NBMS Peek at The Week

August

25: First Student Day

September

1: Labor Day Holiday - School Closed

3: 8th grade DC trip Interest Parent Meeting, 6 PM

Please be reminded that our school, in accordance with the new state law, has an updated cell phone policy this year. We have talked as a school staff about this policy and it will be enforced consistently school wide. Please refer to this video on the BCS Parent University website.

1. Students ARE NOT allowed to use their cell phone during the school day (7:30 to 3:02). The only exceptions are for students who use it for medical purposes, such as a student with diabetes who use it for blood glucose monitoring. Other exceptions are for students who have it written into their IEP or 504 plan.

2. The cell phone should NOT be visible during the school day, meaning it needs to be in their backpack, turned off. It should not be seen in a student's pocket or hoodie.

3. If a phone is caught, or seen, in violation of this policy the phone will be taken and returned to the student at the end of the school day.

4. If a student violates this policy for a second time, the phone will be taken and given to the office. The student may pick it up there at the end of the day.

5. If a student violates this policy for a third time, the student will be asked to leave the phone at home or leave it in the school office each morning before school starts.

6. As for smart watches, we will not be policing each student's watch. Our thoughts are that most student's watches don't have a data plan and are connected to the data plan on their cell phone. Therefore, if a student's phone is turned off as it should be, the smart watch is just a watch. But, if we see a student texting or accessing social media on their smart watch, it will be treated as a cellular device as described above.

This is a fairly big change for our school. Please talk with your child about this before the first day of school. A phone is always available in the school office if your child has an emergency and needs to contact you. I also know this will require families and students to make plans and discuss plans before the child leaves for school since adults should not be texting students during the school day.

Our parent survey last year showed a lot of support for this and I'm grateful for your support this year. As always, please feel free to reach out to me with questions or concerns with this policy.

If you are the parent or family of a student athlete and picking them up after practice, please pick them up in front of the gym (on the tennis court side) or on the side of the gym along the road. There is plenty of parking in the lot between the gym and the tennis courts. We ask that you not park or pick up in the back bus lot, this blocks our buses for being able to get in and out and it also blocks delivery trucks to our cafeteria and other deliveries. Thanks for your help!

Countless Amazing Memories....One Iconic Yearbook! Order by September 12 and save money! Click here to order.

You can also share your student's photos with the yearbook staff to be featured in the yearbook by clicking here.

We will be sponsoring an interest meeting for the parents of any 8th grader who might be interested in attending the school trip to Washington, D.C. next April. The meeting will be on Wednesday, September 3, at 6 PM in the school auditorium. Don't miss this great opportunity.

I am excited to share that each student can enjoy a FREE Breakfast and Lunch again this year. Your child be able to enjoy a nutritious meal free of charge. This is provided through a program called Community Eligibility Provision. The more students who participate ultimately help keep this program funded. BCS also maintains a leaderboard for school meal participation. We want to be at the top of this leaderboard!

Our school will also give a free second-chance breakfast during recess each day.

State law now requires all students in grades 6–12 to view safety videos from the NC Center for Safer Schools during the first 10 days of school. You may review the videos and learn more on the BCS website, and may choose for your child not to participate. Should you wish for your child to opt out of viewing these videos, please let me know in writing or via email.

Did you know that NBMS is a Community School? Community Schools are public schools that partner with community partners to create the conditions necessary for students and families to thrive inside and outside of the classroom.

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County employs a full-time Community School Coordinator at our school who works onsite. Our coordinator, Patty Schmid, coordinates student and family support and activities to connect our school to the community. Learn more about Community Schools here. If you have questions, want to know more, or want to be a community partner, email Patty Schmid.

Use The Ingles Advantage™ Card and help your local school. When you make purchases using The Ingles Advantage™ Card, Ingles will give back to the school a portion of those sales. The portion can be used by the school to purchase computers and school supplies.

Link Your Ingles Card to NBMS

Students in Buncombe County Schools have the opportunity to check out books from their school library. As an additional service, we offer parents the opportunity to OPT IN for a NC Digital Public Library card for their student. Our Media Coordinators often work with students to help them learn how to use the public library system to find, reserve, and check out materials. Students are then allowed to check out up to 10 books or 10 audiobooks at a time (or a combination of both that adds up to a total of 10) from anywhere in the collections of the NC public library system.

While our school library collections are designed to fit the appropriate ages for the school, the books in the public library system are not leveled. Students will have access to all titles within the public library system. If you would like for your student to have a public library card, please fill out the linked form by September 30, 2025.

Link to request card: https://forms.gle/8WLZLzdPbU2WdA197

OR https://bit.ly/studentoptin

Please take a few minutes and read this letter that describes our state testing requirements for this school year. If you have any questions, please email our assistant principal, Dr. Takei.

State Testing Letter for BCS

In August 2025, Buncombe County Schools launched Parent University. This series of short videos is intended to enhance communication with families of things happening in classrooms across Buncombe County. Watch for additions to the Parent University library throughout the school year. Click here to access the BCS Parent University.

Dear Guardians and Students,

Our building, as do most older buildings, contains Asbestos in different areas. A copy of our district's Asbestos Management Plan is available in each school and at the main administrative office during regular school hours.

The district continues to update and improve the AHERA Asbestos Management Plans.

Any inquiries regarding the management of asbestos containing materials in our schools

should be directed to our district's AHERA Designated Person, Clark Wyatt, who can be

reached at Buncombe County Schools Maintenance Department, (828)-232-4244 or by email.

Our Clothes/Shoes Recycle Bin is located in the front traffic circle near our gym. Drop clothes and shoes off anytime it's convenient. Your donations result in money for our school!

Do you have a business or know someone who owns a business? See the information below about being a banner sponsor for our school. Reach out to Coach Greb (laura.greb@bcsemail.org or 828.645.7944) for information on how you can advertise your business at NBMS AND support our student athletes at the same time!

Girls In Aviation Day
September 24, 2025
10 am - 1 pm
Asheville Airport

North Buncombe Middle School has been invited to participate in this special day. Please email Principal Honeycutt or call the school if you would like to sign your daughter up for this program. It's a free program and lunch is provided.