Our Vision: The Herbert Akins Road MS Learning Community collaborates to facilitate equitable outcomes and growth through social, emotional, and academic opportunities.

Nighthawk Families,

• We kick off our celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month this week! Stay tuned for the different activities taking place in the Nest over the next month.

• LAST CALL - - WE NEED YOUR HELP! The Build Our Nest fundraiser is the only PTA fundraiser of the school year and the majority of funding goes to support our FLIGHT Time Wednesday Clubs as well as our After School Clubs. Field trips, school dances, 8th grade EOY activities, and 6th/7th grade EOY activities are supported with these funds. https://app.99pledges.com/fund/herbertaki4

• Here's the video (click on the words) for you to watch to make sure you understand how to add your student's name to the PTA Build Our Nest fundraiser, so donations are credited to the specific student and their class for the competitions.
  

• On Tuesday, September 17th, we have a School Improvement Team Meeting in the Media Center which anyone is welcome to attend.

• On Wednesday, we kick off our Fall Athletic Season with home Girls Soccer and Volleyball games against Reedy Creek MS. Help us cheer our teams to their first wins of the season!

• On Thursday, we have our first home football game of the season. Please come out and join us as we cheer on our Nighthawks!

• Buy Spirit Wear (the PTA receives a portion of sales) - Herbert Akins Road spirit wear, Fuquay-Varina, NC, Nighthawks | 1st Place Spiritwear
• Rent the Spirit Rock (for birthdays and other celebrations)

• Volunteer Renewal closes October 1st!

  As a valued member of our volunteer community, we would like you to renew your volunteer status for the 2024-25 school year.

  The volunteer renewal process is quick and simple for all volunteers who were approved for the 2023-24 school year. The renewal window is now open through Oct. 1, 2024. Go to the MyVolunteer Volunteer Renewal site to renew your volunteer status today! Log into your MyVolunteer account and follow the directions for Volunteer Renewal. The process should only take a few minutes. Once approved, the renewal date in your MyVolunteer profile will be updated.

  All 2023-24 approved volunteers received an email on July 1 from no-reply@criminalrecordcheck.com with a link to renew your approved volunteer status for the 2024-25 school year.

  If you have any issues during the renewal process, contact the MyVolunteer customer support team at 877-272-0266 or customercare@mycrc.com

• Please follow us on our school's Facebook page, X "Twitter" account, and Instagram to stay abreast of up-to-date news and reminders throughout each school week. Scroll all the way to the end of this newsletter and click on the buttons to follow us on each platform.

With appreciation for your support and partnership as we continue to #buildournest in Year 3,

Anne Marie Adkins

Principal

Thank you very much for the money raised and donated so far! We know our goal of $40,000 was very lofty, but we have big dreams for our students and teachers this year.

As a final push for donations, we are reminding everyone that for every $50 each student has raised, they will be entered into a raffle to win prizes like Apple Air Pods and $100 gift cards to Dicks Sporting Goods, Lululemon, & Amazon. Some students are just a few $$ from entering the raffle. If every student had $15 donated, we'd beat our goal! Thank you for your support.

Your PTA
https://app.99pledges.com/fund/herbertaki4

Dear Families,

Next week, our school community will focus on the Other People Mindset of Being present and giving others my attention. This means when we are with other people, we are present and give them our full attention.

In today's world, it's easy to get distracted by phone calls, messages, and social media. These distractions can pull us away from what's most important — our relationships with other people.

Just as plants need sunlight to grow, our relationships need attention. If we don’t give our full attention when we are with our family, friends, and even colleagues, we can't build strong relationships. It’s crucial to put down our phones and tablets and really listen when others are talking. Positive relationships are the foundation of a positive culture, and we can’t build positive relationships without attention.

To practice and encourage the Other People Mindset of being present and giving others our attention, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families. There, you will watch a video clip together and discuss a quote and three questions.

Thank you for your support!

Meal Benefits Expiration Date HAS PASSED - Please see below.

Families must reapply every school year if they are interested in receiving meal benefits.

To apply for free or reduced-price meals, you can do so online by visiting www.MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications will always be made available in our school's front office, or you can call 919-588-3535 or 919-856-2920 to have one mailed to you.

• Application information
• Application information - información sobre la solicitud (Español)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Frequently Asked Questions - preguntas frecuentes (Español)
• Sample application/Ejemplo de solicitud (Please fill out an original / Favor de completar una solicitud original)
• Meal charges policy | Cuentas de Alimentos

Online Application

• Apply for Free or Reduced Price Meals Online
• Solicitud en línea para las comidas escolares Gratis/Precio Reducido: Español

Questions about applying for free and reduced meals:

(919) 856-2920 (English)

(919) 588-3535 (English and Spanish)

cnsmealbenefits@wcpss.net

Free and Reduced-Price Benefits Office fax number:

(919) 856-3704

In our Parent/Family Survey that was sent to all families in July, one of the topics/activities of interest for families was the opportunity to learn more about workshops/meetings/seminars to help parents support their students to be more successful in their social, emotional, and academic development. As opportunities arise and/or are made available, we will be sure to communicate them to our families. See below for one of the first opportunities this school year.

On Sept. 18, Dr. Laura Politte, a board-certified child/adolescent and adult psychiatrist, currently serving as medical director of outpatient services in the WakeMed Health & Well-Being service line, will present “Smooth Transitions: Supporting Children and Parents in Returning to School”.

Dr. Politte will explain the unique emotional, social, and cognitive challenges children face when they return to school. She will also identify ways to face additional stressors while discussing strategies to support children and their parents during this season.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 7:00 at the William F. Andrews Center, 3024 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27610. Registration is free and open to the to parents, guidance counselors, teachers and community members.

Please checkout this week's Nighthawk Athletic Newsletter .

We need your assistance! Please sign-up to work concessions at a NC Courage Game here. All proceeds (and tips) benefit our Athletic Booster Club.

To prepare for future seasons ~

Click here for the video on how to do athletic physicals

*Check out our NEW athletic paperwork/physical Google Doc for information on how to load all paperwork on DragonFly

Brent Winston

Athletic Director
Herbert Akins Road Middle School

bwinston@wcpss.net

919-694-8300 ext. 53051

The Community Partnership Mapping Initiative is a strategic effort to compile a contact list and mapped database of new and existing community partners. Through this initiative, WCPSS stakeholders can share specific needs and will be connected with the community partners that have the ability to provide the needed resources or services.

Once approved by WCPSS staff, your organization's profile will appear in a mapped database that will be accessed and used by district staff, school administrators, social workers, and counselors. The information you provide will not be made available to the public.

This form is specifically for nonprofit organizations, religious organizations, and private foundations that provide goods and/or services to individuals or school communities. If you represent a business vendor, grantor, or if you are an individual volunteer, please review our vendor approval process or volunteer clearance process.

The Community Partnership Mapping Initiative aligns with Aim 12 of our Strategic Plan, which aspires to "Build strong relationships among staff, families, and community organizations in order to share resources and promote well-being." This aim reflects our commitment to Priority 2: Student Disposition and Well-Being. As noted in Core Belief #6: "The Wake County residents value a strong public school system and will partner to provide the support and resources to fully realize our shared vision, accomplish the mission, and sustain our core beliefs." Thank you for joining us in these essential efforts. We appreciate your support!

The 2024-2025 PTA is very excited about this upcoming school year!

• Please join the PTA so that you can receive communications throughout the year (we promise to keep them to a minimum!) regarding school dances, fundraisers, Teacher Appreciation events, family fun nights, and more!
• Join here: Join the PTA - HERBERT AKINS RD NIGHTHAWKS PTA (weebly.com)

• Buy Spirit Wear (the PTA receives a portion of sales) - Herbert Akins Road spirit wear, Fuquay-Varina, NC, Nighthawks | 1st Place Spiritwear
• Rent the Spirit Rock (for birthdays and other celebrations)
• Find information on volunteering for events
• If you have any interest in joining a committee this year, please contact Alex Jamieson at herbertakinsmsptapresident@gmail.com. Examples of committee positions are:
• School Dances
• Fundraising
• Teacher Appreciation
• Audit
• Spirit Nights
• So much more! Do you have special interests? Let us know! We probably have a committee for it! :)

Thank you so much, and we look forward to a FUN and awesome school year!

Alex Jamieson, PTA President

At least 215 students tried out for a Fall Athletic Team this school year! Those are extraordinary numbers and goes to show the character strengths of courage and bravery demonstrated by our students. What made it very difficult for our coaches is that not every student could make the team and less than 100 students made a team. We are very proud of our students and their perseverance and dedication.

Another fact is that most of our elective teachers are 11 month employees as they teach students from all tracks. As you know, our school year is 12 months long as each quarter is 12 weeks in the Nest for some of our staff. In order for all four tracks to have their 9 week quarters, it takes 12 weeks for all tracks to fully complete each quarter.

Please take a moment to click here and register NOW!