News from the View!
Dedicated to furthering the lives of our students.
Hello!
This month's update contains information on our school goals for instruction and achievement, activities used to meet those goals, and our progress toward meeting these goals. This issue includes information related to:
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
- aReading & aMath Results
- Summer School Opportunities
- Outstanding Artists
- Feedback Request
- Available Resources
- R.E.A.L Talk Leadership Group
- Spring Activities
- NVMS Monthly Student Trivia Question
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ways to Stay Updated
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, our staff, or our administrative team with any questions you may have. We are always happy to hear from you!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
This spring we will be providing families with an in-person conference experience. Our in-person conferencing experience will be held on Thursday, April 28th from 3:00-7:00 pm. During this time you will be able to:
Meet each of your child's teachers.
Review classroom objectives and goals.
Discuss how your child is progressing in class.
As a thank you for your commitment to your students and North View Middle School, we are providing parents and their students who attend conferences with a complimentary meal. The first five hundred attendees can select dinner from either the West Indies Soul Food Truck or El Burrito Mercado Food Truck.
Important note: In-person conference attendees are no longer required to wear a mask while they are attending conferences. Masks however are still strongly recommended.
If you are unable to attend or would like to view your child's progress ahead of time, please login into Schoology or ParentVue.
aReading & aMath Assessment Results
As a result of this progress, our educators will continue to work hard on behalf of our students by:
- Reflecting on the data and student feedback.
- Creating or re-committing to action steps to support positive student outcomes.
- Participating in goal setting with students.
- April 19th and 20th Reading MCA Testing
- April 26th and 27th: Math MCA Testing
- May 3rd and 4th: Science MCA Testing
You too can help support positive student outcomes for our students. Consider having conversations with your child about the importance of taking tests like these seriously and persisting through the testing experience even when things get hard.
Summer School Opportunities
Are you or your student interested in Summer School programming? If so, consider North View and Brooklyn Middle Schools' combined summer school program. The "Game On" program will support Reading and Math Interventions, as well as provide wrap-around supports through individual and choice-driven educational experiences, for incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students from NVMS and BMS. Interested students should contact their advisory teacher for an application. Sign up early because space is limited.
In Case You Missed It
Your Voice Matters!
Interested in Spring Sports?
Student Trivia Question
Mental Health Parent Workshop
Books for you and your student.
R.E.A.L Talk Leadership Group
Racial Education Awakening Liberation (R.E.A.L) Talk is starting once again. This is a district-wide, multiracial, multicultural, student leadership group for all Middle and High school students. R.E.A.L Talk creates critical spaces for student leaders to:
- Develop and understand their own cultural and racial identity.
- Learn about cultures and races different from their own.
- Become empowered student leaders who create transformational change in their schools and communities.
Click the link here to complete the R.E.A.L Talk Student Leader Application for this school year.
CAPI Resources
BD Veritor COVID-19 at-home tests
Starting in early January, the school district will begin distribution of BD Veritor rapid antigen testing kits for student use at home, after parents request them. One test kit (containing two tests) may be requested for each student at this time. This is a voluntary program and families are under no obligation to participate. These are private, at-home tests that are completed under the consent of a parent/guardian and detect active infections within 15 minutes using a digital connection, via the free ScanWell app. BD Veritor tests are app-enabled, so must be used in conjunction with a SmartPhone. All tests are provided at no cost to families. An alternative test option will be supplied to families when no Smartphone is available.
To request a student test, please click here.
The initial orders for test kits will be sent home with students as soon as the order can be processed, approximately 3-5 days. Schools will accept test requests until Friday, January 14th, 2022.
Coordinating distribution for at-home, private COVID-19 testing supports our district’s goal to maintain the in-person school, five days per week.
Please direct any questions to RiskManagement@district279.org.
Rapid COVID-19 Antigen School Testing
Testing symptomatic students for COVID-19 at school is the fastest way to return students that test negative to in-person learning. North View Middle School students who become symptomatic for COVID-19 while at school will have the opportunity to take a rapid antigen test under supervision from a trained district staff person. In order to be tested, a student must have a completed consent form on file that is signed by their parent/guardian. Sign the consent form
North View Middle School uses the BinaxNOW rapid antigen test to test symptomatic students in school. The BinaxNOW test is an anterior (front of the nose) nasal swab with a soft tip on a long, flexible stick that is inserted into the nose. Tests will be made available to symptomatic students free of charge as a part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ELC Reopening Schools grant.
District staff are available to assist with administering the test to students under the age of 14 and assist students over the age of 14 as they self-administer the test. Results are available within fifteen minutes.
Students with mild symptoms who test negative for COVID-19 may return to class immediately. Students who have symptoms that make them too ill to remain in school and who test negative for COVID-19 will need to go home for the remainder of the school day, but will be able to return to school once symptoms improve – they do not need to quarantine for 10 days. Students and staff who live with the symptomatic student and attend district buildings may remain in school regardless of whether the student that tests negative stays in school or needs to go home.
** Please remember to perform a daily health screening for your child each day before you send them to school. If they are not feeling well, please do not send them to school to be tested. **
Students will not be tested unless they have a completed consent form on file that is signed by their parent/guardian. Verbal authorization is not sufficient for a student to be tested.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will students be required to wear face coverings at school?
It is strongly recommended that staff, students in early childhood through grade 12, and visitors wear a face-covering/mask inside all school facilities.
*As of March 2022. Please click here for up-to-date information.
- Will social distancing be required in the building?
Schools will maintain at least three feet of social distancing between students, staff, and visitors within classrooms, where and when possible.
*As of March 2022. Please click here for up-to-date information.
- Can I come in and visit my student's classroom?
Following the appropriate protocol, visitors and volunteers will once again be allowed into our schools.
*As of March 2022. Please click here for up-to-date information.
- Will breakfast and lunches continue to be free this year?
Regular school meals will continue to be provided free of charge to all students thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even so, it’s extremely important to fill out the free/reduced meal application to continue to receive discounted services, like school activities and home internet service (upon qualification).
- Where do I find the school supply list?
Please click here for this year's school supply list.
- When does the school open?
The school building will be open for students to enter each day at 7:50 am. Please do not drop off students before this time if possible.
- Who should I contact with questions?
If you have general questions, please call the school at 763-585-7200.
- I need support with Internet Resources.
Resources are available to support families that do not have access to the internet in their homes can be found here. Internet support and resources may also be provided to families as necessary by the district.
Ways to Stay Updated
Monthly Newsletter
At the beginning of each month, North View Middle School will send you the "News from the View" Family Newsletter. These newsletters are organized in a fashion that the most critical information is at the top and as you scroll down the newsletter the information becomes more oriented toward the future. This is your “one-stop-shop” to stay informed about the happenings of our school community.
Multilingual Facebook Pages
The multilingual Facebook pages listed below are where you can find resources, news, and information, in multiple languages, about ISD 279 Osseo Area School.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Another way to receive personalized information and be engaged in conversations related to the North View Middle School community is to attend parent-teacher conferences each trimester. Not only will you be able to meet your child's teacher, but there will also be opportunities to provide us with feedback about your needs. North View Middle School is a dynamic community; if you want to be involved and don’t know how, please ask. We can connect you to a cause, action, or person that will help you be connected to our community.
School Website
The NVMS website is a place to go to pull static information, facts about North View Middle School that could be important for a family at any point of the year. This may include but is not limited to, the daily schedule, the school calendar, how to check your student's grades using Parent Vue, and stay informed of your student's distance learning progress using Schoology.
Social Media Updates
You can also stay up to date by following me at @NVMSPrincipal or liking our Facebook page by clicking here.
Hello
I am currently serving my eighth year as principal of North View Middle School. Before coming to North View, I spent six years working as the Assistant Principal of Osseo Senior High. Before that, I spent time as a Dean of Students for Richfield High School and as a middle school level Science teacher and behavior dean with the Minneapolis public school system.
While in Minneapolis, I spent five years teaching middle-level Science at Lincoln Community School and Anishinabe Academy and two providing academic and behavioral support while working as dean. My past experiences have shaped my core beliefs and philosophy of education. For me, schools must be an integral part of the community they serve. A school should focus on high expectations for all students, and through developmentally appropriate and high-quality instruction, give students the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to exceed these expectations.
If you would like to contact me, please click here. I would love to hear from you!
Get your Gear!
Our Commitments:
We, the staff at North View Middle School, commit to…
- Providing challenging academic opportunities that are relevant, engaging, culturally responsive, and rigorous.
- Providing a meaningful, encouraging, and safe environment that fosters the whole child, and focuses on student strengths.
- Including data-driven best practices and instruction that meets the academic and individual needs of our students, improves student achievement, and promotes growth.
- Engaging in continued professional development to ensure that we are aware of our students’ racial perspectives, challenge our biases, and include practices that serve our diverse student population.
- Providing effective collaborative partnerships with the entire school community by ensuring that we encourage multiple opportunities for involvement, communication, and access.
- Modeling and implementing daily engaging multi-level reading and writing strategies within our classrooms.
- Accepting responsibility for each student’s success and celebrate that success with our school community.
Our Mission!
Committed to furthering the lives of each student by using the best practices available.
Email: bledsoed@district279.org
Website: http://schools.district279.org/nvms/
Phone: 763-585-7200
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nvmsknights/
Twitter: @NVMSPrincipal
Available Resources
If you have other ideas for resources that should be highlighted in the North View newsletter, please send Principal Bledsoe an email at bledsoed@district279.org and we will do our best to accommodate your requests.