Back-to-school

August 7, 2024

We are excited to get the new year started and are looking forward to meeting you at some of our back to school activities we have planned in August. Below is a lot of important information about the upcoming school year. Please take some time to read the information and let us know if you have any questions. We are hard at work getting ready to welcome your student back to school and are looking forward to having a great year. Welcome back, we are happy you are here.

August

19th - 6th Grade Welcome - students and parents/guardians, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m

21st - 6th Grade Orientation - 6th graders only, 8:25 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

27th - All Grade Open House - students and parents/guardians, 4:00 p.m. - 7:20 p.m.

September

2nd - No School, Holiday

3rd - 1st day of school - 6th grade students only

4th - 1st day of school for all students

11th - Pictures

October

1st - Zupas (Blaine) fundraiser 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm

4th - Elementary only - no school - secondary has school

7th - No School

10th - Conferences 3:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (virtual/in person)

15th - Conferences 3:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m (arena style only, in person)

15th - Band 8 @ BHS, 7:00 p.m.

17-18th - No School

22nd - Picture Retakes (AM only)

24th - Orchestra 8 @ BHS, 7:00 p.m.

November

5th - No School (polling place)

14-16th - Fall Play, 7:00 p.m.

22nd - Last Day of Trimester 1

24th - No School, staff planning

25th - No School, staff development

27th - No School

28-29th - Holiday, District Closed

A-HConnect

One of the most important tools you can utilize to help set yourself and your student up for success, is to get connected with them through your A-HConnect account (ParentVue app). You may access this through both desktop and mobile (Apple/Android) devices.

Please call the Anoka-Hennepin School District Help Line at 763-506-HELP (4357) if you do not know your login information.

The ParentVue app is used at all levels of schooling (Elementary, Middle and High). This resource connects all of your Anoka Hennepin School district students in one spot! Highlights include:

Attendance: submit attendance requests online and view daily absences/tardies.

Student Info: Includes bus transportation information. On the app click “additional info”.

Grade Book: Monitor student grades

Daily Assignment: Keep tabs on upcoming projects and/or missing assignments.

Class Schedule: View student class schedule. Communicate with teachers via email.

Fee: Pay any outstanding fees for sports, school activities, books and more.

Documents: View and download report cards and standardized test results (MCA)

Parent Vue is also very helpful for arena style conferences in the fall. When you come to conferences, you can access your student’s schedule in parent vue so you know what teachers to visit with during the evening.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

If you pre-ordered school supplies for the 2024-25 school year, you may pick them up at Open House.

Here is the list: School Supply List

AVID students do not need to purchase school supplies.

PHY ED UNIFORMS

Our Phy Ed department has t-shirts and shorts available to purchase. We accept cash and checks made out to NMS.

Shirts ($7) we offer sizes, YM, AS, AM, AL, AXL, AXXL

Shorts ($9) we offer sizes, YM, YL, AS, AM, AL, AXL, AXXL

BAND/ORCHESTRA

Attention 6th Grade Students in Band and Orchestra. We are so excited to help you learn an instrument this year. Please do not worry about getting an instrument at this time. Our band and orchestra teachers will give you all the information you need regarding instruments at the start of the school year.

SPANISH

High School Spanish Level 1: Spanish 1 is available to all 8th graders at NMS. Those who complete this year-long course with a grade of C- or above, will receive 2 High School credit grades. These will be factored into their High School GPA., appear on their transcript, and they will receive credits toward graduation. Students will then begin Spanish 2 in High School. Spanish 1 focuses on the following themes: Introductions, School Life, Family and Around the City. A folder or a tab in a 3 ring binder is needed.

REPORT CARDS

Parents and guardians: You will not be receiving report cards in the mail. You are able to find your student's report card in the ParentVue application under "Documents". Grades are updated on a regular basis throughout each trimester.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Are you interested in joining the Student Council? You will be able to find more information at the student council table during open house. We will also be having a fundraiser to help raise money for different activities we do throughout the year.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

We have many activities after school. Please click here for more information on sports and after-school activities through our community education program.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are a vital component of the Northdale Middle School community. Northdale has many opportunities for volunteers and we need you to make our 2024-25 school year the best ever.

Becoming a volunteer is easy. For detailed instructions, view our detailed informational flier, or view the simple instructions below:

Simply go to the NMS website.

Click on the Involvement tab

Scroll down to Volunteer

Complete the following two items:

• Northdale Middle School Volunteer Application

• NMS criminal record release form must be completed.

Our current volunteer opportunities can be viewed on our website.

If you have questions regarding volunteering at NMS, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Sara Evans at 763-506-5432 or sara.evans@ahschools.us

We are looking forward to seeing you soon. Below is a list of events to help your child get acquainted with Northdale’s building and staff. If you have any questions or concerns this summer, please contact the office at 763-506-5400.

2024-25 School Year August Events

6th Grade Welcome (students & parents/guardians)

Monday, August 19, 2024

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (come any time within these two hours)

This is an open-house type event for 6th-grade students and their families only. There will be multiple short presentations throughout the evening to go over what it looks like to be a middle school student. Students can locate their classrooms and practice their locker combinations. There will be a limited number of staff members available during this event. If you would like to meet with teachers, they will all be available at Open House on Wednesday, August 27th. You are welcome to bring school supplies to put in your locker. We will have students/staff available to help with questions. Information tables on this night: volunteering, purchasing yearbooks, ordering NMS apparel, child nutrition, and more.

6th Grade Orientation WEB Day (students only)

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

8:25 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

(For students who ride the bus, transportation will be provided. Please watch your mailbox for a postcard from transportation the week prior.)

A fun morning to get to know the building, some students, and some key staff members

Open House - (For ALL Grades)

Tuesday, August 27,, 2024

4:00 p.m. - 7:20 p.m. (come anytime within these times)

You can meet your teachers, get another chance to walk the building, and practice opening your locker.

1st day of School is Tuesday, September 3, 2024 (for 6th-Grade students only)

8:25 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.

New this year, the six district middle schools will welcome sixth-grade students on Sept. 3; and seventh- and eighth-grade students will begin the school year on Wednesday, Sept. 4. This format is part of an effort to ensure the newest students get off to a strong start.

Why it matters: Ensuring a successful transition to middle school can lower stress and anxiety and set a positive pathway for academics and behavioral expectations at schools, leading to success for all students.

The basics: The first day of school for the 2024-25 school year is Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Sixth-grade students should report to school as expected. Students will meet with teachers and complete activities that aim to ease the transition to middle school.

• Transportation service will be provided to sixth-grade students only.

• Meals will be provided.

• All middle school students should attend school starting Wednesday, Sept. 4.

With this new format, middle schools join elementary and high schools, which have been traditionally offering the youngest grades and new to school learners a similar opportunity.

The big picture: Anoka-Hennepin Schools offers a variety of events and programs to support a successful transition to middle school including the WEB program (Where Everybody Belongs) offered during August. The sixth-grade only first day of school builds on that effort to expand programming and provide benefits to a larger number of students and improve school culture overall. Further, special education students and others who may require additional support at the beginning of the year are expected to benefit from this time.

Northdale Middle School has a security system in place. In order to enter the building, each person is required to have a valid form of identification, preferably a drivers license. Each person is required to scan their identification through our system, and will then receive a name badge before entering the building. Please bring your identification each and every time you come to the building as you will be required to scan your identification through our system. Please remember, a valid ID is also required in order to check students out of the building as well.

While these brief but important steps may take a few extra minutes, we can all agree that the safety of your student is our number one priority. We thank you in advance for your cooperation, and look forward to seeing you soon.

There may be times when your child will need to miss school for a medical appointment, illness, personal family business, or vacation. In each case there is a procedure we would like you to follow.

Please call the attendance line at 763-506-5406 or enter into ParentVUE if your child will be absent from school, coming in late, or needs to leave school early.

Instructions for entering an absence into ParentVUE can be found here: Reporting a Student Absence

Illness: If your child will be absent due to an illness, call the attendance line at 763-506-5406. Messages can be left 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also enter the absence in the ParentVUE app.

Appointments: If your child needs to be absent all day, leave early for a medical/dental appointment, or come in late due to an appointment, call the attendance line at 763-506-5406. Messages can be left 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also enter the absence in the ParentVUE app, or send a note with your child & have them bring it to the main office.

** Please note: We are required to enter the absence as an illness until we receive a medical note from the provider. Once this note is received, the absence will be changed to medical.**

Family Business: If your child will need to miss school for personal family business (i.e., funeral), call the attendance line at 763-506-5406. Messages can be left 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also enter the absence in the ParentVUE app, or send a note with your child & have them bring it to the main office.

Vacation/Out of Town: If your child will miss school due to a vacation, we request you call the attendance line at 763-506-5406 a week in advance, if possible. Your child may also bring a note to the main office. It is then your child's responsibility to collect homework before they leave on vacation.

In the above mentioned situations where your student needs to leave early, a pass to be excused at the designated time will be issued. At that time, the student will report to the office to wait for the parent/guardian to pick them up. If anyone other than a parent or guardian needs to pick your child up from school early for any of the reasons listed above, you as the parent or guardian must inform the school in advance. In order to enter the building, each person is required to have a valid form of identification, preferably a drivers license. Each person is required to scan their identification through our security system, and will then receive a name badge before entering the building. Please bring your identification each and every time you come to the building. Even if we know who you are, you will be required to scan your identification through our security system. While these brief but important steps may take a few extra minutes, we can all agree that the safety of your student is our number one priority.

If we are not notified regarding an absence you will be contacted by our automated phone system, which will prompt you to call the school with the reason. If you do not notify the school, the absence will be recorded as an unexcused absence. No individual calls are made from our school, other than through the automated system.

Student Apparel Sales - Aug. 29 - Sept. 20

Student apparel sales will run from August 26 - September 20. All sales will take place online. Items will be delivered to NMS the week of October 7th. The design will look like this. The link for ordering will be available by August 27th.

Acapulco Taco Bar

Acapulco will again be at our Open House event on August 27 from 4:00-7:00 pm. NMS will receive 30% from the sales during the evening. Both cash and card will be accepted. Pricing will be:

Soft shell Taco $ 3.00
Taco Platter $ 5.00
Nacho Supreme $ 7.00
Monster Burrito $ 7.00
Acapulco Bowl $ 7.00
Chips and Cheese $ 4.00
Chips and Salsa $ 2.00
Side of Rice $ 1.00
Side of Beans $ 1.00
Pop/Water $ 2.00

Cookie $ 1.00

Zupas Dine in Event - October 1 from 4-9 pm

We will have a fundraiser at Zupas in Blaine on October 1 from 4:00-9:00 pm. NMS will receive 20% from sales from customers that mention our fundraiser. We need to have at least $351 in sales, or we receive nothing, so come to Zupas and spread the word to friends and family. You can order in-store or online.

Fall Scholastic Book Fair - October 10-11 & 14-15

Our first Scholastic Book Fair of the year is scheduled for October 10-11 & October 14-15. These dates coincide with fall conferences.

Do you allow students to call home if they are ill?

Students may call home from the Health Service phone. Due to our cell phone policy, students should come to the health office first. We can then call home from our office.

What are the procedures for taking medicine at school?

All medication must arrive in the original packaging, which displays dosage, frequency, and age requirements (do not send medicine in baggies or just in the bubble wrap). Prescription medication needs to have a pharmacy label with the student’s name and directions for giving. Prescription medication needs both a signed physician’s order and parental permission. Over the counter medications need parental permission. Medication authorization forms can be found on the health service website Health / Overview (ahschools.us).

Can students carry their own inhaler?

With an order from the doctor and signed permission from a parent and the school nurse, students are allowed to carry their own inhaler. It is recommended that a back-up inhaler be kept in the health office. All inhalers must have a pharmacy label on the inhaler.

Who can pick up the student if he/she is ill?

Only individuals identified on the emergency contact form are allowed to pick up a student. If this is not possible, special arrangements need to be made with the school health service staff. If you must have someone pick up your child who is not listed on the emergency contact form, contact the Health Service Dept. directly.

How do we contact health service?

The direct number for the health office is 763-506-5404. The school nurse direct line is 763-506-5504. The fax number is 763-506-5503. All immunizations and doctor orders can be faxed from your clinic/hospital to health service.

Minnesota state law requires all students to be immunized to attend seventh grade. In addition to previously received immunizations, seventh grade students need one Tdap booster after the age of 7 years and one meningitis shot. Your student could need one or more vaccinations or a legal exemption to meet these requirements. You may check your student’s immunization records in AH Connect.

If your child is not in compliance with state laws regarding immunization requirements, they will not be allowed to attend school as of October 15th, until they are in compliance. If you have a medical appointment for your student to get their shots, but it is after the October 15th date, you will need to get a legal exemption form signed and notarized to have on file until your student has their appointment.

Contact your medical provider or Northdale Health Service at 763-506-5404 (fax: 763-506-5403) if you have questions.

Anoka-Hennepin Middle School Attendance Policy at Events:

Our goal is to provide a fun, safe and engaging opportunity for middle school students and families to support our high school-athletes as they perform in football, band, dance and cheer. The following expectations are in place to ensure that all who attend experience a safe, welcoming, and positive environment.

All five Anoka-Hennepin traditional high schools (Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids) have made the transition to online ticket sales for athletics and activities events. With the exception of boys and girls hockey, all ticket sales for events hosted by district schools will be online using GoFan Events, the official ticketing system.

Middle School Students:

• Students will be admitted to events with a valid GoFan ticket, and with a valid ID and parent/guardian escort - with a 2:1 ratio of students to adults.

• Unsupervised students will not be permitted entry.

• The student code of conduct for school extends to all Anoka-Hennepin school events. Students running, throwing objects, using profanity, or causing other disruptions will be required to sit with their parent/guardian for the remainder of the game.

• If the student’s parent/guardian is not present, an administrator on duty will call home and escort the students to the front of the gate to wait to be picked up.

• There will be no refunds if a student is removed from the game before its conclusion.

• If a parent/guardian has to be called about a student’s behavior, the student may forfeit their right to attend any future high school events for one calendar year.

• Significant disruptions and policy violations are subject to further disciplinary action.

• Students are not permitted to bring backpacks, footballs, soccer balls, etc. to games. Balls will be confiscated at the gate or by administration if brought to the stadium.

• Students still on campus 15 minutes after the conclusion of a game will not be permitted to return to a game for the remainder of the season.

Middle School Parents/Guardians:

• Do not drop your student off unattended at events. It is expected that parent/guardian supervise their students for the duration of the event. Unsupervised students will be escorted out of the event.

• Please review expectations of behavior with your student(s) before arrival.

• Please make sure your student(s) remains with you for the duration of the event.

• As stated above, please be aware that students still on campus, unsupervised, 15 minutes after the conclusion of an event will not be permitted to attend future events.