August 2024

Happy August Team Gemini! We are excited to greet you at Pennridge North Middle School. We hope you have been enjoying your time off and will be ready to rock and roll at the end of the month. We will be hosting a few opportunities for you to get-to-know us and hope to see you before school starts on August 26th. In the meantime, continue to enjoy your summer. See you soon!

North Middle School welcomes new sixth-grade families to our third annual Sixth Grade Orientation & Open House! We would love to see you and your adults at our event! Please RSVP HERE. Please complete the form attached by Wednesday, August 14th.

WHEN

Wednesday, Aug. 21st, 5-7pm

WHERE

1500 North 5th Street

Perkasie, PA

MORE INFORMATION

If you haven’t already, please complete this GOOGLE FORM so, we have a count of how many wonderful families will be in attendance.

5:00 PM ~ Arrive in the Auditorium

• Special Video Presentation
• Meet the Team

6:00 PM ~ Explore North Middle School

• Desserts & Socialize in the Café
• Self-Guided Tours

Please come to pick up your laptop, participate in a short technology presentation, and join us for Student Council led tours and locker combination practice! Because of the laptop distribution and accompanying presentation, we ask that you attend one of the timed sessions below and make sure you have completed the on-line sign-up and insurance information before attending. If this information is not complete prior to your visit, the laptop may not be released for home. They will be available when the parent portal opens for data verification on (or around) August 5th.

Wednesday, August 14th:

• 9:00 AM, begin in the Auditorium
• 10: 30 AM, begin in the Auditorium

Thursday, August 15th:

• 12:00 PM, begin in the Auditorium
• 1:30 PM, begin in the Auditorium
• 6:00 PM, begin in the Auditorium

If the technology presentation does not work into your schedule, but your child still wants to pop by to check out a locker and do a quick tour, feel free to stop in between 9:00 AM and noon on Wednesday or noon to three on Thursday! Student Council guides will be available to help.

Ms. Marchese has been a school counselor for 19 years and is going into her 17th year at North. If you don’t find Ms. Marchese in the office, she is probably traveling internationally. She has been to over 20 countries and, in the summer, takes Pennridge High School Students abroad for two weeks. She has taken Pennridge students to Europe, South America, and Australia. Ms. Marchese looks forward to working with the 6th graders and helping them adjust to Middle School as well as continuing to work with M through Z 8th graders as the leaders of North Middle School.

When you come to school on Monday, you will enter through the front of the building and ALL sixth grade will go to the gym and be seated. Your 11th Period Teacher (Homeroom Teachers) will meet you there and escort your entire class upstairs when it is time. You will get your schedule and learn about your lockers and do lots of fun things the first day to get set.

On the first day of school, our teachers have developed some fun activities for each grade level and are encouraging students to wear their grade level color. Please, if you have something green, wear it this day!

We cannot wait to see you!

Successful students arrive at North Middle School well-prepared. Your teaching team has compiled a list of supplies and materials that you will need to begin the school year. This checklist will assure that you have the necessary materials to begin the sixth grade.

Two 2” three-ring binders with dividers OR small binders (one per class)

One 3-ring pencil bag

Silent pencil sharpener

Colored pencils

Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS (optional but preferred)

Several pairs of earbuds with cords

Five spiral notebooks – one for each class OR loose-leaf paper

Highlighters

Sharpies (medium and fine-tipped)

Pencils and pencil eraser caps- be prepared to replenish throughout the year

Tissues/Hand Sanitizer/Lysol Wipes (classroom use)

Four 3-prong-folder with pockets for encore classes

Wellness: One 1-inch binder

Green, gray, white, or black shirt with last name on the back.

Green, gray, white, or black athletic shorts.

Wednesday, August 14, Sixth Grade Laptop Pick-up & Locker Practice, 9-12:30

Thursday, August 15, Sixth Grade Laptop Pick-up & Locker Practice, 12-2, 6-7:30

Tuesday, August 20, Seventh & Eighth Grade Open House, 6:00 PM

Wednesday, August 21, Sixth Grade Open House, 5:00 PM (start in auditorium)

Monday, August 26, First Day of School

Friday, August 30, School Closed

Monday, September 2, Labor Day, School Closed

Breakfast is free again for the 24-25 school year. Also, the reduced lunch students will receive free lunch this year.

The Middle School breakfast is free, and the Middle School lunch price is $3.25. All families are encouraged to submit a Free/Reduced Meal Application.

The Nutritional Services department will remain paperless for the Free & Reduced application process. To apply for F/R meals, parents should do so online at www.schoolcafe.com. The application process is simple and quick, as the information is delivered to our office immediately for processing. Parents will be notified electronically of the application status if they have an email address in PowerSchool. Feel free to use this QR code on your school’s website for quick access to the online application:

There have been no changes to the online payment system, which is www.EZSchoolpay.com. Please note that we will not provide change for a la carte purchases made with cash. All money will go into the student’s account. We want to encourage students to bring payments to the cafeteria in the morning to be placed in their accounts.

RamPacks is an organization that provides food for children with food insecurity and those at risk of hunger within the Pennridge School District. The food is provided and packed into backpacks or bags by volunteers and delivered to schools every week. It is funded by donations from churches, community groups, businesses, and individuals. If you are interested in learning more about RamPacks, please click the logo below. If you need a form, click HERE.

Canvas is a Learning Management System utilized by Pennridge School District in the secondary schools. For sixth graders, Canvas will be new to them. Each grade level has been set up with their own Class of ... course in Canvas. This course will have announcements, links to information, and important dates for the students will appear on their Canvas calendar through their grade-level specific course. In addition to this course, their teachers will have courses and share assignments, notes, and important information for their content via Canvas. Encourage your child to check Canvas regularly, especially if they are absent!

Reminder for families:

• Paperwork for completed physicals for 6th graders should be sent in to us if it has not already!
• Seventh-grade dental exam paperwork will also be due soon.
• The nurses are only permitted to give medications ordered by your child’s doctor. Over-the-counter medications still require a Doctor’s order. The nurses can give Tylenol and an antacid but only with your updated permission yearly in Power School.
• If your child needs to take medication at school, please reach out to us so we can make sure the proper protocols are followed. Students should not carry medication into the building.

• The nurses will be in their offices on August 20, August 21 & August 22. Please stop in with your child and his/her supplies before the first day of school. The orders from your doctor may also be scanned and emailed to your building nurse.

Please contact your building nurse if you have questions or if you need to make other arrangements.