We had another great week of school! Today was our annual Club Fair. We had many students in the gym checking out all the clubs we have to offer. Our club sign up sheets were very full by the end of the fair. When our students get connected to a club or activity, the chances of them having a good experience at school increase exponentially.

It's not too late to join a club, even if your student missed the fair today. Check out our club and student activities on our website - School Clubs / NMS School Clubs (fultonschools.org).

Picture Day volunteers needed! Please see below in the PTO section for more information.

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

I can't wait to see our students on Monday!

• Thursday, August 24 - Picture Day (during Connections classes)
• Monday, September 4 - Labor Day (schools closed)
• Tuesday, September 5 - Teacher Workday (no school for students)
• Wednesday, September 6 - Professional Development Day (no school for students)
• Thursday, September 7 - Curriculum Night (6:30-8:15 pm)
  

If you have had any meaningful conversation with me during the last few years, I have shared my concern for how some of our students are treated by their peers. The teasing, taunting, or bullying...regardless of what you want to call it has increasingly been a problem in schools. This type of behavior is not just a Northwestern issue. This is a greater societal issue. But we're going to do something we think might help some of our students.

This summer our leadership team engaged with a company called Speak Life. End Bullying. In July, our School Governance Council approved the use of Charter Money to fund this program.

Our students are going to watch the film in their homeroom on a date in the near future. Popcorn, candy, we're going to make it fun. See below for more details about the program.

A side note. One of the actresses is a former Northwestern student who participated in our drama program.

Speak Life End Bullying the Musical

The company is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower students to act beyond awareness, bringing the power of performing arts and digital theater to educational assembly programs.

This mission began in 2000 when both Dan and Rebecca were deeply and personally impacted by a story of bullying. They realized this was the story they needed to tell and immediately began writing a script aimed at capturing the interest and heart of students. Dan’s background in theater, combined with Rebecca’s experience in dance, brought a riveting and relatable show to the stage in 2001. For the past 20 years, they have produced and performed their original stage show in schools and events nationwide.

Fast forward past the global pandemic and 2020 into 2021, the mission of Speak Life Performing Arts Company is going strong. Through a partnership with the Justin Simmons Foundation, Speak Life Performing Arts Company has released a new version of the Speak Life End Bullying the Musical...ON FILM. (Think Hamilton for Disney+.) The same high-impact stage show is now a high-quality digital theater production, now with BRAND-NEW original music produced by Rhyme Partners. This new format will give every school around the world the opportunity to bring Speak Life End Bullying the Musical to their student body. The vision for 2022 is to reach one million students in one thousand schools across the nation. Just think of the culture shift in schools and communities when millions of lives are impacted for positive change!

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.

Northwestern is an awesome place to work. If you want a flexible, work when you want to job, please consider serving as a substitute. Work with awesome people on your child's schedule!

Eleven out of ten people recommend serving as a substitute at Northwestern!

Our new METI, Ms. Allison Tripp, wants to know what students would like to add to our Media Center. What books would you like to add to our collection? What activities would you like to see in our Maker Space? What events or clubs do want to host in the Media Center?

Use the Padlet below to share your ideas with Ms. Tripp!

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 us at our first PTO meeting on Thursday! Please join us for the September PTO meeting on Tuesday, September 12 at 9:30 in the Media Center. Our guest speakers will be two of our Business Partners: Tutor Doctor and Summit Counseling. They will share services and discounts offered to Northwestern families.

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

Volunteers Needed For Picture Day

Picture day is August 24 and volunteers are needed for each grade level while they are having pictures taken. Volunteers will help direct students to photographers and keep lines moving. See the sign up for times for each grade level: https://northwesternpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/114106.

Feel free to reach out to Ms. Godfrey with any questions: GodfreyJ@fultonschools.org.

Parent Prep 101 is a 1 hour webinar created for 7th -11th grade parents to prepare for college and a WIN/WIN for you and your school. You will receive helpful information on what to expect over the next several years, a timeline to follow, and what your student can be doing now to earn FREE college tuition. We also cover information for athletes, career exploration, and when to start standardized testing. You will learn about GaFutures, Grants, HOPE & Zell Miller scholarships, and when to take the ACT/SAT.

You will feel more prepared and able to help your student find a college that is the right fit for them. The Northwestern Middle School session price is $65 and $10 goes back to the Northwestern PTO.

*The price will include a private Facebook group for additional information and ongoing support. The Spirit Day is August 22 with sessions at 12pm and 7pm. Once the registration form and payment is received, a zoom ID link for your session will be sent to you. If you have any questions please text Trisha Caputo at 678-777-7141or email at Parentprep101@gmail.com.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsSk_4Y-dULKjwn9v4nM7-4iqpnxlJNffBlSlZ80SDmx8i8g/viewform

More Info: https://www.facebook.com/parentprep101

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.

Hello Parents!

Today we had club sign up and I wanted to send you the information for the FCA club. If your student was not able to sign up today attached is a QR code. On Monday there will also be a large poster with the QR code located on the Club Wall, Media Center and the Gym. Please spread the word that that each student can still have a chance to sign up for the club. On Wednesday you will see reminders and people outside to promote FCA and help with club sign up.

Our first meeting will be held on the 24th of August in the gym and food will be provided. The start time will be @0800. Parent you are welcome to join to see what we are doing for the first meeting. It will be also a chance to discuss some of the positions needed.

Northwestern Middle School does have an IG which is located below.

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 🙂

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

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!