NAMS Grade 6 Message 8/29/24
MESSAGE TO NAMS GRADE 6 FAMILIES 8/27/24
Good Afternoon NAMS Grade 6 Families,
I hope that this message finds you and your family well. Additionally, I hope that your child enjoyed the first 2 days of school. It was wonderful to greet all of our new 6th grade students to NAMS this week!
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Below you will find the following information:
Annual Grade 6 Team Building Field Trip
NAMS Parent/Guardian Sign-Off Sheet 2024-2025
Are you interested in being on the NAMS School Council this year?
Parent/Guardian Drop Off & Pick Up Requests
Walk or Ride to School
Buses - Resources & Reminders
School Picture Day - Save the date!
NAMS Open House Dates - Save the date!
Calendar Early Dismissals (Add to your family calendar before you forget!)
1. Annual Grade 6 Team Building Field Trip
We would like to welcome your child back to the NAMS and wish them a productive and fun-filled year. It is a NAMS tradition for the 6th grade class to participate in team-building activities in hopes of fostering friendships, alleviating anxiety and strengthening our community. During the week of September 16th your child will be participating in a field trip with these goals in mind. Students will participate by Team and have the opportunity to join in for various activities such as kayaking and cooperative games. All activities will take place at Stevens Pond and Weir Hill in North Andover.
We are partnering with Plum Island Kayak for the use of kayaks, life jackets, kayak guides and transportation of equipment. The cost is $35.00 per student and we ask for checks to be made payable to NAMS. Families interested in financial assistance should contact their guidance counselor, Georgia Chute at chuteg@northandoverpublicschools.com
Payments, waivers, and permission slips are due by Friday, September 6, 2024.
You may find information about the field trip and the 2 forms to complete here.
2. NAMS Parent/Guardian Sign-Off Sheet 2024-2025
All families are asked to review the NAPS District Student Handbook 2024-2025 and the NAMS Parent/Guardian Guide 2024-2025. Please complete and return the NAMS Parent/Guardian Sign-Off Sheet 2024-2025 to your child’s homeroom teacher by Friday, September 6, 2024. Thank you!
3. Are you interested in being on the NAMS School Council this year?
We are looking for 3 parents/guardians to be members of this year’s NAMS School Council. Each public school has a school council consisting of the school principal, teachers, and parents/guardians of students currently attending the school. The council will work together to help shape the school culture, assist to identify educational needs of the students, develop a school improvement plan and ensure the district plan is implemented.
The NAMS school council will be composed of 3 teachers, 3 parents/guardians, 2 grade 8 students, and a community member is possible. A parent/guardian position may be shared by more than one parent.
This year’s School Council Meetings will take place on Monday afternoons from 2:35-3:35 p.m. with the first meeting scheduled for October 21, 2024. Future dates will be determined after the first meeting.
If you are interested in being a member of this year’s NAMS School Council, please complete the google form found here or at the following address by Friday, September 13, 2024. https://forms.gle/2N5xwt44AyrGcRsJ8
You can learn more about the responsibilities of school councils here.
4. Parent/Guardian Drop Off & Pick Up Requests
If you are using the Grade 6 Drop Off and Pick Up location, please be sure to line up on the left side of the driveway to the right of the school. The right lane is for Grades 7 & 8 (Breakfast too) Drop Off and Pick Up.
If you are using the Grades 7 & 8 Drop Off and Pick Up location behind the school, please pull all of the way forward to drop off and pick up. Please also stay as far to the left when you are dropping off or picking up to allow for 2 lanes of traffic.
Please consider dropping off and picking your child up on Main Street between Stevens Memorial Library and the school to avoid all of the congestion around NAMS in the morning and afternoon.
You may find the Drop Off & Pick Up map on our website or you may access the map directly here. You may also find a video showing you how drop-off and pick-up works at NAMS here. We ask that every parent/guardian exercise utmost care and patience in the drop-off and pick-up areas.
5. Walk or Ride to School
If your child walks or rides a bike to school, please be sure to review the safety tips found here.
6. Buses - Resources & Reminders
You may find the list of bus routes and times in this folder.
Buses will either drop students off outside of the main doors or the cafeteria doors.
At the end of the school day, buses will either pick up students in front of the school or on the cafeteria side. You may find a map of where buses pick up students in the afternoon here. It’s very important that students go to where their bus will be on the map.
Students on Buses 15, 3, 4, 6, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 11, 12, 13, & 16 will load their buses and depart first.
Students on Buses 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 14 will load their buses and depart immediately after.
7. School Picture Day - Save the date!
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Make-Up Day - Wednesday, October 30, 2024
8. NAMS Open House Dates - Save the date!
Our NAMS Open House schedule begins in the auditorium for all 3 grade levels.
Grade 6 - Thursday, September 19, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m.
Grade 7 - Wednesday, September 25, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m.
Grade 8 - Wednesday, October 2, 2024 @ 6:00 p.m.
9. Calendar Early Dismissals (Add to your family calendar before you forget!)
Early Release Dates & (Students are dismissed at 1:05 p.m.)
9/11
9/25
10/9
10/23
11/20
12/4
12/11
1/8
1/29
2/26
2/5
3/12
3/26
4/9
4/30
5/7
5/21
6/4
Wishing you a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!
Be well,
Jorge Goncalves
Principal
Welcome Back to School From the NAMS Health Office!
Dear North Andover Middle School Families,
Welcome back!! We are so excited to see your children this fall and looking forward to working together with your family to keep your child healthy while at school! We’d like to offer you some information that will be helpful as you transition back to school this fall.
PowerSchool Updates
Health Information Updates: Please log into PowerSchool using your account information or through PowerSchool via the NAPS website to make any changes or to update your child’s health information. This information is extremely important so we may reach emergency contacts and help care for your student to the best of our abilities.
Illness
Illness: Please do not send your student to school if symptoms of any illness are present. Students with strep throat, impetigo, or other infectious conditions must receive 24 hours of medication prior to returning to school. Students must be free of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea without medication for 24 hours before returning to school. Here is a link for the reasons for dismissal/exclusion.
Medications
ALL medications need to be brought in by an adult and in an original container with a pharmacy label.
Daily Medications taken during school hours: Medications which must be taken during school hours on a long-term basis require a signed and completed physician’s order as well as parent consent, found here. Please contact the NAMS Health Office for details if your child will take daily medications at school.
If you need to drop off any medication, EpiPens, or supplies for your child. We will be available to receive them beginning Tuesday August 27 2024. Please call our office to arrange a drop off time at (978)557-7024
Inhalers for Asthma: Students may leave their inhalers in the health office or self carry. Medical orders are necessary from your MD. Here is the link for the medical Asthma Action Plans for inhalers.
EpiPens: If a student has been prescribed an EpiPen, it may be stored in the Health Office or your student may keep it in their backpack. All students who are prescribed an EpiPen will require a completed and signed Food Allergy Emergency Action Plan with physician orders found here. EpiPens and doctor’s orders may be dropped off by the parent/guardian or brought in by the student on the first few days of school.
UPDATES
Parents and guardians are encouraged to call the school nurse anytime they have questions or concerns especially for the following reasons:
A new medical diagnosis, or change in your child’s health status
A newly prescribed medication
A change in current medication
A serious injury, illness, or hospitalization
A fracture, sprain, stitches, or a cast
A contagious disease such as chicken pox, flu, strep throat, whooping cough, or conjunctivitis
If your child is absent for an extended period of time
If there are any recent changes in your family that may affect your child, such as a birth, recent loss, or sudden illness
IMMUNIZATIONS
GRADE 7 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Tdap: 1 dose and a history of DTaP primary series or age-appropriate catch-up vaccination.
Polio: 4 doses; 4th dose must be given on or after the 4th birthday and ≥ 6 months after the previous dose, or a 5th dose is required. 3 doses are acceptable if the 3rd dose is given on or after the 4th birthday and ≥ 6 months after the previous dose.
Hepatitis B: 3 doses; laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
MMR: 2 doses; first dose must be given on or after the 1st birthday and the 2nd dose must be given ≥ 28 days after previous dose; laboratory evidence of immunity accepted.
Varicella: 2 doses; first dose must be given on or after the 1st birthday and the 2nd dose must be given ≥ 28 days after previous dose; a physician documented case of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable
Meningococcal: 1 dose; 1 dose MenACWY (former MCV4) required. Meningococcal B Vaccine is not required and does not meet this requirement.
Screenings
Health Screenings: Hearing/Vision, Height/Weight, Postural, and SBIRT Screenings are all done as mandated by the state of Massachusetts. If you choose to opt out of any of these screenings, a signed letter must be sent annually to the health office by October 1st. Please use this link for more information about NAPS Health Screenings.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, and we look forward to the upcoming school year!
Best,
Your NAMS Nurses
Jessica Wolfe, BSN, RN, NCSN
Email: wolfej@nak12.com
Website: Health Services- NAMS
Phone: 978-557-7902
Dana Woodford, BSN, RN
Email: woodfordd@nak12.com
Website: Health Services- NAMS
Phone : 978-557-7902
New Calendar and Key District Dates
