10/16/26 Life in the Middle

October 16, 2026

During our early-release time yesterday, NHMS staff engaged in important learning and discussion around student technology use. In 2018, NHMS was one of the first schools in the area to pilot a phone-free school environment. As the national conversation around 1:1 devices, AI, and screen time continues to evolve, we are taking a thoughtful look at what it means to maintain a healthy, enriching learning environment for our middle school students.

Over the past month, our staff completed a technology audit. Yesterday, we reviewed our findings, explored current research, and discussed potential next steps.

Throughout the year, we look forward to inviting parents and families into this conversation and learning from your perspectives. Please continue to read Life in the Middle for opportunities to share your feedback and participate in this important conversation. Thank you for your continued partnership!

David Simpson and Raeanne Hart

Do you have a veteran in your family? Our NHMS students would love to thank them for their service with a personalized card this Veterans Day!

As part of our annual tradition, students will learn about Veterans Day in social studies and create cards that we will mail to veterans connected to our school community.

Please share your veteran’s information and mailing address using the form below. You can also include details to help students personalize their card.

👉 https://forms.gle/KjuTm9dzkakXsw8q9

Thank you for helping us celebrate our Husky Heroes!

We are excited for our annual Unity Day event on Wednesday. This event is part of the National Anti-Bullying Month throughout the country. We will be starting our day in a CREW Assembly, and have a fun time during our Mix-It-Up lunch.We encourage all students and staff to wear orange that day to show our shared commitment to making NHMS a place where everyone feels safe, valued, and connected.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on October 20 and 22. We are using SchoolBookings to schedule parent-teacher conferences this year.

To make your appointments:

1. Visit our parent teacher conference booking page.

2. Enter your contact information and your student’s name.

3. Choose the teachers you would like to meet and select an available time for each conference.

4. Review and confirm your bookings. You will receive an email with your appointment times.

   
   

If the link asks for an event code, enter qt95k. If you need help scheduling, please contact the NHMS office.

There will be a signup for MathCounts in the office next week. Students can sign up through Friday, Oct. 23. Interested students are welcome to attend an informational meeting on Wed, Oct. 28 during CREW in the cafeteria.

Thank you for all the amazing donations so far! We appreciate everyone helping us treat our staff during conferences next Tuesday, October 20, and Thursday, October 22.

We’re still looking for beverages and desserts to round out their dinners. Homemade or store-bought desserts are welcome! No time to bake or shop? Individually wrapped treats ordered from Amazon are a great option, too. Every contribution helps!

Sign up to contribute here

Over 300 students joined us for Husky Howl, and it took a lot of helping hands to make it happen! Thank you to all the families who sold tickets, found vendors, donated, patrolled the halls, helped with activities, emceed our amazing raffle giveaways, and pitched in with setup and cleanup.

We appreciate the time and energy you gave to make this a fun afternoon for our students. We couldn’t have done it without you!

There is no school for students on Monday, October 19 for Fall Break.

This past week, an informational email was sent to all 8th grade families about the upcoming 8th Grade Reproductive Health unit. If you missed it, you can click here to access the email. Reproductive Health will be taught during science classes from October 23-30.

Our next PTO meeting is Friday, October 23, at 1 p.m. at the school. You know what they say: be there or be…not there. But why wouldn’t you want to be? We’d love to see you!

Welcome Husky families! Tryouts for our 7th and 8th-grade basketball teams are coming up soon. Here is everything you need to know to get ready for day one.

Tryout Schedule & Arrival

Tryouts take place on October 21, 23, and 26.

• 8th Grade Tryouts: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

• 7th Grade Tryouts: 4:40 PM – 6:10 PM

Check-In: All players must report to the Husky Den upon arrival to get their tryout number from Mr. Bailey. Players must keep and wear this number every day of tryouts.

Tryout Eligibility & Checklist

To participate on day one, student-athletes must have all paperwork completed beforehand:

• Final Forms: Complete all digital paperwork.

• Sports Physical: Must have a valid physical on file dated after 4/15/26.

Note: Players cannot take the court without an active physical and completed Final Forms.

Team Placements & Payment Notice

• Team Assignments: Announced the evening of October 26th (A Team, B Team, or Recreation Team).

• Payment Notice: Do not pay participation fees until team placements are posted!

  
  

Regular Season Practice Schedule

Once teams are formed on October 26th, standard practices will follow this schedule:

• 7th Grade B & 8th Grade B: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

• 8th Grade A: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

• 7th Grade A: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

• Recreation Team: TBA

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Bailey (bbailey@fhps.net). We look forward to a great season!

Monday, October 19

• Fall Break

  
  

Tuesday, October 20

• Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences

  
  

Wednesday, October 21

• Unity Day: Wear orange!

• 7th and 8th Grade Orchestra Extravaganza

• Boys Basketball Tryouts:

  • 8th Grade: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

  • 7th Grade: 4:40 to 6:10 p.m.

    
    

Thursday, October 22

• Husky of the Month Ceremony: 7:10 a.m. in Gym A

• Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences

  
  

Friday, October 23

• Boys Basketball Tryouts:

  • 8th Grade: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

  • 7th Grade: 4:40 to 6:10 p.m.

Upcoming Events

Monday, October 26

• Boys Basketball Tryouts:

  • 8th Grade: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.

  • 7th Grade: 4:40 to 6:10 p.m.

    
    

Basketball Tryout Check-In: On each tryout day, all players must report to the Husky Den upon arrival. Mr. Bailey will provide each player with a tryout number. Players must keep their number and wear it each day of tryouts.