Wow! Summer is nearing the end. Our teachers and staff come back to work on Tuesday, August 3. We're so excited for this school year!

This week's newsletter has new and updated information (and a lot of it!). Please read carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

Parent Portal will go live on Thursday, August 5th at 4:00 pm. Parents will be able to see their student's schedules at that time. Students will also get a copy of their schedule on Thursday during Information Day.

I'm looking forward to seeing our parents at my Back to School Meeting on Monday night!

Parent Portal Activation Email for New Families

Parents/Guardians new to Fulton County, should have received an auto generated email to set-up their portal account after enrollment was completed. If for any reason they did not receive the email, they can find instructions on https://www.fultonschools.org/infinitecampus on how to set up their account.

Face Coverings remain optional for FCS students and staff, except on FCS school buses where they are required.

• As a reminder, if you are sick, please stay home.
• All FCS staff and students are required to report a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, a pending COVID-19 test result (regardless of the reason for testing), and a direct contact with person who is COVID-19 positive.
• FCS student/parents must use the Parent Reporting Portal to make the COVID-19 report.
• FCS employees must use the Employee Reporting Portal (coming soon) to make the COVID-19 report.
• Reporting staff and students must wait for further guidance from the FCS Health Services Team, Talent Department, or public health officials after submitting a report. Do not report to work or school.
• Employees are not to report to work if they feel ill or have symptoms related to COVID-19.
• The FCS COVID-19 Response Team will case investigate all reports in consultation with public health officials. Staff and students are required to cooperate with response team/public health department nurses and respond truthfully to all questions.
• The district will update positive COVID-19 cases once a week on the FCS website.
• FCS will continue to utilize the Closing Matrix to switch to remote learning for classes, schools or clusters if warranted. This approach allows the district to review the impact of positive COVID-19 cases at the local level, minimizing the potential disruption on instruction.

• Monday, August 2 - Back to School Meeting w/ Mr. Peterson (6:00pm)
• Thursday, August 5 - NMS Information Day for School Year 2021-22 (12:30pm - 3:30pm)
• Thursday, August 12 - New Parent PTO Coffee w/ Mr. Peterson (9:00 am)
• Thursday, September 9 - Curriculum Night (6:00 pm)

Mr. Peterson will host a Back to School Meeting on Monday, August 2 at 6:00 pm. The meeting will take place in the NMS cafeteria as well as being broadcast live through Microsoft Teams. Parents/guardians can attend in person or remotely. Here is what you can expect for this meeting:

• Meet your 2021-22 Co-PTO Presidents
• Join the PTO - membership table in Wildcat Atrium
• Meet Mr. Peterson and the Assistant Principals
• Learn about school year 2021-22 operations and policies
• Live Q&A with Mr. Peterson and the Assistant Principals

Please make plans to attend in person or remotely. The link for the Microsoft Teams is here and on our website. Click here to join the meeting

The doors to the Wildcat Den will be open at 5:45 pm. Parking is available in our front lot and in the bus lot. The cafeteria only seats a little over 500 individuals. Please try to leave students at home so there is enough seating for all parents who want to attend in person.

All students above 10 years of age and their parents, guardians, or other person having control or charge of the child is asked to sign acknowledging receipt of the Code of Conduct and Student Handbook. Parents and students are able to sign by using their online portal or the app on their smartphone/device. Below is a step-by-step "how-to" guide.

Information Day is scheduled for Thursday, August 5 from 12:30-3:30 pm. We want to ensure your family has a quality and efficient experience. For that purpose, we are scheduling families by last name to ensure homerooms, hallways, and lines are less crowded. Please come during your alphabetically scheduled window.

Parking is available in our front lot and in the bus lot. Students and families can enter & exit through our front door or the Wildcat Den doors. Doors will open at 12:30 pm.

Information Day Schedule

Last Name A-I - arrive at 12:30

Last Name J-S - arrive at 1:30

Last Name T-Z - arrive at 2:15

There is no advantage to being in the first alphabetical group on Information Day. Homeroom teachers will randomly assign top and bottom lockers to students who have paid the locker fee prior to families arriving on the afternoon of August 5.

What to expect on Information Day:

• Students will receive their unofficial schedule (changes are still possible before 1st day)
• Students who have paid the locker fee will be issued their locker number & combination.
• Students who have paid for a locker can bring items to store in their locker.
• Students can meet their homeroom teacher.
• Students can meet their Connections teachers.
• Students can walk their schedule in preparation for 1st day.
• Families can join our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)
• Families can purchase NMS Spirit Wear from our PTO.
• Families can deposit money in cafeteria accounts.
• And much more!

Please see the Information Sheet and School Map below for Information Day!

The NMS PTO is sponsoring a New Parent Coffee for parents who have recently moved into our community. This is a great opportunity to meet other new families and Mr. Peterson.

Please make plans to attend on Thursday, August 12 at 9:00 am

The student locker fee is $15.00 and includes both a grade-level hallway locker and PE locker.

Please use our Online School Payment system in order to pay the student locker fee. We will not be accepting cash or check payments. All fees should be paid using the online system. There is a service charge associated with paying fees online.

Lockers are available for purchase on OSP now!

Students who have not purchased a locker prior to Information Day will be able to purchase one during the event. Any student who cannot attend Information Day, will be able to receive their locker on Monday, August 9.

A screen shot or email on your phone, or a printed copy of your Online School Payments receipt for the locker fee is required before homeroom teachers will distribute a locker card.

Top and bottom lockers are assigned randomly by homeroom teachers. There is no advantage for paying earlier or being in the first alphabetical group on Information Day. Homeroom teachers will randomly assign top and bottom lockers to students who have paid the locker fee prior to families arriving on the afternoon of August 5.

Students will be able to carry a backpack throughout the school day. The backpack should be average size, not "oversized", and rolling backpacks will not be allowed. Each grade level will determine when and how often students will be able to visit their locker. Students will be able to switch out class materials from their locker to their backpack during these locker breaks.

Students will not bring their backpack to the cafeteria or outside during lunch and recess. Backpacks must remain in the student's locker during lunch and recess.

Student cell phones should be off or silent and placed in their locker during the school day. Students are not allowed to carry their cell phones in their backpack.

Please enter the roundabout and pull up as far as possible. Students may exit your vehicle anywhere along the sidewalk. Students should use the sidewalk to enter the school through the Wildcat Den doors.

We have an afternoon carpool procedure designed to keep cars off of School Road and Birmingham Highway. Please review the carpool map carefully. When in doubt, follow the person in front of you. Please be courteous to fellow parents/guardians and NMS staff members during carpool.

This year the PTO is selling Premium Memberships that include a reserved parking space at the front of the afternoon carpool line. These five spaces are indicated on the carpool map with a yellow star. These spaces will be reserved for the entire school year and each afternoon the spaces are held until 4:05 pm for the family who purchases the membership from the PTO.

Before 4:05 pm Dismissal

• The first car should pull up to the front of the carpool line. This is the first spot after the 5 reserved spaces. (marked on map with red 1) Park next to mailbox.
• All subsequent cars should line up on the sidewalk (marked with yellow arrows) until the line reaches the roundabout entrance/corner. (marked with red 2)
• All additional cars should follow the red arrows through our parking lot, circle back toward the roundabout and stop (stop indicated with a red 3)
• A staff member will direct any car parked behind location 2 to follow flow of traffic (red arrows) through the parking lot.

After 4:05 pm Dismissal Bell

• A staff member will direct cars who have picked up their student(s) toward the exit.
• A staff member will direct cars parked at location 3 to proceed into the roundabout toward location 1 to pick up their student(s) (marked with blue arrows).
• Students can enter their car from a sidewalk at any point in the roundabout
• Students are not allowed to enter cars who are in the carpool line in the parking lot.

Other Important Information

• No cars may enter the Bus Lot (marked red 5) between 8:05-9:15 am and 3:15-4:45 pm.
• Students may walk across the street if their car is parked at Milton HS (marked red 4)

Parents can acknowledge receipt of the Code of Conduct starting Aug. 5, 2021 at 4:00 pm.

All rising 6th graders (new or coming from a feeder school) and any new enrollees to Fulton County Schools MUST provide TWO documents for residency verification. If you have a returning student in the 7th or 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 1st. Please make sure you attach a photo of your document.

· You may email your attached two acceptable documents to NMSResidency@fultonschools.org starting JULY 1st.

· 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.

· If you prefer, you may bring a hardcopy of your documents to Information Day on August 5th.

Fulton County School’s policy and the approved documentation list.

BOARD POLICY JBC - Persons enrolling a student shall submit two proofs of residency from the school system's approved list of verifiable residency documents: one from the approved utility list and one from the approved residency list, upon initial enrollment in Fulton County Schools or upon entry into Kindergarten, 6th, 9th grades, and when there is any address change.

If proof of residency is delayed, the student will be provisionally enrolled for a period of 30 calendar days. At the end of this 30-day period, if proof of residency has not been provided, the student may be withdrawn. The school will notify the enrolling person at least 10 calendar days prior to the withdrawal of the student.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you email your residency, you WILL NOT receive a confirmation. IF more information is required, we will contact you as needed.

Student use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices is prohibited during the school day. Student use of cell phones (calling, texting, playing games, recording video) will result in disciplinary consequences in accordance with the RRRoar progressive discipline cycle. Student cell phones should be off or silent and placed in their locker during the school day.

Students may wear smart watches, fitbits, etc. on their wrist during the school day. Teachers may ask students to remove smart watches, fitbits, etc. during a test.

Students may check for parent/guardian text messages during locker breaks or at the end of the school day for things such as transportation changes, etc.

Student use of headphones, earbuds, headsets, and speakers is prohibited during the school day. Student use of headphones, earbuds, headsets, or speakers will result in disciplinary consequences in accordance with the RRRoar progressive discipline cycle. Student headphones, earbuds, headsets, and speakers should be placed in their locker during the school day. Teachers and staff may give permission for students to use headphones, earbuds, or headsets for school approved usage. The school is not responsible for electronic devices on school property or at school sponsored events.

Balance Breaks are designed to provide students and their families with a break from school work while at home. During a balance break, students will not be assigned any homework. There will be no expectation for students to complete schoolwork during these regular breaks from school. Students will not have any assessments (quiz or test) during the first two school days when they return from the break. Students should not feel the need to study/prepare for an assessment during the break.

Late Start Days. On these days, classes start one hour later than usual for students so that faculty and staff can participate in Professional Learning opportunities and work together to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. Buses continue to operate on the regular schedule during late start dates; however, parents also can choose to transport their child to school by the scheduled later start time. Students who arrive early will participate in supervised activities until the school day begins.

Monday, September 20

Monday, October 25

Monday, November 15

Monday, January 24

Monday, February 28

Monday, March 21

Expected arrival time for students is between 8:25 am and 8:45 am. Our 1st period class begins at 8:55 am. All students, except for bus riders, will enter the school through the Wildcat Den doors. The Wildcat Den doors will open at 8:05 am for early arriving students. Students may arrive early for teacher help sessions, etc. Early arriving students will be supervised between 8:05 and 8:25 in the cafeteria. At 8:25, all students will be dismissed to their grade level hallways. Northwestern Middle School cannot assume responsibility for students prior to 8:05 am.

Only students who have a signed Early Morning Pass will be allowed to attend a help session prior to 8:25 am. Teachers will provide a signed Early Morning Pass to students in advance for help sessions starting prior to 8:25 am. We encourage students to take a picture of their Early Morning Pass in case it is lost.

Breakfast is served from 8:25-8:50 and is free for all students this school year.

"Here Comes the Bus" is a free, easy-to-use website and app that enables you to see the location of your child’s school bus on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This way, you know when the bus is near your stop, so you can send your child out at just the right time. No more worrying about whether your child has missed the bus!

Download the App

1. Download the Here Comes The Bus app on Google Play or the Apple App Store or visit www.herecomesthebus.com.
2. Click the "Sign Up" button
3. Enter school code: 87428
4. Click "Next" followed by "Confirm"
5. Complete the "User Profile" box
6. Under "My Students," click "Add." Enter your child's last name and student ID number
7. Once you confirm you information, you're ready to go!

How does "Here Comes the Bus" work?

"Here Comes the Bus" uses global positioning system (GPS) technology to locate and track your child’s school bus. It is powered by software from Synovia Solutions, who are experts at tracking data, which they’ve been providing to fleet managers across North America for over 15 years.

How much does it cost?

"Here Comes the Bus" is available at no cost to all families. It's free!

Breakfast/Lunch Fees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has waived fees so all students will continue to receive meals at no charge for the 2021-22 school year, allowing school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing children for success.

Car riders, bike riders, and walkers will be dismissed at 4:05 pm and exit the school using the front entrance doors and Wildcat Den doors. Bus riders will be dismissed at 4:05 pm to the gymnasium (6th/7th) and cafeteria (8th) until dismissed by staff to load their bus.

Please ensure your student(s) knows how they are getting home every day. We cannot notify students of transportation changes. Please text your student to let them know of a transportation change. Students will be able to check their cell phones during locker breaks and at the end of the school day.

Late Arrival – Any time a student arrives after the beginning of the instructional day.

• Late arrivals follow the same rules for excused and unexcused absences
• Late arrivals follow the same rules for documentation, but have different thresholds

Early Checkout – Any time a student leaves school before the end of the instructional day.

• Early Checkouts follow the same rules for excused and unexcused absences
• Early Checkouts follow the same rules for documentation, but have different thresholds

Tardy – Any time a student arrives after the beginning of a specific class period.

• Tardies will be handled at the school level with guidance from the principal

Northwestern Late Arrival Procedure: Parents/guardians should send a note with their student when he/she is arriving late to school. Students who are late arrivals must report to the front office before reporting to class. Parents do not need to accompany their students into school for a late arrival.

Northwestern Early Checkout Procedure: If a student needs an early checkout before normal dismissal time, a note from the parent or guardian requesting early check out must be sent to school with the student(s). The student will show their teacher the note to be dismissed from class to come to the office at the time indicated on the note. Parents must sign out their student in the front office. In an emergency, a parent/guardian or approved individual may come directly to the office to request an early check out for their student. Approved individuals must be listed in Infinite Campus - no exceptions.

Parents/guardians or approved individuals must have a government issued driver's license or picture ID to check out their student(s) Only approved individuals listed in Infinite Campus can check out a student.

No early checkouts after 3:30 pm unless there is an emergency.

Please note that we will require a photo ID every time a parent or guardian comes to school to attend a meeting, visit the clinic, or check out their student. Safety and security procedures only work if we follow them every time. Your cooperation with this procedure is requested as it ensures the safety and security of students, staff, and families.

Excused Absences – A hold harmless absence that has been documented, and relates to one of the following circumstances in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 160-5-1.10 and Georgia State Code, O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1:

• Personal illness or when attendance in school would be detrimental to the health of the student or others
• A serious illness in the student’s immediate family necessitating absence from school
• A death in the student’s family necessitating absence from school
• Observance of religious holidays necessitating absence from school
• Compliance with a court order or an order issued by a governmental agency mandating an absence from school
• Visitation with an immediate family member who is on leave from or is being deployed to military service
• Important family events/celebrations for an immediate family member (graduation, wedding, religious ceremony, etc.)
• Compliance with an order for a pre-induction physical examination for service in the armed forces
• An absence for registering to vote or participating as an active voter in a local, state, or federal election
• A verified interview for college admission or a documented college visit
• A specialized, supplemental, or extracurricular program/event
• Other absences pre-approved by the principal

Documenting illness or the illness of family members:

• After 3 consecutive absences, late arrivals, or early checkouts a doctor’s note will be required
• After 7 cumulative absences and/or 10 cumulative late arrivals or early checkouts, a doctor’s note will be required for any subsequent illness-related absences, late arrivals or early checkouts
• If there is an on-going medical circumstance that requires a student to be absent, late, or checkout early from school frequently or intermittently, a doctor’s note will be required to address medical concerns and need for absences
• In the event of a serious illness in the student’s immediate family, schools may require students to present medical documentation regarding the family member upon return to school for validating the excused absence, tardy, or early checkout

Documentation Requirements

Documentation for any absence type must be provided within five days of returning to school for an absence to be excused. Parents and/or guardians may send an email or handwritten note to the school to document a student absence. If needed, the principal or designee will verify the email address and the credibility of the email. The following must be included in all documentation:

• Student Name
• Student FCS ID Number (lunch number)
• Parent/Guardian Name
• Parent/Guardian Email & Phone Number

Excuses will be kept on file at the school for the duration of the student’s enrollment.

Any student who accumulates seven or more days in a given school year for any reason, will be required to provide additional documentation (doctor’s note, court order, etc.) for any subsequent absence, whether that absence be excused or unexcused. This excludes days accumulated during an Assigned Remote designation.

Student attendance records shall be corrected from unexcused to excused after proper documentation is provided.

When a student is absent for any reason, a note from the parent/guardian can be brought to the front office or you can send an email with an attached note to nmsfrontdesk@fultonschools.org.

Family Events and Pre-Approved Absences

Students/families must formally request for students to be absent for family events or other pre-approved absences. These requests should be made five school days in advance of the absence. Schools should create their own procedures to collect and approve requests for absences related to family events and/or other pre-approved absences. Only the principal or assistant principal(s) can approve these absence requests.

Before approving these requests, school administration should consider the student’s complete attendance record including excused, unexcused, disciplinary, or other absence types. The school administration should also consider the student’s academic standing before approving these absences.

Northwestern Procedure: for pre-approved absences, please email your student’s Assistant Principal for approval.

NMS will not accept deliveries of flowers, balloons and other items for students, even if they have already been pre-paid. These items create a disruption during the school day.

NMS will not accept deliveries from Doordash, Ubereats, or directly from restaurants for students, even if they have already been pre-paid. The school has no way to verify these meals were purchased by a student's parent/guardian. This is a student safety issue and your cooperation is greatly appreciated in this matter.

Any item (such as lunches, instruments, PE clothes, projects, homework, etc.) delivered to school by parents/guardians will be held in the office until the student comes to claim it. Students will NOT be called to the office for deliveries, nor will parents/delivery persons be permitted to deliver items to the classroom. Parents/guardians may text their student that an item was delivered to the front office. Students may check their cell phone during locker breaks. Lunches delivered during the day will be thrown out if not picked up by 4:25 pm daily. Lunch containers will be placed in lost and found once the food has been thrown out.

As a service to students and their families, Fulton County Schools partners with T.W. Lord & Associates to provide access to Student Accident Insurance coverage for those students who do not have health insurance. It will also provide additional coverage for those students who are covered by health insurance. The Plan provides insurance coverage for medical bills associated with an accident which occurs during certain covered school activities.

Please be aware the cost associated with the purchase of the coverage is paid by the parent, the plan is for the current academic year only and may be purchased at any time during the year. Please see the attached list (Exhibit A) for a summary of plans offered. In addition, we encourage you to review the plans at the websites listed below to determine if the coverages are right for your family.

English: https://TWLORD.NET/APPLICATION-FOR-ENROLLMENT/
Spanish: https://TWLORD.NET/SOLICITUD-DE-INSCRIPCION/

For information on how to purchase the policies please see Exhibit B.

For information on how to file a claim please see Exhibit C.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact either the Fulton County Schools Risk Management office at 470-254-2174 or T.W. Lord & Associates at 770-427-2461.

During May's School Governance Council meeting, we 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. Next school year, our students will engage in more discussions with staff around safe and responsible use of cell phones.

Last school year, representatives from Bark presented at one of our PTO meetings. As a company, Bark provides monitoring service and resources for families. I will begin 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 continue to offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2021-22 school year. Check back often for more information!

NMS JUNIOR BETA CLUB will be accepting applications for the 2021-22 school year beginning in August 2021. Deadline: Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Students interested in joining the NMS Newspaper Staff should contact Ms. Denna Warrayat at warrayat@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!