Northwest News

Dear Northwest Students and Families,

It is hard to believe that the first week of the 2026–2027 school year is already behind us! It was wonderful to welcome our more than 2,200 Jaguars back into the building, reconnect with returning students, and officially welcome our newest members of the Northwest community.

As we head into September and our first full week of school, our focus now shifts from opening the year to establishing the routines, habits, and expectations that will help our students have a successful year. Thank you to our students, staff, and families for your patience, flexibility, and partnership throughout this first week.

As a reminder, the Northwest News will continue to be sent each Sunday evening and remains one of our primary sources of schoolwide communication. Please take time each week to review the newsletter for important dates, schedules, reminders, activities, athletics, and other information affecting our students and families.

Student Expectations & New Policies

This past week, students participated in our Safety Day and Student Expectations lessons, which reviewed important school procedures and expectations for the year. Families are encouraged to review the linked information and reinforce these expectations at home. As we move forward, it is especially important that students and families understand that our expectations are now fully in effect. This includes updates to the Student Code of Conduct, Grading and Reporting expectations, student identification requirements, and our Personal Mobile Device (PMD) Policy.

Personal Mobile Devices (PMDs): One of the most significant changes this year is our updated policy regarding cell phones and other personal mobile devices. Students are expected to follow the new PMD expectations throughout the school day and comply immediately when directed by staff. These expectations are designed to reduce distractions, protect instructional time, and create learning environments in which students can fully engage with their teachers and classmates. We ask families to partner with us by reviewing the policy with their students and reinforcing that these expectations apply consistently across Northwest.

Student IDs: Students should also be prepared to have their Northwest student ID with them each day and follow all established ID expectations. Our identification procedures are an important part of maintaining a safe and secure school environment.

Attendance

Consistent and timely attendance matters from the very beginning of the year. Students should arrive at school and to each class on time and ready to learn.

Families are now able to submit student absences directly through ParentVUE. Written directions in multiple languages are available here, and a step-by-step video is available here.

Arrival, Dismissal & Transportation

Please continue to help us maintain a safe and efficient arrival and dismissal.

Car riders must be dropped off and picked up through the lower/gym lobby entrance. Car drop-offs and pick-ups are not permitted in the upper bus lot during arrival (7:00–7:55 a.m.) or dismissal (2:20–2:55 p.m.). Arriving earlier helps reduce congestion on Richter Farm Road and throughout our parking lots. Please slow down, remain alert for pedestrians and cyclists, and follow all posted traffic directions.

Students riding MCPS transportation should continue using their assigned bus stop to support safe and efficient routing. Bus information is available through ParentVUE/StudentVUE, the Northwest website, and the MCPS Transportation webpage.

Technology Access

Please also ensure that your student has the necessary permissions to access Google Workspace for Education, which is required for many of our classes. Families who still need to complete the required form may access it here.

Looking Ahead

With our opening week complete, the work of the school year truly begins now. Students should be settling into their schedules, getting to know their teachers, checking StudentVUE and Canvas regularly, completing assignments, and asking for assistance early when they need it.

This week's Northwest News includes important information about upcoming schedules and events, athletics and activities, parking permits, College T-Shirt Tuesdays, PTSA and Booster Club membership, ParentVUE resources, and opportunities for students and families to become involved in the Northwest community. Please take a few minutes to review the newsletter in its entirety.

Thank you to our students for a strong opening week and to our families for your continued partnership. As we enter September, our expectation is that every Jaguar comes to school each day ready to learn, ready to engage, and ready to contribute positively to our community.

We have a great year ahead of us, and our commitment remains clear: Aligned. Accountable. All In.

Go Jags!

We are pleased to share that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will pay the exam fees for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams for the 2026–2027 school year.

Students who enroll in an AP or IB course and register for the corresponding exam will not be required to pay the exam fee. This reflects MCPS's continued commitment to expanding access to rigorous academic opportunities and supporting student success.

Now that MCPS will cover AP and IB exam fees, some students may be interested in taking an AP or IB course. Students and families who would like to discuss their academic options are encouraged to contact their school counselor. We encourage students to enroll in challenging coursework that aligns with their interests, strengths, and future goals.

We will share additional information about exam registration procedures and timelines as it becomes available. If you have questions, please contact our counseling office or AP/IB coordinator, Ms. Amy McClintock at Amy_M_McClintock@mcpsmd.org.

This survey represents one component of the initial process for developing a school year calendar for the school years 2027-2028 AND 2028-2029 incorporating feedback from our students, staff, families, and community members.

In alignment with MCPS Board Policy IDA, School Year Calendar, we will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, contingencies for inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, alignment with assessment schedules, etc.

MCPS provides a school year calendar that allows for effective use of time for teaching and learning, for professional growth opportunities, and planning instructional strategies focused on improving student achievement, while maintaining our lens of equity for all students and commitment to community engagement.

Please limit to one response per person. This survey will close on September 20, 2026.

Please see MCPS Board Policy IDA, School Year Calendar for more information about the School Year Calendar for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and MCPS Calendar Central for the current school year calendar.

Amharic

Chinese (Simplified)

English

French

Korean

Portuguese (Brazil)

Spanish

Vietnamese

Sick of shopping for school supplies at Target? Come shop locally at Northwest instead. The Free Store in room 264 has binders, prep books, paper, backpacks, and more, and everything is free!

Do you have any school supplies you no longer need? The Free Store would love your donations! We take all gently used school supplies, but at the start of the year, we especially need backpacks, calculators, and test prep books. At the moment, we have NO SPIRAL or COMPOSITION notebooks, and we are desperate to stock up. Students have been asking for them non-stop. Please bring items to the front office or The Free Store in room 264.

The Free Store is open most days at lunch in room 264 and is available to all NW students and staff. Thank you for reusing materials, and thank you for your support.

College Visits For Juniors & Seniors:

College representatives will begin visiting NWHS on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
The full schedule is posted in Naviance and on the NWHS College/Career Website. Students must register in Naviance for each visit (whether in person or virtual). The full schedule is posted in Naviance under “college”, then “college visits.”

• Once registered, students will receive an email in their mcpsmd.net account.
• This email should be shown to their teacher prior to the visit to request permission to leave class and to notify the teacher that they may return late.
• If no students are registered, the visit may be cancelled.

Scholarships: Scholarships are available for all kinds of students! Whether you’re headed to a 4-year college, community college, or trade school, there are opportunities waiting for you. Be sure to check the NWHS College Career Website under the scholarship tab, your Canvas page regularly for updated scholarship opportunities, and this calendar from Scholarships.com

Save The Date:

College Fairs USA Field Trip for 11th & 12th grade- Friday, October 9, 2026. Permission forms and more information coming soon!

Upcoming Events:

Common Application & Scholarship Workshops: Common App assistance is available on Thursdays during lunch, and Scholarship Workshops are held on Wednesdays during lunch

Financial Aid Assistance On the dates listed in the flyer, students can receive assistance during lunch with creating their FSA ID or MDCAPS account

Financial Aid Information Nights September 17 – Virtual English Session; October 13 – Virtual Spanish Session. Click the flyer to register

Montgomery College Information Night September 22 at 6:30 p.m.

FAFSA Completion Night November 10 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Click the flyer to register

Resource Links:

Northwest HS Post Secondary Planning- College/Career Resource Handbook

NWHS College/Career Website

Do you love to take photos of you and your Jag friends?

Did you photograph summer events? School events? School friends?

Contribute to the PHOTO bank that yearbook uses to create the 2026-2027 edition of Silver Paws.

Upload your photos on the QR code. Add first and last name(s) and a brief summary of the photo.

Yearbook staff will consider featuring your photo(s) in the 2026-2027 edition of Silver Paws.

ALSO, Spring Supplements have arrived and are ready for pickup. You can find them in the media center, the attendance office or room 250 before school, during lunch or after school until 2:45. The Spring Supplement is free and features spring sports, spring events such as prom, graduation, and the spring play.

In order to maintain a safe and secure school environment, all staff and students are required to have their ID badges visible at all times while on campus.

Key Points:

• ID Visibility: Your ID must be visible at all times. We will be providing a lanyard for all students during the first week of school.

• Replacement: If you lose your ID or it becomes damaged, you can get a new ID from the Northwest security office for $5.

• School Events: Students must have their school ID in their possession to attend all school-sponsored events (either at Northwest or away).

NON-NEGOTIABLES (Law, Policy, Regulation citations)

MCPS Regulation JNA-RB, Collection of Student Financial Obligations

MCPS Regulation IGT-RA, User Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Information, and Network Security

MCPS Chromebook Acceptable Use Policy (Spanish)

GUIDELINES

Each student is financially responsible for avoidable damage to or loss of any Chromebook, case, and/or charger. Charging families for avoidable damage is required, and not left to an individual's discretion. Charges must be assessed in alignment with the following: FY 2027 Chromebook Repair and Replacement Costs. No cost is associated for a student to borrow, possess, or use a chromebook. Obligations must be recorded and processed at the time damage or loss is identified. Families may request an appeal or waiver after the charge has been issued.

MCPS is taking steps to enhance transparency and ensure consistent implementation of core instructional texts. To support this, all parents and guardians will be provided with advanced notification of instructional texts used in the classroom and will be permitted to inspect any text on the notification list. Additionally, parents and guardians will be permitted to inspect texts and will have the opportunity to request that their child be excused from instruction involving material that substantially interferes with their sincerely held religious beliefs.

This process requires the following steps:

• Lists of the instructional material to be used in the core areas of instruction will be made available for your review no later than the first week of each quarter. To review that list, click here.

• You will have the opportunity to review these lists and ask questions of your school about the content of the texts. You may also make an appointment with your school to view the texts in person.

• To the extent that any text on the list of instructional materials, sincerely interferes with your families’ sincerely held religious belief, you may request that your child be excused from instruction by completing and submitting a request form. That form will be made available to you on our school webpage.

• If your request is granted, your child will be excused from instruction when his/her teacher is using the text you identified as objectionable and may be afforded the opportunity for other academic work during the period of time in which the student would otherwise be participating in the instruction the student is excused from.

• We will release more specific information about this process soon with links to and instructions for completing the request form.

Parking permits for the full year only will be sold beginning August 25, 2026. Parking permits for the second semester will be sold beginning January 26, 2027. Applications and payment will be accepted by the Business Office (Room 322) before school (7:25 – 7:40 a.m.), during student lunch, and after school (2:30 – 2:45 p.m.). Students must have no outstanding financial obligations to the school and must be academically eligible (2.0 cumulative GPA with no more than one E) in order to be eligible for a parking permit. The fee for a full year permit is $78.00, which includes the processing fee. Starting this school year, payments will be made strictly through SchoolCash Online.

A payment link will be sent to the students school email address once applications are received, reviewed, and approved. During the first three weeks of school (August 25 - September 11), students may use any parking space in the lower parking lot. When students receive their parking permits, they will be assigned a parking space. Parking permit applications are available in the "Back-to-School Resource Bank” in the "News" section of the Northwest website. Beginning Monday, September 14, all cars driven by students must display a valid 2026-2027 parking permit and be parked in the student’s assigned space. Cars that are parked in the incorrect space or that do not have a valid parking permit may be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.

If students are arriving by car, they must be dropped off at the lower gym lobby entrance until 7:45am. After 7:45 am, car riders must be dropped off at the upper main entrance. Students who walk to school may arrive at the main entrance or the gym lobby. All buses will drop students off at the upper main entrance. Please note that these procedures are the same for dismissal in the afternoon.

Some additional things to note:

• If parents are going to pick their children up for early dismissal, they must come before 2:10 p.m. Parents should either send a written note or an email with the student's full name, I.D. number, and the full name of their parent or guardian in order for them to get a pass to leave their class. When the parent or guardian arrives to the school to pick up their child, they must present a form of identification to the attendance office. If parents do not send an email or provide a written note, they should be aware that it will take up to 10 to 15 minutes for the student to be pulled from class.
• To have an excused absence, the student must also bring a note or email from their parent or guardian including the student's full name, I.D. number, and the full name of their parent or guardian.
• If a student will be absent for more than three days due to traveling purposes, the parents must present a supporting letter in advance stating the days that the student will be absent and the reason why the student will be missing school.

Families, please remember to adhere to the speed limit on Richter Farm Road. Additionally, please do not let students out of your vehicles on Richter Farm Road. We want everyone to arrive to school safely.

It's a long-standing tradition at Northwest for each grade to wear their assigned CLASS COLOR on Pep Rally days! Each class sits in a designated section at the rallies so make an impact for YOUR CLASS by wearing your grade level color and make your presence known! Although participation with wearing class colors is optional, we hope you will join in the FUN!

The grade level colors are as follows:

Freshmen (Grade 9): YELLOW

Sophomores (Grade 10): GREEN

Juniors (Grade 11): RED

Seniors (Grade 12): BLUE

You can wear any clothing and/or accessories in your assigned color as long as you adhere to the school dress code. You can opt to wear clothing that you already own in your grade level color, you can purchase a shirt from the PTSA/Booster Club website for $8: http://www.nwhsptsa.org/shop (available sizes and quantities are limited), or you can purchase a T-shirt in your color at Michael's or Joanne's (the cost is usually around $5) and personalize with fabric markers or paint pens! The possibilities are endless to show your #JagPride!

Email: Scott_E_Smith@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://northwestjags.org
Location: 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: (240)740-7100
Twitter: @NorthwestJags