Blair Middle School

Tomorrow is Parent/Teacher Conference Day from 8:00 a.m.-3:00pm. Conferences were scheduled based on the academic and behavioral need of the student by teachers. If you were not contacted and still would like to schedule, email BlairMSQuestions@nps.k12.va.us or call the main office. Our staff will let you know if there is availability. There will be other opportunities to schedule conferences throughout the school year if you are unable to attend.

Our membership drive is off to a great start! We have over 100 members and are still growing. Please help spread the word. Dues are $10/1 adult household, $18/2 adult household, and just $7 for teachers, community members and grandparents. No volunteering required. Your new PTA board is looking forward to growing our parent community this year!

Questions? Contact blairmspta@gmail.com. We always welcome your time, feedback, or ideas. The Blair PTA is for everyone.

The Executive Board

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.

Greetings, all!

I am the gifted resource teacher at Blair Middle School, and my aim is to support students who have been identified as gifted and the teachers who work with them. I am currently focused on identifying students who show traits of giftedness. Please send me the names of students you teach who are out-of-the box thinkers, have advanced language skills, are creative problem solvers, or are accelerated learners. I want to connect with these students for potential gifted testing/identification later this year.

Timeframe
September: Identify students who may be eligible for gifted testing
October: Complete parent forms and referrals from teachers for students to be tested
November: Students will take gifted assessments
My classroom at Blair is 215. Email me at state@nps.k12.va.us
Thank you for your support, and please reach out with any questions.

- Suzanne Tate, Gifted Resource Teacher

Your child will need to receive a Tdap vaccine and Meningococcal vaccine before entering the 7th grade. Failure to receive them before the 2026-27 school year will result in your child will not be able to attend school. If your child received a Tdap vaccine prior to entering 6th grade, they would not need another dose for 7th grade.

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to make you aware of the Back-to-School Vaccination Clinics offered by the Norfolk Department of Public Health. These clinics are designed to ensure that all students are up-to-date with their vaccinations before returning to school.

For more information, schedules, and locations, please visit www.NorfolkPublicHealth.com.

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!

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.

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.

https://www.npsk12.com/departments/stNorfolk Public Schools is working with Virtual Peace of Mind to give students free online mental health support. This program connects students with licensed counselors through safe and private video sessions. These sessions can help with feelings, stress, friendships, and other problems that may affect learning.

Joining the program is your choice. A parent or guardian must give permission first. Families can learn how to sign up by reading the information below and filling out a short form. After the form is sent, Virtual Peace of Mind will contact the parent or guardian to set up services and explain the next steps.

This program helps more students get the support they need while keeping their information private. All counseling is done by Virtual Peace of Mind and follows strict privacy laws. Norfolk Public Schools does not take part in the sessions and cannot see any personal or medical information.

Families decide if they want to use this service. No student will receive help without parent or guardian permission.

Norfolk Public Schools cares about the whole child. This program shows their commitment to helping students stay healthy and succeed in school.