North Windy News

• Week of December 15th - 19th - Winter Dress-up Days!
• Monday, December 15th - Blackhawk Brigade (6th Graders) at NBMS
  
• Wednesday, December 17th - Strings concert @ 8:10 am in gym
• Friday, December 19th - PTO Staff Appreciation (Sign up here to donate)
• December 22nd - January 2nd - Winter Break
• Monday, January 5th - Welcome back to school in 2026!

If you need to check your child out early, please check them out BEFORE 2:15. We will not be checking students out the last 30 minutes of the day as this interrupts instruction.

Lost & Found is located on Wings and Near the Gym

One more week until Winter Break! Our kids (and staff!) always enjoy this special week together before our much-needed break from routine. I hope you all have plans for time with loved ones during the Holiday Season!

Winter Dress-up Days (December 15th - 19th)

• Monday, December 15th - Holiday Colors
  
• Tuesday, December 16th - Holiday Head Gear
  
• Wednesday, December 17th - Ugly Holiday Sweater
  
• Thursday, December 18th - Holiday Movie Character
  
• Friday, December 19th - Pajama Day *Dress code still applies*
  

You can read below for information about...

• Dress Code Reminder
• Register for Chorus "after-school" for 2nd semester (and see a schedule for other after-school enrichment at NWR)
• Zaniacs 2nd Semester
• Mountain Kids Express Issue
• PBIS Reward Criteria Revision and Upcoming Reward Info - Friday, January 23rd
• Blackhawk Brigade - 6th graders cheer on NBMS Basketball Teams!
  
• Our New Resource Officer - Phillip Owens
• Cell Phone Reminder
• Get the Campus Parent App to Monitor Your Child's Grades
• Sign up for the NWR Spirit Rock! Many dates being reserved, so don't miss your special date to send a message to your NWR student!
  

Thank you for all the ways you support your child and our school,

Mrs. Nichols

Principal

North Windy Ridge Intermediate School

Cole/Witcher

Edmonds/Teague

Trader/Deitz

Clark/Prott/Miller

Dual Language - Ulloa

Fleck/Hesson/Wilde

Kessler/Reece/Cripps

Fox/Lawing/Smith

Dress-up Days are an exception, but otherwise, please remind your students that these are the rules for dress at NWR!

North Windy Ridge School encourages students to dress in comfortable clothing that complements a positive school climate.

• No hats, hoods, bandanas or other head coverings are to be worn in the building. This includes headbands with ears or other costume-related head coverings.
• No "costume" attire, such as tails or paws.
• Students will refrain from wearing baggy pants that fall below the waist and shirts that expose the midriff.
• Attire should not include pajama wear.
  
• Shorts and skirts should be at least mid-thigh.
• Dresses, tank tops and any straps must be at least 3 fingers wide.
• Clothing must not advertise alcohol, drugs, or tobacco products or display inappropriate language or gestures. (This includes items that suggest inappropriate things as well).
• No bedroom slippers. Shoes should be of a type suitable for daily physical education and/or recess. Students must wear tennis shoes on days scheduled in the gym for physical education.
  

It’s time to start thinking about spring after-school activities, if you can believe it! We have some fun things in store for our NWR Blackhawks,

We are still working on our after-school enrichment activities and all the details associated with that. However, we do know a general schedule of which after-school activities will be happening which days of the week. We are planning five staff-led 9-week enrichment activities from which students can choose. We ALSO have a few activities that are year-round, OR might last longer than a 9-week enrichment activity.

With that being said, I want to share that now is the time to register your child for Chorus if that’s what they want to do. Chorus will start the week of January 5th, and there will be a fee of $13 for chorus t-shirts. Students do attend a couple of performances if they participate in chorus, so you can read more here on the registration. This link is JUST for Chorus, and we’ll have another registration for other activities if your child wants to participate. Since Chorus meets at the beginning of January, we wanted to go ahead and let you know about registration.

I think it’s important to know the whole schedule for after-school activities when you register, so I want to be sure to share that with you now. Again, more details will come about NWR After School Enrichment Activities.

After School Enrichment @ North Windy Ridge

Below is a schedule of all after-school activities. The ones highlighted in blue will be 9-week sessions, and will have a fee associated with registration. Scholarships are available. I’ll send more information about these after-school enrichment activities later, including cost and exact dates. I’ll also send class descriptions about each 9-week activity.

Monday:

• Soccer with Mr. Contreras (9 weeks until 4:15), starting in March

• Zumba with Ms. Young (9 weeks until 4:15), starting in late January

• Battle of the Books (5th Grade, every other week) - Year-round, students participating have already started

Tuesday:

• Zaniacs*

• Chorus with Mrs. Budhisetiawan (Mrs. B) - Open for registration now. (all semester until 4:15).

• Chess with Ms. Whitcher (9 weeks until 4:15), starting late January

Wednesday:

• Crochet with Ms. Smith & Ms. Deitz (9 weeks until 4:15) starting late January

• Water Colors with Ms. Erwin (9 weeks until 4:15) starting late January

• Battle of the Books (6th Grade) - Year-round, students participating have already started

Thursday:

• Math Counts - Year-round, students participating have already started

*Not a NWR Class, so cost and registration process are different.

In our Circuits and Electrical Engineering course, Zap Lab: Adventures in Electricity, students will dive into the exciting world of circuits and electrical engineering. Using Snap Circuits and LittleBits, students will learn how electricity flows, how components work together, and how to design their own functional creations. Along the way, they’ll experiment with making their own homemade conductors using unusual and unexpected materials, discovering what really makes electricity move. From building simple switches to designing imaginative electronic projects, students will develop problem-solving skills, creativity, and a deeper understanding of how the technology around them works. Perfect for curious minds who love to tinker, invent, and explore!

Mountain Xpress has just announced the theme for the 2026 Mountain Xpress Kids Issue — “My wildest, funniest or most important moment.” — and your child is invited to participate.

Each March, Xpress publishes the Kids Issue to highlight the creative work of our local K-12 students. The issue offers a great way to both engage students and also bring some positive attention to the schools. NBMS students have shared wonderful submissions in past year.

The deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, so your students have plenty of time! You can find all the information about the contest, including submission guidelines and how to enter, by clicking here.

Our PBIS team, made up of NWR staff, have revised our criteria to include a parameter around referrals and qualifying for the reward. Currently, if a student gets more than one office referral, they don't qualify for the behavior category in our PBIS Reward Criteria. However, they can potentially earn the reward if they make it in Academics or Attendance.

• The revision we have made is that if a student gets more than one office referral, they are disqualified from the reward, even if they do make it in Academics and Attendance.
• Additionally, if a student gets one referral, administration can disqualify the student from the reward if the behavior is severe.
• Students get a fresh start each month, so even if they don't qualify for the PBIS reward one month, they can work hard to earn the next one.
  

The WINDOW to earn this reward is from December 4th - January 20th.

6th Graders have an opportunity to attend NBMS sporting events with friends! Parents must complete a field trip permission form and the attached information sheet. The cost is $8 per game. Students can get a permission form in the front office or in the cafeteria! They can turn in completed paperwork to their HR teacher OR directly to the front office.

• Link to Permission Slip
• Link to Parent Information Page (must be turned in with permission)
• *These are available ready for kids to pick-up - in front office or on 6th grade wings.

Welcome Officer Phillip Owens, our new School Resource Officer! His office is right at the front of the school, and he's been getting to know kids and staff for the past couple of weeks. Officer Owens is the SRO at North Windy Ridge, North Buncombe Middle, and Barnardsville Elementary

Please take a moment to talk with your child about our expectations for cell phone use at school. While most of our students are doing a wonderful job, we have noticed a few slip-ups recently and want to ensure everyone is on the same page.

As a reminder, students should keep their phones powered off and stored in their backpacks throughout the school day. This is a district-wide policy designed to support student safety, focus, and well-being.

• If a student needs to contact a parent for any reason, they should request permission to use a school phone. Students should not use their personal phones to call or text parents during the day, including for early pickups.
• Additionally, phones should not be used socially while on campus—this means no taking photos or videos, no messaging friends, and no playing games.

Thank you for your support in helping our students follow this important expectation. It truly makes a positive difference in their school experience.

*Our Cell Phone Policy is always in the North Windy News for Reference.

As our students start the second nine weeks of the school year, we have another resource to help you stay connected through "Campus Parent," the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. You can view this edition of BCS Parent University to learn more and see some of the app's features in action.

In August 2025, Buncombe County Schools launched Parent University. This series of short videos is intended to enhance communication with families of things happening in classrooms across Buncombe County. Watch for additions to the Parent University library throughout the school year. Click here to access the BCS Parent University.

Campus Parent App

The end of the grading period is drawing near, so if you haven't already signed up for the Campus Parent App to see your child's grades, now's the time! Here are the directions:

Setting Up Your Infinite Campus Parent Portal

1. Visit this link for NCSIS registration.

2. Select Buncombe County Schools from the drop down menu.

3. Enter your student's ID number (they may know it as their "lunch number"), their first name, last name, and date of birth.

4. Follow the instructions to verify your identity.

5. You should instantly receive an activation key and link to complete your parent portal setup.

Once your parent portal is established, use this link to sign in anytime with your user name and password. You may also want to download the Campus Parent mobile app for iPhone and Android devices.

Click here to visit our district NCSIS page for quick-start guides and helpful videos to learn how to use all of the features of your Infinite Campus parent portal.

Mr. Thompson is asking for Legos! We know they're out there, buried in your closet...it's time to donate them to a good cause! Our NWR STEM students will be using these throughout the year.

Use the bar code here (or click this link) to sign up to receive direct information about volunteer opportunities through PTO! You can also keep scrolling to see how you can donate and volunteer in the coming weeks. We are so GRATEFUL for how supportive our parent community is at NWR!

Please remember the following requests:

• If you need to check your child out early, please check them out BEFORE 2:15. We will not be checking students out the last 30 minutes of the day as this interrupts instruction.
• If you need to make a dismissal change for your student, please contact the front office before 1:15 pm. each day. All dismissal changes must be in writing.
• We have an email address for all attendance and transportation-related inquiries. You can reach us at: nwr.attendance@bcsemail.org This email address is monitored throughout the day!
  
• If you have a last-minute emergency transportation change at the last minute, please email & call the school to confirm the update.

Please be reminded that our school, in accordance with the new state law, has an updated cell phone policy this year. We have talked as a school staff about this policy and it will be enforced consistently school wide. Please refer to this video on the BCS Parent University website.

• Students ARE NOT allowed to use their cell phone while in the building. The only exceptions are for students who use it for medical purposes, such as a student with diabetes who use it for blood glucose monitoring.
• The cell phone should NOT be visible while in the building, meaning it needs to be in their backpack, turned off. It should not be seen in a student's pocket or hoodie.
• If a phone is caught, or seen, in violation of this policy the phone will be taken and returned to the student at the end of the school day.
• If a student violates this policy for a second time, the phone will be taken and given to the office. The parent or guardian may pick it up there at the end of the day.
• If a student violates this policy for a third time, the student will be asked to leave the phone at home or leave it in the school office each morning before school starts.
• Refusal to turn over a cell phone can result in additional consequences. Help us out by talking with your student ahead of time about these expectations and consequences.

As for smart watches, we will not be policing each student's watch. Our thoughts are that most student's watches don't have a data plan and are connected to the data plan on their cell phone. Therefore, if a student's phone is turned off as it should be, the smart watch is just a watch. But, if we see a student texting or accessing social media on their smart watch, it will be treated as a cellular device as described above.

This is a fairly big change for our school. Please talk with your child about this before the first day of school. A phone is always available in the school office if your child has an emergency and needs to contact you. I also know this will require families and students to make plans and discuss plans before the child leaves for school since adults should not be texting students during the school day.

We are grateful for your support this year!

Policy 4318: Therefore, students are permitted to possess such devices on school property so long as the devices are not turned on, used, displayed, visible, or otherwise creating a distraction during the instructional day. Wireless communication devices include, but are not limited to, cellular phones, smartwatches, earbuds, headphones, gaming devices, paging devices, two-way radios, tablet computers, laptop computers, electronic devices with internet capability, and other similar personal electronic devices.

• Students cannot have wireless earbuds/airpods/headphones on campus.
  
• Students should have WIRED headphones/earbuds to use for classroom instruction and classroom videos.

Ms. Tara Conley, NWR Assistant Principal, will be your contact for all things Bus-related! Her email is tara.conley@bcsemail.org.

Please sign up for the EDULOG bus app below!

The Buncombe County Schools Transportation Department is excited to bring our families the Edulog Parent Portal App. This smartphone app allows parents to receive specific information about their child’s school bus ride. Parents will be able to:

• Access designated bus stop times and locations for their child.

• Monitor real-time information about the location of their child’s school bus.

• Receive notifications when the bus is getting close to the assigned bus stop.

To Download the app search for Edulog Parent Portal in the app store for Apple or Google or Scan the QR code below.

Links to Parent Portal Information

Edulog Parent Portal Video

Edulog Parent Portal Step by Step Directions

Edulog Parent Portal Step by Step Directions (Spanish)

Please take a few minutes and read this letter that describes our state testing requirements for this school year. If you have any questions, please email our assistant principal, Ms. Conley

North Windy Ridge is lucky to have such an amazing office staff to support our staff, students, and families! Meet the ladies that make things happen at The Ridge!

The NWR Spirit Rock is ready to rent! Read below to learn more about this opportunity.

Click here to sign up: NWR Sign Up Genius

The NWR Spirit Rock is a great way to send a message for all to see! Congratulate your favorite student on an accomplishment, wish a student a Happy Birthday, show appreciation to your favorite teacher or staff member, celebrate a team win or let everyone know how much you love your school. The rock is available to reserve for the day or multiple days.

Reservations will be made only to a custodial parent or guardian of a current student, and NWR staff for their use and enjoyment.

Please read below for more information:

• The cost to rent the rock is $10.00 per day. The day is a 24 hour period and runs from 3:30 PM on the day before your rental day (time to get it painted) until 3:30 PM on your rental day.

• Reservations for Mondays include painting time on Friday afternoons after 3:30 PM. The campus gate will not be unlocked for weekend painting.

• Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Your reservation is not confirmed until payment has been received.

• Cash or Checks only. Checks should be made out to NWR. Payment should be turned in to the main office.

• No refunds will be given, even in the event of inclement weather.

All items must be bagged - No loose clothing

No household items like books, toys, decor, dishes, etc..

No stuffed animals or pillows

Students in Buncombe County Schools have the opportunity to check out books from their school library. As an additional service, we offer parents the opportunity to OPT IN for a NC Digital Public Library card for their student. Our Media Coordinators often work with students to help them learn how to use the public library system to find, reserve, and check out materials. Students are then allowed to check out up to 10 books or 10 audiobooks at a time (or a combination of both that adds up to a total of 10) from anywhere in the collections of the NC public library system.

While our school library collections are designed to fit the appropriate ages for the school, the books in the public library system are not leveled. Students will have access to all titles within the public library system. If you would like for your student to have a public library card, please fill out the linked form by September 30, 2025.

Link to request card: https://forms.gle/8WLZLzdPbU2WdA197

OR https://bit.ly/studentoptin

Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost to all students this school year!

*You can add money to your child's account for extra purchases like snacks, ice cream, or additional items from the lunch menu. Use this link to add money.

We are pleased to inform you that Buncombe County Schools will be implementing a program available to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

What does this mean for you and your child(ren)?

Great news! All enrolled students at Buncombe County Schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no cost to your household each day of the school year. NWR Parents, there are no action steps for you to take at this time to participate in this program.

K-12 Prepayment will remain active allowing parents and guardians to place money on their students accounts to purchase a la carte items if they would like too. We look forward to serving your students during the 25-26 school year. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact us at Buncombe Schools Nutrition Office, 828 255-5932.

Participation matters! The more students who eat lunch and breakfast at our school increases the likelihood that this program will continue.

Don't forget that our students, staff, and visitors have access to masks all day long. We have regular 3-ply masks and KN95 masks available. Masks are available in the front office, and we have reminders at hand-sanitizing stations that you can get a mask in the front office.

If a student requests a KN95 mask, we must have parent permission since it is considered a respirator. Parents must complete the Voluntary Respirator Use Form and sign and return. Here is a link to the form. If a student requests a KN95 mask, and we do not already have the form on file, we will email it to parent/guardians for you to sign.

Ingles:

As we start another school year, remember it's time to link your Ingles Advantage Card to North Windy Ridge Intermediate School. This must be done each year to ensure the benefits from your card will support our school! Ingles Tools for Schools makes a huge difference in our school. Thanks for your support.

https://www.ingles-markets.com/tools-for-schools-link

The NWR campus will open at 7:20 for morning arrival. No students may be dropped off prior to 7:20 AM. Students will wait in the cafeteria until they are dismissed to their homerooms at 7:30 AM. All students should be in their classrooms and ready to learn by 8:00 AM. Students who arrive after 8:00 AM will be marked tardy.

Car Riders:

Please follow the car rider line map in this newsletter. Never pass cards in the car line. Remind your child to be ready to exit the car when it's your turn. Always drive slowly on a school campus.

Please be respectful and patient. The first weeks of school are always a little bit confusing for everyone, and wait time can be longer. I promise it will improve as we move into the school year.

Students will be dismissed from class at 2:55 pm. Buses will load in the bus lot.

All parents of car riders must use the car rider line to pick up their child(ren) in the afternoon.

Please view the illustration above to see how the car line works.

Dismissal Car Line Pro Tips:

• Pull all the way forward to the empty space, and a staff member will call for your child to come out.
  
• Please use your car tag each afternoon if you plan to use the car line. This will help the line move swiftly and efficiently.
• If you have someone picking your child up that is not YOU, make sure this person is listed in Infinite Campus, our new Student Information System, as someone who can pick up your child. We will ask for their ID to make sure they are who they say they are. We appreciate your patience and kindness in these circumstances; we definitely want to make sure we're sending kids home with adults who have permission to pick them up!
  
• If you do not have your car tag with your child's name, we will ask you to come into the office and get one, and we'll ask you to show and ID. We can't do this in the car line because only our office staff have access to that information in powerschool. Please remember that this is a commitment to keeping each child safe. We only want students going home with grownups who are approved for pick-up.
• Please be patient during the first few weeks of school. The car line always take a bit longer in the beginning, but we'll get the hang of it! After a week or so, it's usually about 15 minutes.
  

Visitors will only be allowed to visit a classroom if the visitor has scheduled the visit with the teacher beforehand or if the visitor is a scheduled volunteer.

ALL parents and visitors to campus must sign in at the office and obtain a visitor sticker (or a volunteer pass if applicable). Please note that you must sign in even if your visit will be brief. Your cooperation in helping us to follow district policy and ensuring the safety of all children is expected and appreciated.

If you have an appointment or scheduled time to be at school in the morning, and wish to walk in with your child, please still plan to follow the established procedure of coming to the office, signing the visitor registry, and obtaining a visitor tag.

We have a new front office configuration. Visitors must sign in before they can be allowed to enter our building from the waiting area.

Here's the excerpt from our NWR Student & Families Handbook:

All visitors must enter the building through the visitor’s entrance at the front of the school. You will be allowed to enter a small space, where you then must sign in and get a visitor’s pass from the Raptor Visitor Management system before being buzzed into our waiting room. Raptor requires a driver’s license/passport to sign into the system.

• Anyone visiting or volunteering should have their driver’s license/passport with them.

• For the safety of ALL students, having lunch with your child in the school cafeteria is not recommended unless there is a school wide invitation to families.

• Also, please remember to sign out in the office before leaving the building.

• Volunteers with a scheduled volunteer responsibility will be allowed to enter the main part of the building to complete their task/s.

• If you are picking up your student, you must wait in the waiting area, which is connected to the new visitor entrance.

• We do not allow parents to walk to classrooms for unscheduled visits or conversations with teachers. If you have a conference scheduled with a teacher, we will confirm with the teacher before allowing the parent/guardian to exit the waiting room.

We love having families in our building, and we promise to have many opportunities for our community to be in our school this year. We also want our first day for students to start with high expectations for safety and routines. Because of this, we ask that you make sure your student is prepared to walk to class on their own. We will have many staff ready and waiting to help them along their way. Thank you for respecting this request.

Students must be in attendance for more than half a day (11:30 a.m.) to be counted present for the day. On a two hour delay, the half day mark is considered 12:15. On a three hour delay, the half day mark is considered 12:45. Students arriving at school after 8:00 AM must report to the office and to sign in. Tardies will only be excused if accompanied by a medical (doctor or dentist) statement or if excused by the principal. These notes/statements should be presented to the office staff when signing in. Upon returning to school from an absence, students must bring their teacher a parent note or medical statement (doctor or dentist) giving the reason for the absence.

Our day starts promptly at 8:00 am. Please work together as a family to have your child arrive on time, with time to get settled in their classroom, and ready to learn at 8:00 am. If your child plans to eat breakfast at school, please do your best to have them arrive with time to eat before lessons begin at 8:00 am.

If your student will be taking an extended trip during the school year, please communicate with our data manager at least 2 weeks before the trip is to take place. This will allow us to properly document the student's absences and complete any necessary paperwork.

Email Alisha.Young@bcsemail.org, NWR Data Manager, to check your information system settings and contact information.

Safety is one of my top priorities, and I want to be very clear with all of our families about the ways we will keep our students safe on our campus. The following procedures and expectations are in place with safety in mind. Please support our staff and students in keeping our campus safe by following these expectations at all times.

• All visitors must check in each time with no exceptions. You'll get a badge or sticker to wear, and you must wear the badge/sticker at all times. If you do not have the badge/sticker on, our staff will politely ask if we can help you, so please be kind to staff in response.
• Visitors are only allowed to visit a classroom ONLY if they have a scheduled appointment with the teacher. We want to protect the instructional time of all students.
• All doors will remain locked at all times. We do not prop doors for any reason.
• Visitors will not use the front doors any longer. Visitors will have a special door to the left of the front door.
• If you are already inside the school, please do not open the front door for others. Please allow our office staff to safely screen each person entering the building.

Please follow this "Multi-visitor Entrance Procedure:"

1. If you have buzzed in and are being screened and you notice another visitor is arriving, please don't hold the door and allow anyone in without being screened first.
2. If the other visitor is 15 feet or less from the door, please buzz in and be screened together.
3. If the visitor is more than 15 feet from the door, please buzz in and ensure the door is closed completely after you enter.

We certainly want to encourage politeness, and we also want our visitors to understand that it is unsafe to hold doors and allow visitors in without being verified by front office staff first. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

School safety is the most important component of our day. We know we must balance safety with having a welcoming school building so that parents and community members can be part of our school. Please help us do this by honoring these safety protocols about entering our building.

Phone: 828-658-1892

Address: 20 Doan Road, Weaverville, NC 28787

Email:

Mary Nichols - Principal (Mary.Nichols@bcsemail.org)

Tara.Conley - Assistant Principal (Tara.Conley@bcsemail.org)

Leah Erwin - Receptionist (Leah.Erwin@bcsemail.org)

• Buses
• Dismissal changes
• Absence notification

Alisha Young - Data Manager & Student Information Specialist (Alisha.Young@bcsemail.org)

• attendance
• student information/records
• immunizations
• enrollment

Mandy Brewer - Head Secretary (Amanda.Brewer@bcsemail.org)

• general inquiries
• money questions related to school

Lillian Woods - Nurse at Weaverville Elementary & North Windy Ridge (Lillian.Woods@bcsemail.org).

• Medications
• Health History
• Safety Plans