The Wolverine Weekly

Please touch base with your child's coach for most updated athletic practice schedules.

November 10:

Beginning of iReady Assessments Window

Basketball Practice: Girls until 5 pm, Boys 5-7 pm

November 11:

iReady Assessment--ELA

NEMS Cheer Practice until 5 pm

Basketball Practice: Girls until 5 pm, Boys 5-7 pm

November 12:

NEMS Veterans Day Program @ 10 am

Wear Red, White, and Blue for Veteran's Day program!

NEMS Cheer Practice until 5 pm

Basketball Practice: Girls until 5 pm, Boys 5-7 pm

November 13:

NEMS Cheer Practice until 5 pm

Basketball Practice: Girls until 5 pm, Boys 5-7 pm

Basketball Parent Meeting 4:45 pm

November 14:

Purple Up! for Military Families

Kona Ice Fundraiser

Basketball Practice: Girls until 5 pm, Boys 5-7 pm

November 18:

Boys Basketball Scrimmage; NEMS vs. Tall Pines @ 6 pm

iReady Assessment--Math

November 20:

School Picture Make-Up Day

November 21:

Student Council Fundraiser: Pajama Day

November 24-28:

Weather Make-Up Days/Thanksgiving Break--If weather make-up days are not needed, Nov. 24-25 will be non-school days for students.

You may need our School Code for Parent Portal or PowerSchool registration.

NEMS School Code: GSNM

November 10: Cantankerous

• Definition: Grumpy and hard to deal with.

• Synonyms: cranky, irritable, grumpy

• Antonyms: pleasant, agreeable, friendly

• Example: Our cat gets cantankerous every time we take her to the vet.

November 17: Flabbergasted

• Definition: Shocked or amazed in a big way.

• Synonyms: astonished, amazed, stunned

• Antonyms: unimpressed, expectant, bored

• Example: I was flabbergasted when I saw the surprise birthday decorations.

Students will also take their Winter iReady over the next two weeks--please encourage your students to take their time and try their best.

Congratulations to Ms. Amy Shepler for being chosen as our 26-27 Teacher of the Year!

Congratulations to Mrs. Amy Shepler for your unwavering dedication, passion, and outstanding impact on our students, families, and school community. You inspire curiosity, foster growth, and lead with heart every single day. This recognition is truly well-deserved.

Here’s to you, Mrs. Shepler! Thank you for making a difference!

Did you know that ALL students in Aiken County can eat Breakfast and Lunch entirely FREE? To make sure students are eating breakfast, our wonderful NEMS cafeteria staff has been offering two ways to grab breakfast: Students can either get a grab-and-go breakfast as they walk in the door or go to the cafeteria to enjoy a meal and opportunity to chat with their friends at the cafeteria table. We hope all students are taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to eat wonderful, nutritious meals!

We encourage all Veterans to join us on November 12, 2025 at 10 am for our annual Veterans Day assembly and for refreshments afterwards.

Pre-pay options are good for the day-of the event only. If they are not used, they are forfeited. They cannot be refunded or transferred to another day.

Winter guard auditions are November 10, 11, 17, and 18 from 4 pm to 6:30 pm in the band room and is open to students in 7-12 grade. Winter guard is a great opportunity to join the Silver Spirit Bands! No experience necessary, but dance experience is a plus. Please wear black athletic attire and hair out of your face.

ASA application for the 2026-2027 school year is NOW LIVE! Current 8th grade students who are taking advanced coursework, including English 1H and Geometry H, are eligible to apply. Visit the Future Scholars tab on our website to access the application, along with all the information you need about the application process. Information sessions for interested applicants and parents will be held November 4th, December 11th, and January 7th at ASA.

We’re excited to welcome Ms. Tripp to the NEMS family! With 23 years of experience teaching middle school English and four years as an administrator, she brings a wealth of knowledge, warmth, and dedication to our campus.

Ms. Tripp is passionate about building meaningful connections with students, teachers, and families — because she believes those relationships are the foundation of a strong and thriving school culture. She’s eager to support teachers in their professional growth, help create an engaging and inclusive learning environment, and ensure every student feels seen, supported, and challenged to reach their full potential.

Outside of school, Ms. Tripp loves to read, shop, and spend time with her three boys — Brayden, Ben, and Barrett — all of whom are studying business at USC-Aiken!

We’re so glad to have her join our team! 💚💛

#NEMSMagic #WelcomeMsTripp #EdgeOfExcellence

For those of you who were in Ms. Tripp's class, she has been replaced by Ms. Whitlock, a veteran, certified teacher! We will have an introduction to her in our next Wolverine Weekly!

We’re excited to welcome Cpl. Nelson to our campus! With several years of experience as a road patrol deputy and training as a drone operator, he brings a strong commitment to safety and service. He’s passionate about supporting students and helping them grow into their best selves.

Outside of work, Cpl. Nelson enjoys spending time with his growing family — his wife, their one-year-old daughter, and a new baby on the way! He’s also a car enthusiast and loves to fish when he gets the chance.

We’re so glad to have him join our team! 💚💛

#NEMSMagic #WelcomeCplNelson #SRO

Parents/Guardians--if you have a specific NEMS or ACPSD adult that you would like to recognize, please go to the district's SHINE page located here: https://www.acpsd.net/o/dhr/page/shine-staff-shout-outs This is a great way to acknowledge people who go above and beyond, no matter what role that person plays in our district. This was created by ACPSD in 2024 in hopes of putting positivity into our profession by using this district-wide platform, which easily allows everyone to recognize one another!

NEMS Students--Do you have a faculty or staff member who you would like to give a shout-out to? Here's a great way to celebrate your teachers or other NEMS adults who help you each day! You will need to login to your Microsoft Account to complete the form. Click on the picture at the side or go here: NEMS Faculty-Staff Shout Out – Fill out form

The 2025 - 2026 NEMS Yearbook is now on sale! This year we are using Treering as our yearbook provider. Some cool features of this year's book include:

• Softcover and hardcover options starting at $34.68
• 2 FREE customizable pages that will only print in your student's book

To order, please visit www.treering.com/validate and enter our school code (1017423941473587).

Questions? Please see Mrs. Shepler

Aiken County Public Schools utilizes the "I Love U Guys" Standard Response Protocol (SRP). This response was used on Friday after hearing gunfire in the distance behind the school. Our Administrators, SRO, and faculty and staff knew to quickly get students inside and NEMS went on "Secure" status. At NEMS, that means we bring our students from the mobile classrooms indoors and no students use the breezeway to transition classes. Learning continues as normal, but within the safety of the school walls. We work to get messages to families as quickly as possible about the incident and to update everyone on the status of the school.

The terms (Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter) and procedures to follow are simply defined. These terms are communicated and posted as visual reminders on school campuses. Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter will be used internally in our response, and externally to update parents/guardians, as well as the larger school community.

If you would like to learn more about the Standard Response Protocol in ACPSD, please visit the district's website at: https://www.acpsd.net/page/standard-response-protocol

This week's pictures show off our Teacher of the Year, Pine Box Race Cars with Corinth Baptist Church, and our NEMS Shining Stars!

Want to make car line go faster? A sign with your child or family's last name would help tremendously! Prop it up on your dash, use a pants hanger to hang from your rear view mirror, or wave it out the window like you're on ESPN Game Day. It will be at least a month before we have your vehicle and all your relatives' vehicles memorized.

SchoolCafé gives students and parents a quick and easy way to stay on top of their nutrition. Macros, ingredients, and allergies are displayed for meals and individual items. Submitting eligibility applications has never been easier, SchoolCafé allows parents to quickly submit for Free & Reduced Meal Benefits.

https://www.schoolcafe.com/AIKENCOUNTYPUBLICSCHOOLS

Principal: Karen Fiery

Assistant Principal: Melissa Tripp

School Counselor: Bridgett Kearse

Main Office: (803) 652-8200

Website: https://www.acpsd.net/o/nems

Location:814 Main St S, New Ellenton, SC 29809