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We are a bit early in wishing you May Greetings but with state testing beginning next week (please see below), we wanted to get this update to you over the weekend. As you know, May is one of our busier months and the final full month of our school year. While it is hard to believe, the below, Important Upcoming Dates section includes events through our final day of school on Thursday, June 20th.
May is a month of more than testing. The coming weeks will include track meets, dances, celebrations, and community events. These are well-deserved opportunities to celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of our STARs and we look forward to doing so alongside you. More updates and reminders are forthcoming but, as possible, please consider each of the below as invitations to join us.
Enjoy and thank you for your time, partnership, and support.
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Important State Testing Dates:
- 4/30 + 5/1: English Language Arts (ELA) Computer Adaptive Test
- 5/7 + 5/8: English Language Arts (ELA) Performance Task
- 5/14 + 5/15: WCAS/Science Test (8th grade only)
- 5/21 + 5/22: Math Computer Adaptive Test
- 5/28: Math Performance Task
Important May Dates:
- 5/13: District Track Championships (3:45am/Memorial Stadium)
- 5/13: Spring Band Concert (7:00pm/Everett Civic Auditorium)
- 5/20: North PTA Night at The New Mexicans (1416 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201)
- 5/23: North Multicultural Celebration (5:30pm/North Commons)
- 5/27: (No School) Memorial Day Observed
- 5/30: Spring Dance (3:00pm/North Gym)
Other Upcoming Dates of Note:
- 6/6: Middle School Art Show (6:00pm/EPS Community Resource Center)
- 6/7: Pride Night @ AquaSox Game (hosted by the Everett Public Schools) - North Band will be playing the National Anthem (Pride Night Link - Tickets Link benefiting our North Band)
- 6/10: Spring Choir Concert (6:00pm/North Commons)
- 6/14: Early Dismissal (12:20pm dismissal for all students)
- 6/15: Everett High School Graduation (7:00pm/Angel of the Winds Arena)
- 6/18: Eighth Grade - Celebration of Learning + Dance (5:00pm/Commons & Gym)
- 6/19: (No School) Juneteenth Observed
- 6/20: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Early Dismissal (12:20pm dismissal for all students)
Honoring our North Teachers
We are looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate our North teachers as part of Teacher Appreciation Week, 2024! May 6th through May 10th marks the dates for this year's celebration. Our North PTA will be working to represent our North community as part of this important opportunity to say thank you. That noted, if you and your family are able, every teacher values a note, card, or email of sincere appreciation. Names and individual specific email links are available via our school website. Please join us as we celebrate our outstanding team of teachers here at North!
State Testing Starting Next Week
Next week marks the beginning of state testing for this 2023/24 school year. More specifically, all of our North students will be beginning their Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) for English-Language Arts on Tuesday, April 30th, continuing through the following day, Wednesday, May 1st. Dates for each of the specific state tests are listed above, as part of our Important Upcoming Dates section.
Over the past two weeks, our students have begun preparing for these assessments. Activities included participation in a practice test (designed to help students better understand the state's online platform) and taking part in multiple interim assessments. We are confident that our STARs are ready but need to care for their everyday responsibilities, especially across the coming five weeks.
First, we are expecting each of our students to ensure that their Chromebooks are charged at home, each evening, and brought to school ready for login/participation (see right image/reminder). Second, we are asking that students get needed rest across testing weeks and arrive on-time each morning, ready for first period. Finally, dinner the evenings before testing and breakfast the morning of will be other vital elements tied to student success.
As noted in this week's pre-testing discussions, we are simply asking and expecting our students to give their best across each of these exams. More specifically, we are challenging them to compete. In doing so, they are not competing against anyone other than themselves. A large majority of our students have participated in these Washington state exams before and this spring's forthcoming tests provide each of our STARs with an opportunity to apply all that they have learned across these past nine months. We believe they can "handle hard better" in giving their all on each of the four exams (five for eighth graders).
We Appreciate for your partnership in helping our STARs arrive on time and prepared across the above-noted dates - Thank you!
Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Each May, we come together to celebrate and honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month). At North, our collective learning includes opportunities to explore and honor historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent across our United States; past, present, and future. This includes local connections, specific to Everett, Seattle, and the surrounding area.
We invite you and your family to join us in honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage. Together, we know that our collective learning about one another's heritage builds a more inclusive, collaborative community. Honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month provides us all with a wonderful opportunity, and we welcome your involvement as we learn and celebrate across the month of May.
Multicultural Celebration on Thursday, May 23rd
This month, North is proud to host our annual Multicultural Night in celebration and appreciation for our North Everett community. Our Multicultural Night is scheduled for Thursday, May 23rd, beginning at 5:30pm. This is a casual, drop-in style event designed to highlight our students for who they are and who they are working to become. Over the coming weeks, our students will be focusing on identify through our weekly STAR blocks. This will culminate in our May 23rd celebration through poetry, art, dance, music, and food.
Next week, you will receive a specific information related to this forthcoming event. This will include an invitation/sign-up for families to participate, highlighting their cultural heritage as roots for who we are today as families, a school, and a community (past, present, and future). For now, please mark May 23rd on your calendar as we would value having you join us that evening.
April STAR Celebration
This past month, our Friday STAR blocks included everything from spring student surveys to tutorials related to taking the forthcoming state test through an online platform. April concluded with our monthly STAR celebration, honoring students for their academic successes (current grades must include As, Bs, and/or Cs), and no more than five tardy incidents this semester. Our springtime theme included treats, music, and games (see below). Congratulations to each student who qualified for our April STAR Celebration!
May PTA Update
Spring Greetings, North Community!
First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the Chipotle dine-out fundraiser. Your support means the world to us, and it's what keeps our PTA initiatives thriving!
Looking ahead, mark your calendars for some exciting upcoming events. On May 20th, from 5 pm to 8 pm, we'll be gathering at The New Mexicans Restaurant for a delicious evening together. And don't miss out on NMS Night at the Aqua Sox – it's sure to be a splash! Support our PTA and NMS Advanced Band. Tickets are $15 each and can be bought here: https://nms-family-night-at-the-aquasox.cheddarup.com
We're also on the lookout for water bottle donations as state testing kicks off next week. Help keep our students hydrated by dropping off a case (or five!) at the front office. Every bottle counts! Visit our sign up genius to donate: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAE2BA5F9C70-49318884-state
Feeling called to serve your North Community? We have two fantastic opportunities available on our 2024-2025 Executive Board – President and Secretary. If you're interested in making a difference, please reach out to us at northmspta@gmail.com.
Let's not forget about our incredible staff at NMS! Staff Appreciation Week is just around the corner, May 6th to 10th. We are excited to show our gratitude and spoil them with the appreciation they deserve. If you're in the building during that week, be sure to extend a warm thank you to our dedicated staff members.
Stay connected and engaged with our PTA – together, we can continue to make a positive impact on our school community.
Warm regards,
NMS PTA
Tiffany Nash, co-president
Heather Rodriguez, co-president
Dora Watson, vice-president
Meaghan Swanson, Secretary
Heather Reid, Treasurer
New Bus Transportation App Available
In partnership with district partner, Durham Transportation, our district is proud to announce the Versatrans My Stop app for families of students who ride a bus to/from school each day. This app provides families with the ability to track their student’s bus. This app also displays the buses’ approximate time of arrival (to the stop) and the buses’ current location. Through this app, our district transportation team will also be able to send messages when their student's bus is running more than 10 minutes late.
For additional information and access, please click here for our EPS transportation website. Brief directions are provided below.
How to Log In: All information is transmitted securely and protected. No data is provided without proper credentials being provided.
- Enter your student’s ID number in the username field.
- Enter your student’s date of birth in the password field. Use the mmddyyyy format with no slashes. For example: if your student was born on Jan. 1, 2017, your password would be 01012017.
- If you have more than one student, their names will appear in a drop-down list in the top left corner. To view a different child's bus information, select their name from the drop down list.
- In your phone settings, under Notifications, scroll to the Versatrans My Stop app and make sure of the following:
- Your settings indicate that "push notifications" are allowed
- Pop on screen is also in the on position.
These specific actions will ensure that you will receive any/all notifications sent by the Everett Public Schools through this Versatrans My Stop App.
Everett Public Schools Newsletter, May Edition
Our May edition of the Everett Public Schools newsletter is linked/attached below. This specifically crafted, monthly communication is designed to connect with all of our families and provide information pertaining to all of our schools/programs. This month's newsletter includes updates pertaining to:
- 5/29 Community Resource Fair
- ECEAP Preschool Applications
- Graduation Dates
- PRIDE Night at the Everett AquaSox
- and more!
Everett Public Schools 2024 Graduation Dates/Times
Lastly, the coming weeks will include many joyous graduations across our community (including Everett High). As applicable, please mark your calendars for our upcoming high school graduations in June. Ceremony details will be shared soon from individual schools.
- Project Search, June 12 at 4:30 p.m. at Providence Colby Campus Rainer/Cascade Rooms
- Sequoia High School, June 13 at 6 p.m. at Civic Auditorium
- Cascade High School, June 15 at 11 a.m. at The Angel of the Winds Arena
- Jackson High School, June 15 at 3 p.m. at The Angel of the Winds Arena
- Everett High School, June 15 at 7 p.m. at The Angel of the Winds Arena
- Transition, June 18 at 5 p.m. at Community Resource Center Port Gardner A&B
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Thank you for taking the time to read through our May update. On behalf of our entire North team, we appreciate your partnership and support, and are grateful for the opportunity to serve your family as part of our North community.
Enjoy & goNorth!
With Gratitude,
Allison, Drew, & Tyler
North Middle School
tream@everettsd.org - amacgregorfornes@everettsd.org - abaewilliams@everettsd.org
Phone: 425-385-4800
Fax 425-385-4802