NMS Update 11.3.2024

Dear Families,

As you know, the district will hold a bond referendum election on November 5, coinciding with the general election, to reimagine Northfield High School. This bond referendum represents an important decision for our community. The district aims to ensure that voters are well-informed about the purpose and impact of this referendum.

The referendum aims to improve the high school facility in numerous ways. As a summary, the referendum has three questions:

• Question 1: Proposes $95.38 million for a new multi-story classroom addition, retains and renovates about 60% of the existing building, some demolition, and new HVAC systems at the high school. It addresses outdated classrooms, limited natural light, energy efficiency, building climate control inadequacies, and security issues due to the building's layout.

• Question 2: Adds a $18.725 million expanded gymnasium to address space shortages for athletics and community activities.

• Question 3: Allocates $6.975 million to upgrade the HVAC system installed as part of Question 1 to use geothermal technology, saving utility costs and prioritizing environmental sustainability.
  
  

The district has conducted over 90 educational events to ensure an informed electorate. Visit

https://northfieldschools.org/reimagine to learn more.

One more tour of the NHS facility is on Saturday, Nov. 2, beginning at 10 am. Please enter at Door No. 10 and meet in the media center.

I also want to remind you about Carleton College’s historic pledge of $2 million toward the academic facility improvements that are part of Questtion 1. If the first question passes, Carleton’s pledge becomes a gift and the district will bond for $2 million less to fund the projects.

Finally, make sure you have a plan to vote! You can learn your polling location at the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.

Please direct any questions about the referendum to Superintendent Hillmann. Be an informed voter!

Sincerely,

Greg Gelineau

NMS Families,

The middle school offers the following WINTER activities for students in grades 6 – 8. Students do not need a sports physical for any middle school activity. However, if your student wishes to participate in a high school activity, they will need a sports physical completed and on file before they can register. Physicals last for 3 years and can be sent to the middle school nurse, Carol Reed (creed@northfieldschools.org).

Students must be registered before they can participate in any NMS activity. You can get more detailed activity information and complete the registration process by going to our middle school activities website and clicking on the registration button. You will need your student’s ID number, which can be found in Family Access/Skylert under “Other ID.” The student ID will be a nine-digit number. If you need any assistance, please contact Kari Hartwig KHartwig@northfieldschools.org or at 507-663-0680. Game schedules will be posted onto our activity website once they are finalized, which will be the beginning of November. We will also have hard copies available in the main office. Each activity will have a Schoology code for players and parents to join for ALL activity-related communications. We also have an Activities Hotline, 507-645-3559, that is updated daily by 1:00 pm for games/events and any cancellations.

Spelling Bee

All Northfield Middle School students in grades 6-8 are invited to participate in this year’s District Spelling Bee. The first step for your child to participate in the spelling bee is to email Mrs. Cara Holland (cholland@northfieldschools.org) by Friday, November 8, and include the following information: your child’s name, grade level, your preferred email addresses, phone number, your name(s). Students will compete at the District Spelling Bee on Thursday, November 21 at 6:00 pm. The Spelling Bee will be held in the middle school auditorium. Family members are welcome to come watch. The top two student champions will then move on to represent Northfield Middle School in the next level of the Rochester regional spelling bee program. The third place speller will act as an alternative in the event that one of the others can not attend.

Fitness Center

The middle school Fitness Center is opening for business again! If you want to improve your strength, flexibility, & endurance, join your friends in the FC after school. Using the Fitness Center is a great way to get your body tuned up and connect with friends! Please contact Coaches Natalie Amy (namy@northfieldschools.org)

or Paul Stanaway (pstanaway@northfieldschools.org) with any registration questions. Fitness Center runs Mondays-Thursdays, from 3:00-4:30 PM each night. Students can come as many nights per week as their schedule allows. The first day of Fitness Center is Monday, November 11.

Wrestling

Students in grades 6-8 who are interested in wrestling are encouraged to bring their own headgear, wrestling shoes, and water bottle for practices. Practices are Monday through Friday, 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Practices are held in the Auxiliary (small) gym. The first day of practice will be Monday, November 18. The end-of-season conference tournament is Saturday, January 25.

Speech

The Northfield Middle School Speech Team will begin Monday, December 2nd. We are looking for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who would like to improve and practice their speaking and performing abilities. Speech team isn’t really about writing speeches, that is just one of the many categories. Students will also not be giving speeches to a giant audience, but rather a small group of around 10 people in a classroom. Students choose to expressively read literature from 13 different categories which can be funny or serious, just for fun or informative or they could write their own if they want. There really is a category for everyone!! From these categories, members pick one selection to perform throughout the season. One 20 minute practice session each week is required. Practice times are flexible, so students in other school activities are still eligible to participate in speech. The team will have 3 meets on Saturday mornings and 1 meet on a Friday night in January and February. If you are interested, but have questions please contact Ms. Kelly Hebzynski by email (khebzynski@northfieldschools.org) or Schoology. You can also stop by Room 253 or the main office any day after school to get information. Practice begins Monday, December 2.

If you are a 7th or 8th grader interested in boys swimming, girls gymnastics, or Nordic and Alpine ski, please see the high school Sports NGIN website for details.

• High School Athletics General Information For Participation and Registration

• *High School Sports require a sports physical to be on file.

• Questions, contact John Mahal (Activities Director), or Sheryl Docken (Admin. Assistant), at 507-663-0632.

Thank you for reading. We look forward to a great Quarter 2!

Michael O'Keefe

Assistant Principal & Activities Director

Northfield Middle School

(w) 1.507.663.0680

(c) 1.612.998.0436

The middle school will be hosting their annual Veteran's Day Program on Monday, November 11th at 2:00 pm in the auditorium. Families of performers, community members and area veterans are invited to attend this program. Seating will begin at 2:00 pm with a program beginning at 2:10 pm.

Happy fall to you all!

It's Operation Joy season. For those of you new to Northfield, this is a holiday gift giving community tradition for over 50 years. Last year we supported over 1000 children from over 500 families in the Northfield community. The event this year will be Wednesday, December 11.

In the past few years many of you have also supported the program through

• staff adopting a family
• students raising funds
• collecting wrapping paper supplies - this is a HUGE help
• making fleece-tied blankets

For more detailed information, please click on the attached flyer.

en Español (Google Translate)

Dear Parents/Guardians,

All Northfield Middle School students in grades 6-8 are invited to participate in this year’s District Spelling Bee. This year, we are hosting the district spelling bee earlier to give our champions more time to study for regionals in the new year. Your child received with this letter a packet of words to study. I also recommend downloading the Word Club app for free for a fun way to study.

The first step for your child to participate in the spelling bee is to email Mrs. Holland at cholland@northfieldschools.org. In the email include the following information: your child’s name, grade level, your preferred email addresses, phone number, your name(s).

Students will compete at the District Spelling Bee on November 21st at 6:00 pm. The Spelling Bee will be held in the middle school auditorium. Your child’s family is welcome to come watch.

The top two student champions will then move on to represent Northfield Middle School in the next level of the Rochester regional spelling bee program, which also may include online tests in lieu of in-person spelling bee events. The third place speller will act as an alternative in the event that one of the others can not attend.

Remember, the first step to spelling bee participation is to email Mrs. Holland by November 1st.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions about our school spelling bee program. I look forward to having your child compete to represent our school!

Sincerely,

Cara Holland, Spelling Bee Advisor

cholland@northfieldschools.org

Friday, December 6th, 2024

This year we are taking a trip to see the musical “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” at the Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis.

• We leave by school bus at approximately 8:40am.

• The show is from 10:30am-12:30pm and includes a 15-minute intermission

• Bring a sack lunch to eat on the bus and a snack to eat in the lobby at intermission

• Students who attend must exhibit exemplary behavior for the entire trip, including no talking during the show and being respectful of all peers.

• We will return to school around 2:00pm. Students will attend part of 1st hour and all of 7th hour.

*If a student cannot behave well at school in the weeks leading up to the trip, they will not be permitted to attend. Parents, you will be notified in advance should this occur.*

COST: $20 per attendee, due Friday, November 15th, covers the ticket and transportation. Permission and payment can be made online by going directly to Revtrak, which is the preferred method. Find it linked on the middle school website/field trips. Cash or check payable to NMS along with the permission form will also be accepted and can be turned in to Ms. Bendett.

Bell Schedule/Wednesday One hour Late Start

Monday, November 4: No School, Teacher Prep Day

Tuesday, November 5: Gold - Day 2
Music Lesson Day 2

• MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153

• Knowledge Bowl practice, 3:00 pm

• Quarter 2 begins

• Division Street Singers, 3:00 pm
  
  

Wednesday, November 6: Maroon - Day 1

Music Lesson Day 3

• One hour late start, 8:57 am
• Yearbook Club Meeting, 3:00 pm, Computer Lab
• MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153

Thursday, November 7: Gold - Day 2

Music Lesson Day 4

• Student Council Meeting, 7:15 am
• MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153
  
• Knowledge Bowl, Room 171, 3:00 pm

Friday, November 8: Maroon - Day 1

Music Lesson Day 5

• Student Council's Films for Foodshelf Movie ($2.00 entry fee or donate a nonperishable food item)
• Chamber Orchestra, 3:00 pm

November 5 - Quarter 2 begins

November 7 - Student Council Meeting, 7:15 am

November 8 - Student Council's Films for Foodshelf (Movie), 3:00 - 5:00 pm, NMS Auditorium

(cost is $2.00 or donate a nonperishable food item towards our local foodshelf).

November 11 - Veteran's Day Event, 2:00 pm

November 11 - Fitness Center, 3:00 pm, students must be registered

November 12 - Grade 7 Vision & Hearing

November 12 - Speech Informational meeting, Room 253, 3:00 pm

November 15 - Grade 6 Fur Trade Presentation, NMS Auditorium

November 18 - NMS Wrestling begins, students must be registered

November 19 - Duck Cup Presentation

November 19 - Fire Drill

November 21 - NMS Spelling Bee

November 22 - Grade 7 Gov't Field Trip

November 22 - MS Student Council Dance, 3:00 - 5:00 pm (Cost of gate fee is $5.00; food and pop are available for purchase throughout the dance.)

November 25 - School Board Meeting, District Office, 6:00 pm

November 27 - Online Learning Day (e-learning day rehearsal)

November 28 & 29 - No School, Thanksgiving Break

Tutoring Hotline is a volunteer program that matches Carleton volunteers with Rice County students of all ages in need of free, one-on-one academic assistance in any subject. Our program supports students who already have a set curriculum; our tutors are not equipped to assign new content. Approved tutors sign up for specific tutoring requests depending on their academic interests and availability and will meet with students for about one hour, once a week in a public location or via Zoom. Tutoring sessions are individualized to the student’s needs and may include review of concepts learned in school, preparation for upcoming tests, help with homework, etc.

Activities Hotline

507-645-3559

Attendance Line

507-663-0655

Benjamin Bus

507-645-5720

NMS Main Office

507-663-0650

NMS Office Hours

7:15 am - 3:45 pm

Nurse

507-663-0656

School Fax #

507-663-0660

Student Support Office

507-663-0664

Building Notfications for Community Events

District 24-25 Calendar

NMS Athletics

NMS Daily Schedules

NMS Parent Skylert Communications

NMS Website

RevTrak

Tech Support

Volunteering

Our School Counselors are available to assist families with class schedules and questions you may have:

Jenny Streefland - student last name A-H
Natalie Amy - student last name I-P

Cori Yamry - student last name Q-Z

On Nov. 5, 2024 the Northfield School District will ask voters to consider authorizing bond to Reimagine Northfield High School. The high school facility faces numerous problems. This referendum will address these problems because the proposal is Safe, Smart, and Sustainable. Go to our website to get additional information regarding the bond referendum. Or better yet, attend a presentation or come to one of our high school tours!

Email: ggelineau@northfieldschools.org
Location: Northfield Middle School, Division Street South, Northfield, MN, USA
Phone: 507-663-0650

Email: mokeefe@northfieldschools.org
Location: Northfield Middle School, Division Street South, Northfield, MN, USA
Phone: 507-663-0650