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October Greetings
Technically, we start school during the late summer but fall always feels synonymous with the start a new school year. We're in our second month together and by now, our students have settled into a rhythm. Our initial back-to-school assessments have been completed and that data is being utilized to better understand the strengths and gaps associated with each student. Many classes are nearing exams for our first units of study and yes, homework and projects are in full swing for applicable classes.
As part of our opening, we focus on habits that we aim for our students to develop. We refer to these as "readiness habits" as they help ensure that students are prepared to learn at an optimal level. One of those habits is organization as this can be challenging for many middle school students as they juggle six different classes. For this reason, we utilize a pen/paper organizer and model recording the entries for each class, each day. This is a relatively dated practice given CANVAS and the other tools that we have at the ready. Yet, research continues to show that we all benefit when we formally record what we need to remember.
Please continue to partner with us, asking your child to share what they are studying, what they need to accomplish via the notes in their daily organizer, and checking-in on progress via our Home Access Center. They may/may not immediately recognize the value of these daily check-ins but these will go along way towards helping our STARs stay on top of daily and weekly responsibilities.
Below are a variety of updates for the month of October. Thank you for taking the time to read through these are you proceed through this second month of our school year.
Para obtener una versión de este boletín en español, haga clic aquí.
Fall Fundraiser at North
North Middle School's fall fundraiser is off and running, and we need your help. Our goal is to raise $20,000 for student enrichment activities and athletics and as of today, we are over halfway to reaching this goal. Many of you are already involved but if you are not and want to help, participation is as simple as 1, 2, 3.
- Sell our World’s Finest Chocolate - Fill out the chocolate checkout form so your student can participate. This is our in-hand, in-town portion of the fundraiser.
- Share our online store with all your friends and family (in-town and out-of-town). Hundreds of gift items, wrapping paper, magazines, etc. All online orders are delivered directly to the customer. Register and follow the steps at www.fundprizes.com. Every 3 items ordered online counts as a box of chocolate sold toward prizes.
- Check out the prize sheet and set a goal. Students can earn prizes including our amazing field trip to Arena Sports in Mill Creek at only 4 boxes sold. Bowling, arcades, mini golf, indoor soccer field and more!
Thank you all for your efforts in helping North raise funds to enhance our student enrichment activities and athletics (clubs & sports). Every cent raised goes right back to our students and we appreciate your ongoing support.
Fall Conferences in November
This year, elementary and middle schools will engage in a slightly different schedule for our fall conferences. Instead of six (6) early dismissal days, elementary and middle schools will not be in session on Monday, November 4th and Tuesday, November 5th as those days are reserved for full-day parent/teacher conferences. This is part of our 2024/2025 calendar and our likely format for fall conferences going forward.
Our format for fall conferences will remain a mix of in-person and scheduled options but will be specific to 11/4 and 11/5. We will offer open windows to provide families to meet with teachers. Additionally, teachers will be able to schedule in-person or online conferences to discuss specific needs. Please look for additional information and schedules in a forthcoming communication. For now, please note the dates for this year's conferences as this is different from previous years.
Fall Student Panorama Survey on 10/18
Each fall and spring, our students join others across our Everett Public Schools in participating in a student survey specific to social/emotional needs. The data these surveys yields helps to guide our schoolwide efforts to improve the learning and social environments of North. This year, a majority of our students will participate in the Panorama Social and Emotional Learning survey on Friday, October 18th. This survey will be completed during our regularly scheduled STAR block, part of our second period.
The Panorama survey prompts students to reflect on their own actions and thoughts as well as their general experience here at North. The results from these surveys will be shared only with pre-approved adults who work closely with your child/children at North. SEL data, alongside academic and attendance information, will guide our North team better provide specific and targeted interventions to support our students in succeeding at school, and beyond. The questions that our students will answer are research-backed, valid and reliable.
Should you have any questions about this forthcoming survey or how we utilize the data, please feel free to reach out as we would value the opportunity.
Picture Retake Day on 10/24
Our school picture retake day is scheduled for Thursday, October 24th (informational flier). Below are reasons why a student might want/need to retake their school picture.
- Students that were absent on the original picture day
- Students who are new and were not yet able to take their picture
- Students wanting a retake their photo. If your student/family ordered a package and would like a new photo, please return the original package to the Dorian photographer on our 10/24 retake day.
Reminder: Families can order school pictures online at mydorian.com before picture day and up to two (2) days afterward.
STAR Celebrations
STAR Celebrations will begin this month with our first opportunity to honor students with no D or F grades, and few tardy/cell phone incidents. These celebrations take place as part of our STAR blocks on Fridays and this month's celebration is scheduled for October 25th. That week, students will be invited to attend come that Friday morning. Should students not receive an invitation, our STAR block teachers will help with a collaborative analysis of missing assignments that may be negatively impacting grades. These are important opportunities to help students create plans for catching-up and realizing their potential in each class. An update on our STAR Celebration will be included in our November edition of North News.
Partnership with Equal Opportunity Schools + Student Survey
North is committed to fostering the highest-quality learning experience for our STARs. To this end, we have joined with several other schools in a partnership with the education non-profit organization, Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS). Through this partnership, we aim to better examine the learning culture within our school and increase student participation in challenging coursework. This is a new partnership for North but through our collective work, we intend to better understand the barriers that are keeping some of our students from engaging in higher level classes.
To support these goals, we will be encouraging all of our North STARs to participate in a brief survey as part of our STAR block on Friday, November 1st. Survey questions will ask students about their career aspirations, educational goals, which school staff they are most likely to seek support from, their subject area interests, and give an opportunity to share in their own words what they want the school to know about them. Survey responses will inform the creation of student-specific “insight cards” that will assist our team in better connecting each student with opportunities and support structures across this year (and beyond).
Again, should you have any questions about this forthcoming survey or our partnership with Equal Opportunity Schools, please feel free to reach out as we would value the connection.
Fall iReady Reports for Students
Over the past few weeks, our students participated in our fall iReady diagnostic exams in both reading and math. In the coming weeks, families will be able to access student-specific family reports via the i-Ready Student Dashboard. Reports should be avaliable following the close of our diagnostic window on October 11th. To help access these reports, please see the below step-by-step guides in English, Spanish, Marshallese, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
