The first semester of the school year is complete. It has been a pleasure to teach your students!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! And, Happy New Year!

I hope all of our families have a wonderful Winter Break. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to email me at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

I can't wait to see our students again in 2023!

• Friday, 12/16 - Last Day of First Semester
  
• Saturday, 12/17-Monday, 1/2 - Winter Break (Schools Closed)
• Tuesday, 1/3 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
• Wednesday, 1/4 - First Day of Spring Semester
• Tuesday, 1/10 - January PTO Meeting (9:30 am)
• Tuesday, 1/10 - 6th Grade Band Concert (7:00 pm)

While You Are Away:

• Staff and students can get technical support over the holidays. Holiday support hours for our Service Desk are 8:00-4:00 December 19, 20, 21, 26,27,28 and January 2.

Northwestern Middle School has an immediate need for a Special Education Teacher (Interrelated Resource). If you, or someone you know, is interested, please reach out to Mrs. Catie Simpson at simpson1@fultonschools.org.

Parent Prep 101 NMS Spirit Days

Parent Prep 101 is a 1 hour Zoom webinar created for 7th -11th grade parents and a WIN/WIN for you and your school. You will receive helpful information on what to expect over the next several years, a timeline to follow, and what your student can be doing now to prepare for that college application. You will learn about GaFutures, Grants, HOPE & Zell Miller scholarships, and when to take the ACT/SAT.

The Northwestern Middle School session price is $45 and $10 goes back to the Northwestern PTO. Dates/times in the flyer below. The price will include a private Facebook group for additional information and ongoing support. Once the registration form and payment is received, a Zoom link will be sent to you. If you have any questions please text Trisha Caputo at 678-777-7141or email at Parentprep101@gmail.com.

Register here: http://bit.ly/3W5xH3O

More Info: https://www.facebook.com/parentprep101

We are adding a third World Language option for students starting next school year. Latin is a World Language course that is offered by both of our feeder high schools (Cambridge HS & Milton HS). Similar to our Spanish and French programs, year-long instruction for Latin will begin during 6th grade. The 7th and 8th grade courses will combine for Level 1 high school credit for Latin.

Our course recommendation process will begin after the New Year. Stay tuned for more information about Latin options for next school year in the coming weeks!

Each grade level has an assessment calendar located on our school website. These calendars can be located on the Northwestern site under Academics Home or the links are below.

The calendars have been updated through October.

The link below includes the weekly study/help sessions available for every teacher at NMS.

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!

Parents/guardians have the ability to "turn off" attendance notifications in their Parent Portal. Click on the Silhouette on the top right and select Settings. Unclick the box for the Attendance emails.

The Curriculum Hub provides a variety of resources to assist parents in supporting their student's learning in the areas of English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies including:

• A year-at-a-glance for each course with the standards taught in each unit
• Unit plans detailing the specific learning targets to be mastered
• Parent resources to preview or review concepts and skills taught in each unit

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

Northwestern will offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2022-23 school year. Check back often for more information!

Students interested in joining the NMS Newspaper Staff should contact Ms. Denna Warrayat at warrayatd@fultonschools.org.

PTO COMMITTEE OPEN POSITIONS!

Sponsorships - Communicate and coordinate membership packages with those interested in becoming a WildCat Sponsor!

PBIS Coordinators - Assist with coordinating the purchase and delivery of PBIS rewards purchased by Wildcat students!

Attention 8th Grade Parents

Be sure to submit a baby photo or purchase a shout out or ad for your student!

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!