McNair MS Weekly Newsletter

Dear McNair Families,

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our scholars. We are incredibly grateful for our parents, families, and community stakeholders who continue to work alongside us to make McNair Middle School a safe, welcoming, and academically focused environment for every Astro.

Remote Learning Day | Tuesday, November 3

Please remember that Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is a Remote Learning Day for students. Students should log in, stay engaged in learning, and complete the activities and assignments their teachers provide.

ELA & Technology Night | November 19

Please save the date for our ELA & Technology Night on Thursday, November 19, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing our families for an engaging evening centered on literacy, technology, and student learning. We hope you will join us!

Opportunities to Make Up Work & Accelerate Learning

We want every scholar to be successful and finish the grading period strong. Students will have opportunities to make up assignments they may have missed. Teachers may also provide acceleration or enrichment work for additional credit, when appropriate. Parents, please continue to monitor your child's academic progress and encourage your scholar to communicate with teachers about missing assignments and opportunities to improve.

Thank You for an Amazing Trunk or Treat!

Thank you to all our parents, families, staff members, and community stakeholders who joined us for Trunk or Treat this past Friday! We truly enjoyed seeing our wonderful scholars fellowship with one another and spend time with their families and school community. Your participation and support helped make the event special for our Astros, and we appreciate everyone who contributed to its success.

Join Our PTSA | We Need Your Help!

Parents and families, we need you! Please consider joining our PTSA and becoming even more involved in our school community. Strong family involvement helps us build an even stronger McNair.

Please look for the PTSA flyer below in the newsletter and scan the QR code to join. We appreciate your voice, involvement, and support!

Attendance Matters | We Need Our Scholars at School!

Please ensure that your child is attending school every day and arriving on time. We have seen an increase in the number of students who are chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism means missing 18 or more days during the school year. Every instructional day matters. When students miss school, they miss valuable instruction, interventions, academic support, and opportunities to engage with their teachers and classmates.

We need our scholars at school, on time, and ready to learn!

If your family needs to utilize one of the five virtual days allotted to students during the semester, please contact our Social Worker, Ms. Drayton, for assistance with the appropriate process.

If your child is absent because of illness, please submit the appropriate written documentation to the front office so the absence can be reviewed and properly coded.

Safety Reminders & Student Expectations

The safety of our scholars and staff remains one of our highest priorities. Please take a moment to review the following expectations with your child:

Clear or Mesh Bookbags
Students are expected to bring clear or mesh bookbags to school. Please ensure your scholar arrives each day with an appropriate bookbag.

No Drugs, Vaping Devices, or Paraphernalia
Drugs, vaping devices, tobacco products, and related paraphernalia are strictly prohibited on campus. Vaping of any kind is not permitted. We ask parents and guardians to have ongoing conversations with their children about making safe, healthy, and responsible choices.

Cell Phones & Personal Electronic Devices
Please remember that Georgia's Distraction-Free Education Act, House Bill 340, restricts K-8 students' access to personal electronic devices from the first bell through the final bell of the school day. The law covers devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, headphones, and other personal electronic devices, subject to applicable exceptions.

Students are expected to follow all school procedures regarding cell phones and personal electronic devices. If a student's phone is collected, a parent or guardian may retrieve the phone from the front office between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

McNair families, thank you for everything you do to support our scholars, teachers, and school community. Your partnership is essential to our success, and we are grateful to have you as part of the Astro family. Let's continue working together to ensure that our scholars are present, safe, engaged, learning, and achieving every day.

At McNair, we believe excellence is the standard!

With appreciation,

Dr. Keenan Cameron, Principal

McNair Middle School
Home of the Astros

Parents/Guardians,

Please take a moment to review the Student Code of Conduct document linked below. After reviewing the document, please complete the acknowledgment in Infinite Campus by August 31.

Submitting the acknowledgment confirms that you have received and reviewed the Student Code of Conduct and are aware of the district's expectations for student behavior and conduct.

Parents/Guardians,

Please take a few moments to review the Student/Parent/Guardian Device Handbook with your child. The handbook outlines important expectations for the care, use, and responsibility of school-issued devices.

We also encourage families to consider purchasing device insurance. Device insurance can help reduce the financial burden associated with accidental damage, loss, or repair of student devices throughout the school year.

https://www.fultonschools.org/all-departments/information-technology/it

Grade 8 Scholars Only | Monday, March 8, 2027

McNair Middle School is excited to offer the PSAT 8/9 to our Grade 8 scholars.

This assessment provides students with an early opportunity to practice the skills needed for future college and career readiness assessments, including the SAT. The PSAT 8/9 measures reading, writing, and mathematics skills and helps identify academic strengths and areas for growth. Participation in this assessment gives students valuable experience with a nationally recognized assessment while supporting their long-term academic success. We look forward to our scholars showcasing their knowledge and abilities!

McNair Middle School has been selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as "The Nation’s Report Card." Selected Grade 8 scholars have been chosen to participate in this assessment on Tuesday, February 2, 2027.

NAEP measures what students know and can do in various subject areas and provides important information about student achievement across the nation. The assessment is given to a representative sample of students and is used to inform educators, policymakers, and communities about educational progress. NAEP is not graded, does not affect students' report card grades, and no special preparation is required. We encourage selected scholars to do their best and represent McNair Middle School with pride.

Thank you for your support in helping our scholars participate in this important national assessment.

Link to the Weekly Newsletter - November 1, 2026

Link to the November 1, 2026 Newsletter

Link to the October 26, 2026 Newsletter

Link to the November 1, 2026 Newsletter

🏐 Let’s Go, Astros!

Volleyball season begins Monday, October 19! Come out and cheer on our Boys and Girls Volleyball Teams as they begin an exciting new season. All games begin at 5:30 p.m.

Supporting our scholars beyond the classroom is an important part of building a strong school community. Extracurricular activities give scholars opportunities to build relationships, develop teamwork, strengthen their connection to school, and create meaningful memories that enhance their overall school experience.

Please review the attached volleyball schedule for upcoming game dates and make plans to come out and support our scholar-athletes. Let’s fill the stands with Astro pride! 🏐💙

🌟 You're Invited! 🌟

Join us for Title I ELA & Technology Night at McNair Middle School!

📅 Thursday, November 19, 2026
🕠 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Families will enjoy an engaging evening focused on literacy, technology, and student achievement. Learn practical strategies to support reading at home, explore digital learning tools, and discover resources designed to help scholars succeed. The event is part of McNair's commitment to strengthening the partnership between home and school through meaningful family engagement.

🍪 Complimentary meal provided.

We look forward to welcoming our Astro families for an informative and enjoyable evening!

McNair Middle School
Home of the Astros 🚀

Ronald E. McNair Middle School will host an ESOL Parent Night on November 16, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. This informative session will provide families with an overview of the ESOL program, its benefits, available support services, and information about ACCESS testing. Parents and guardians will also learn practical ways to support their students' academic success both at school and at home. A virtual attendance option will be available to ensure all families can participate. We encourage all ESOL families to join us for this valuable opportunity to connect, learn, and strengthen the home-school partnership.

La Escuela Intermedia Ronald E. McNair llevará a cabo una Noche para Padres del Programa ESOL el 16 de noviembre de 2026, de 5:30 p. m. a 6:30 p. m. Esta sesión informativa brindará a las familias de estudiantes aprendices de inglés una visión general del programa ESOL, sus beneficios, los servicios de apoyo disponibles y la información relacionada con la evaluación ACCESS.

Los padres y tutores también aprenderán estrategias prácticas para apoyar el éxito académico de sus estudiantes tanto en la escuela como en el hogar. Además, habrá una opción virtual disponible para garantizar que todas las familias puedan participar. Invitamos a todas las familias ESOL a unirse a esta valiosa oportunidad para conectarse, aprender y fortalecer la colaboración entre el hogar y la escuela.

Families, we invite you to join Fulton County Schools Board Member Kimberly Dove at the upcoming District 6 Community Meetings. These meetings give you a chance to stay informed, share your voice, and learn about important initiatives affecting our schools and community.

We encourage all families to attend and partner with us in supporting student success. We hope to see you there!

Families, we invite you to partner with us throughout the school year by attending our upcoming Ronald E. McNair Middle School events! From parent workshops and curriculum nights to Title I meetings and family engagement opportunities, each event is designed to keep you informed, connected, and empowered to support your child's success. We look forward to seeing you there as we continue working together to ensure that Excellence is the Standard! 🚀⭐

Mark your calendars and join us. Your involvement makes a difference! 💙❤️

This school year, Ronald E. McNair Middle School is fully implementing the Fulton County Schools Personal Electronic Devices (PED) Policy. Under this policy, all personal electronic devices (PEDs), including but not limited to cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and similar devices, must be powered off and stored in students' individually assigned lockers from 8:55 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.

This bell-to-bell PED policy is designed to support a focused learning environment, promote student well-being, and enhance school safety. Limited exceptions are available for students with documented IEP or Section 504 accommodations, verified medical needs, or approved instructional use.

Students who are found in violation of the PED policy will have their devices confiscated and submitted to Principal Cameron for safekeeping. Parents or guardians may retrieve confiscated devices between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Additionally, progressive disciplinary measures will be implemented, including mandatory parent conferences and increased

consequences for repeated violations.

We encourage all families to review the attached flyer for detailed information regarding policy expectations, approved exceptions, and disciplinary procedures. Thank you for your partnership in supporting a safe and productive learning environment for all students.

FCS Cell Phone Policy - English

FCS Cell Phone Policy - Spanish

Families, we invite you to encourage your scholar to participate in Book Fair Week! Reading is an important part of academic success. It helps strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking, creativity, and confidence, while encouraging curiosity and building lifelong learning habits.

💡 Parent Reminder: Before sending money, please have your scholar preview the Book Fair selections, identify the books or items they would like to purchase, and note the prices. This will help you know exactly how much money to send and allow your scholar to plan their purchases ahead of time.

Let’s work together to grow confident, enthusiastic, and lifelong readers. Every book is an opportunity to learn, grow, and dream! 📖✨

Fulton County Schools Digital Library

The Fulton County Schools Digital Library provides students with free, 24/7 access to a variety of digital reading and learning resources both at school and at home. Through platforms such as Sora, Beanstack, TumbleBooks, and MackinVIA, students can read eBooks and audiobooks, participate in reading challenges, explore educational databases, and access interactive learning materials.

Getting started is simple: students log into ClassLink, open a reading app, and begin reading and learning. The Digital Library supports literacy development, builds confidence, expands knowledge, and encourages lifelong reading habits. All resources are available at no cost to Fulton County Schools students.

Access the flyer for additional information, QR codes, and step-by-step instructions for getting started.

Families, we need your support! 📚🚀

Help McNair Middle School continue soaring in the Fulton County 15 Million Minutes Reading Challenge! Encourage your scholar to visit the school or local library, check out a book, read daily, and log their reading minutes in Beanstack. Every minute counts toward our school goal and helps us move closer to reaching Pathfinder status. Together, we can build strong readers and reach 15 million minutes one page at a time!

Encourage your scholar to: Read. Log. Achieve. Let's keep McNair in the top rankings! ⭐📖🛸

To demonstrate our commitment, McNair Middle School would like to share some family tips about the Digital Media Lessons to discuss at home.

Help Kids Balance Their Media Lives encourages families to create healthy technology habits by setting screen-free times and spaces, using digital well-being tools, modeling positive media use, helping children recognize healthy and unhealthy screen behaviors, and discussing how technology and social media are designed to keep users engaged. The goal is to help children develop a balanced relationship with technology while supporting their physical, emotional, and social well-being.

The C.T. Vivian Foundation (CTVF) Productive Struggle Program is a literacy support initiative partnering with Ronald E. McNair Middle School during the 2026-2027 school year. The program is designed to strengthen students’ reading skills through personalized literacy instruction, volunteer mentorship, and enrichment experiences that build confidence, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and positive reading habits.

The program will serve approximately 20-30 scholars, primarily identified from 7th and 8th grade literacy support tiers. Beginning September 28, 2026, students will participate in regular literacy sessions led by community volunteers and supported by school staff. Families will also receive resources and guidance to encourage reading at home.

We are excited to share a helpful resource from Reading Rockets about student progress monitoring. The article explains how teachers regularly track a student's academic growth to determine if they are making expected progress and whether additional support or enrichment may be needed.

Progress monitoring helps educators identify strengths, address learning challenges early, and make informed decisions about instruction. It provides valuable information about how well a student responds to classroom teaching and interventions.

As parents, understanding progress monitoring can help you:

• Stay informed about your child's academic growth.
• Ask meaningful questions about their progress and learning goals.
• Partner with teachers to support learning at home.
• Celebrate improvements and identify areas where additional support may be beneficial.

By working together and using progress data effectively, we can help ensure every student receives the support they need to be successful.

You can read the full article here: Student Progress Monitoring: What This Means for Your Child

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education.

At Ronald E. McNair Middle School, we are committed to keeping families informed about their child's academic growth. Families of students receiving interventions will receive progress monitoring reports as required by the district. To help you better understand these reports, we have included an informational letter and graphic that explain how to access progress monitoring data and interpret your child's progress.

Please take a few moments to review the resources linked below. They provide step-by-step guidance for accessing Reading and Math intervention information through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, as well as information about specialized progress reports. Together, these tools will help you stay informed and engaged in your student's learning journey.

Parent Letter

Students in grades 6-8 will begin classroom competitions on November 10, 2026, after receiving the official word list on October 28. Classroom finalists will advance to the schoolwide Spelling Bee on November 17 at 9:30 a.m. in the Media Center.

To support student preparation, we are including the first-round spelling word lists by grade level. We encourage parents and families to practice these words with their scholars at home to help build confidence and strengthen spelling skills ahead of the classroom competitions.

The school champion and runner-up will earn the opportunity to represent McNair at the Fulton County Schools District Spelling Bee on January 9, 2027. We encourage all students to participate, study, and showcase their spelling talents as we celebrate academic excellence and the joy of learning.

Please review the student word lists below:

Grade 6 Student Word Study List

Grade 7 Student Word Study List

Grade 8 Student Word Study List

Imagine your child exploring the rich culture, history, and innovation of Japan in Summer 2028! This unforgettable educational travel experience will help students build confidence, independence, leadership skills, and a global perspective while experiencing one of the world's most fascinating destinations.

✅ Explore Japan's rich history, culture, and technology
✅ Participate in meaningful educational experiences
✅ Travel with fellow McNair students and families
✅ Build lifelong memories and global awareness

Interested families are encouraged to secure their spot by making their deposit as soon as possible. Early enrollment helps reserve a place on the trip and may provide additional savings opportunities. Space is limited and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

👉 Learn more and enroll here: Japan Trip Information and Enrollment

This promises to be a life-changing opportunity for students, and we look forward to sharing this incredible adventure with our McNair families!

McNair Middle School is excited to partner with WCYE to share several upcoming opportunities for our students and families. Highlights include the Parent Blueprint: Grace-Based Parenting Boot Camp for parents of middle school students, a Student Movie Experience, the Identity Unleashed Girls’ Tea Party for middle school girls, and a College Tour opportunity for 7th and 8th grade students. These experiences are designed to support students’ academic, social, and personal growth while strengthening family engagement. Families are encouraged to review the flyer below and register as soon as possible. For select events, RSVP by texting WCYEBRIDGE to 51555.

Please access the entire document by clicking here.

The McNair Middle School School Governance Council (SGC) is inviting parents, staff, and community members to provide feedback, suggestions, questions, and comments to help inform council decisions. Community members can submit public comments by scanning the QR code listed below.

The School Governance Council is responsible for:

• Approving the school's Strategic Plan and updates
• Approving the annual budget and resource allocations
• Managing flexibility requests
• Participating in the hiring of the principal when applicable
• Providing annual feedback on principal performance

Beginning this school year, Fulton County Schools is transitioning its online payment platform from OSP (Online School Payments) to SchoolCash Online.

Families are encouraged to register for SchoolCash Online and add their students as soon as possible to ensure they are prepared to make school-related payments throughout the year.

Key Benefits of SchoolCash Online:

• Safe and secure payment system trusted by schools nationwide
• Convenient online payments anytime, anywhere
• Access to payment reminders and payment history
• Ability to manage multiple students under one account

Families can register by visiting SchoolCash Online through the district website or by scanning the QR code provided on the flyer.

Register early and add your student(s) now to avoid delays and be ready for the school year ahead.

Please join us in congratulating our Astro Flames Dance Team on an outstanding performance at the Battle on the South Side competition hosted by MD Roberts School of Arts!

Out of eight competing teams, the Astro Flames were the ONLY team to place in every category they entered!

🏆 Crowd Favorite Award | Creative Category
🥉 3rd Place | Field Show Category
🥉 3rd Place | Creative Category
🥈 2nd Place | Parade Category

Our scholars represented McNair with pride, professionalism, energy, and excellence. Their accomplishments are a testament to their hard work, dedication, preparation, and commitment to representing our school at the highest level.

A special thank you and congratulations to Coach Moore-Brown, Ms. M. Lewis, and Ms. Malone, our Astro Flames sponsors, for their leadership, commitment, and continued investment in our scholars. Your time, encouragement, and dedication to this team are greatly appreciated.

The excitement continues as the Astro Flames have also been invited to compete at Columbia Middle School on November 21!

Congratulations to our Astro Flames and their sponsors! We are incredibly proud of you. Keep shining and representing McNair with excellence!

McNair Middle School is proud to recognize and celebrate our newly elected Student Government Association (SGA) Officers for the 2026-2027 school year. These outstanding student leaders will serve as representatives of the 8th-grade class, helping to amplify student voice, promote school spirit, support service initiatives, and foster a positive school culture.

We are excited to see the creativity, leadership, and dedication these students will bring to our school community. Their commitment to serving others and making a positive impact reflects the values we strive to cultivate at McNair Middle School.

Congratulations to our SGA Officers! We thank our families for their continued support and look forward to a successful and inspiring school year together. These student leaders will help strengthen connections within our school and community through leadership and service.