I hope everyone had a great week!

Next Tuesday is Election Day, which means students will have a Remote Day. The remote learning plan for our students at Northwestern is to complete any missing or late assignments. Tuesday is strictly a make-up day.

I hope all our families enjoy their 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!

• November 7th - Election Day/Remote Day
• November 9th - PTO Meeting - 9:30am
• November 9th - Mean Girls, Jr. - 7:00pm
• November 11th - Mean Girls, Jr. - 1:00pm & 6:00pm

Next week we will celebrate the Veterans of our Community.
Students will learn about the importance of Veterans Day and participate in a class project to create posters honoring Veterans in their homeroom class. Please send in a photo of a veteran and/or active military member that your child knows to add to their homeroom's poster by November 8th. (Please do not send originals as they may not be able to be returned as they will be affixed to the posters.) It can be a family member, neighbor and/or a friend that they include on the board. Students will also be writing letters to veterans and active military.

The Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) requires all public schools to participate in their Georgia Student Health Survey. To see the GA DOE informational website click here. The survey has two parts: one for parents and one for students in grades 3 -12. Each school must have a 75% participation rate on the student portion of the survey. Schools failing to meet the 75% student participation rate will score 0.00 points on the school's CCRPI survey calculation under the survey portion of the School Climate Star Rating.

All Northwestern Middle School students will participate in this survey starting on date TBD.

This GA DOE developed survey asks questions that are covered by the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). For more information about PPRA, click here. PPRA requires that schools provide parents/guardians with advanced notice of student participation, the option to preview the student survey, and the ability for parents/guardians to opt their students out of any surveys that include PPRA protected areas. If you would like to opt your student out of participation in this survey, please email Mr. Peterson requesting that your student not participate in Georgia Health Survey prior to November 1, 2023.

For links to preview the student surveys, click on the links below.

Georgia Student Health Survey - Middle & High School (grades 6-12)

English - click here

Spanish - click here

The GA DOE also encourages parents to participate in the Georgia Parent Survey because schools with less than 15 parents participating in the Parent Survey will see a negative impact on their School Climate Star Rating for 2024-2025.

We would love to have a majority of NMS parents complete the parent survey. Any parent who completes the survey will earn 10 PBIS points for their student's PBIS Rewards account.

Simply share the survey completion screen (pictured below) to your student's homeroom teacher, and the teacher will award your student the PBIS points that can be used to purchase events or items from the PBIS store.

To complete the parent survey, please click on the link below.

https://gshs.gadoe.org/Pages/parent.aspx

The parent survey takes less than 5 minutes. I completed for my student's school already.

10 PBIS Rewards points given to students for parents completing the survey!

Over the next two weeks, World Language and Reading classes will be administering the YouScience “Snapshot,” which is a career interest inventory for 8th grade students. This inventory includes a series of six brain games that students play and will take two class period to complete.

I attached the flyer that includes more details. The administration window this year for 8th grade YouScience is from November 6-17.

The Media Center is looking for hard cover picture books for our MIMO students. If you have any of the books below to donate, please send them to Ms. Tripp in the Media Center.

• Monday, Nov. 13th – 6th graders shop with their ELA class during class time
• Tuesday, Nov. 14th – 7th graders shop with their ELA class during class time Wednesday, Nov. 15th – 8th graders shop with their ELA class during class time
• Thursday, Nov. 16th and Friday, Nov. 17th – open shopping for all students, parents, families, and staff

To make our Book Fair great, we need you! Please sign up to volunteer. Please note that if you have not already completed Fulton County volunteer requirements you will need to do so prior to your volunteer date(s)/time(s).

Accepted forms of payment at the Book Fair are cash, credit, check, Apple Pay, Google Pay or eWallet. Students may use their cell phones during the Book Fair to utilize Apple Pay or Google Pay. Checks should be made payable to NMS. Please note that no change can be given. Any unspent funds will go towards books for the NMS Media Center. A blank check made payable to NMS which includes in the memo line the maximum amount that may be spent may also be used. eWallet is Scholastic’s digital account that can be set up with a credit card. If you have money on an eWallet or gift card left over from another fair, you can use it at this Fair. BUT, you must roll it over. Please visit https://www.scholastic.com/bf/nmsfall2023 to set up eWallet, preview books from the online flyer or to shop online.

Per Scholastic, each purchase made at the Fair will include GA sales tax. Also, please note that Scholastic’s cash registers will automatically round up total purchases to the nearest dollar. Funds collected will go towards books for the NMS Media Center. To opt out, let the volunteer cashier know at checkout.

All purchases benefit our Media Center and NMS!

We are excited to celebrate our love of reading at the Book Fair!

Any questions or concerns, please contact Alison Tripp (tripp@fultonschools.org) or Melissa LeVine Emond (melissalevine@hotmail.com).

Our school website is full of information! The calendar is constantly updated with events from PTO, Fine Arts, Athletics and other school activities. There is a staff directory where you can get the email address of any staff member. Information on carpool, attendance, student handbook, bell schedule and more are located on the website!

Under the Academics Tab, you will find a list of department chairs, a curriculum guide, as well as the assessment calendars for each grade. Take a look to see any upcoming test or quizzes for your student. A list of all study sessions available to students is provided, as well. Links for the website, Assessment Calendars, and Study Sessions are below.

These pairs of glasses seem to have lost their owners. If you recognize any of these, please stop by the front office to claim your pair.

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!

From Co-Presidents Victoria Tucker & Tracy Lynn Drye

Please join us for the November PTO meeting on THURSDAY, November 9 at 9:30 in the Media Center. Our guest speaker will be Titania Jordan from BARK Parental Controls to speak about keeping your kids safe online & using social media plus the Bark smart phone.

Volunteers Needed - 7th Lunch Supervision 10/31

For the 7th Grade Quarterly PBIS Reward, there will be a picnic lunch on October 31 where students can purchase a wristband with PBIS points to attend the picnic. They will also be given a choice of a special treat. Parent volunteers are needed to help at lunch to check wristbands for students leaving for the lacrosse field, monitoring the walk to the field then supervising the picnic, and handing out treats. Please arrive by 12:30pm to sign in at front desk and then report to the cafeteria. Lunch is approximately 12:45 - 1:10.

https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/120418

Volunteers Needed - Lost & Found Clean Up

This is an opportunity once a month for several people to clean out the lost & found closet. It should take approximately an hour. Sign up link with the full instructions is below. Please reach out to Victoria Tucker (victoriabuter@comcast.net) with questions.

https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/117964

Volunteer Interest Form

Please complete this short survey to indicate your volunteer interests for this school year & we will reach out with opportunities.

https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/114130

Business Partners

PTO is currently recruiting new Business Partners for the 23-24 school year. Do you own/work for a small business and would like more exposure for your services while at the same time supporting your child’s school? This is also a great opportunity for real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, etc. to support our school in many meaningful ways and receive promotion for your business through multiple channels reaching NMS families. Please email northwesternmspto@gmail.com for more information on partnership levels & benefits or sign up here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/237949

Parent Prep 101 Spirit Day

Parent Prep 101 is a 1 hour webinar created for 7th -11th grade parents and a WIN/WIN for you and your school. The Northwestern Middle School Spirit Day session is November 8 at 12pm and 7pm. The price is $65 and $10 goes back to the Northwestern PTO. The price will include a private Facebook group for additional information and ongoing support.

Parent Prep 101 pulls together all the information you need on what to expect over the high school years and what your student can be doing now to earn FREE college tuition. You will learn about high school level classes, career and AP classes, when to take the SAT/ACT, the new Georgia Match program, Ga Futures, Hope Grants, Hope Scholarships and how to help your student athlete get recruited. You will get a year by year timeline to follow, and ongoing support through a private Facebook group. You will feel more prepared and able to help your student find a college that is the right fit for them.

Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsSk_4Y-dULKjwn9v4nM7-4iqpnxlJNffBlSlZ80SDmx8i8g/viewform

Once the registration form and payment is received, a zoom ID link for your session will be sent to you. If you have any questions please text Trisha Caputo at 678-777-7141 or email at Parentprep101@gmail.com.

Say Cheese!

A Family Photoshoot Opportunity for Wildcat Families will be held on November 12th at Seven Gables Farm in Milton.

A $35 non refundable donation to Northwestern PTO, will include your portrait sitting fee and an 11 x14 Portrait print courtesy of our business partner Tanner Photography-- a value of ($189.00). Additional portraits can be photographed and made available to you if desired. Portrait packages range from $99-$495.

Please purchase your photoshoot via this link: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/263410

Once you have purchased, you will receive a confirmation email that includes the sign up information to select your portrait sitting time for the 12th.

The holidays are coming, a beautiful photo of your family is a gift everyone can enjoy!

NEW end of semester webinar about Study Skills and Course Recommendations for the next school year!

Exclusive Online Webinar for parents of 6th – 8th Graders at NWMS

Choose between 2 dates: 11/14 or 11/30/23 @ 7:30pm

We know that there are less than 7 weeks in the Fall Semester! Time is moving quickly!

Wondering if this valuable webinar is for you, read the questions below.

• Is your child struggling with studying (takes too long, not sure how to study, not making the grades they want, etc)?
• Are you looking for tools & strategies to help your child improve their study habits?
• Is your child capable of being in a different level class, especially in Math and Language Arts?
• Are you wondering how course recommendations are made for Fall 2024 and beyond?
• Does your child need study and time management strategies to implement tomorrow?
• Have you thought about what academic path your children should be on when they begin and end middle school? How about in high school?

If you answered ‘yes’ to half or more of the questions above, this webinar is definitely for you!

The last 2-3 years have been difficult for many of us and especially children in K-12. Many crucial skills have been lost such as studying.

The importance of your children setting goals is key here as the goals lead to a plan over the next 4-6 years!

Come find out how we help parents and kids with all of this!

**The price of the webinar includes the following:

• The webinar led by 2 educational experts with an abundance of prior experience in middle and high school
• A free 20-minute consultation from 11/27 – 12/8.
• Invitation into a private Facebook group where valuable information is provided on a regular basis and questions can be answered

The Northwestern Middle School webinar price is only $29 with $10 going back to the NWMS PTO each time someone registers.

Once the registration form (link below) and payment are received, a Zoom link will be sent to you for the date you have chosen (see payment options on Registration Form).

Click on this link to register and reserve your spot as seats are limited: https://bit.ly/40baccO

**Bonus: The first 10 who register for each date, get a FREE study skills resource list for their middle schooler.

If you have any questions, please text Helen Panos at 770-282-9931 or email helen@dynamislearningacademy.com

Exciting Opportunity to purchase some super soft bedsheets while supporting PTO

*****Sheets will be directly shipped home****

Tom's Place came at the request of several teachers wanting to go beyond just meeting the standard academic needs of a student and wanting to be able to help meet their social, emotional needs as well. Some students at Northwestern do not have access to the basic necessities, which directly impacts their academic success. Providing these essentials exemplifies compassion and care for these students on a personal level, which will have a positive impact on their academic standing. Tom's Place is designed to provide a discrete and individualized care space where teachers and other staff members can help these students. Tom's Place will become a place to display the passion and dedication of the NMS Staff, parents, and community to ALL students that attend Northwestern Middle School!

If you would like to donate items to Tom's Place, please use the link below to sign up. Donated items can be dropped off in the Tom's Place bin in the front office.

The front office likes to have a stash of chocolate and candy (non chocolate) for the staff to access and get them through the day. Please help us keep their stash stocked. After all, most of us can relate to stress eating! Sign up here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/111882

Northwestern will offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2023-24 school year. Check back often for more information!

If you have a question about starting a new school club, please email Beth Wylie at wyliee@fultonschools.org.

Save the date for Winterguard auditions November 13th through 16th from 4pm to 6:30pm in the Milton High School cafeteria. No experience necessary! Auditions are open to all 6th through 12th graders. Middle schoolers can arrive a little later to allow time for dismissal. Please wear comfortable clothes, and bring your water bottles. There will be a parent meeting scheduled on Thursday right after auditions. You can forward any questions to Holly colorguard@miltonband.org. We can't wait to see you there!

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 🙂

The youth Rugby clinic is scheduled to take place on November 18th 2023 from 10am to 1pm at Innovation Academy in Alpharetta, GA. We have organized this event to introduce the sport of Rugby to children and to provide them with an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game, develop teamwork and leadership skills, and engage in a healthy and active lifestyle. Lunch will also be included!

Our staff includes experienced Rugby instructors who are dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable learning environment for the participants.

If you have any questions or require further information regarding the Rugby clinic, please do not hesitate to reach out to Michelle Henderson at president@exilesrfc.com.

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

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!