Bobcat Nation:

As a reminder, CCPS schools will have a two hour early dismissal for students on Friday, January 27th.

End of the 2nd Marking Period - January 25th - With the end of the marking period coming soon, we encourage parents to check HAC to look at their child’s grades and for incomplete assignments that can still be submitted. Parents also have their own accounts in Schoology through which they can monitor their child’s learning activities and assignments. Teachers have been inputting grades into HAC so parents can see their child’s current grades in each of their classes. We encourage parents to use these tools to help their child organize their time and engagement in learning.

If you have questions about one of your child’s classes, please contact the teacher. Be patient in getting a response as teachers are answering messages from many parents and students. Their main focus will be working on current assignments with their classes. As a result, anything missing from earlier in the marking period will be addressed as they can get to it.

8th Grade Families - we are approaching the time of the school year in which 8th grade students will start the process of registering for 9th grade courses and exploring the extracurricular options that are available in high school. We have added a section below in the newsletter for 8th grade families which contains information from the high schools as they are received. Be sure to check each week for updates.

Have a great week!

Mr. Webster, NMS Principal

https://twitter.com/NorthernMSCCPS

The attached letter outlines information regarding information for students currently enrolled on approved transfers or interested in submitting transfer requests for the 2023 - 2024 school year. The application is now available. Transfer requests that are not submitted by February 15th may not be honored due to lack of space at the desired school or grade level. Please note that transfers are approved on a one-year basis so families must apply/reapply each year.

A fundraiser for the Calvert County School Foundation will take place from January 16 through February 10, 2023. Community, parents, students, teachers, and staff will have the opportunity to purchase a $5.00 online ticket to nominate a teacher for a $750 Classroom Refresh!

On February 14, 2023, there will be one teacher from each level (elementary, middle, and high school) who will win the classroom refresh. The sponsors of this event are Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and Community Bank of the Chesapeake.

The link to purchase online tickets is: https://tinyurl.com/SpreadTheLoveRefresh

We are excited to introduce the NMS Food Pantry! This idea was developed by Mr. Stuart's 8th Grade Advisory class. Students and staff have been collaborating to bring the project from an idea into operation. Thank you to everyone has contributed to this project. We are excited to add a new resource that supports our community!

Be sure to order your 2022-23 NMS Yearbook! Yearbooks are sold online at https://link.entourageyearbooks.com/view_account.asp?l=FA7A42A7-C300-45ED-BBEB-129ECDED39DC.

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $35.00. If you have any yearbook questions, please contact Mrs. McGuire at mcguireta@calvertnet.k12.md.us.

We are excited to see our basketball teams, cheerleading squad, and poms squad compete against the other middle schools. Below is the schedule of home games for the regular season.

Games will start at 4:30 pm. Students and families who wish to attend as spectators will be admitted starting at 4:00 pm. Admission is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for students.

• 1/24 - Girls Basketball, Cheer, Poms at home vs SMS, Boys Basketball at SMS
• 1/26 - Girls Basketball, Cheer, Poms at home vs CMS, Boys Basketball at CMS
• 1/31 - Boys Basketball, Cheer, Poms at home vs PPMS, Girls Basketball at PPMS
• 2/7 - Girls Basketball, Cheer, Poms at home vs WHMS, Boys Basketball at WHMS

If you have any questions, please contact our Athletic Director, Ms. Emond, at emondr@calvertnet.k12.md.us or 443-550-9230.

We are seeking donations for rewards for our students. NMS wants to continue our partnerships with our families and local businesses to support our school’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) initiative. PBIS is a statewide initiative to improve behavior and increase student achievement. We try to accomplish this by creating a clear system for all expected behaviors and rewarding positive behaviors and choices. We reward students for embodying the Bobcat ROAR (Respect, Outstanding Achievement and Responsibility).

We hope to provide very attractive prizes to keep the students motivated! Donations can include anything that will serve to reward and motivate the students ($5-$10 gift cards, individually wrapped food items, coupons for free items, tangible items, school supplies, etc…) If you want to check with us about an idea, feel free to contact Jessica Himes at himesj@calvertnet.k12.md.us

One easy way to donate is through an Amazon Wish List that is being facilitated by the PTO - https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9H80XPJZUNWM?ref_=wl_share

We believe that involvement with families, businesses and the community can be a positive part of our students’ education. We will gladly accept donations year round!! Please drop your donations off in the main office.

Please consider joining the NMS PTO. The PTO is a very active organization at NMS. We need the support of all parents and families. Even if you have no time to volunteer, there are other ways to support all children at NMS. Please look for PTO information at the beginning of the school year and at Back-to-School Night.

The electronic link for membership is https://pto-membership-83842.cheddarup.com

You can also access the NMS PTO Facebook group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/nmsbobcatspto/

The PTO is organizing several committees to help with events throughout the year. If you are interested in helping, please sign-up at https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0e4aa8ac2dabfac70-ptocommittees

Parents can receive text messages from CCPS as long as parents have a cell or cell2 number in eSchool/HAC. They will receive text messages to that number if they’ve opted in to receive them. If they aren’t getting them but want to, they just need to text the letter Y to 67587. This will opt them in. More information can be found here:

https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/information-technology/calvert-county-notification-system/troubleshooting-tips (open up Text Messages)

When sending text messages to the community, CCPS is limited to 160 characters in text messages. Therefore, we notify our community that information has been shared by email. Some families are able to see that text message more quickly and can then check their email.

https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/district-information/reopening-plan

https://calvertnet.nutrislice.com/

Calvert County Public Schools uses Raptor for visitors and volunteers to sign in and sign out. Volunteers must apply annually to be an approved volunteer. All volunteers will need to review the volunteer handbook and watch the volunteer training video before completing and Online Volunteer Application. Volunteers must be approved before they may begin service as a volunteer in any school buildings.

CCPS Online Volunteer Application & Process: https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/human-resources/become-a-volunteer

It is the responsibility of all families, students, and staff members to self-assess before entering a school bus or CCPS facility by answering the following questions:

• Has the individual or anyone in the family been sick with dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, fever, muscle or body aches, sore throat, or loss of sense of taste or smell in the last 5 days?
• Has the individual or anyone in the family been exposed to COVID-19 and asked to quarantine? If yes, who was directed to quarantine and what date did the quarantine start? (Ensure quarantine time is up and symptoms have improved.)
• Has the individual or anyone in the family tested positive for COVID-19? If yes, who and when? Were they having any symptoms? (Ensure quarantine is up and symptoms have improved.)
• Student and staff should not attend school if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have been medically advised to quarantine. If this is the case, please contact our School Nurse, Carin Fleshman, at 443-550-9227 or fleshmanc@calvertnet.k12.md.us.

Here Comes the Bus (HCTB) is an app with tracking features for the bus(es) your child(ren) is assigned to ride. They include

• Showing the real-time location of your child's bus on a map
• Scheduled and actual arrival times at home and school for bus routes
• Push and email notifications when the bus is near

Click this link for more information on getting the app - https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/transportation/bus-status/here-comes-the-bus

To create an account, you will need to know your child's ID number and the school district activation code 87557.

If students have questions about their device (laptop/computer), they can get help from a member of the CCPS IT team at helpdesk@calvertnet.k12.md.us or call 443-550-8146. Students needing assistance can also drop off their laptop in the main office and fill out a paper Help Desk ticket.

Supports are also available on the CCPS website using the Technology Support button (pictured below) on the main page. This resource provides links to submit help desk tickets, frequently asked questions, and other resources students can use to solve issues.