NAMS Message to Families 8/30/26

Hello NAMS Families,

I hope that this message finds you and your loved ones well. The first day of school for students is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, 2026. We are so excited to welcome our students back from summer vacation!

We are ready for another school year thanks to…

• Custodial Staff: John Brennan, Kevin Foster, Dennis Ouellette, Paul Quintal, John White, Mike Belisle, Lenny Degnan, Christian Sapienza, our student summer helpers, Steve Foster, Thomas Geary, Jeremy Brandl, Tod Workman, Everett Dunton, and the entire DPW.

• NAMS Office Team: Melissa Barron, Lindsay Liberti, Abby Grimes, Victoria Fantasia, Rita Marconi, Caroline Beasley, Anne Auger, Georgia Chute, Julie Nightingale, & Jim Gosselin

• IT Department: Mike Grant, Brian Varoutsos, Nora Bernashe, Edwin Gikaria, summer help & more.

• Central Office: Pam Lathrop, Kristen Ando, Lyn O’Neil, Greg Landry, Michelle McHugh, Jai Mistry, and Curriculum Leadership Team.

• Food Services: Erika Murphy, Karen Corrente, Heidi Hood, and more.

• Transportation: Lucy McCarthy, NRT, and more.

• NA Youth Center: Joe Agosto and more.

• NAMS SRO - Officer Rizzo

• Interim Chief DiMinico & NAPD

• Chief Weir & NAFD

First Day of School - Wednesday, September 2, 2026

When can students arrive?

Please know that doors will not be open at 7:15 am so please make arrangements for students to not arrive before then.

Drop-Off & Pick-Up

We are eagerly anticipating the return of our students. Typically, traffic is heavy on the first day, so please leave extra time and carpool if possible. You may find the Drop Off & Pick Up map on our website or you may access the map directly here. We ask that every family exercise utmost care and patience in the drop-off and pick-up areas.

Walk or Ride to School

If your child walks or rides a bike to school, please be sure to review the safety tips found here.

Buses Passes and Route Information

Bus passes have been mailed and should be arriving soon. Routes will be posted on the transportation website soon. Families signed up for a bus will receive an email notification once they are available. We look forward to welcoming students back for a great school year and appreciate your patience as we finalize transportation details.

Any grade 6 students who live at least two miles from school are authorized to ride the buses at no charge. Grades 7 & 8 students may ride a bus for a fee. You may find information about registering for a bus and much more on the Transportation website here.

What team is my child assigned to?

• Students will be able to learn what team they are assigned to by logging into PowerSchool.

• Student schedules are not complete. We are still in the process of updating schedules and balancing class sizes. The schedule you see in PowerSchool may not be the same schedule at the start of the school year.

• Schedules will be completed by the first day of school - Wednesday, September 2, 2026 for students.

• Student Schedules

• We are still in the process of updating schedules and teams have been finalized. Students will know what Related Arts class(es) they will be enrolled in to begin the school year on the first day of school.

How do I log into PowerSchool?

Step 1: Sign into PowerSchool Student/Parent Portal https://naps.powerschool.com using your PowerSchool Parent account or your student’s Google account with the following modification.

Note: Please remove the @northandoverpublicschools.com from the Google Account Username.

Google Account (Sample Student)

Google Account Username: SampleSt30@northandoverpublicschools.com

Google Account Password: Naps12345

PowerSchool Account (Sample Student)

PowerSchool Username: SampleSt30

PowerSchool Password: Naps12345

Step 2

Select "My Schedule” from the menu on the left and now you can see what team your child is assigned to and their schedule.

Note:

If you do not remember your powerschool login information, steps to recover your account can be found here.

If you need additional assistance please submit a help desk ticket by emailing support@naps.freshdesk.com

Where do students report on the first day of school?

• Grade 6 students should report to the auditorium where the 6th grade teachers will meet with teams and bring them to homerooms.

• Grade 7 students should report to the 7th grade cafeteria, where homerooms will be posted.

• Grade 8 students should report to the 8th grade cafeteria, where homerooms will also be posted.

What homeroom is my child assigned to?

Students will be able to learn what homeroom they are in by logging into PowerSchool on the evening of Tuesday, August 31st or they can find out on the first day of school.

Team Assignments & Supply Lists

All registered students were informed of their team assignments. You may find all of the Team’s Supply Lists here. You will see that all supply lists also include the Related Arts supply lists as well. We ask that students please bring their chromebooks to school every day, including the first day of school.

Fall Dates

• Wednesday, September 2nd (1st Day of School)

• Thursday, September 3rd (2nd Day of School)

• September 4th–7th (No School: Labor Day Weekend)

• Tuesday, September 8th (3rd Day of School)

• Thursday, September 17th (School Picture Day)

• Wednesday, September 23rd (Grade 6 Open House, 6:30–7:30 pm)

• Thursday, October 1st (Grade 7 Open House, 6:30–7:30 pm)

• Wednesday, October 7th (Grade 8 Open House, 6:30–7:30 pm)

• Monday, October 12th (No School: Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day)

• Friday, October 30th (School Picture Day Makeups)

• Tuesday, November 3rd (No School: Family Conferences)

• Wednesday, November 11th (No School: Veterans Day)

• November 26th–29th (No School: Thanksgiving Break)

• December 24th–January 1st (No School: Winter Break)

Cell Phones/Electronics

Cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices are not allowed to be used during the instruction day (7:40-2:20 p.m.). Student use of electronic devices for texting, talking, using applications, accessing social media services and websites, and accessing the internet during the school day serves as a significant distraction/disruption to academics.

The expectation is that cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices are turned off and put away in their locker. Lockers must be locked with a school issued lock. If a student is found to be in possession of or using their cell phone or other non-academic electronics the following policy will be followed:

1st offense:

• The cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where the student can get the item back at the end of the day with a warning.

2nd offense:

• The cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where a parent/guardian will need to pick up the item

• (Level I).

3rd offense:

• The cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where a parent/guardian will need to pick up the item and the student will be issued an office detention (Level I, II).

4th offense:

• The cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where a parent/guardian will need to pick up the item. A meeting with an Assistant Principal will take place in order to establish a contract where the item can either be dropped off at arrival time and picked up at dismissal, or the item is not allowed in school. The student will be issued 1-3 office detentions (Level I, II).

We respectfully ask for your support in reinforcing the cell phones and other non-academic electronic devices rules. If there is ever a reason for a student to call home, they are allowed to utilize a classroom or office phone with permission. If you have to get in touch with your student, we would ask that you please contact the main office during school hours.

North Andover Public Schools are not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged, or broken devices.

District-Issued Chromebooks

Each student will be issued a district-issued Chromebook for their use at home and at school. Students will be taking their school issued Chromebook back and forth. It is expected that a student comes to school with the Chromebook fully charged.

Basic repairs will be provided by IT Support Staff. If it appears that the device has been damaged due to abuse then the Assistant Principal will be involved to investigate and determine consequences, including a replacement fee of $250.

Chromebooks are not allowed in the following locations:

• In the morning in the auditorium or in the cafeteria

• Homeroom, unless needed for a homeroom activity

• P.E., Fitness, Band/Instrument Class

• Cafeterias during lunch

Cafeteria and Food Services

All information is available at NAPS Food Services. Students may choose to bring their lunch to school. Although NAMS is not a peanut-free school, please consider not sending peanut products to school. This greatly reduces the risks for students with a food allergy.

• PIN Numbers: Food Services has transitioned to a new point of sale program, Titan School Solutions. Families should create a family account by logging onto family.titank12.com. Titan's family portal allows families to deposit money, check balances and transfer funds between siblings.

• All students will need to input their 4 digit pin numbers with the kitchen cashier. All families will receive an email prior to the start of the school year listing your students 4 digit pin numbers. Not to worry should your student not know their pin numbers we can easily look it up for them until they get to know it. Returning students will use the same pin number as they used with our previous point of sale system last school year. New students will receive an auto generated pin number once the Titan Family Portal has been created and you've linked your student to your account.

• All meals are free for the 2023-2024 school year. Although all meals are free, families should still complete a meal application to be considered for free or reduced priced transportation, community programs, and athletics. The meal application can be found on the NAPS website or here.

• Breakfast before the bell is available daily in the NAMS cafe. Breakfast is free to all students.

• Dietary Accommodation Forms MUST be completed annually. We will only make dietary accommodations if a current school year's form is on file. The dietary accommodations form can be found on the Food Services Website.

• Menus are available for review on the Food Services Website. All menus include both ingredient and nutrition information.

Parent/Guardian Liaison

Victoria Torres is our parent/guardian liaison. If you need any support, information or guidance of any kind with the school in Spanish, please do not hesitate to contact her at 978.984.7841. Email: torresv@northandoverpublicschools.com

And finally…

A collaborative effort amongst all team players – administration, teachers, students, and parents/guardians – is necessary to ensure a successful middle school experience for your child. We are glad you and your child are members of the NAMS community and we are looking forward to a wonderful year together.

Sincerely,

Jorge Goncalves

Pronounced (George Gone+Solves)

Principal

Dear North Andover Middle School Families,

Welcome back!! We are so excited to see your children this fall and looking forward to working together with your family to keep your child healthy while at school! We’d like to offer you some information that will be helpful as you transition back to school this fall.

PowerSchool Updates

Health Information Updates: Please log into PowerSchool using your account information or through PowerSchool via the NAPS website to make any changes or to update your child’s health information. This information is extremely important so we may reach emergency contacts and help care for your student to the best of our abilities.

Illness

Illness: Please do not send your student to school if symptoms of any illness are present. Students with strep throat, impetigo, or other infectious conditions must receive 24 hours of medication prior to returning to school. Students must be free of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea without medication for 24 hours before returning to school. Here is a link for the reasons for dismissal/exclusion.

Medications

ALL medications need to be brought in by an adult and in an original container with a pharmacy label.

Daily Medications taken during school hours: Medications which must be taken during school hours on a long-term basis require a signed and completed physician’s order as well as parent consent, found here. Please contact the NAMS Health Office for details if your child will take daily medications at school.

If you need to drop off any medication, EpiPens, or supplies for your child. We will be available to receive them beginning Tuesday, September 1. Please call our office to arrange a drop off time at (978)557-7902

Inhalers for Asthma: Students may leave their inhalers in the health office or self carry. Medical orders are necessary from your MD. Here is the link for the medical Asthma Action Plans for inhalers.

EpiPens: If a student has been prescribed an EpiPen, it may be stored in the Health Office or your student may keep it in their backpack. All students who are prescribed an EpiPen will require a completed and signed Food Allergy Emergency Action Plan with physician orders found here. EpiPens and doctor’s orders may be dropped off by the parent/guardian or brought in by the student on the first few days of school.

UPDATES

Parents and guardians are encouraged to call the school nurse anytime they have questions or concerns especially for the following reasons:

• A new medical diagnosis, or change in your child’s health status

• A newly prescribed medication

• A change in current medication

• A serious injury, illness, or hospitalization

• A fracture, sprain, stitches, or a cast

• A contagious disease such as chicken pox, flu, strep throat, whooping cough, or conjunctivitis

• If your child is absent for an extended period of time

• If there are any recent changes in your family that may affect your child, such as a birth, recent loss, or sudden illness

IMMUNIZATIONS

GRADE 7 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• Tdap: 1 dose and a history of DTaP primary series or age-appropriate catch-up vaccination.

• Polio: 4 doses; 4th dose must be given on or after the 4th birthday and ≥ 6 months after the previous dose, or a 5th dose is required. 3 doses are acceptable if the 3rd dose is given on or after the 4th birthday and ≥ 6 months after the previous dose.

• Hepatitis B: 3 doses; laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable

• MMR: 2 doses; first dose must be given on or after the 1st birthday and the 2nd dose must be given ≥ 28 days after previous dose; laboratory evidence of immunity accepted.

• Varicella: 2 doses; first dose must be given on or after the 1st birthday and the 2nd dose must be given ≥ 28 days after previous dose; a physician documented case of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity acceptable

• Meningococcal: 1 dose; 1 dose MenACWY (former MCV4) required. Meningococcal B Vaccine is not required and does not meet this requirement.

Screenings

Health Screenings: Hearing/Vision, Height/Weight, Postural, and SBIRT Screenings are all done as mandated by the state of Massachusetts. If you choose to opt out of any of these screenings, a signed letter must be sent annually to the health office by October 1st. Please use this link for more information about NAPS Health Screenings.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, and we look forward to the upcoming school year!

Best,

Your NAMS Nurses

Jessica Wolfe, BSN, RN, NCSN

Email: wolfej@nak12.com

Website: Health Services- NAMS

Phone: 978-557-7902

Dana Woodford, BSN, RN

Email: woodfordd@nak12.com

Website: Health Services- NAMS

Phone : 978-557-7902