Wildcat Weekly - 12/19/2025
Wildcat Country,
As we enter the much-needed winter break, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the privilege of serving this incredible community. Each day, I am inspired by the dedication of our staff, the curiosity and resilience of our students, and the unwavering support of our families.
This winter break is a wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect, and recharge. I hope each of you finds time to rest, reconnect with loved ones, and enjoy the joys that make this time of year so special.
Thank you to everyone who makes our community so special and welcoming and I look forward to taking on the New Year when we return.
Go Wildcats!
Haaris Quraishy
Principal, Northwestern
Hello Fulton county families.
Applications for Fulton County Schools' Innovation Academy are currently open.
We are excited to invite current 8th grade students to apply for admission to FCS IA.
Students may apply here.
FCS IA is a public STEM Magnet School focused on IT, Engineering, and Healthcare. Our unique educational programming provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
You can find out more about IA on our website, or you can join us for a tour before applications close.
Our applications are open until January 9th.
Scott Kent
Principal, FCS Innovation Academy
Rising 9th Graders Zoned for Cambridge High School
I am excited to invite you and your students to Cambridge High School’s Elective Fair on Wednesday, January 8, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
This event will be an evening of elective exploration and information as we prepare for the 2026–2027 school year. Students and families will have the opportunity to learn about the wide range of elective courses available, speak with teachers, and discover pathways that align with their interests and goals.
The evening will also include a general session with me, where I will share important updates and guidance for elective selection and becoming a Bear!
Event Details:
- Date: January 8
- Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: Cambridge High School
We hope you will encourage your students and families to attend this informative and engaging event. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional details.
Thank you for your support!
Ashley Agans
Principal, Cambridge High School
Our students take the iReady Diagnostic to help our staff understand what they already know and what they still need to learn in reading and math. It isn’t a traditional test with a grade; instead, it’s a tool for measuring skill levels.
It also helps us in regards to the following when it comes to your child:
1. To find each student’s learning level
The diagnostic adapts—questions get easier or harder depending on how the student answers. This helps pinpoint the student’s exact strengths and gaps.
2. To guide individualized instruction
Teachers use the results to plan lessons, small-group instruction, and interventions that match each student’s needs.
3. To measure growth over time
Students typically take the diagnostic several times a year. Comparing results shows how much progress they’ve made.
Attention, 7th & 8th grade boys that are interested in playing on the NMS basketball team – The last day of tryouts has been rescheduled to the Wednesday after winter break – January 7th. Make sure your paperwork is turned in to attend.
Girls, there will be one last day of basketball tryouts held the week after winter break – Thursday, January 8th. Make sure to get your paperwork turned in to tryout! See Coach Allen or Coach Hutson for more information.
Balance breaks are designed to provide students and their families with a break from schoolwork during long weekends and extended vacations from school. These balance breaks occur during already scheduled school holidays.
- During balance breaks, students will not be assigned any homework. There should be no expectation for students to complete any schoolwork at home.
- Students will not have any assessments (minor or major) scheduled on the first day back from the balance break. Students should not feel the need to study/prepare for an assessment during the break.
Balance Break
- All students must be checked out by 3:00pm each day. Exceptions can only be approved by admin.
We are making this shift to help support the dismissal of Milton HS in the afternoons. We are asking for your partnership to soften the traffic flow that MHS experiences at the end of the day. Please know that we will always work with you in the event that you need a checkout after 3pm, but we ask that you consider our position in balancing the end of the day for us and also Milton HS.
- Leading up to holidays, or long weekends, checkouts must be completed by 2:00pm.
If you need to drop an item off for a student, please follow the instructions below:
Leave items on the “DROP-OFF ITEMS” shelf, below the poster, in the front office
Write the student’s name and date on the paper provided on the shelf and attach it to the item
Write the student’s name on the white board under the correct grade level.
The front office will not call into classrooms and interrupt instruction for items, unless you are dropping off a computer. Students should check the whiteboard, outside of the front office, to see if there was something dropped off for them during the day.
Parents,
Please see the attached image for a visual of our morning carpool map.
When entering the circle drive, we ask that you drop off your child as soon as you come to a complete stop and a sidewalk is available—please refer to the blue stars on the map for designated drop-off points. After drop-off, you may use the outside lanes to exit.
To keep the line moving efficiently, please do not wait to reach the front of the carpool line before letting your child out of the car. While we understand there may occasionally be a need to wait, we kindly ask that all families follow the map and general procedure under normal circumstances.
We sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation. Arrival and dismissal during the first few weeks of school can bring some inconsistencies, but with time and routine, the process will become smoother each day.
Also, we understand the Birmingham Highway can be very busy in the morning and afternoon. We ask that you do NOT use the side parking lot between Friendship Park and NMS to drop off or pick up your students. This puts your child in an unsafe, unsupervised area of the building. In addition, we ask that the students not cut through the recess field before or after school. Students are to use the sidewalk along Birmingham Highway.
Thank you for your support!
We have an Instagram page!
Please follow us at @northwesternms