NMS Update 11.17.2024
Northfield Middle School 24 -25
Veteran's Day Program
We'd like to thank all of the Veteran's who served or are currently serving our country. The middle school held a Veteran's Day event on Monday, November 11 to honor our Veteran's. Here is a recording of that performance.
Thank you Voters!
Thank you to everyone who voted in the 2024 election! We are looking forward to helping with the plans for the reimagined Northfield High School where your children will be the recipients! You will be invited to have a voice in this process in the very near future. Stay tuned to communication from Dr. Hillmann.
Jersey Mike's Fundraiser
We want to thank all the family, friends, and supporters of Northfield Middle School, as the grand opening week was remarkable. We are thrilled to share that, together, we raised an incredible $1,758.00 for Northfield Middle School! The funds raised will go towards our PBIS program and support field trip costs.
Duck Cup Presentation
On Tuesday, November 19th, middle school students will be attending a Duck Cup presentation. Below is a little more about what the organization is about, as well as a link to their website. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's counselor.
The Duck Cup is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing resources for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Their sponsored events reach over 30,000 students, parents, teachers, and community members on an annual basis.
They started this organization understanding that we would never truly know the number of lives we might be saving. We know their speaking events are positively impacting lives, and we also know that Mental Health education is necessary! There are many people out there hurting that need to know it's ok to ask for help. It's ok to not be ok.
You can also find more info on their website https://www.duckcupmemorial.org/
Thankful for you....
MS Parents,
We like to find ways to show appreciation for our staff members. Something new this year is giving parents and students the opportunity to send a virtual thank you. We are collecting small notes of gratitude for our staff. If you'd like to send a thank you note or a note of gratitude for one/some/all of your teachers, educational assistants, custodial staff, nurse, media center specialist, administration, and/or student support team, please fill out this Google form. We will collect these notes, print them and share them with our staff the week of Thanksgiving.
MS Student Council Dance
The first Middle School Dance of the year will take place on Friday, November 22nd from 3-5 pm! This is for all NMS students in grades 6-8. Cost is $5 for admission and there will also be concessions available for an additional cost. Please make sure to have a ride available for your student at 5:00 pm.
MN Give to the Max Day
Give to the Max is Minnesota’s annual celebration of generosity and all of the ways nonprofits and schools improve our lives. What started as a one-time fundraising campaign in 2009 has grown into an annual giving holiday, raising more than $330 million for Minnesota-based organizations to-date! Search for Northfield Middle School to donate.
Give to the Max Day takes place for 24 hours on Thursday, November 21.
Benjamin Bus
Benjamin Bus will be sending out alternate stop bus cards to affected families the week of November 4th. They will only send alternate bus stop cards to families that would experience changes if alternate routes were utilized. The cards will include approximate stop times based on a normal school start time but may vary slightly depending on weather/road conditions. Benjamin Bus will communicate.
Winter MS Activities
NMS Families,
The middle school offers the following WINTER activities for students in grades 6 – 8. Students do not need a sports physical for any middle school activity. However, if your student wishes to participate in a high school activity, they will need a sports physical completed and on file before they can register. Physicals last for 3 years and can be sent to the middle school nurse, Carol Reed (creed@northfieldschools.org).
Students must be registered before they can participate in any NMS activity. You can get more detailed activity information and complete the registration process by going to our middle school activities website and clicking on the registration button. You will need your student’s ID number, which can be found in Family Access/Skylert under “Other ID.” The student ID will be a nine-digit number. If you need any assistance, please contact Kari Hartwig KHartwig@northfieldschools.org or at 507-663-0680. Game schedules will be posted onto our activity website once they are finalized, which will be the beginning of November. We will also have hard copies available in the main office. Each activity will have a Schoology code for players and parents to join for ALL activity-related communications. We also have an Activities Hotline, 507-645-3559, that is updated daily by 1:00 pm for games/events and any cancellations.
Spelling Bee
All Northfield Middle School students in grades 6-8 are invited to participate in this year’s District Spelling Bee. The first step for your child to participate in the spelling bee is to email Mrs. Cara Holland (cholland@northfieldschools.org) by Friday, November 8, and include the following information: your child’s name, grade level, your preferred email addresses, phone number, your name(s). Students will compete at the District Spelling Bee on Thursday, November 21 at 6:00 pm. The Spelling Bee will be held in the middle school auditorium. Family members are welcome to come watch. The top two student champions will then move on to represent Northfield Middle School in the next level of the Rochester regional spelling bee program. The third place speller will act as an alternative in the event that one of the others can not attend.
Fitness Center
The middle school Fitness Center is opening for business again! If you want to improve your strength, flexibility, & endurance, join your friends in the FC after school. Using the Fitness Center is a great way to get your body tuned up and connect with friends! Please contact Coaches Natalie Amy (namy@northfieldschools.org)
or Paul Stanaway (pstanaway@northfieldschools.org) with any registration questions. Fitness Center runs Mondays-Thursdays, from 3:00-4:30 PM each night. Students can come as many nights per week as their schedule allows. The first day of Fitness Center is Monday, November 11.
Wrestling
Students in grades 6-8 who are interested in wrestling are encouraged to bring their own headgear, wrestling shoes, and water bottle for practices. Practices are Monday through Friday, 3:00 – 4:30 pm. Practices are held in the Auxiliary (small) gym. The first day of practice will be Monday, November 18. The end-of-season conference tournament is Saturday, January 25.
Speech
The Northfield Middle School Speech Team will begin Monday, December 2nd. We are looking for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who would like to improve and practice their speaking and performing abilities. Speech team isn’t really about writing speeches, that is just one of the many categories. Students will also not be giving speeches to a giant audience, but rather a small group of around 10 people in a classroom. Students choose to expressively read literature from 13 different categories which can be funny or serious, just for fun or informative or they could write their own if they want. There really is a category for everyone!! From these categories, members pick one selection to perform throughout the season. One 20 minute practice session each week is required. Practice times are flexible, so students in other school activities are still eligible to participate in speech. The team will have 3 meets on Saturday mornings and 1 meet on a Friday night in January and February. If you are interested, but have questions, please contact Ms. Kelly Hebzynski by email (khebzynski@northfieldschools.org) or Schoology. You can also stop by Room 253 or the main office any day after school to get information. Registration is now open. Practice begins Monday, December 2.
If you are a 7th or 8th grader interested in boys swimming, girls gymnastics, or Nordic and Alpine ski, please see the high school Sports NGIN website for details.
High School Athletics General Information For Participation and Registration
*High School Sports require a sports physical to be on file.
Questions, contact John Mahal (Activities Director), or Sheryl Docken (Admin. Assistant), at 507-663-0632.
Thank you for reading. We look forward to a great Quarter 2!
Michael O'Keefe
Assistant Principal & Activities Director
Northfield Middle School
(w) 1.507.663.0680
(c) 1.612.998.0436
Operation Joy
It's Operation Joy season. For those of you new to Northfield, this is a holiday gift giving community tradition for over 50 years. Last year we supported over 1000 children from over 500 families in the Northfield community. The event this year will be Wednesday, December 11. Families that are interested in participating in Operation Joy, please click here.
In the past few years many of you have also supported the program through
- staff adopting a family
- students raising funds
- collecting wrapping paper supplies - this is a HUGE help
- making fleece-tied blankets
For more detailed information, please click on the link above. If your family would like to receive support, please click on the newsletter below.
This Week's Events @ NMS
Bell Schedule/Wednesday One hour Late Start
Monday, November 18: Maroon - Day 1
Music Lesson Day 3
- WEB Leader Meeting, 12:00 - 12:10 (end of C lunch)
- MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153
- Math League Meet, 3:00 pm
- Fitness Center, 3:00 pm
- Wrestling practice, 3:05 pm, small gym
Tuesday, November 19: Gold - Day 2
Music Lesson Day 4
Duck Cup presentations, NMS Auditorium
Fire Drill
MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153
Knowledge Bowl practice, 3:00 pm
Fitness Center, 3:00 pm
Division Street Singers, 3:00
Wrestling practice, 3:05 pm
Wednesday, November 20: Maroon - Day 1
Music Lesson Day 5
- One hour late start, 8:57 am
- WEB B lunch
- MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153
- Fitness Center, 3:00 pm
- Wrestling practice, 3:05 pm
Thursday, November 21: Gold - Day 2
Music Lesson Day 6
- Student Council Meeting, 7:15 am
- MSYC, 3:00 pm, Room 153
- Knowledge Bowl, Room 171, 3:00 pm
- Fitness Center, 3:00 pm
- Wrestling practice, 3:05 pm
- Spelling Bee, NMS Auditorium, 6:00 pm
Friday, November 22: Maroon - Day 1
Music Lesson Day 7
- Grade 7 Field Trip
- Student Council Dance, 3:00 - 5:00 pm, cost is $5.00
- Chamber Orchestra, 3:00 pm
Upcoming Middle School Events
November 18 - NMS Wrestling begins, students must be registered
November 19 - Duck Cup Presentation
November 19 - Fire Drill
November 20 - WEB event, B Lunch
November 21 - NMS Spelling Bee
November 22 - Grade 7 Gov't Field Trip
November 22 - MS Student Council Dance, 3:00 - 5:00 pm (Cost of gate fee is $5.00; food and pop are available for purchase throughout the dance.)
November 25 - School Board Meeting, District Office, 6:00 pm
November 27 - Online Learning Day (e-learning day rehearsal)
November 28 & 29 - No School, Thanksgiving Break
December 3 - MS Choir Concert, 7:00 pm, NMS Auditorium
December 5 - Student Council Meeting, 7:15 am
December 5 - MS Band Concert, 7:00 pm, NMS Auditorium
December 6 - Choir Field Trip, Children's Theater
December 9 - School Board Meeting, 6:00pm
December 12 - WEB Leader Meeting, 7:30 am
December 16 - MS & HS Orchestra Concert, 6:00 pm, NMS Auditorium
December 18 - WEB Winter Charades, 11:15 am
December 19 - Student Council Meeting, 7:15 am
December 23 - January 1: No School, Winter Break
January 2 - School resumes
Tutoring Hotline
Tutoring Hotline is a volunteer program that matches Carleton volunteers with Rice County students of all ages in need of free, one-on-one academic assistance in any subject. Our program supports students who already have a set curriculum; our tutors are not equipped to assign new content. Approved tutors sign up for specific tutoring requests depending on their academic interests and availability and will meet with students for about one hour, once a week in a public location or via Zoom. Tutoring sessions are individualized to the student’s needs and may include review of concepts learned in school, preparation for upcoming tests, help with homework, etc.
Helpful Numbers & Links
Activities Hotline
507-645-3559
Attendance Line
507-663-0655
Benjamin Bus
507-645-5720
NMS Main Office
507-663-0650
NMS Office Hours
7:15 am - 3:45 pm
Nurse
507-663-0656
School Fax #
507-663-0660
Student Support Office
507-663-0664
Student Support Team
Our School Counselors are available to assist families with class schedules and questions you may have:
Jenny Streefland - student last name A-H
Natalie Amy - student last name I-P
Cori Yamry - student last name Q-Z
NMS Administrators
Connect with Greg Gelineau
Email: ggelineau@northfieldschools.org
Location: Northfield Middle School, Division Street South, Northfield, MN, USA
Phone: 507-663-0650
Connect with Michael O'Keefe
Email: mokeefe@northfieldschools.org
Location: Northfield Middle School, Division Street South, Northfield, MN, USA
Phone: 507-663-0650