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

Nighthawk Families,

• October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying prevention is a year-round effort, but there are additional activities that we promote and participate in during the month of October. Bullying refers to acts or behavior that intentionally cause harm and happen repeatedly. It's important to have conversations with students both at home and at school surrounding this important topic.

  
  

  Please join us on October 16th in wearing ORANGE for Unity Day to unite around kindness, support, and inclusion.
  

• From the Student Services Team:

  Class attendance and participation are critical elements of the educational process. Any absences, whether excused or unexcused, can have a negative impact on a student’s academic achievement. Regular attendance must be prioritized and encouraged throughout our school community.

  We want to reward and acknowledge those students who attend school regularly.

  • Each month, students with Perfect Attendance (no excused or unexcused absences) will be recognized.

  • At the end of each quarter, students with 2 or fewer absences (excused or unexcused) will be recognized.

  If there are extenuating circumstances for your student with regards to attendance, please contact your grade level counselor for support.

• We are excited to announce that our Spring Play Production will be Willy Wonka Jr.! More details to come!

• The 7th and 8th Grade Fall Dance is Friday, November 8th! Mark your calendars now!

• School Cash Online is the new way for parents to pay for most school activities such as field trips online. We need all families to create an account so you can pay for your student field trips, NJHS, etc. online. Please use the instructions below to create your account so you can see your students and any activities attached to them.

  
  

  English Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pm30oAhTy63oUhLZ8Vzu28IxF2mMgEqb/view

  
  

  Spanish Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cCYPcJavxbC6vApNop_70riIEqNC6IMy/view

• Please see below in the Athletics Section for this week's game schedule.

• 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 has been extended to October 14th!

  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

Dear Families,

This week, our school community will focus on the character strength of Bravery. Bravery means you act with mental, moral, or physical strength, even when you know things are difficult or scary.

Bravery refers to voluntary (not coerced) action in the face of a dangerous circumstance. This strength involves judgment; the brave person must have an understanding of the risks and consequences involved in acting. According to Socrates and Plato, forethought separates acts of valor from acts of rashness. This means that bravery isn’t simply fearlessness but instead the overcoming of fear.

Overcoming fears is critically important in individual development, as it allows the person to do more and become more. A person can be brave every single day. For example, some people with social anxiety are brave just by leaving their houses and talking with people. On a physical level, bravery allows us to overcome fears, such as swimming or playing a sport. And, on a moral level, doing what we know to be right, despite the risks, gives us the sense that we are acting on behalf of a larger purpose.

To practice and encourage the character strength of bravery at home, please visit the Positivity Project’s mobile-friendly P2 for Families, where together you will watch a video, read a quote and talk about the answers to three questions.

Thank you for your continued support!

Now's the time to order a yearbook for your student and SAVE. https://bit.ly/3B8oAKd

The yearbook is a record of moments in time for your student. Order today for $45.00.

JOSTENS PAYMENT PLAN: Spread out the cost of your yearbook order with three interest-free payments.*

We need parent and family support to work our Concessions Stand at each home game. We ask all Student Athletes' parents to sign up to work once. Please see Communications from your Student's Coaches.

Please checkout this week's Nighthawk Athletic Newsletter .

🏈FOOTBALL / 📣CHEER

Wednesday 10/16/24

AWAY v. Apex Friendship 4pm

🏐 VOLLEYBALL

Tuesday 10/15/24

AWAY v. Apex Friendship 4pm

⚽ GIRLS’ SOCCER

Tuesday 10/15/24

AWAY v. Apex Friendship 4pm

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

Nighthawk Families,

Because we want to keep you informed, I wanted to let you know that we conducted a code red lockdown drill today at 1:40 PM.

This was only a drill, and it was completed successfully.

A code red lockdown is our highest security alert.

In a code red lockdown, no one is allowed to enter or exit the building, and all students remain in their classrooms with doors locked. The lockdown remains in place until law enforcement officials give us an all-clear announcement.

Again, today’s exercise was only a drill.

Student safety is our top priority. Staying prepared is key, which is why we perform these drills on a regular basis. We appreciate the cooperation of our students and staff in this effort.

More information about our lockdown protocols is available on the Keeping Your Child Safe website.

Thank you for your continued support of our school.

Sincerely,

Anne Marie Adkins, Principal

Nighthawks,

We are excited to announce that our spring musical this year will be WILLY WONKA JR.

Please read through the following information carefully to ensure you are prepared for auditions by clicking here.

Veteran's Day Appreciation Event

Herbert Akins Road Middle School is proud to announce our first annual Veteran's Day Appreciation Event. We would like to honor all immediate family member veterans of our wonderful students. The event will take place on November 6th, during the halftime break at our home football game. We would like to show our appreciation by personally thanking the parents, grandparents, and siblings of our students, who have served our country. Veterans will be individually escorted onto the field, displaying their name, rank, service branch, and years of service. Following the ceremony we would like to show our appreciation by providing catered food for our veterans. Veterans will have free admission to the game and are welcome to attend the whole game.

In addition, we will be selling American flags prior to the game. Each flag will be sold for $5 and proceeds will be donated to The Joel Fund, a local veterans organization. Students will be able to personalize the flag stick with a label, thanking a specific veteran, writing a personal message, or just generally thanking those who have served. Flags will be used to create a "field of flags" at school on Monday before the football game. Students will be able to retrieve their flags before the game on Wednesday afternoon and show their support for our veterans during the game and during the halftime break.

Flags will go on sale two ways: through PTA Givebacks/Memberhub, or during lunch October 23-25. Students can personalize labels/stickers during lunch.

Link to purchase flags online:

https://harmsmemberhubcomstore.givebacks.com/store/items/1118002

Givebacks

Givebacks helps you engage your supporters, raise money online with less work, and harness innovation to build up your entire community through GIvebacks. See why over 12,000 organizations and over 2.4 million people use Givebacks to thrive.

harmsmemberhubcomstore.givebacks.com

If you have a Veteran attending the game please fill out this google form so we can plan accordingly:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5UUAjabEY33urHeUT0Ve4U9mZtTUXFzTuMHJUmhxoFpbc9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

Veterans Day

Please fill out this form if you have an immediate family member (siblings, parent, or grandparent) that has previously served our country who would like to be honored at our home football game at halftime on 11/06. As a thank you we will feed our Veterans during the game.

docs.google.com

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

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

Be sure to stop by the art exhibit at the NC State Fair to see some amazing artwork by our Nighthawk artists!

Please take a moment to click here and register NOW!