North Salem Middle School

Good afternoon MS families,

A couple of weeks to go! Please take a moment to look through the items that are linked below, as they provide lots of information to ensure we hit the ground running.

Two Quick to Dos-

• Parent Portal:

Please log into the parent portal and verify all contact information.

• Arbiter/FamilyID:

Complete the information and sign off on school policies, this is required for all students.

Both of these are quick steps, but they're important for us to have on file for every student.

Schedules
Student schedules were released as of Friday of last week. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's schedule, please reach out directly to your child's counselor.

Curriculum & Instruction Updates
There are a couple of meaningful shifts happening at the middle school level this year.

Arts and Letters, our ELA curriculum, is now advancing to seventh grade and will become the core curriculum for grades 6 & 7.

We are also piloting a new math program, Eureka Squared, beginning in September for grades 6-8. This pilot covers Module 1 and will run for approximately twelve weeks. Full implementation across the middle school will follow next year, in the 2027 2028 school year. We will keep families informed as these curriculum changes move forward.

State Testing Data
We have received preliminary data points from state testing in grades six through eight. A comprehensive analysis of that data will be shared with families in the near future.

Our Focus This Year
Our drive at the middle school level is to increase our students' academic abilities. We will continue working through curriculum and instructional changes to make sure every student is getting what they need to succeed.

Looking forward to seeing everyone back in the building soon!

Dr. Martin

8/26 - 6th Grade Orientation, 9-11am

9/3 - Schools Open

9/7 - Labor Day, Schools Closed

9/21 - Schools Closed - Religious Observance

9/24 - MSHS Open House

9/25-9/26 - Homecoming Weekend

• 6th Grade Supply List
• 7th Grade Supply List
• 8th Grade Supply List

Each school day officially ends at 2:40 p.m.. If it is necessary to leave school before dismissal time, students must bring a note signed by a parent/guardian to the Attendance Desk in the Main Lobby or be signed out directly by a parent/guardian. In order to minimize disruptions in Period 9 and to provide a safe end-of-day and bussing dismissal we ask that, unless there is an emergency, students are not picked up for early dismissal after 2:25pm

Tardies: Once a student is tardy, the system keeps track of how many they have. Automatic emails are sent to inform parents.

Parent Drop-Off and Pick-Up: Use the main entrance circular student drop-off area.

The east driveway opposite Bloomer Road is reserved for use by school buses only. NO STUDENT DROP-OFFS OR PICK-UPS CAN OCCUR ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING DUE TO THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF BUSES and for overall student safety.

IN THE EVENT OF SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS OR EARLY RELEASES:

In the case of inclement weather, or other reasons, parents will be contacted by the School Messenger program. Please make sure we have your current contact information updated in ParentPortal.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DIRECTIONS:

• For the welfare and safety of all students, it is requested that students do not arrive at school any earlier than 7:30 a.m.

• There is no supervision prior to this time.

• The first bell rings at 7:50 a.m. and the tardy bell rings at 7:58 a.m.

• Classroom instruction begins promptly at 7:58 a.m.

STUDENT ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PRECAUTIONS:

BUSES:

All bus route and bus stop information can be found on the ParentPortal. *We are working on getting bus pickup and drop-off times updated in our system. Please continue to check the bus information in ParentPortal as times may change.

PARENT DROP-OFF AND PICKUP:

Parents driving their child(ren) to school are asked to stay to the right on the front driveway entrance from June Road and use the circular student drop-off area at the front of the building. Please pull to the end of the circle to allow students to depart and please do not leave cars unattended in this area. Use the circle to pick up students at the end of the day as well. Please note that the east driveway opposite Bloomer Road is reserved for use by school buses only, NO STUDENT DROP-OFFS OR PICK-UPS CAN OCCUR ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING DUE TO THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF BUSES.

PARKING:

Student parking is reserved for Seniors only. Please be sure to complete a parking application with the Main Office.

Please be aware that students who arrive at school tardy will be documented by the Attendance Desk. Parents of students arriving at school late will be required to send a note in with their child.

ABSENCES:

Please report all absences to the Attendance Desk (mshsattendance@northsalemschools.org)

VISITORS:

All visitors must check-in at the Security Kiosk. Visitors during the school day must have an appointment.

REPORT CARDS:

We share report cards at the end of each quarter which are accessed through the ParentPortal.

WEEK OF AUGUST 17TH-

Modified Sports (Grades 7-8)- BEGIN SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

Sport Offerings: Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boys and Girls Soccer, and Volleyball

REGISTRATION BEGINS AUGUST 15TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 11TH

Medical Forms (current physical, medication forms) are to be submitted to Nurse Stephanie Hendrick.

PLEASE NOTE: According to the NY State Education Department, a physical dated from from August 1, 2026 on is acceptable for Varsity, and JV and September 1, 2026 for Modified Sports

Modified Sports

Season Start Date: Monday, September 14th 2026

Registration Dates: August 15th through September 11th

Medical Forms Due: July 1st through September 11th

REGISTRATION PROCESS:

Arbiter is a secure registration platform that provides you with an easy, user-friendly way to register for sports. When you register through Arbiter, the system keeps track of your information in your Arbiter profile.

A parent/guardian should register by clicking on the link below.

https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/north-salem-ms-hs-athletic

ATHLETIC OPEN HOUSE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS (7th and 8th GRADE)

Mandatory for all Middle School Student Athletes and Families
Monday, September 14th 5:00pm HS/MS Auditorium

NORTH SALEM ATHLETIC CALENDAR: https://northsalemcentral.tandem.co/

*All practices and games are posted on the Athletic Calendar. Subscribe for notifications regarding date/time/locations.

LIVE STREAMING- Live streaming is available at both the HS Gymnasium and Tiger Stadium- Turf Field NBC Sports Engine- When you click on the Local Live Link, it will now bring you to NBC Sports Engine. Sports Engine

TIGER STADIUM-Tiger Stadium

FITNESS CENTER:

The fitness center will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:20-4:20pm for students in Grades 7-12. Please click on the link below to access the dates when the fitness center will be open. All students are required to sign in with the teacher and remain in the Fitness Center until the end of the session. In the event that transportation is needed, there is a late bus at: 4:15pm. Sneakers and athletic attire are required.

Fitness Center

SPORTS YOU: Please subscribe to Sports You and enter your code for the sport that you have signed up for in Arbiter Sports. All HS and MS coaching staff will be communicating to our families through this platform. Link: sportsyou.com

**The codes are the same from each school year for each level of the sport.

GO TIGERS!

Sincerely,

Ms. Denise M. Kiernan, CAA
Director of PE, Health and Athletics

Website: https://www.northsalemschools.org/
Location: 230 June Road, North Salem, NY, USA
Phone: (914) 669-5414
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthSalemSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @NS_Tigers