Wildcat Weekly - 10/30/2026

Wildcat Country!

It was great seeing all of our students in costumes today. I hope everyone in our community has a fun and safe Halloween on Saturday night!

In this week’s newsletter, you will find new PTO updates, along with a couple of messages from our counseling team regarding their presentation at the upcoming PTO meeting and an opportunity for our community to provide holiday assistance.

Go Wildcats!

Haaris Quraishy

Principal, Northwestern Middle School

The holiday season is a time for family, gratitude, and creating meaningful memories. At Northwestern Middle School, assisting our families during this season is a longstanding Wildcat tradition. Through the generosity of our staff, PTO and community partners, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide holiday help to families who may benefit from a little extra assistance.

Holiday Season Family Assistance Form – Fill out form

All request received will be handled with care, respect, and confidentiality. Our Student Support Team, school social worker and grade level counselors, will review requests privately and work to connect families with available resources. While assistance is based on available donations and resources and cannot be guaranteed, we are committed to supporting our Wildcat families whenever possible.

Kind regards,

NMS Department of Student Supports

Thanksgiving Request Deadline - November 17th

Winter Holiday Request Deadline - December 15th

Hi guys!

Our Book Fair is almost here! Our Bookfair will run from 11/6-11/13 in the school library. ELA classes will each be given a time to come through but students with money can come anytime their teachers give them permission, we will be open from 8:30-4:00 each day except for Friday 11/13, when we will close at 3:00 to start shutting down the fair. This is one of the library's biggest fundraisers and helps us buy new books and keep our collection fresh, relevant, and reflective of our students. Scholastic gives us 40% back in cash, which makes up the bulk of our library budget.

If I could get two people each day to help supervise students and run the registers, it would make a huge difference. Let me know if you'd be willing to volunteer!

Sign Up to VolunteerLinks to an external site.

You can set up an e-wallet HERE (You will have to create or log into your account since it is financial information) but we also take cash, credit and Apple Pay. Credit Cards must have the students name on them, or a sign parents note with a price limit.

Preview the fair HERE

Homework vs. Studying

Understanding the Difference for Academic Success

Join us on November 11 at 9:15 a.m. in the media during the PTO Meeting for the first session of our two-part parent series, Homework vs. Studying, hosted by the NMS Counseling Department.

Many students complete homework each night, but completing assignments is not always the same as learning. This session will explore the difference between homework and studying, introduce Depth of Knowledge (DOK) and the varying levels at which students engage with content, and help parents consider whether their child has enough time in their schedule for both homework completion and meaningful studying.

Session 2 will focus on practical strategies families can use to support studying and long-term learning at home.

Attention 7th grade parents! We need you to volunteer for our 7th grade field trip to JA Finance Park.

WHAT DOES A JA VOLUNTEER DO?

Unlike traditional chaperones, JA volunteers take an active role in our simulations. Volunteers walk alongside the students to share about their life experiences, paying bills, securing a job, saving money – all the things we wish we knew when we were your students’ age! Volunteers can be anyone from your school community (18 years or older), whether it’s parents & family members of the students, PTA members, school partners, or family/friends of educators.

KEY INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS

To set our volunteers up for success, it’s important that they know:

• Arrival time: We ask that all volunteers arrive on their own to the JA Chick-fil-A Discovery Center (downtown Atlanta) between 8:00-8:30am, before the school arrives, for a morning-of volunteer training.

• Registration: All volunteers must register in advance using your school’s unique link: Deal's classes go on the 10th, Rushing's classes go on the 11th, and Crumb's classes go on the 14th.

• JA Volunteer Registration: Thursday, December 10th

• JA Volunteer Registration: Friday, December 11th

• JA Volunteer Registration: Monday, December 14th

Help Us Capture the Memories!

We want to make this year's yearbook the best one yet, and we need your help! Please send us your favorite photos of your Northwestern student enjoying after-school activities, sporting events, club activities, and back-to-school moments. These candid memories help us tell the story of our school year and celebrate our students' experiences both in and out of the classroom.

Please submit photos featuring Northwestern students only. Thank you for helping us create a yearbook that reflects our amazing Wildcat community!

Buy your yearbook and 8th Grade Ads HERE

You still have time to purchase device insurance! The due date for purchasing in September 30th. If you need to purchase after this date, a device inspection will be required. Please use this link to access more information.

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