Friday, June 9

Schools are not the same without the hustle and bustle that comes with 1200+ students and staff members walking (sometimes running!) the hallways. Nonetheless, we are having a productive summer at NMS. Planning for next school year is underway. Our custodian team is very busy making sure the school is in great shape for the new year. The painters started on Friday, May 2 and have been working hard everyday. The new paint in hallways and classrooms looks great! I'm looking forward to showing off our new look in August.

We still have several items in the front office including yearbooks, promotion certificates, honor roll certificates, and other items that have not been picked up. Please come at your convenience during our summer office hours.

School supply lists for next year are included below and on our website for those who like to shop early.

I hope all our families have a wonderful summer 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 August!

Northwestern Middle School summer office hours:

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Please call the school before you visit. We may be able assist you on the phone. 470-254-2870

• Wednesday, July 26 - July SGC Meeting (9:30am) Location TBD
• Friday, July 28 - 6th Grade Locker Day (12:30-2:30 pm)
• Tuesday, August 1 - Virtual Back to School Meeting with Mr. Peterson (6:30 pm)
• Thursday, August 3 - Information Day (12:00-3:00 pm)
  
• Friday, August 4 - School Open For All Students (12:30-2:30 pm)
• Monday, August 7 - First Day of School
• Thursday, August 10 - New Parent Coffee w/ Mr. Peterson (9:30 am)

More information will be shared in upcoming summer newsletters!

The 6th grade Locker Day is scheduled for Friday, July 28 from 12:30-2:30 pm. 6th grade students and families will have a special opportunity to get access to their locker before Information Day. Mr. Peterson and our 6th grade Assistant Principal, Ms. Manganelli, will be available to meet and greet our new 6th grade students. Other staff will be on hand to assist as well. The locker fee must be paid before Friday, July 28.

*locker fee can be made online starting Monday, July 10. No cash payments.

What to expect on 6th grade Locker Day:

• Students who have paid the locker fee will be issued their locker number & combination.
• Students can bring items to set up and store in their locker.
• Meet Mr. Peterson - Principal
  
• Meet Ms. Manganelli - 6th grade Assistant Principal
• Meet Ms. Pena - 6th grade Counselor
• Walk the school and 600 hallway
• Please note student schedules will not be available until Information Day

Please make plans to join Mr. Peterson and members of the NMS Administrative Team on Tuesday, August 1 at 6:30 pm. As a convenience for our families who may still be traveling that week, and for everyone's busy schedules, the meeting will be virtual. Families can join at the dinner table or from the comfort of your living room. Comfy clothing and a cold beverage of your choice are encouraged! This meeting will be informational and offer a Q&A for students and parents.

• Meet Mr. Peterson and the Assistant Principals
• Learn about school year 2022-24 operations and policies
• Learn about carpool procedures - everyone loves carpool!
• Q&A with Mr. Peterson and the Assistant Principals

Link to be shared in upcoming summer newsletters.

Information Day is scheduled for Thursday, August 3 from 12:30-3:30 pm. We want to ensure your family has a quality and efficient experience. For that purpose, we are scheduling families by last name to ensure homerooms, hallways, and lines are less crowded. Please come during your alphabetically scheduled window.

Information Day Schedule

Last Name A-I - arrive at 12:30

Last Name J-S - arrive at 1:30

Last Name T-Z - arrive at 2:15

What to expect on Information Day:

• Students will receive their unofficial schedule (changes are still possible before 1st day)
• Students who have paid the locker fee will be issued their locker number & combination.
• Students who have paid for a locker can bring items to store in their locker.
• Students can meet their homeroom teacher.
• Students can meet our Connections teachers.
• Students can walk their schedule in preparation for 1st day.
• Families can join our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)
• Families can deposit money in cafeteria accounts.
  
• And much more!

7th Grade: Effective July 1, 2014, all 7th-grade students who were born on or after January 1, 2002, and all new entrants to grades 8-12 who are entering a Georgia school for the first time or entering after having been absent from a Georgia school for more than twelve months (one school year) will be required to have:

1 Dose of Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) Vaccine and 1 Dose of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

PLEASE NOTE: These changes only affect rising 7th graders (born on or after January 1, 2002), and students who are considered “new entrants” for grades 8-12.

NMS Wildcats PTO is excited to announce Victoria Tucker and Tracy Lynn Drye as the new PTO Co-Presidents starting next school year! These ladies are one awesome duo and will be amazing! 🎉

Current Open PTO Committee Positions Listed Below

Website/Membership Toolkit

Student Enrichment

Red Ribbon Week

Campus Beautification

PTO Memberships

Business Partners

Yearbook

Any questions about these committee positions, please reach out to Susie Uhlich @ 404.731.1553 or email susieuhlich@gmail.com.

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!

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 🙂

FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meetings are back to normal at Northwestern and will continue take place on Thursdays in the gym from 8am - 8:45am. We will let you know when we will have another opportunity to join the Milton High School crew.

Students are encouraged to bring friends to the Thursday morning meetings.

The FCA at Northwestern is also hoping that some volunteers may be willing to become more active and attend FCA meetings on Thursday mornings or help with things such as picking up food, small group leading, or even character coaching. Not much is required other than attendance for one hour a week. FCA is also looking for part-time and full- time employees. If you are interested in volunteering and/or employment, please contact Denton Carter (FCA leader) via email (dentoncarter@fca.org).

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

Thank you to our PTO for having breakfast for our bus drivers this morning! They keep our kids safe on the roads and we appreciate them so much!

The NMS PTO would like to give a BIG THANKS to our 2022-2023 Business Partners

When you see these businesses, please acknowledge their sponsorship for the school & dedication to the academic achievement of our youth!

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!