A short week and a long weekend ahead. I hope all of our Wildcats enjoy these next four days away from school. This is a Balance Break weekend. Students will have no homework and no expectation to study or prepare for an assessment. Please see below for more information.

We currently have Zero (0) Parents and Zero (0) Teachers who have declared for School Governance Council candidates. If you are interested, please fill out the Candidate Declaration Form below. The deadline is March 2.

Thank you again to the parents who volunteered last Friday during our morning arrival. We are opening up several opportunities to serve as a Wildcat Guardian. Please see the opportunities below and stay tuned for information about signing up from our PTO.

Please report any positive COVID-19 cases to the Parent or Employee portals. Pending test results and direct exposures no longer need to be reported.

If there is anything we can do to support your family, please let us know. I hope all of our families have a wonderful weekend!

I'm looking forward to seeing our students again on Tuesday!

• Friday, February 18 - Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
  
• Monday, February 21 - President's Day (No School)
• Thursday, February 24 - 7th Grade Dance (4:15-5:30)

• Social Studies Teacher
• Reading Teacher
• Health/PE Teacher
• Healthcare Science Teacher - FILLED
• Adaptive Special Education Teacher (MIMO)
• Interrelated Resource Special Education Teacher (IRR)
• Part Time Spanish Teacher
• Instructional Paraprofessional, Special Education
• Administrative Assistant

We will update our open positions throughout the hiring season.

Please email a resume and letter of interest to Mr. Peterson at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

During the month of February we will be celebrating Black History Month at NMS. Each day members of our student council we will be sharing African American achievements throughout U.S. history during the morning announcements.

We are excited about the event we announced last week and have shared a couple times with our school community. Let's Talk About Sexting is a parent and student event that is being hosted by Titania Jordan from Bark. Titania and a panel of FCS staff (including yours truly) will be sharing about the dangers of sexting during this event on March 8.

This issue is affecting our students at Northwestern Middle School. Students in all grade levels are engaging in this behavior or they know someone who is engaging in this behavior.

Please make plans to join us on March 8. If you have any questions about this event, please email me directly at petersonj1@fultonschools.org.

Balance Breaks are designed to provide students and their families with a break from school work while at home. During a balance break, students will not be assigned any homework. There will be no expectation for students to complete schoolwork during these regular breaks from school. Students will not have any assessments (quiz or test) during the first two school days when they return from the break. Students should not feel the need to study/prepare for an assessment during the break.

Wildcat Guardian Volunteer Opportunities

Wildcat Guardians can volunteer for a single lunch period/shift or multiple lunches/shifts on a single day. Volunteers will be required to complete a FCS Volunteer Application and must also meet with Mr. Peterson or an Assistant Principal prior to their first shift.

Cafeteria Guardians

Help our Assistant Principals and Counselors in the cafeteria. Wildcat Guardians get to interact with our students during lunch.

6th Grade Lunch: 11:00-11:45

8th Grade Lunch: 11:52-12:37

7th Grade Lunch: 12:44-1:29

We want our Wildcats to Be Ready, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible during lunch by doing the following:

• Enter cafeteria calmly and stay seated during lunch
• Make healthy choices and try new foods
• Get everything you need for eating while in the lunch line
• Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself
• Clean up after yourself and use trash bins
• Consume all food and beverages while in cafeteria
• Eat your own food
• Obtain permission to use restroom and follow directions for dismissal

Recess Guardians

Help our teachers at outdoor recess. Recess Guardians get to interact with and help keep students safe during recess.

6th Grade Recess: 11:00-11:45

8th Grade Recess: 11:52-12:37

7th Grade Recess: 12:44-1:29

*Please note on rainy days and when fields are wet, or when temperatures are too cold/hot, students will participate in indoor recess. Recess Guardians can support the Cafeteria Guardians on indoor recess days.

We want our Wildcats to Be Ready, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible during recess by doing the following:

• Run, play, and have fun.
• Avoid rough and boisterous play. Be safe at all times.
• Respect yourself, your peers, your teachers, and your surroundings.
• Be a problem solver and avoid conflict.
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself
• Clean up after yourself and use trash bins.
• Stay in designated area for recess.
• Respect property of the school and other’s.
• Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers
• Return the recess equipment to its designated place after recess

Atrium Guardians

Help support our Administration by serving as an Atrium Guardian. Atrium Guardians help supervise student movement in our Grade Level Atrium.

*Atrium Guardians can work at a desk provided in the Grade Level Atrium.

Morning Shifts Afternoon Shifts

9:30-10:30 12:30-1:30

10:30-11:30 1:30-2:30

11:30-12:30 2:30-3:30

We want our Wildcats to Be Ready, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible in the hallways and restrooms by doing the following:

• Have a hall pass with you at all times.
• Get to and from places quickly and appropriately
• Manage your time appropriately.
• Speak using indoor volume level at all times
• Respect the privacy and space of others.
• Report any misbehavior to an adult
• Stay to the right in the hallways and roundabouts

Georgia Milestones testing is scheduled for April and May. The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is reminding all districts and families that Milestones testing will be required, and that the results will be used for College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) and other important school level and school system rankings. With the absence of significant testing data from the last two years, this year’s scores will be used to establish a new baseline for the schools and districts. Participation will be critical.

Mr. Peterson will share information in the coming weeks about the participation requirement for all students and how Georgia Milestones directly impacts our school and community.

Cambridge High Schools will host “Rising 9th Grade Pathways and Tours on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 5:30 pm. The evening will begin with a brief parent meeting at 5:30 pm; then the student “CLAWS” mentors will lead tours through the building. Each tour group will stop in specific locations along the tour route so families can learn about different elective pathways from our staff and students. The evening will allow new families to see the campus and provide time to “meet and greet” with Cambridge faculty and students. In addition to this event, please check www.cambridgehs.org and follow the Course Registration ad for videos regarding all the pathway offerings at Cambridge. The videos and tour event should provide students and parents with the ability to make an informed decision on elective course selection prior to the March 11th course selection deadline. Please visit www.cambridgehs.org for additional information.

Parents/guardians have the ability to "turn off" attendance notifications in their Parent Portal. Click on the Silhouette on the top right and select Settings. Unclick the box for the Attendance emails.

The candidate declaration phase began on Wednesday, February 2nd and will end Wednesday, March 2nd at 5pm. Candidates who wish to run for election should complete the Candidate Declaration Form below.

Eligibility Requirements for All Council Members

• May only serve on one (1) School Governance Council at a time
• May NOT be an elected official of a government entity
• Must be the ONLY member of their family serving on the Council
• Must be 18 years or older (with the exception of high school student members)

Eligibility Requirements for Parents

• Must have a child enrolled at the school for the duration of the term they declare candidacy for
• May NOT be an employee of the school
• MAT be legal guardians listed in Infinite Campus

Eligibility Requirements for Teachers

• MAY be the parent of a child enrolled at the school
• Must be a school based employee with a "home school".
• Must be paid from the teacher salary schedule.

Fulton County Schools’ Office of Student Supports is helping launch a game-changing tool called Connect Fulton to all of Fulton County. Anyone - not only FCS students and employees, but also parents and community members who live and/or work in Fulton County - can go to connectfulton.findhelp.com, enter their zip code and access thousands of local, reduced-cost resources. Whether the need is for food, housing, financial, medical, clothing, job training, etc., a multitude of services and solutions are available. For more information, please reach out to Fulton County Schools Office of Student Supports at 470-254-0451.

The Curriculum Hub provides a variety of resources to assist parents in supporting their student's learning in the areas of English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies including:

• A year-at-a-glance for each course with the standards taught in each unit
• Unit plans detailing the specific learning targets to be mastered
• Parent resources to preview or review concepts and skills taught in each unit

Breakfast/Lunch Fees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has waived fees so all students will continue to receive meals at no charge for the 2021-22 school year, allowing school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing children for success.

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 continue to offer many clubs and student activities for our students during the 2021-22 school year. Check back often for more information!

Dear Parents,

On Thursday, February 24, the Student Council is hosting a 7th Grade Dance from 4:15 pm until 5:30 pm in the NMS cafeteria. The cost to attend this event is $10 dollars per student. This cost will cover admission, pizza, bottled water, and a sweet treat. Payments must be made using the OSP system found on the Northwestern Middle School webpage. Payments can be made from 2/07/22 through 2/24/22. This is a cash free event, so payment is only made online.

In addition to payment, we must have a permission slip completed for each student attending. A digital form will be posted on the NMS website’s home page. This will go live on Monday, February 7th. Students will not be allowed to enter the dance without this form submitted.

If you have any further questions, contact Ms. Paula Perque, Student council sponsor - mailto:perque@fultonschools.org

Sincerely,

Paula Perque

Student Council Sponsor

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

The PTO teacher appreciation committee celebrated Valentine’s Day with these delicious crumble cookies for all of our teachers and staff!

Yearbooks are on sale and can be purchased directly from the Balfour website https://www.balfour.com/georgia/alpharetta/northwestern-middle-school

FAQS

· What is the due date for submitting baby photos/ad space?

o February 1st is the deadline, don’t miss out on honoring your 8th grade student!

· How do I know if I have ordered a yearbook?

o There are 2 ways to verify whether or not you have ordered a yearbook. You can check your inbox, if you have ordered a yearbook, you will receive an order confirmation from Balfour. Or, you can log into your Balfour account and click on “My Account” on the top right hand corner of the screen, then click on “My orders” on the left hand side of the screen.

· What is the deadline to order a yearbook?

o The last day to order a yearbook is April 15.

· How do I know if I have completed the process correctly?

o We will be reviewing each order extensively. As long as you have processed your order (i.e. add your items to the cart and then check out completely), we will follow up if we have any questions.

· Do I get a proof to review?

o Since we utilize the exact image that you upload, we do not provide a proof for you to view.

· If you have any questions about your order, call 1-800-BALFOUR or email at contact.us@balfour.com.

Spirit Wear is 25% off until the end of the year. New styles have been added!

Spirtware is available for purchase! A wonderful amount of different NMS Wildcats items for purchase and shipped directly to your home! CLICK HERE!!

Support North Western Middle School and purchase a PTO Membership! All funds go right back into the school to benefit teachers and students. CLICK HERE!!

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!