The Principal's Perspective

Oct 19- Boys BBall try outs

Oct 26-30- Fall Festival Week (incentive days and school spirit) Details coming soon!

Oct 29- Student Town Hall

As I was perusing social media today, I came across some deeply disturbing reports regarding derogatory comments allegedly directed toward Evanston Township High School (ETHS) band members during the recent game against New Trier. Incidents like these affect our broader community deeply, and they serve as an urgent reminder of our shared responsibility as educators, parents, and students to be inclusive, caring and kind to everyone. I want to state unequivocally that hate, discrimination, and bigotry have no place at Nichols Middle School, nor in the broader community. Our core mission is to foster a safe, inclusive environment where every student feels a true sense of belonging, respect, and physical and emotional safety.

To build that environment, it is critical that we actively model these expectations for our young people every day. Children look to adults to understand how to handle differences, how to navigate conflict, and how to stand up for others-be an advocate and ally. This moment brings to mind the powerful reflection famously written by Pastor Martin Niemöller regarding the silence of onlookers during the Holocaust:

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

This historic quote underscores a timeless truth: remaining silent in the face of intolerance or unkindness undermines the safety and dignity of everyone. We cannot wait until harm touches us directly to speak out against hate. Even though something may not impact you today, it most certainly will reach your doorstep eventually- history has proven this to be true. This is how hate works; it is a virus that spreads until it destroys everything in its path.

Be encouraged to have open, honest conversations at home with your scholars about the power of their words, the importance of empathy, and the courage it takes to speak up when someone is being targeted or degraded. Together, we can ensure that Nichols remains a community defined by kindness, respect, and unwavering support for one another.

Unfortunately, at this time we will not be running Debate Club.

As you plan ahead for graduation, please note that each family will get 6 tickets, provided that we hold the ceremony at ETHS.(which does not include the graduate).

As we work together to support your child’s learning and safety, we want to emphasize the critical importance of daily on-time attendance. Arriving on time is not only essential for maintaining a safe, secure, and orderly campus environment, but it also ensures that students do not lose valuable academic instructional minutes that are crucial to their growth and success.

To help maintain consistency across all grade levels, please review our tardy protocol and outcomes below:

Daily On-Time Attendance is Mandatory: All students are expected to be in their classrooms and ready to learn before the final morning bell rings. They are also required to be in class once the bell rings throughout the day.

10 Cumulative Tardies = Automatic Give Back Time (GBT): Every 10 accumulated tardies will automatically result in an assigned Give Back Time session. If a teacher has assigned GBT for their class, those tardies are deducted from the total amount of tardies.

Teacher-Assigned GBT (Classroom Tardies): Teachers may also assign a Give Back Time session if a student accumulates 3 or more single-class tardies within a single week.

Missed Sessions: Attending assigned Give Back Time sessions is mandatory. Unexcused missed sessions will lead to further outcomes.

Caregivers- please remind your scholars that it is important that they attend their Give Back Time when it is assigned. Missing give back time means that scholars will have to do two sessions. If those sessions are not complete the scholar becomes ineligible for the upcoming incentive days. Please partner with us as we encourage our students to follow school wide expectations, to hold themselves accountable for the Nichols Way, and being a role model to others! Our first incentive week is coming up (Oct 26-30) and students will need to be eligible to participate in grade level incentives that take place throughout the week. If students have not completed their give back times they will be ineligible.

Every student at Nichols learns essential skills for academic success! A central part of our schoolwide approach is maintaining an organized AVID Binder, which contains notes, assignments, and daily materials.

Through AVID, students learn critical organization habits, goal-setting techniques, and proven learning strategies—such as focused note-taking, inquiry, and collaborative problem-solving—across all subject areas. By establishing these routines in every classroom, we are helping every student build independence, confidence, and the habits needed for high school, college, and future careers. Ask your student to show you their AVID binder today to see their organizational skills in action!

The Grade Skipping Application window is now open. It will close January 22 and NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THAT DATE. Here is the link for further information and the application. Please read the requirements for grade skipping before applying.

D65 encourages Safe Routes to School. Please check out the safe route maps found here.