NMS Parent Newsletter

Principal: Brady Sackett

bsackett@nortonpanthers.org

330-825-5607 ext 532600

Assistant Principal: Keziah Steurer

ksteurer@nortonpanthers.org

330-825-5607 ext 532601

Website: www.nortonschools.org

Location: 4108 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Norton OH. 44203

Phone: 330-825-5607

We are having a great start to the 2026/2027 school year! Our focus the first month of school continues to be setting the structure and expectations for positive behavior in all areas of the school including classrooms, cafeteria, hallways, and restrooms. This focus directly supports our building goal of creating/promoting a positive school climate for our students and staff. This includes decreasing disruptive behavior, providing a highly structured setting, and meeting our professional expectations. Overall, students have responded positively by showing respectful behavior to teachers and staff and are learning new traffic patterns within the building.

Our second goal for the year is to improve the performance on state assessments for all students. This includes utilizing WIN Time to provide high dosage tutoring for students in grades 4-7 on RIMPS, providing intervention to students that scored limited on the previous year's reading and math OSTs, as well as supporting students that are identified as gifted. NMS uses Acadience literacy screeners for students currently on a Reading Improvement Monitoring Plan (RIMP) and uses MAP assessments and the Ohio State Test (OST) to identify other targeted support. We will provide updates to our goals throughout the school year.

This fall, all 5th and 7th grade students will patriciate in hearing and vision screenings. If you would like to opt-out of these screenings, please email our district nurse Tina Longworth at tlongworth@nortonpanthers.org.

NMS PBIS Building-wide Behavior Expectations

The Book Fair is coming to Norton Middle School September 21-25. Students in grades 4-7 will have the opportunity to visit the Book Fair at a scheduled day and time. Students will go to the Book Fair during their ELA or Social Studies class.

We are planning October events for students and want to release tentative dates. Specific details will be released in October.

4th grade party October 30, 2026 1:00pm-2:00pm

*More information regarding room parents and volunteers will be shared with 4th grade parents.

5th grade movie and snack October 30, 2026 1:30pm - 3:15pm

6th grade after school dance October 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm

7th grade after school dance October 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30 pm

As part of our commitment to supporting student health and encouraging healthy tech habits, the district will begin pausing middle school student Chromebook access every night from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM, seven days a week. We know how essential a good night’s sleep is for your child's well-being, focus, and overall success in school, and this brief nightly break is designed to help students prioritize rest. Students will receive a pop-up alert five minutes before sign-out occurs, and the screen will display when the device is available again; during these hours, sign-ins will be disabled for all accounts. Thank you for partnering with us as we work together to help our students recharge—both mentally and digitally!

Other limitations include:

No technology on buses

No technology at lunch

No technology at recess

No technology in the restrooms

As we start the new school year, we are excited to launch a district-wide effort to help our students develop a more balanced relationship with technology while using their devices responsibly. Throughout the year, you will see new initiatives focused on promoting online safety, proper Chromebook care, and healthy screen habits. This includes "No Tech Wednesdays," where students put their devices aside one day a week at school for screen-free learning.

Football/Cheer:

9/10 Away vs. Streetsboro

9/16 Home vs. Tallmadge

9/23 Home vs. Field

9/30 Home vs. Cuyahoga Falls

Volleyball:

9/12 Home vs Northwest

9/14 Away vs. Field

9/16 Home vs. Woodridge

9/21 Home vs. Cloverleaf

9/23 Away vs. Springfield

9/28 Away vs. Springfield

9/30 Home vs. Tallmadge

Cross-country:

9/12 Away at Streetsboro

9/19 Away at Dover

Norton Athletics Webpage

September

9/7 Labor day - No School

9/10 6th Grade Parent Meeting 6:00pm-7:00pm

9/21-9/25 Book Fair

9/28-10/1 SOS Suicide Prevention Guidance Lessons (6th and 7th grade)