As part of your daily routine please check with your student each morning regarding how they are feeling. If students are exhibiting COVID like symptoms please keep them home. In the event that your student exhibits COVID like symptoms here at school your student will be assessed by our school nurse who will then make the decision on whether or not your student can continue their day at school or if we need a parent/guardian to pick them up. Staff will also be expected to follow this daily protocol regarding self-assessment for their health.

I hope this newsletter finds you warm during this cold spell, we’ve had it nice thus far this winter and this weather is a frigid reminder of how things usually are.

Week two is nearly in the books and things continue to move along smoothly here at school. Thank you to all of the families who are following our Daily Decision Tree regarding whether or not to send their student to school on days they wake up not feeling well. We recognize the challenge this presents to you as a family with making the choice of getting them tested or keeping them home for 10 days and we appreciate either decision you make. We will be allowing parents to access the front office to sign in or out your student as of February 8. If you prefer to come to the building but not fully to the office we will happily meet you in the entryway or just outside the doors to check parent/guardian IDs and then we’ll send your student to you.

We continue to be very happy with our students and their behavior in relation to social distancing and wearing their masks. They’re doing such a good job and appear motivated by our twice weekly drawing for prizes. What I’ll also say is, the honeymoon’s over, they are still middle schoolers and middle school behavior is popping up as they get reoriented and comfortable in the building. All is well though, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Parent Teacher Conferences are right around the corner, February 15th and 16th. Conferences will be held via zoom, phone, or in-person. If you would like to attend in person please be sure to schedule your conferences in advance so teachers can prepare a conference space for you. What many of us have found is that attending via zoom or phone provides a greater level of convenience depending on your schedule. No matter what format you decide scheduling your conference is important and information on how to do that is below.

There is no school on February 17 as it is a school district professional development day, enjoy a long weekend with your kids and families. March 5 is already the end of the third quarter followed by Spring break beginning the week of March 7.

As always, thank you for all you do to help your students be successful and for all you do to help North Pole Middle School be successful during these challenging times.

Regards,

Richard Smith, Principal

• February 15th - Conference by phone, video, or in-person - 10:00 - 1:30 & 2:30 - 6:30
• February 16th - Conference by phone, video, or in-person - 9:15 - 11:00 & 12:00 - 4:30

Conferences will be parent choice of phone, video conference, or in-person. Please follow the instructions below on how to log in to PowerPTC to schedule your Parent Teacher Conferences. It is important that no matter what method you prefer that you do schedule your conferences so we can be appropriately prepared.

All conferences are defaulted to be by phone. If you prefer a video or in-person conference you can click where it says Phone Conference (see picture below) and a window will open up that allows you to change the type of conference you prefer. The 2nd picture below outlines where you can click to change from phone to video conference or in-person.

• A BIG SMILE and WELCOMING ATTITUDE
• MASK!
• Chromebook and charging chord
• Water bottle, all of our drinking fountains have been turned off but we do have two filling stations available.
• School supplies, if you have a binder that’s fine, if you just bring pencil and pen for now that’s fine too. We’ll figure what we need as we learn to balance electronics with real life learning.
• Lunch if you bring lunch from home.

As of the week of February 8 we will be allowing parents to access the building’s front office in person to pick up or drop off their student. Previously we have been meeting parents at the front door, checking ID and then sending their student out to them once we’ve retrieved them from their classroom. Now if a parent would like you are welcome to enter all the way to the front office, or just inside the entryway and we will again follow the same process. We will check your ID, retrieve your student and send you on your way. If you need to pick your student up early from school here is the process we would like you to follow:

Student Pick-Up

• Call the school ahead of time to let the office know you are picking up your student 488-2271.
• PLEASE BRING YOUR ID
• Sign your student out via the Off Campus pass before leaving the school with your student.

Student Drop Off (after 9:35 a.m.)

• Call the office and let us know your student is arriving.
• Let us know during that call if the absence is excused.

It is a district policy that we ask for parent/guardian ID when picking up a student from school.This is not intended to be inconvenient but it helps assist us in providing a high degree of student safety.

A bus deviation is a request for your student to ride a bus that they aren't registered for and that they don't usually ride.

A few helpful hints on how to request a bus deviation:

• It MUST be requested in writing via notes, email (contact-npm@k12northstar.org) or fax. Students may NOT write their own notes.
• If you send one by email, you will get a reply saying we received it. If you don’t get a reply please call 488-2271. Please have it turned into the office by 1:30 pm. If you submit an email after 1:00pm, please call to confirm receipt.

-Your request needs to have the following information on it:

• Your student's name
• Bus number (route) and the name of the street it stops at
• How long the deviation is good for(just that day or for the whole school year)
• Parent's name and contact information
• Our fax number is:(907)488-9213
• Email requests to: contact-npm@k12northstar.org

The district has indicated that masks are required both on the bus and throughout the day in the building. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter the proper wearing of masks is a deal breaker. If students are not wearing their mask the classroom teacher will make several requests for them to do so and educate them on why wearing their mask is important. If the student continues to not wear a mask the student will be referred to the administration and we will follow the same process with the student and notify the family. During that notification administration will be requesting the family's assistance in helping the student comply with the mask requirement. During that call we may or may not discuss other learning options for your student if compliance with wearing the mask is not possible. Our intent is not to punish kids for not wearing masks but to also maintain the safety of the entire building so we can all come to school for as long as possible.

Virtual Homework Help will continue on February 2nd.

We have teachers ready to give one-on-one tutoring to students every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Students can join the Zoom meeting, then will be sent to breakout rooms where our teacher tutors will be ready to work with them on their school work.

Click the button below to join the Homework Help Zoom Meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

*Students will need to turn on their video and enter the zoom meeting with First and Last Name.

In order to provide students with multiple opportunities to stay involved in school activities, we are hosting the following activities after school in 2-week sessions:

February 1-12

• Boys' Basketball

February 18 - March 5

• Girls' Basketball
• Coding Club

March 15 - 26

• 6-7-8 Boys' Volleyball
• 6th Girls' Volleyball
• Cooking Making Club
• Chess Club

March 29 - April 9

• 7-8 Girls' Volleyball
• Coding Club

April 12 - 23

• Boys' Basketball
• Cupcake Making Club

April 26 - May 12

• Track & Field
• 7-8 Girls' Volleyball

The following forms are required to participate in a sports activity:

• Sports Physical
• Activity Consent & Emergency Medical Info form
• Concussion Information form
• Covid-19 "opt-in" form

The following forms are required for non-sports activity clubs:

• Activity Consent & Emergency Medical Info form
• Covid-19 "opt-in" form