THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all the volunteers who made this week special for our teachers and staff. The food, treats, and daily raffles were awesome. Thank you for your support every day and especially this week during our Staff Appreciation Week.

Please encourage your rising 7th & 8th grade student to apply for my Student Advisory Council. Applications are due on Monday. Please see below for more details.

There are a lot of summer activities for students in our NMS Clubs and Student Activities section near the bottom of the newsletter. Some new, some old, but plenty of opportunity for students to be active and involved this summer.

Students enrolled in a high school level course need to email nmsendofyear@fultonschools.org by May 19th with a decision to accept or decline the credit.

I hope all of our families have a wonderful weekend. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to email me at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

I can't wait to see our students again on Monday!

• Tuesday, May 16 - Band Spring Concert (6:30pm)
  
• Thursday, May 18 - Orchestra Spring Concert (7:00pm)
• Friday, May 19 - May SGC Meeting (7:45 am)

• Friday, May 19 - 8th Grade Luau (6:00-7:30 pm)
  
• Monday, May 22 - Monday Funday (All grade levels)
• Wednesday, May 24 - 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony at Milton HS gymnasium (2:00 pm)

• Friday, July 28 - 6th Grade Locker Day (12:30-2:30 pm)
• Thursday, August 3 - Information Day (12:00-3:00 pm)
  
• Friday, August 4 - School Open For All Students (12:30-2:30 pm)

More information will be shared in June & July newsletters!

NMS Wildcats PTO is excited to announce Victoria Tucker and Tracy Lynn Drye as the new PTO Co-Presidents starting next school year! These ladies are one awesome duo and will be amazing! 🎉

Current Open PTO Committee Positions Listed Below

Website/Membership Toolkit

Student Enrichment

Red Ribbon Week

Campus Beautification

PTO Memberships

Business Partners

Yearbook

Any questions about these committee positions, please reach out to Susie Uhlich @ 404.731.1553 or email susieuhlich@gmail.com.

During my tenure as the Principal of Northwestern Middle School, I have always said what makes this school special is the people. I feel blessed to work in the Milton community. The support is amazing. The passion for the schools in this area is second to none. From the moment I stepped foot on this campus, Becky Jones has proven to be a passionate supporter of Northwestern Middle School. Becky spends hours in this school every week working to support students and teachers. Becky’s efforts have led to new and improved classroom experiences for students, and campus beautification in every corner of our school campus. In a school community where parental support is provided year-round from countless individuals, Becky’s personal commitment to this school is unique and special.

During this mornings staff meeting, I presented Becky Jones with our 2022-23 Volunteer of the Year Award. In addition, we have named this award in Becky’s honor. The volunteer award will now be known as the Northwestern Middle School, Becky Jones, Volunteer of the Year.

Thank you, Becky, for everything you have done for this school. With your youngest transitioning to high school next year, please know you will be missed by every person in this school.

A student advisory council will be selected from rising 7th and 8th grade applicants for the 2023-24 school year. The student advisory council will meet with Mr. Peterson monthly, to discuss important issues for students at Northwestern. Members of the council will have an opportunity to lead and affect change in their school. Members will have a direct impact on school based decisions during the school year.

The student advisory council will be comprised of four (4) 8th grade students and three (3) 7th grade students. Mr. Peterson will select students who represent the diverse and dynamic student body at Northwestern Middle School.

Applications are due on Monday, May 15 at 4:30 pm. Students will be notified of their selection on Friday, May 19 during the morning announcements.

This is a great opportunity for students to gain valuable leadership experience. Please apply today!

As the school year winds down, we request that you plan to pick up any medication or supplies your child may have in the school clinic. All medications (prescription and over-the-counter), must be picked up by May 25th. Any medications not picked up by May 25th will be discarded as we cannot keep medications over the summer.

In the event your child requires medications for next school year, please remember to fill out a Medication Authorization Form. Provide the Medication Authorization Form and medication to the school clinic when school begins in August.

Please Note: All prescription medications MUST have a Doctor’s signature in order for the clinic staff to administer the medication. All medications MUST be in an original labeled container with a current expiration date.

Please notify the clinic if your child is planning to attend summer school and will require medication or has healthcare needs such as diabetes, asthma, seizures, allergies. Medication forms and/or health care plans are required during summer school.

Our school is scheduled to be painted this summer. We are very excited to have a fresh coat of paint in all classrooms and common spaces before next school year. This project will require our staff to prepare their classrooms and office spaces prior to the painters arrival.

If you have any cardboard boxes that can be donated to the school, we can use these to box up items in classrooms & offices. We will take as many boxes as you can donate and all sizes are appreciated. Boxes can be dropped off in the front office by students or parents/guardians starting Monday, April 17 and until the end of the school year. Packing tape donations are also appreciated.

Thank you!!

NMS Spring Carnival Volunteers & Donations Needed

The Spring Carnival will be held Monday, May 22 and each grade has a specific time slot to participate: 6thfrom 9am-10:45am, 7th from 10:45am-12:30pm, & 8th from 2:15pm-4pm. We need A LOT of volunteers to run event stations (instructions will be provided) to make the day fun & run smoothly for students. Volunteers will need to complete the FCS short volunteer registration by May 19. https://www.fultonschools.org/volunteer

Sign up to help here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/106841

We need large quantities of snacks & beverages so the kids stay hydrated and safe in the heat, plus shade tents & coolers (these will be returned to you). Please drop off all donations by May 17th at 4pm. Help with set up & clean-up is also needed.

Sign up to donate items here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/106825

Thank you for helping us make this a special and fun end of year event for our students! Questions? Contact Victoria Tucker at victoriabuter@comcast.net or text 404-519-6751.

Northwestern Middle School is hiring Instructional Paraprofessionals for next school year.

Do you want a full time position on your kid's school schedule? Including summers off!

Do you want to make a difference for kids?

Do you want to work in a dynamic and supportive environment?

Are you awesome and want to work with awesome people?

Eleven out of ten people say Northwestern is an amazing place to work!

Please consider one of these positions at Northwestern Middle School:

Categorical Special Education Paraprofessional

In-School Suspension Paraprofessional

Email Mr. Peterson at petersonj1@fultonschools.org if you want to learn more about our opportunities for next school year.

Each grade level has an assessment calendar located on our school website. These calendars can be located on the Northwestern site under Academics Home or the links are below.

The link below includes the weekly study/help sessions available for every teacher at NMS.

At Northwestern Middle School, we believe effective and timely communication is essential to our mission. NMS staff, students, and parents/guardians should maintain open, honest, and respectful lines of communication. Working together is the best way to help each student achieve success!

Parents/guardians have the ability to "turn off" attendance notifications in their Parent Portal. Click on the Silhouette on the top right and select Settings. Unclick the box for the Attendance emails.

The Curriculum Hub provides a variety of resources to assist parents in supporting their student's learning in the areas of English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies including:

• A year-at-a-glance for each course with the standards taught in each unit
• Unit plans detailing the specific learning targets to be mastered
• Parent resources to preview or review concepts and skills taught in each unit

Our School Governance Council has 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. This school year, our students will engage in more discussions with staff around safe and responsible use of cell phones.

Representatives from Bark presented at one of our previous PTO meetings. As a company, Bark provides monitoring service and resources for families. I will be 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 offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2022-23 school year. Check back often for more information!

Looking for a fun after school activity for your rising 9th grader in high school? Milton High School Fencing Club is offering a sneak peek of this high-energy combat sport for boys and girls at NMS Wildcat Den on Wednesday, May 17th. We will demonstrate basic fencing moves and explain all the equipment involved. MHS Fencing season starts in September and ends in March. We meet for practice once a week and participate in Georgia High School Fencing League tournaments on Saturdays throughout the season. Come and join us to explore the not-your-typical high school sport!

Please also include the following email address for any questions miltonhighschoolfencingclub@gmail.com

Summer Fun with Instructional Technology

The Fulton County Instructional Technology Department is offering some exciting opportunities for students. With the summer being a time full of fun, consider participating in the creative learning opportunities being offered both face-to-face and virtually to students. These summer sessions will provide students with valuable learning experiences that bring them into the world of podcasting and creating with Adobe Express.

FCS Podcasting Workshops

Instructional Technology will be hosting four 2-Day Podcasting Workshops for students. Grab a microphone and join us for Speak Up Fulton: The World Is Listening and leave this workshop ready to podcast like the pros! You’ll learn how to create your own background music, how to interview others, and how to tell your own stories to grab the attention of national audiences like Spotify and PBS. “Speak Up” will be two fun-filled days full of creativity and connection, all while enhancing your literacy and career skills. Separate sessions will be offered for rising 3rd- 6th and 7th-12th grades. Visit https://bit.ly/3TX6vUS for additional details and to register. Space is limited, so register today!

FCS Virtual Creativity Days
This summer Instructional Technology will be hosting three virtual creativity days for students. These days are designed to be a fun way for students to engage in creative thinking as they design graphics, videos, and web pages using Adobe Express. Each day will consist of three sessions centered around a daily theme. Students may choose to participate in any, or all the sessions on a given day. Separate sessions will be held for rising 3rd-6th grade students and rising 7th-12th grade students.

Students will participate in these sessions through Microsoft Teams. Links to participate in the Teams meetings will be sent to participants after they register. Visit http://bit.ly/3nixoXc for additional details and to register. Space is limited, so register today!

The NMS Student Garden was established in 2011 as a permaculture and wildlife garden. It has gone through many iterations. Its most recent additions (2023) are a no-till section (which is affiliated with the Rodale Institute for Organic Research) and five new fruit trees (planted in celebration of Earth Day). If you would like to contribute (monetarily) to the maintenance of this site and its research, then you can use the link below. If you have any other questions about the site, please free to contact Dr. Bartlett at: bartlettj@fultonschools.org. Thank you for your continued support of Northwestern MS 🙂

FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meetings are back to normal at Northwestern and will continue take place on Thursdays in the gym from 8am - 8:45am. We will let you know when we will have another opportunity to join the Milton High School crew.

Students are encouraged to bring friends to the Thursday morning meetings.

The FCA at Northwestern is also hoping that some volunteers may be willing to become more active and attend FCA meetings on Thursday mornings or help with things such as picking up food, small group leading, or even character coaching. Not much is required other than attendance for one hour a week. FCA is also looking for part-time and full- time employees. If you are interested in volunteering and/or employment, please contact Denton Carter (FCA leader) via email (dentoncarter@fca.org).

Students interested in joining the NMS Newspaper Staff should contact Ms. Denna Warrayat at warrayatd@fultonschools.org.

Thank you to our PTO for having breakfast for our bus drivers this morning! They keep our kids safe on the roads and we appreciate them so much!

The NMS PTO would like to give a BIG THANKS to our 2022-2023 Business Partners

When you see these businesses, please acknowledge their sponsorship for the school & dedication to the academic achievement of our youth!

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!