The Nighthawk Newsweekly

Greetings Nighthawks Nation!

Thank you to everyone who attended our Title I Family Forum, Hispanic Heritage Celebration, and 8th Grade Parent Meeting last week. We appreciate our amazing staff for coordinating these events. We hope to see more families participating throughout the school year. We strive to offer a variety of activities and meaningful experiences to help support our Nighthawk scholars. Your input and participation is essential as we partner together to make this a successful school year.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Attendance is a critical factor in the academic growth and development of students enrolled in a traditional school setting. Please be sure your scholar attends school each day and arrives on time. When our scholars are absent, they miss valuable instruction that impacts their academic progress. If your child misses school, please be sure to submit an excuse for his/her absence. You may submit excuses directly online via PowerSchool. This is the most effective way to ensure your child's excuse is submitted.

Remember, Quarter 1 report cards are live in PowerSchool. Students do not receive hard copies of report cards. You must log into the PowerSchool website to view your child's report card. If you have any questions about grades, please contact your child's teacher directly.

We are in the process of sending home GMAS score reports from the spring. If your scholar attended NHK8, Gould, or West Chatham Middle School last school year and took the GMAS, a hard copy of the GMAS score report will be sent home. Please be sure to check with your scholar for their report. If your scholar took the GMAS at a different school in SCCPSS or Georgia, you will need to contact that school directly to obtain a copy of the score report.

We appreciate your continued support of NHK8. Have an awesome week!

Our PTO is in full swing with planning our NHK8 Trunk or Treat family event. If you are interested in volunteering or decorating a trunk please sign up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F45A4AA23A6FFC43-52281952-ptotrunk or contact PTO at nhk8pto@gmail.com. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated trunks. We are also in need of candy donations. You may donate bags of candy for this event. Students who bring in donated bags of candy will receive a dress down pass. Students may earn up to three dress down passes for bringing in bags of candy. Remember this event is for NHK8 families only, and all students must be escorted by a parent/guardian.

• School begins at 8:40 and ends at 3:40. Scholars may begin entering the building in the morning at 8:15. If your scholar is a car rider, please ensure he/she arrives to school on time to start the school day and is picked up at 3:40 p.m. for dismissal. If your scholar is picked up after 4:05, you are required to come to the front door to sign them out. You must also have your identification or car rider tag with you when signing them out.

• The early dismissal cutoff time is 2:30 p.m. If you are checking your scholar out early, please arrive by 2:30, park in the parking lot, and present your identification to the front office staff. We understand parking is limited, but if you park in the car rider lane, you will be blocked in and unable to move until dismissal starts. Please be sure your child's emergency contact information is updated. Students will not be released to anyone not listed in PowerSchool.

• If your scholar is celebrating a birthday and you would like to bring items in for the class, please communicate with your scholar's teacher prior to the celebration date. Food items must be store-bought and sealed in the original packaging.

• All scholars are expected to follow our school uniform policy. Hoodies are not allowed to be worn in the building. Hooded jackets must zip down. Backpacks must be clear or mesh. If you need assistance with a school-approved backpack, please call the school.

• At NHK8, we have a no cell phone policy. Cell phones are not permitted for use during the school day and should be turned in to the homeroom teacher. Refusal to adhere to this policy will result in disciplinary consequences as outlined in the SCCPSS Code of Conduct.

• There are several ways in which we communicate with families - Class Dojo, New Hampstead K-8 Facebook page and PTO group, and BrightArrow communication platform. Please ensure your information is accurate in PowerSchool. We want you to connect with us weekly to receive current information and announcements.
  

• If your child has belongings that may have been left at school (a jacket, sweater, water bottle, etc), please have him/her check the lost and found this week for any lost items. You may also message your child's teacher directly if your child has lost something and needs to check the lost and found. All items not claimed by the end of the day Friday will be donated.
  

Did you know you can submit excuse notes for absences online?

PowerSchool Parent Access is your one-stop shop for accessing your student’s information. It’s available 24/7/365 and it couldn’t be easier. You can access it on your desktop, laptop, or mobile device at sccpss.powerschool.com. In the top right-hand corner, click "find it fast" and then PowerSchool. PowerSchool Parent Access also allows you to see student attendance, assignments, and grades.

To submit an excuse note in PowerSchool Parent Access:

• Log into your PowerSchool Parent Access account (District Code PQPM).
• Click on Forms. (If using the PowerSchool app, click More, then click Forms.)
• Find the Student/Absence Parent Excuse Form.
• Upload documentation where applicable (i.e. dental appointment note) OR fill out the textbox with an explanation.

Remember, five (5) days of absences per school year will be excused with a parent note. After five parent notes, an excused absence requires a physician's note or hospital statement, court subpoena, order of governmental agencies, funeral notice, or obituary.