Back-to-school

August 5th, 2026

Welcome back to a new school year at Northdale Middle School. I hope this summer has provided your family with time to rest, recharge, and create lasting memories. As we prepare to open our doors for another year of learning, growth, and connection, I want to extend my warmest welcome to both our returning families and those new to Northdale.

We are committed to creating a safe and engaging environment where every student can thrive. Our dedicated staff works hard to prepare classrooms, plan meaningful learning experiences, and set the stage for success. We believe that middle school is a time of great discovery, and we’re excited to partner with you to support your child academically and socially.

This year, we will continue to focus on building a strong school community, fostering student growth, and maintaining high expectations for learning and behavior. Communication and collaboration between home and school are key, and we look forward to working together throughout the year.

The newsletter below is full of useful and important information for the start of the new year. Please keep an eye on our school website, newsletters, and communication tools for important updates and events. We are here to support you, and we welcome your involvement in every step of the way.

Let’s make this year one of growth, kindness, and success for all our students. I am so glad that you are here.

Jeff Leach

24th- 6th Grade Welcome (6th Grade Students and Parents/Families Only), 4:00pm-6:00pm

1st- Open House (All Students and Parents/Families), 4:00pm- 7:00pm

7th- District Closed, Holiday

8th- First Day of School - 6th Grade Only

9th- First Day of School - All Students

15th- Fall Pictures

7th-13th- Book Fair

8th- Fall Conferences, 3:30pm-7:30pm

15th-16th- No School, MEA

21st- Fall Picture Retakes

26th- No School, Elementary only (Secondary Reports to School)

Access to school information about your child is available at your fingertips through ParentVue, a secure online service that provides access to a wide variety of student information. ParentVue allows parents to easily locate information that otherwise might require phone calls, paperwork or a visit to school.

One of the most important tools you can utilize to help your student be successful is to get connected with the ParentVue app. You may access this through desktop and mobile (Apple/Android) devices. From the A-H District home page https://www.ahschools.us, Click “Family Login” to access your account. Your student can click “Student Login” and login to access their account, as well.

Need Help? Click the link here to access the parent resource library.

Please call the Main Office at (763) 506-5400 if you do not know your login information or if you need your account activated. The easiest way to get back into your account is to choose “Forgot Username/Password”. All back-to-school emergency forms are completed and updated online by parents/guardians.

The ParentVue app is used at all levels of schooling (Elementary, Middle and High). ParentVue accounts are assigned to EVERY parent/guardian with rights to see their child’s data. This resource connects all of your Anoka Hennepin School District students in one spot!

Highlights include:

Attendance: Submit attendance requests online and view daily absences/tardies.

Grade Book: Monitor student grades. All secondary teachers are expected to post grade book information online. Please check with individual teachers to get their posting schedule.

Daily Assignments: Keep tabs on upcoming projects and/or missing assignments.

Student Info: Includes bus transportation information. On the app, click “additional info”.

Class Schedule: View student class schedule. Communicate with teachers via email.

Fees: Pay any outstanding fees for sports, school activities, books and more.

If you pre-ordered school supplies for the 2026-27 school year, you may pick them up at Open House. 6th grade students can also pick them up at 6th Grade Welcome.

Here is the list: School Supply List

AVID students do not need to purchase school supplies.

Our Phy Ed department has t-shirts and shorts available to purchase. We accept cash and checks made out to NMS. You may also purchase uniforms online through fee pay if you wish. Fee pay is the same place you would deposit money in the lunch account or pay for athletic activities.

Shirts ($8) we offer sizes YM, AS, AM, AL, AXL, AXXL.

Shorts ($10) we offer sizes YM, YL, AS, AM, AL, AXL & AXXL.

While PE uniforms are not required, students are encouraged to change into athletic type clothes for PE class. Athletic (tennis) shoes are required to participate in PE classes.

Attention 6th Grade Students in Band and Orchestra: We are so excited to help you learn an instrument this year! Please do not worry about getting an instrument at this time. Our band and orchestra teachers will give you all the information you need regarding instruments at the start of the school year.

Parents and Guardians: You are able to find your student’s report card in the ParentVue application under “Documents”. Grades are updated on a regular basis throughout each trimester.

If you need assistance accessing ParentVue contact NMS main office at 763-506-5400.

Northdale Middle School Community Education office coordinates a wide variety of athletics, classes, clubs, recreational activities, and events to enhance your child's academic and social experiences after school, in the evening or on the weekend. You can find the full list of Community Education Middle School Programs on our website.

Northdale Community Education was proud to serve nearly 1,000 students through our Athletics and Enrichment programs during the 2025-2026 school year.

In addition to our after-school activities, we had night and weekend classes that attracted students from across the district, including Drum Lessons, Intro to Acting, Babysitter Training, and Safety Awareness.

Click here to view our Athletic schedule for 2026-2027

We look forward to providing quality programs for your students in 2026-2027. Registration for Athletics and Fall Classes opens on August 3rd, but will be available to preview online starting July 6th.

NMS CE Athletics and Fall Classes

Are you interested in joining Student Council? Make sure you stop by the Student Council table at our open house. We will have prizes, information, and a concession stand. You won't want to miss it.

Welcome to middle school! We are looking forward to seeing you and your child soon.

Transitioning to a new building is an exciting milestone, and we have several events designed to help your 6th grader get comfortable with Northdale’s building, schedule, and staff before the year officially kicks off.

If you have any questions or concerns this summer, please do not hesitate to contact the main office at 763-506-5400.

Monday, August 24 | 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Who: 6th-grade students and parents/families only.

This is an open-house-style event to help our newest students acclimate to the building. You can arrive at any time during these two hours.

• Short Presentations: Offered in the cafeteria at 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. to provide an overview of middle school life.

• Locker Practice & Supplies: Students can locate their classrooms, practice opening their lockers, and are welcome to bring school supplies early to store in them. Staff and student volunteers will be available to help!

• Information Tables: Stop by to purchase yearbooks, order NMS apparel, learn about child nutrition, and more.

• Please note: Teachers will not be available during this event. To meet your child's teachers, please attend the all-school Open House on September 1st.

Tuesday, September 1 | 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Who: All Northdale students and families.

Come anytime during these hours! This is your official opportunity to meet your child's teachers, walk the building together, and get in some extra locker combination practice.

Tuesday, September 8 | 8:25 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.

Who: 6th-grade students only.

A special day dedicated entirely to helping incoming 6th graders find their footing, meet classmates, and learn the daily routine before the rest of the student body arrives.

Wednesday, September 9 | 8:25 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.

Who: All students.

The official start of the 2026-27 school year!

Call the attendance line at 763-506-5406 or enter into the ParentVUE app if your child will be absent from school, coming in late, or needs to leave school early. You may also call the main line at 763-506-5400 and press 0 to speak with someone in the office directly.

Instructions for entering an absence into ParentVue can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pHCThTCF9ss

Please include:

• Your student’s name

• Reason for absence (along with any symptoms if they are ill)

• If applicable, the time they will return to or be picked up from school.

If we are not notified regarding an absence you will be contacted by our automated phone system, which will prompt you to notify the school with the reason. If you do not notify the school, the absence will be recorded as an unexcused absence. No individual calls are made from our school, other than through the automated system.

Only parents and legal guardians are able to pick students up early. We must be notified in advance if anyone other than a parent or guardian will be picking your student up during the school day.

Late arrivals:

If your student comes to school late, they should come to the main office and get a pass to class. If the office was informed by a parent or guardian ahead of time, you do not need to come in with them.

If a parent or guardian has not informed the office ahead of time, please ring the doorbell and let us know the reason your student is late. This will excuse their late arrival. Your student can then come into the office for a pass to class.

Leaving early:

If you need to pick your student up early from school, please inform the office in advance, as early as you are able. Please list the reason your student will be leaving early, and the time they will be picked up from school.

Your student will receive a pass to be excused at the designated time. At that time, the student will report to the office to wait for the parent/guardian to pick them up. Please sign in at Door 1 with your license, then sign your student out in the office.

Vacation:

If your child will miss school due to a vacation, please contact the office at least a week in advance. It will be your student’s responsibility to collect any work from their teachers before leaving. They may not have access to Google Classroom while out of state or country.

Attendance letters are sent out by the school district automatically via email when your student has reached a certain threshold of missed school days.

You may receive a:

• 3 Day Unexcused Absence Letter

• 7 Day Unexcused Absence Letter

• 10 Day Absence Letter

• 20 Day Absence Letter

• 30 Day Absence Letter

*After 7 unexcused absences, the school is required to file truancy through Anoka County.

During Trimester 1 (September 9-December 3), receiving a 10 Day Absence Letter will result in requiring a medical note to excuse any absences going forward.

During Trimesters 2 and 3 (December 8-June 10), receiving a 20 Day Absence Letter will result in requiring a medical note to excuse any absences going forward.

Please contact your student’s grade level administrator directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Northdale Middle School has a security system in place. In order to enter the building, each person is required to have a valid form of identification, preferably a drivers license.

Please bring your identification each and every time you come to the building as you will be required to scan your identification through our system.

Please scan your ID, then come into the main office to sign your student out of the building.

While these brief, but important steps may take a few extra minutes, the safety of your student is our number one priority.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools is committed to providing students and staff with a safe, secure, and positive learning and working environment. In an effort to improve student focus on learning and reduce distractions during the school year, the school board has communicated that cell phones are not permitted to be used from 8:25am - 3:05pm in the middle schools.

The middle school guidelines state: At all six middle schools in the district, electronic devices must be concealed and shall not be powered on or used in any way during regular operations of the school day, during other school-sponsored and supervised group activities during the school day (e.g., during student assemblies, field trips, events, or other ceremonies, etc.), or when their use is otherwise prohibited by school personnel.

Students may call home from the Health Service phone. We prefer that the student comes to the health office first rather than calling or texting home to parents about not feeling well.

All medication must arrive in the original packaging, which displays dosage, frequency, and age requirements (do not send medicine in baggies or just in the bubble wrap). Prescription medication needs to have a pharmacy label with the student’s name and directions for giving. Prescription medication needs both a signed physician’s order and parental permission. Over the counter medications need parental permission. Medication authorization forms can be found on the health service website Health / Overview (ahschools.us)

With an order from the doctor and signed permission from a parent and the school nurse, students are allowed to carry their own inhaler. It is recommended that a back-up inhaler be kept in the health office. All inhalers must have a pharmacy label on the inhaler.

If a student has an appointment, please send a note and have your student bring it to the attendance office before the start of the school day. If the student is being transported by someone other than a parent, that information should be included in the request. Please do not call at the last minute and request that we have your student ready to leave for his/her appointment.

Only individuals identified on the emergency contact form are allowed to pick up a student. If this is not possible, special arrangements need to be made with the school health service staff. If you must have someone pick up your child who is not listed on the emergency contact form, contact the Health Service Dept. directly.

The direct number for the health office is 763-506-5404. The school nurse direct line is 763-506-5504. The fax number is 763-506-5403. All immunizations and doctor orders can be faxed from your clinic/hospital to health service.

Minnesota state law requires all students to be immunized to attend seventh grade.

In addition to previously received immunizations, seventh grade students need one Tdap booster after the age of 7 years and one meningitis shot. Your student could need one or more vaccinations or a legal exemption to meet these requirements. You may check your student’s immunization records in AH Connect.

If your child is not in compliance with state laws regarding immunization requirements, they will not be allowed to attend school as of October 13, 2026, until they are in compliance. If you have a medical appointment for your student to get their shots, but it is after the October 13th date, you will need to get a legal exemption form signed and notarized to have on file until your student has their appointment.

Contact your medical provider or Northdale Health Service at 763-506-5404 (fax: 763-506-5403) if you have questions.

Our goal is to provide a fun, safe, and engaging opportunity for middle school students and their families to support high school athletes as they participate in football, band, dance, and cheer. The following expectations are in place to ensure that all who attend experience a safe, welcoming, and positive environment.

All five Anoka-Hennepin traditional high schools (Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park and Coon Rapids) have made the transition to online ticket sales for athletics and activities events. With the exception of some boys and girls hockey events, all ticket sales for events hosted by district schools will be online using Bound, the official mobile ticketing system for athletic events.

• Students will be admitted to football games with a valid Bound ticket, accompanied by a valid ID and a guardian escort, with a 2:1 student-to-adult ratio.

• Unsupervised students will not be permitted entry.

• The student code of conduct for school extends to all Anoka-Hennepin school events. Students running, throwing objects, using profanity, or causing other disruptions will be required to sit with their guardian for the remainder of the game.

• If the student’s guardian is not present, an administrator on duty will call home and escort the students to the front of the gate to wait to be picked up.

• There will be no refunds if a student is removed from the game before its conclusion.

• If a guardian has to be called about a student’s behavior, the student will not be admitted to a football game for the remainder of the year.

• Significant disruptions and policy violations are subject to further disciplinary action.

• Students are not permitted to bring backpacks, footballs, soccer balls, etc., to games. Balls will be confiscated at the gate or by administration if brought to the stadium.

• Students still on campus 15 minutes after the conclusion of a game will not be permitted to return to a game for the remainder of the season.

• Do not drop your student off unattended at the football game. It is expected that guardians supervise their students.

• Please review expectations of behavior with your student(s) before arrival and arrange for a meeting location at the end of the game.

• If your student is brought to you in the bleachers, please make sure your student remains with you for the duration of the game.

• As stated above, please be aware that students still on campus, unsupervised, 15 minutes after the conclusion of an event will not be permitted to attend future events.