Blair Middle School

October is National Principals Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the dedication, vision, and unwavering commitment of school leaders who inspire excellence every day!

At Blair Middle School, we proudly celebrate Principal Lewis for her passionate leadership, commitment to student success, and dedication to creating a positive and supportive school community. Through her vision, encouragement, and determination, she continues to chart a course toward academic excellence while empowering students and staff to reach their fullest potential.

Thank you, Principal Lewis, for leading with purpose, serving with heart, and making a lasting difference!

⚓ One Crew, One Course, Every Student, Every Day!

Blair Middle School students will participate in the Fall Panorama Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Survey between October 26 through October 30, 2026. The spring survey will take place April 12–May 21, 2027.

The survey gives students an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about their school experiences, including friendships, sense of belonging, relationships, and emotional well-being. Their feedback helps us create a positive, safe, and supportive learning environment for all students.

The survey takes approximately 20–30 minutes and will be completed during class using students' school ID numbers. There are no right or wrong answers, and students may skip any questions they do not wish to answer.

We encourage all students to participate and share their voices as we continue working together to make Blair Middle School a great place to learn and grow!

Monday 10/26/2026

Basketball vs Southside STEM @Blair 5:15 p.m.

Wednesday 10/28/26

Basketball vs. ADL @ Blair 5:15 p.m.

The Governor's School for the Arts seeks students in grades 8-11 to apply for admission. The school offers classes in music, dance, film, visual arts, performance, and more. You can learn about the program offerings and how to apply at https://www.gsarts.org/admissions

IN PERSON: The Governor's School for the Arts is hosting an in-person open house on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 6-7:45 p.m.

Ask your guidance counselor or Mrs. Tate (215) for more information.

Blair Middle School hosts after-school parent-teacher conferences are held on Wednesdays at 3:15 p.m. Conferences rotate between in-person and Zoom sessions, and families may also request a phone conference with their child’s teacher(s).

If you are interested in meeting with your student’s teachers, please complete the conference request form. Once submitted our school counseling team with schedule you within a week.

By completing this form, you are confirming that you are listed with Norfolk Public Schools as a parent or legal guardian for the identified student. Individuals who are not listed as a parent/guardian are not eligible to sign up for conferences.

Conference Dates: Oct. 28 Nov. 12, 19 Dec. 3, 17 Jan. 6, 20 Feb 3, 17 Mar. 3,17,31 April 14, 28

Parents can easily become observers of their student’s Canvas instance. As an observer, parents can view almost everything the student sees. Parents cannot submit activities or interact on assignments but can view almost everything!

Here are the basic steps, but watch this video for complete directions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugMmA0g-ve0&t=1s

Create a Parent Account in Canvas:

 Navigate to the NPS Homepage, For Parents/Students, and select Canvas.

 Select Parent/Guardian Login

 Select Create a Parent Account and follow the prompts.

 You will come back to this account after getting the code from the student’s

Canvas portal.

Retrieve code from Student’s Canvas account:

Have your student log into their NPS Canvas account.

Click on the silhouette/icon in top of the blue menu on the left.

Select Settings from the options.

Select Pair with Observer (on the right side of screen).

A code will be shown. Use that code in the Parent’s Canvas course to pair with the

student. At this point, the parent observer can see all courses. Observer access will continue

while enrolled in NPS.

To keep our ship secure and all crew members are safe, all adults must present a physical photo ID when coming aboard... NO MATTER WHAT! Thank you for helping us maintain smooth and secure sailing for every member of our crew!

To keep our voyage steady, students should be on board by 8:15 AM and ready to set sail for the day. Dismissal begins at 2:45 PM. Our doors open at 8:00 AM. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO ENTER THE BUIDING BEFORE THEN. Please ensure your student is dressed appropriately for the weather. All students must pass through the weapons detector upon entry. Breakfast-bound students will enter by the cafeteria; all others head straight to homeroom to begin the day’s journey.

Arrival & Dismissal Ports:
Arrival and dismissal brings heavy traffic seas, so please be patient. Families are encouraged to set clear pickup points away from busy Manteo Ave, and we kindly ask: do not drive on Spotswood during arrival or dismissal to keep our crew safe.

• Walkers & Car Riders will disembark down the art/health hallway to Manteo

Early dismissals end at 2:00 PM—please plan ahead! If an early pickup is necessary, notify the office by 1:30 PM by email at BlairMSQuestions@nps.k12.va.us. To avoid disrupting instruction, please schedule appointments after 2:45 PM. Be mindful that with our current state testing schedule, students who are dismissed early and have not completed the assessment, will be marked as an irregularity and reported to the Virginia Department of Education. We want to ensure our students are able to show their full knowledge. Let’s keep our ship running smoothly and our students on course!

Transportation information will be available through Norfolk Public Schools prior to school opening.

Please remember:

• Verify your student's bus assignment before the first day of school.

• Versatrans My Stop allows parents to track their students' bus location and arrival times as well as receive notifications on delays or other pertinent information. It is an application that can be downloaded on the Apple or Android Store on your smartphone.https://www.npsk12.com/Page/17630

  Find Your Bus Stop: https://www.npsk12.com/domain/922

• Arrive at bus stops at least 10 minutes early.
• Ensure emergency contacts are current.
• Update phone numbers and addresses with the school office if changes occur.

Communication is one of our highest priorities. To keep communication smooth and sailing in the right direction, a weekly newsletter will be sent via email every Sunday evening. Please ensure your contact information is up to date.

If you need to send attendance notes, share important documents, or ask questions, email inbox as your direct line to the crew.

📧 BlairMSQuestions@nps.k12.va.us

You can also stay informed through:

• Blair PTA
• Blair Middle School Website
• Norfolk Public Schools Website
• School Facebook Page
• School Instagram

Blair Middle School would love to have you volunteer! Click on the link below to apply. Effective June 1, 2026, the Raptor volunteer approval process requires a background check fee of $8 or $18, depending on the volunteer activities you select.

As part of our regular school safety practices, Blair Middle School completed a planned lockdown drill Thursday. We are pleased to share that our students and staff did a great job following directions and practicing the procedures we have in place to help keep everyone safe.

Just like fire drills and severe weather drills, lockdown drills are a routine part of helping our school community know what to do if an emergency were ever to occur. Our goal is always to make these practices calm, age-appropriate, and focused on preparedness rather than fear.

In accordance with state requirements, we will conduct one additional lockdown drill before the end of September.

We appreciate your help in reinforcing a few simple reminders with your child:

• Take all school safety drills seriously.
• Listen carefully and follow staff directions.
• Remain calm and focused until the drill is complete.

We know that conversations about school safety can sometimes feel concerning for families and students. Please know that today’s drill was simply a scheduled safety practice, and there was no emergency or threat to our school.

We also want our families to know that open and timely communication is important to us. Should an actual safety situation occur, we are committed to being transparent and providing families with information as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that any communication we share is accurate and does not interfere with the immediate safety response.

Thank you for your continued partnership and trust. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and we appreciate our Blair families for working alongside us to maintain a safe, supportive school environment for our entire Clipper Crew.