Happy Friday!

The President's Day weekend is considered a balance break for our school. We hope these days off will provide time for our students and families to relax, and spend time together. For more information about this balance break, see below.

The annual perception survey is now active for parents. There is a student incentive for completing the survey - a shameless bribe. Students will be taking their perception survey at school during the week of February 26.

I hope all our families enjoy the LONG weekend. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to email me at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

I can't wait to see our students again on Wednesday!

• Friday, February 16 - Basketball Games @ River Trail MS - 5:30 - Girls, 6:30 - Boys
• Monday, February 19 - Presidents' Day Holiday - No School
• Tuesday, February 20 - Professional Development Day - No School for Students
• Thursday, February 22 - 7th & 8th Grade Band Concert - 7:00pm
• Wednesday, February 28 - Home Basketball Games - 5:30 - Girls, 6:30 - Boys
• Tuesday, March 5 - Rising 6th Grade Parent Night

Balance Breaks are designed to provide students and their families with time away from school.

1. During a balance break, students will not be assigned any homework. There is no expectation for students to complete schoolwork during the break.

2. Students will not have any assessments (minor or major) during the first two school days when they return from the balance break. Students should not feel the need to study/prepare for an assessment during the break.

At Fulton County Schools, we truly value the feedback from our parents about their experiences with the district. That is why I encourage all parents to take the Annual Parent Perception Survey. This survey allows parents the opportunity to tell us what they think about their student’s schools and the district. While we always make it a priority to listen to our parents, this survey affords us another opportunity to receive your thoughts and opinions.

The survey is anonymous and confidential. Please complete one survey per school where you have one or more students enrolled. The survey will remain open from Monday, February 12 through Friday, March 15.

It’s not only parents we want to hear from. Our students’ opinions are important too! Students in grades 3-12 will be provided with the opportunity to take the Annual Student Perception Survey between February 12 and March 15 during the school day. In our ongoing efforts to remain transparent with parents, please take a moment to review the grades 6-12 Student Survey which is linked below.

Our students will participate in the FCS Annual Student Perception Survey during the week of February 26.

After viewing the sample student survey, if you do not want your student(s) to participate in the perception survey, please email Mr. Peterson by Friday, February 23 to opt out of the student survey.

To access the parent survey, click the link below. Thank you in advance for making your voice heard!

Parents - in order to entice more of you to participate in the FCS Annual Parent Perception Survey, we are offering a student reward of 30 PBIS points for a completed Annual Parent Perception Survey. The end of year PBIS celebration is coming soon! Monday Funday includes a bowling truck, inflatables, ice cream truck, petting zoo, and other cool events. These activities cost PBIS points. Add to your student's PBIS Rewards point account by completing a survey - it's a win-win!

To collect your student's 30 PBIS points, simply email a screen shot of your completed survey page to Mr. Peterson at petersonj1@fultonschools.org with your student's name and grade.

A sample screenshot of a completed FCS Annual Parent Perception Survey is below.

Attention Future PCI Tigers! The Promise Career Institute Exposition is coming to Roswell!

• Check your student's admission status

• Complete and submit enrollment documents

• Meet The Promise Career Institute Administration Team

• Learn more about and get hands on experiences with the Programs of Study offered at The Promise Career Institute

• The first 25 students to check-in at the enrollment table will win a special prize

This will all be held on Thursday, February 22 at 5 PM at Roswell High School. For more information, please see the flyers below. Also, please feel free to email ThePromise@fultonschools.org or visit www.fultonschools.org/PCI

Congratulations to Mrs. Kimberley Reed!

Congratulations to Ms. Alison Tripp!

Our Science Olympiad Team recent participated in a Regional Science Olympiad Competition. Listed below are the awards they received.

NMS team 1- 1st place in Air Trajectory, Forestry, Experimental Design and Wind Power; 2nd place in Flight, Roller Coaster and Tower; 3rd place in Microbe Mission, and Road Scholar

NMS team 2- 1st place in Flight, and Tower; 2nd place in Can’t Judge a Powder’ 3rd place in Dynamic Planet

Overall NMS team #1 placed 3rd and will advance to the state tournament at UGA on March 23, 2024!

Congratulations to Ms. Estes and Ms. Robinson and the following team members!

Aarya Mittal, Megha Vittal, Rahul Thakkar, Vivienne Kim, Tyler Hui, Nathan Hui, Mia Stauffer, Angelika Stauffer, Sasha Kumar, Siddarth Makadia, Saavan Ghelani, Issac Jung, Aashrith Poori, Pari Shah, Ava Seeney, Kearthi Ravikumar, Samika Jambulingam, Aarya Nigam

Fulton County Schools implemented a new Volunteer & Visitor Management System in January 2024. All volunteers in Fulton County must re-register as volunteers to be active in our new system. Visitors and Volunteers will also be asked to scan your driver's license each time you sign in. Please bring your license with you each time you visit/volunteer at school as you will not be able to sign-in without it.

Use the link below to re-register as a volunteer in Fulton County Schools. After completing the re-registration, your volunteer status will now be active until May 31, 2026

Candidate Declaration Window is Open!

The window for parents and teachers to declare candidacy for their school's School Governance Council (SGC) opens on February 5. During this time, individuals interested in serving a 2-year term (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026) will have the opportunity to complete a Candidate Declaration Form. The declaration window will remain open until March 29 with voting to take place in April.

Northwestern MS will be filling 2 parent positions for the next school year. Visit the pages below to learn more about SGC.

We have a new Connections class to offer to Rising 8th Grade students next school year. Details listed below. Please see Ms. Romero for more information.

Join Boy Scouts now in Alpharetta/Milton/Roswell.

Flexible schedule allows scouting to work around your family's other youth commitments.

Contact us for more information:

ScoutNorthFulton@outlook.com

404-819-0680

Milton High School will have one opening for a Parent Representative on our School Governance Council next year and we welcome parents with a rising MHS 9th grader to consider the opportunity.

The window for parents to declare candidacy for their school’s SGC opens Monday, February 5, 2024. During this time, individuals interested in serving a 2-year term (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026) will need to complete a Candidate Declaration Form available on the Charter System Website. The declaration window will close on March 29, 2024. Interested parents and teachers can click here to access requirements for candidacy. Please feel free to reach out to one of our current parent representatives, Stacey Poehler, for more information at poehler@fultonschools.org

The Northwestern basketball season has started and both our girls and boys teams are practicing hard for their upcoming games. As we prepare for the games to begin, we wanted to share the schedule.

Please note: NMS students may only attend an away basketball game if they are accompanied by an adult. Each adult may only be responsible for 4 (four) NMS students. This is a policy in affect at all FCS middle schools.

Wednesday, January 24 at Haynes Bridge MS (Away)

Friday, January 26 at Elkins Pointe MS (Away)

Wednesday, January 31 vs. Autrey Mill MS (Home)

Friday, February 2 at Crabapple MS (Away)

Wednesday, February 7 vs. FAST (Home)

Friday, February 9 at Holcomb Bridge MS (Away)

Friday, February 16 vs. River Trail MS (Home)

Friday, February 23 vs. Taylor Road MS (Home)

Wednesday, February 28 vs. Webb Bridge MS (Home)

Friday, March 1 at Sandy Springs MS (Away)

We would like your feedback and input to help select our Teacher and Professional of the Month. Often times, parents and students have great interactions with teachers and staff that administration doesn't see or is not aware of. We would like to include you in our process to select our Teacher and Professional of the Month. Use the links below to make your nominations.

Our school website is full of information! The calendar is constantly updated with events from PTO, Fine Arts, Athletics and other school activities. There is a staff directory where you can get the email address of any staff member. Information on carpool, attendance, student handbook, bell schedule and more are located on the website!

Under the Academics Tab, you will find a list of department chairs, a curriculum guide, as well as the assessment calendars for each grade. Take a look to see any upcoming test or quizzes for your student. A list of all study sessions available to students is provided, as well. Links for the website, Assessment Calendars, and Study Sessions are below.

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!

From Co-Presidents Victoria Tucker & Tracy Lynn Drye

Thank you to everyone who joined our February PTO meeting this week. Our next meeting will be THURSDAY, March 21 at 9:30 in the Media Center.

Volunteers Needed - Lost & Found Clean Up

This is an opportunity once a month for several people to clean out the lost & found closet. It should take less than an hour. Sign up link with the full instructions is below. Please reach out to Victoria Tucker (victoriabuter@comcast.net) with questions.

Sign Up: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/117964

Volunteer Interest Form

Please complete this short survey to indicate your volunteer interests for this school year & we will reach out with opportunities.

https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/114130

Business Partners

PTO is currently recruiting new Business Partners for the 23-24 school year. Do you own/work for a small business and would like more exposure for your services while at the same time supporting your child’s school? This is also a great opportunity for real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, etc. to support our school in many meaningful ways and receive promotion for your business through multiple channels reaching NMS families. Please email northwesternmspto@gmail.com for more information on partnership levels & benefits or sign up here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/237949

Taco Tuesday

2/27 - 4:30 to 5:30 pm

Just drive up & Dinner is Served!

NMS & Moe's Taco Boxes

No MESS dinner while supporting NMS

Use the link below to order your Taco Box

NEW SAT/ACT Informational Webinar by Dynamis Learning exclusively for 6th – 12th Graders!

What will be covered:

• The New SAT Digital Format
• SAT/ACT: Which One is Best for Your Child?
• Preparation Tips for Middle vs. High School Students
• Zell/Hope Scholarship Requirements
• Q/A with parents/students who attend Live

If you would like to know more about these important tests and what your child could be doing ahead of time, this webinar is for you!

The last 2-3 years have been difficult for many of us and especially children in K-12. Many skills have been lost such as studying. The importance of setting a plan well in advance is key here!

**The price of the webinar includes the following:

• Valuable information from 2 educational experts with over 20 years experience in test prep
• Tips you can apply right away no matter the grade level of your child (middle or high school)
• Access to newsletters that will provide valuable information on SAT/ACT myths, strategies, tips, and more.

The Northwestern Middle School & Milton High School Webinar price is only $29.

NOTE: For this webinar, we will be donating back to the NMS PTO each time someone registers.

Dynamis Learning, is also a proud sponsor of Milton High School.

Once the registration form and payment are received, a Zoom link will be sent to you within 24-48 hours of the webinar. See payment options on the registration form.

Looking to purchase a gift for your student's teachers? Want to know what things they like?

PTO has assembled a list of the staff's favorite things!

Don't see your teacher listed? Just means they haven't had a chance to complete their form. Keep checking back...PTO will be updating the document as lists are added.

IvyMath is providing all Northwestern families with a free online math tutoring session and an in-depth parent conference to discuss your child's strengths and weaknesses and how they compare to grade level.

IvyMath will also create a custom learning plan that maps out the exact areas your child should be focusing on in math for the rest of the year. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions, and understand what your child needs to feel confident and stay on track in math this year.

The IvyMath tutoring session, parent conference, and learning plan are free for all Northwestern families. Popular times fill up, so please register quickly! Signup now at: IvyMath.com/Boost

Hello NMS Families,

Looking for the perfect and safest Holiday Gift for your kiddos!! Look NO further than the NEWEST BARK PHONE!!

Plans start at just $29/month with no contract required.

We’re proud to announce we've joined the Bark Community Partners Program! As a Bark Community Partner, our parents have ongoing access to up-to-date digital parenting resources, top-tier subject matter experts, and free social media safety tools.

As an added bonus, our NMS PTO will receive $100 when a NMS family orders a Bark Phone.

Why families need the Bark Phone?

Off-the-shelf Androids and iPhones aren’t built for kids — and there are tons of ways that they could encounter digital dangers and inappropriate content. The Bark Phone was built by parents, for parents, and it lets you control nearly everything your child can do, from contact requests to when they can open up YouTube.

What makes the Bark Phone safer than other kid’s phones:

●GPS location tracking

●Texts can’t be deleted

●Monitoring of messages and social media

●Alerts for potential dangers

●Screen time schedules

●Website & app blocking

●Tamper-proof settings

Learn More and purchase NOW using the link below!!

Tom's Place: Our Wildcat Serving Food and Clothing Pantry helps our very own Wildcats in need.

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED:

Please consider stocking the pantry to fulfil the needs and necessities aiding students in our community. Single serve food items and microwavable single serves are appreciated. Signup for specific items needed here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/117111

Purchased and donated items may be dropped off to the front office. Please label or tell them it's for Tom's Place.

If you would prefer to make a monetary donation to this cause you can do so through the Wildcat Cares Fund:

https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/232683

Thank you in advance for supporting this effort. Should we have excess winter coat and warm item donations this season we will donate additional items to local charities that also support students in need in our area.

The front office likes to have a stash of chocolate and candy (non chocolate) for the staff to access and get them through the day. Please help us keep their stash stocked. After all, most of us can relate to stress eating! Sign up here: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/111882

Northwestern will offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2023-24 school year. Check back often for more information!

If you have a question about starting a new school club, please email Beth Wylie at wyliee@fultonschools.org.

The NMS Student Garden was established in 2011 as a permaculture and wildlife garden. It has gone through many iterations. Its most recent additions (2023) are a no-till section (which is affiliated with the Rodale Institute for Organic Research) and five new fruit trees (planted in celebration of Earth Day). If you would like to contribute (monetarily) to the maintenance of this site and its research, then you can use the link below. If you have any other questions about the site, please free to contact Dr. Bartlett at: bartlettj@fultonschools.org. Thank you for your continued support of Northwestern MS 🙂

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

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!