Titans,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!

I hope this letter finds you rested, rejuvenated, and excited for the new academic year ahead. On behalf of the entire staff at Nova Middle School, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all our returning students and families, as well as to those of you who are new to our community. We are thrilled to have you as part of our school family and look forward to a year filled with learning, growth, and success.

We are proud to announce that Nova Middle School is an A-rated school! This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, staff, and families. We are committed to maintaining this high standard of excellence and continuing to provide a top-quality education for all our students.

We encourage you to stay informed and engaged throughout the school year. Regular communication between home and school is vital to student success. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date and check our school website and newsletters for the latest news and updates.

We are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive. Your involvement and partnership are essential to this mission, and we look forward to working closely with you to ensure a successful year for all.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you and your child in any way we can.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. Let’s make this school year the best one yet!

Warm regards,

Rayner Garranchan

Proud Principal of Nova Middle School

The Focus Parent Portal is your gateway to staying connected with your student's educational journey in Broward County Public Schools. For the first time, parents/guardians with multiple students will be able to access all their students in one place. The portal will allow you to monitor your student's academic progress, stay informed of upcoming school and district events, and allow you to communicate directly with your student's teachers.

To create a new Parent Portal account, you will need a valid email address. Connecting each of your enrolled students will require the following information:

• Student's full name
• Student's ID number (begins with ‘06')
• Student's date of birth

Student schedule's will be available in Focus on August 7, 2024.

Visit https://www.browardschools.com/focus for details on how to access the Parent Portal.

Nova Middle School creates student schedules with careful consideration to each student’s academic level and areas of interest. In order to provide consistency for parents, students, and teachers, schedule changes will be kept to a minimum. Before making a request, please review the information below to assure that you fully understand the schedule change policy.

Requesting a schedule change:

In the rare event that a schedule change is needed, a Schedule Concern form must be submitted via the Schedule Concern Form. All Back-to-School Forms must be completed prior to School Counselors processing Schedule Concern Forms. No request may be made through personal meetings, phone calls, or emails. Once the Schedule Concern Form is submitted, the student’s records will be reviewed, and a decision will be made regarding the request.

Reason for changes:

· Student is missing a core class.

· Student was inappropriately placed based on grade level.

· Student was inappropriately placed based on skill level.

If a student received any of their elective choices from their Course Request form, no changes will be made.

Other Requests:

Nova Middle School will not change student schedules for any of the following reasons:

· Friends are in another class

· Lunch period preference

· Unaddressed behavior or academic concerns

The Schedule Concern Form will be available on the Nova Middle School website from 8/13/24 – 8/16/24.

All Nova Middle School students are required to follow the mandatory unified dress code policy. Students must conform to the UDC during all regular school days, including Early Release and Flex Days. Students involved in school sponsored clubs/activities or sports must wear appropriate unified dress code attire or a school issued uniform on game/competition days only.

Clothing:

• Pants/Shorts/Skirts/Skorts - Cotton twill “docker style” in hunter green, yellow/gold, black, white, red, navy blue, gray or khaki. No leggings/jeggings or any type of jean pants or corduroys. Shorts must be longer than the fingertips when held down the side of the body or mid-thigh.
• Shirts - Collared “polo style” in any solid color. Nova Middle's PTSA sells Nova “Spirit Shirts” for each grade level. These Spirit Shirts may be worn on Fridays and are required attire for all field trips.
• Picture ID’s – Once student ID’s are distributed, all students must wear them either by lanyard or clip.
• Jackets - Jackets must be a solid color. Jackets must be worn with an approved uniform shirt beneath. Students are permitted to wear solid-color vests or cardigan sweaters with the appropriate uniform shirt.
• Shoes - Footwear must be worn at all times. The unified dress code requires close-toed shoes at all times.
• Winter Dress - If the temperature falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, students may wear jean pants that do not have holes and/or rips.

Picture Day is coming on August 19, 2024! Lifetouch School Photography, known for capturing school pictures from K-12 nationwide, will take our school photos this year. For more information about Picture Day, visit: https://schools.lifetouch.com/for-your-families/

All student athletes must have the Preparticipation Physical Evaluation and MSAA Interscholastic Sports Parental Permission and Insurance Statement completed prior to participating in any sports activities.

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the School Board voted to limit students' access to wireless communication devices during school hours unless authorized by their teacher or other school staff member. The limited access period is from the first bell of the day until the end of the school day, including passing periods and lunchtime.

It is important to distinguish that this is not a ban on cell phones or other technology; it is a means to help your child Elevate their Learning and Disconnect to Reconnect in a Distraction-Free Environment. Your child can possess a cell phone and other electronic devices while at school; however, during school hours, their devices must be off or in airplane mode unless authorized by an adult for instructional purposes. This restriction applies to cell phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, earbuds, AirPods, smartwatches, and any other internet-accessible communication devices. Teachers and other school staff may allow students to utilize their technology during instructional time for various reasons; however, this usage must be pre-approved or directed by a school official.

As we transition our students and families to this new normal, the first two weeks of school, August 12-23, 2024, will be a grace period during which students and parents will have the opportunity to adjust to this new policy without receiving punitive consequences; however, the distraction-free environment will be fully implemented and enforced beginning Monday, August 26, 2024. Violations of the policy after the grace period ends may lead to punitive consequences, including confiscating the device and requiring a parent to pick it up. Students may also be required to serve a detention, internal or external suspension, and potential removal from extra-curricular activities for up to 30 days of repeated violations.

You can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions by visiting www.browardschools.com/wirelessdevices.

Email: rayner.garranchan@browardschools.com
Website: novamid.browardschools.com
Location: 3602 College Avenue, Davie, FL, USA
Phone: 754-323-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NovaMiddleOfficial
X: @NovaMiddleTitan