NAMS Bulletin
September 3, 2023
Upcoming Events
First Day of School
(6th Grade Only)
September 5th, 2023 7:50 AM - 2:45 PM
(All Grades)
September 6th, 2023 7:50 AM - 2:45 PM
iReady Assessment in Math and English Language Arts
- All students in core classes: September 5-15
- Make-ups: September 18-22
Picture Day
- Thursday, September 21st
NAMS Open House
- Thursday, September 28th, 6:30pm
A Message from Bri
What to Expect
Dear NAMS Families,
We are excited to see your students next week for the first day of school. Our team has been working hard to prepare for their arrival. It's going to be a great year!
What to Expect: The First Day
- Please let your child know that ALL students will enter the main doors (between the office and the cafeteria) on their first day of school.
- Students will pick up a freshly printed and updated schedule outside the cafeteria and wait for the doors to open at 7:30am.
- Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 7:30am-7:50am.
- If you have questions about your child's bus route, please call the GAPS Transportation Office or check your child's information on Traversa. Links can be found on the GAPS Transportation website.
- 6th Graders: On Tuesday, 9/4, all 6th graders will begin their day in the cafeteria for a brief welcome and announcement. This is where they will meet their first period teacher, who will walk them as a group to their first period class. Students will be supported with their lockers throughout the day.
- 6th-8th Graders: On Wednesday, 9/5, all students will begin the day with their first period class after entering through the main doors. Freshly printed schedules for 7th and 8th graders will be available in the outdoor corridor between the office and the cafeteria.
Pick up and Drop off: How you can help
- If you are driving your child to school, please safely follow the flow of traffic and be mindful of pedestrians and bikers. Be sure to not enter the bus lanes.
- We ask that no parents or guardians enter the building before school starts on the first week of school. If you need support from the office, please wait until 7:55 to enter, as we will be fully focused on getting students safely to class until this time.
- If you are picking your child up after school, please wait in your car in the carpool lane for your child, then wait in the lane until it is your turn to leave (do not pull around the car in front of you, as this is unsafe). Do not park in the lot and get out of the car to get your child. The presence of pedestrians makes the lot less safe while slowing down the pick-up lane. If you must park, please get out of your car and walk to the sidewalk to escort your child across the parking lot.
What to Expect: Our '23-'24 Priorities
Following our Superintendent's goals and the Board-adopted strategic plan, we will be focusing our attention this year on the following priorities. We will share more about this work throughout the year.
- Ensuring all students feel welcome and belonging at NAMS by proactively fostering a supportive community, putting restorative practices in place to support students in repairing their mistakes, implementing the district-wide behavior matrix, and following the district's anti-bias protocol. The behavior matrix can be found on pages 6-9 of the student handbook in your child's planner, which they will receive on their first day.
- Ensuring all students achieve rigorous academic outcomes. Instructional leaders will be engaging in more frequent classroom visits, using tools and practices that are aligned across the district. Students will be taking rigorous diagnostic assessments (iReady) in the fall, winter, and spring to support our teachers in monitoring their academic progress.
- Building trust through increased transparency and communication. We will be sharing this monthly bulletin for families in hopes that it helps you feel more informed about what's happening in your child's school. Parents can access their child's grades and schedule via the new ParentVue platform. We encourage you to participate in Tiger Parents Club and highly recommend that you attend your child's parent-teacher conference. We will share more about these opportunities in future bulletins.
As always, feel free to reach out to me any time at bri.zika@albany.k12.or.us or call our front office at (541)967-4541.
Warmly,
Bri Zika, Principal
Student Schedules
When will my child receive their schedule?
- Schedules are now available on the ParentVue platform.
- Students will receive an updated, printed schedule on the morning of their first day of school outside the cafeteria.
- If your child is late on the first day or misses the first day, they may pick up their schedule in the office when they arrive.
Will my child's schedule be changed by the school?
- While we do not intend to make any major schedule revisions, a few schedules may change in the first three weeks to ensure classes are balanced.
Can my child request a schedule change?
- Students may request a change to their elective only by visiting the counseling office within the first two weeks of school.
- We will try our best to accommodate all elective change requests but cannot make any guarantees.
Will my 6th grader's math class change?
- Incoming 6th graders across GAPS have the opportunity to opt into bypassing 6th grade math and instead taking 7th grade math if they've demonstrated appropriate mastery of 6th grade standards.
- We will be using the results of the fall iReady math diagnostic assessment in combination with 2023 SBAC results, teacher recommendations, and results from the challenge placement test to identify students who will be invited to switch to 7th grade math.
- Parents will be notified by the end of the 3rd week of school if your child may opt into 7th grade math.