NAMS Soar & Achieve Newsletter

Dear NAMS Families,

Spring is almost here, and we have an exciting but busy stretch ahead! As a reminder, our Spring Break begins on Monday, March 24, and runs through Monday, March 31. School will resume on Tuesday, April 1. We hope your family enjoys a restful and refreshing break.

When we return, we will begin our spring Ohio State Assessments. These important tests help measure student growth and achievement. Please see the schedule below for testing dates:

April 8th and 10th - English Language Arts (7th and 8th Grade)

April 16th - 8th Grade Science and Biology

April 22nd and 24th - Mathematics (both grades, all math subjects)

Additionally, this Friday marks the end of the third grading period. We encourage all families to help students stay focused as we enter the fourth and final grading period of the school year. Remind your child to complete their homework, read each day, and continue demonstrating positive behavior that aligns with our school’s RISE expectations and core values of kindness, dignity, and respect.

Thank you for your ongoing support! Please reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Mr. Kevin L. Freeman Sr

As we approach Spring Break we know that many families have made travel plans which sometimes involve missing days of school. Please note that a student must complete a Planned Absence Form if they will not be attending school due to extended travel or other circumstances on any day that school is in session. This includes taking extended time off over the holidays and spring break. This does not include medical appointments. Per statute, all pre-planned hours will be counted towards Excessive Absence Hours. If total accumulated absence hours for the school year exceed 65 hours, the pre-planned absences will be marked as unexcused and tracked towards Habitually Truant.

The completed form requires each teacher’s signature as well as the parent/guardian signature. It must be submitted to the building secretary of your child’s school PRIOR to the absence and must be for full day absences. They will not be accepted on or after the date of the absence(s).

Failure to complete and return this form prior to the absence will result in the student’s absences being documented as unexcused and counted toward attendance threshold limits established by HB 410.

Starting on Monday, March 17, we will implement a new automated tardy system to ensure that all students are on time and ready for learning. Below is a brief overview of the new system and the consequences for repeated tardiness.

Warning Letter

When a student accumulates 2 or more unexcused tardies to their first period class in a week, both the student and their parent/guardian will receive a warning letter via email.

Subsequent Tardies in the Quarter
If a student has additional instances of 2 or more unexcused tardies to their first period class in a week during the same quarter, the student will be assigned Friday School.

Friday School Details

8th Grade:

Time: 2:20 PM-3:00 PM

Location: NAMS Main Office

7th Grade:

Time: 3:05-3:45 PM

Location: NAMS Main Office

Transportation
A parent or guardian must pick up students from detention. Students will be released at the times listed above, and parents are not required to enter the building.

If there is any documentation that can excuse or remove one or more tardies, please submit it to the main office in a timely manner.

We appreciate your support in helping students develop good habits for success. Please reach out to Hannah Macko (macko.1@napls.us) if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

With spring just around the corner, we encourage students to bring reusable water bottles to school to stay refreshed during the day. As the weather warms up, it's important to stay hydrated!

Additionally, we have a growing collection of items in our Lost & Found. Please take a moment to have your child check for any missing belongings. Items not claimed by the end of the month will be donated.

Our Global Education Scholarship program is having a fundraiser with the Chipotle today!

Use code B4KBGX8 at the New Albany, Johnstown Road location between 4 - 8:00 PM and support the cause!

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school. As we start approaching the end of the school year, we have a variety of activities and opportunities for you to get involved and help us make a difference!

Annual Flower Sale

The closing date for our annual flower sale through Foertmeyer has been extended to Monday, March 17 (with pick up on May 22)! There is still time to order flowers and share your student's website with family and friends. You can start by requesting access to your online shopping site and then purchasing from the wide variety of beautiful flowers and plants. Find more details HERE. Any student who completes the steps to create an online store will earn house points - no purchase necessary. Proceeds for the flower sale will be used to help fund some of our remaining activities for this year, including Teacher Appreciation Week, our Spring Dance and 8th Grade Lunch on the Lawn.

Save the Date: Spring BLACKOUT! Dance

Mark your calendar for our upcoming spring dance on Friday, April 25 from 7-9 pm at our middle school gym. We've worked hard to collect feedback from students on what they want their school dance experience to be and we're excited to host an event reflective of that feedback. The dance will include a half-court basketball shot contest, blackout photo booth, student guest DJs, glow swag, concessions and Kona Ice - plus opportunities to win House points! Admission is $5 (cash only) and can be purchased during lunch times the week of the dance, or at the door. We would love to see as many volunteers on the night of the dance as possible! Sign-ups for volunteers, along with other needs, will be sent soon!

Save the Date: 8th Grade Lunch on the Lawn and Clap-out

We'll celebrate our 8th graders during the last day of school on Thursday, May 29 with lunch and activities from 11:45 am to 1:30 pm followed by a clap-out to the high school stadium. More details will be provided in early April, including how you can support and volunteer at the lunch.

Stay in Touch

Like our New Albany Middle School PTO Facebook page, follow us on Instagram at NAMS PTO and email us at namspto@napls.us with any questions. Also contact us if you're interested in learning more about our sponsorship packages or volunteering on any of our committees.

Go Eagles!

Terri Erlenbach - President
Ali Smith - Secretary
Nancy Alexander - Treasurer
Melissa Olson - Fundraising
Kristen Pietro & Sarah Mullendore - Membership
Erin Foster & Meredith Murphy - Hospitality
Krystal Sharrock & Amy Wenker - Programming
Emily Liebert - Communications

• March 13 - MS Band Concert @ McCoy Center
• March 14 - Grading Period Ends
• March 18 - MS Choir Concert
• March 21 - Grades Posted
• March 24 - 29 - Spring Break (No School)
• April 8 - 7th & 8th Grade ELA OST Part 1
• April 10 - 7th & 8th Grade ELA OST Part 2
• April 11 - 13 - NAMS Theatre - Annie Jr. Performances
• April 16 - 8th Grade Science, Biology OST
• April 22 - Math OST - Part 1
• April 24 - Math OST - Part 2

Early Dismissal Form

Pre Planned Absence Form

Lunch Menu

Final Forms

Pay Schools Central

NAMS Athletics Calendar

Email: news@napls.us
Website: www.napls.us/ms
Location: 6600 Dublin Granville Road, New Albany, Ohio 43054
Phone: 614-413-8500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAlbanyMS/