlife garden. It has gone through many iterations. Its most recent additions (2023) are a no-till section (which is affiliated with the Rodale Institute for Organic Research) and five new fruit trees (planted in celebration of Earth Day). If you would like to contribute (monetarily) to the maintenance of this site and its research, then you can use the link below. If you have any other questions about the site, please free to contact Dr. Bartlett at: bartlettj@fultonschools.org. Thank you for your continued support of Northwestern MS 🙂

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

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!