North Central News

January 6th: First Day back from Winter Break

January 8th: PSTO Meeting 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (Main Office)

January 16th: Parent Teacher Conferences (Virtual) Sign up will be sent out soon!

January 17th: End of Quarter 2

January 20th: No School

January 29th: No School

During the 2024-2025 school year, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students will be traveling off school grounds for various field trip opportunities. Parents will receive specific details of each event via Blackboard Connect prior to each field trip as a reminder to parents. If you feel you need to keep your child from attending any field trip, please e-mail brinkman.carla@iowacityschools.org before the event and alternate arrangements will be made for your child. Please complete the three questions on this form if you wish for your child to participate in school sponsored field trips at North Central during the 2024-25 school year.

STEM students Hex 4 learned the Engineer Design Process this week and practiced the 5 steps creating anti-gravity Jenga towers!

Tanner Clark from Clark orthodontics talked to the AVID kids.

The 7th grade AVID students recently finished reading Seed Folks by Paul Fleischman which is about a community coming together to create a garden. After their final assessment, students brought in food that represents their family and shared how their family was represented through food.

North Central Students & Families-

Our NCMS Yearbook Club is looking for help from our students and parents to help gather candid pictures for our yearbook!

In Sports, we are looking specifically for pictures from: football (all grades), cross country, volleyball (all grades), girls soccer, boys basketball

Around school, we are looking specifically for pictures about: spirit days (so far this year), the school party and snapshots from around school

Cell Phone/Personal Technology Policy & Confiscation Procedures

Cell phones: Students may use cell phones during passing time and at lunch while school is in session. All phones must be put away, and ringers silenced before entering the classroom. Phones in use or view during class time may be confiscated by staff (this includes using phones to listen to music). Students who refuse to comply will be subject to additional school consequences. Additionally, students are not allowed to have headphones/earbuds on or in their ears during class. At North Central Middle School the following steps will be used to enforce the policy:

1. At the beginning of class all teachers/staff will say “secure your phones”

2. Students should have their phones put away and out of sight.

3. If the phone is out or being used, the teacher will confiscate the phone and deliver it to the main office where it will be secured until the end of the day.

4. If a student is refusing to give up his/her cell phone a counselor or administrator will be called and escort the student to the office where the phone will be secured.

5. If a student’s cell phone/device is confiscated three (3) different times, it will be held at school until a guardian comes to school to pick it up. A conference will be requested with student/guardian/admin to discuss possible solutions and/or additional consequences such as:

a. Multiple-day cell/device detention;

b. Trimester long cell/device detention;

c. Yearlong cell/device detention

Students are not allowed access to the building before 8:30am. Students wanting to meet with teachers, must get permission from the teacher prior to the meeting, to be let in to the building before 8:30am. The office will not allow students in to the building before that time unless notification from the teacher has been given to the main office. Students will not be allowed up to meet with teachers before 8:15am unless that has also been clearly communicated with office staff.

Attendance Procedures for North Central Middle School:

If your student is going to be late to school, needs to leave school early or will be absent from school, please make sure you have reported this to the NCMS Attendance Office by 9:00am on the day of the absence. You may call the attendance line at 319-688-1210 (Press 1 for attendance) or enter the absence in the Attendance Request section of Infinite Campus. Please give the date(s) and reason for the absence. (**Early releases requested in Infinite Campus must be done at least 2 hours before the student is to leave NCMS)

If a student needs to leave school early, please give the time the student is to be picked up from NCMS. Your student will be given a pass to leave their class and meet parents/guardians in the main office. Students are not permitted to leave class until the parent/guardian has contacted the attendance office directly.

Communicating absences to teachers directly or texting your student is not considered a communicated absence. The attendance office must be made aware of all absences.

Please note: Parents/Guardians will now be receiving automated attendance calls at the end of each period a student has an uncommunicated absence.

All food and drink, other than water bottles, must remain in the cafeteria. You may not consume food in your classrooms, unless it is provided by a specific teacher for their class only. There is to be no food or drink in hallways or classrooms. Only water bottles may be taken in hallways and to classrooms. If a staff member sees you with food or any drinks other than water, you will be instructed to throw the item away.

At North Central, a major component of being READY to learn is having a charged chromebook at school every day. Please discuss this with your student and create a plan for ensuring your student charges their chromebook each night and brings it to school each day. We have charging carts in the Library and Bolt Space if students need to charge their device during the school day

PSTO Information: https://www.iowacityschools.org/domain/1340

Email: miller.colby@iowacityschools.org
Website: https://www.iowacityschools.org/Domain/1327
Location: 180 East Forevergreen Road, North Liberty, IA, USA
Phone: 319-688-1210
Twitter: @NCMSLIGHTNING

Non-Discrimination Policy Statement

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact:

• Laura Gray, Director of Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness (programming), gray.laura@iowacityschools.org
• Eric Howard, Director of Equity and Employee Relations (employment), howard.eric@iowacityschools.org, 1725 N. Dodge Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52245, (319) 688-1000; or
• If you are unsure how to proceed or would like assistance in discussing your options, you may also contact Janet Abejo-Parker, Ombuds, ombuds@iowacityschools.org or (319) 688-1312.

Ombuds Office

Students, Families, and Employees - The Ombuds Office i