Eagle's Nest News
February, 2021
Dear Families,
Sincerely,
The Newsletter Committee
( Ms. Moriarty, Mr. Liska, and Ms. Hanna)
Durham Public Schools News
DPS BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTE FOR K-12 IN-PERSON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO RESUME MARCH 15
Neal News!
Black History Month Celebration!
Celebrate with us on Thursday, February 25th at 6:00pm. Every year during February, Neal celebrates Black History Month with an epic night of student showcases, performances, community partnership, and so much more. This year will be no different, we are just moving the festivities to Zoom! This year's theme is "If you don't know where you came from, you won't know where you're going." Mark your calendars!
CONGRATS to Neal's Teacher of the Year: Ms. Byrd!
Please join us in wishing a heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Byrd, who is this year's Teacher of the Year! Ms. Byrd is a sixth grade social studies teacher who has been dedicated to our students for a decade and works everyday to continue learning and growing as an educator. Thank you, Ms. Byrd, for your passion and commitment to our community!
Congrats to Neal's Beginning Teacher of the Year: Mr. Fashoro!
Honor Roll!
Congratulations to our Quarter Two Honor Roll and Student Awards! We are all so very proud of you. Catch a replay of the celebration on Neal's podcast channel!
The Parent & Family Advocacy and Support Training (PFAST)
The Parent & Family Advocacy and Support Training (PFAST) program is a fun and FREE training that explains how to navigate your child’s educational experience. This year's training will be offered online via Zoom and will be divided into 8 sessions of 1 hour and 15 minutes each. We’ll be covering special topics related to virtual learning in this semester’s sessions. We’ll also be giving out prizes each week for participation. The English language classes will be on Fridays from 3-415PM from February 5 to March 26. If you have any questions, please contact Christa Gibson at mailto:cgibson@dconc.gov or by telephone at 919-560-5438. Information about the course can be found at https://go.ncsu.edu/pfastfaq. Register at https://go.ncsu.edu/pfast2021
¿Qué puedo hacer para apoyar la educación de mis hijos y ayudarles a ser exitosos?
Check out the Sixth Grade Newsletter!
Neal Food and Pantry Program
SwingPals
We'd like to thank our continued partnership with Doug Hodges and Swingpals. Student Services partnered with Swingpals this month to deliver our food pantry bags directly to families. Be sure to check out Swingpals (swingpals.org) and sign-up for Neal's Food Pantry.
Front Porch Discussions with Mr. Biggs!
Ms. Pena's Bitmoji Classroom and Occupational Therapy Tips!
Are you a student needing support organizing x100 links and online resources? Try using the bookmarks bar to organize subjects (or days of the week) and stop the endless link scavenger hunt. This YouTube video will walk you through it! Find more resources in Ms. Peña’s bitmoji room.
Check Your Students' Grades
Powerschool Parent Portal:
Student Spotlights
Ja'Vian Yarborough- "He is always on time or early most days for Science class. He responds and communicates effectively with his Camera On, through voice, and the chat feature. He ask great questions that keeps the class engaged and focus on the lesson for that day! I'm extremely proud of his work ethic! Keep up the hard work." -Mr. Liska
David Cazares-Ortiz- "David is not only a great reader but a great teammate. He makes everyone laugh by writing quick jokes in the Zoom chat, and he's always willing to help me with my Spanish! He even showed off some adorable baby chicks one day. I love hearing what he thinks of the books we are reading, and I appreciate that he gives it his all in every practice competition. I'm so glad to have him in the Battle of the Books club!" -Ms. Moriarty
"If you want to engage youth, you have to spend time with them. This includes doing things that they like and enjoy. I encourage you to focus on spending time getting to know [our youth]. This includes talking to us and getting to know our interests."
"We believe that all children have the potential to be involved in their community, environment, and have the skills to become the next generation of entrepreneurs. They just have to be three things; one, informed about what's going on and how they can help. Two, having engaging conversations with interesting topics to keep them interested. Lastly, inspired!"
Take Care of Yourself
MIND: Browse topics on National Geographic Kids!
BODY: Play some awesome wellness-themed games!
SPIRIT: Use meditation to achieve inner calm!
Need Help?
NEED HELP? / ¿NECESITAS AYUDA?
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for you, a friend, or a family member.
Talk to Someone
Not Sure if You Need Help?
Help Others
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)- This is an incredible organization has compiled a list of Covid-related resources for families in Durham. There is information on child care for essential workers, the Disaster Distress Helpline, Durham FEAST, and much more. You can also check out their printable story book to help children talk about their experiences and feelings related to Covid here.
Calendar
TUESDAY, 2.23.21
Multilingual Immigrant and Refugee Virtual Town Hall7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
WEDNESDAY, 2.24.21
Spring '21 Learning Preference Form Deadline / Fecha límite para el formulario de preferencias de ap
Protect the Nest Podcast - Listen Live!7:00 PM
THURSDAY, 2.25.21
MONDAY, 3.1.21
Magnet Lottery Results Available / Resultados de la lotería magnet disponibles
WEDNESDAY, 3.10.21
Magnet Info Session / Sesión de información magnet1:40 PM
Magnet Info Session / Sesión de información magnet5:00 PM
FRIDAY, 3.12.21
MONDAY, 3.15.21
We Want to Hear From YOU!
Neal Middle School
Website: https://www.dpsnc.net/domain/44
Location: 201 Baptist Road, Durham, NC 27704, USA
Phone: (919) 560-3955
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NealEagles/
Twitter: @DPSNealMiddle