Bobcat Nation:

We had a great response and participation with our NMS MEGA-Raiser Donation Drive and would like to thank all of our students, staff, and families for their support! We are excited to share that we have exceeded the school-wide goal of $30,000 so Mr. Webster will be doing the Ice Bucket Challenge at the Mega-Party on Tuesday, 11/22. Students who qualified to attend the Mega-Party will get their invitations soon.

The end of the first marking period is November 3rd and report cards will be distributed on November 15th. These dates will get here quickly. It is important for students not to wait until the last minute to study for tests, turn in missing assignments, etc.

As a reminder, there will be a two hour early dismissal for students on Friday, November 4th.

Have a great week!

Mr. Webster, NMS Principal

https://twitter.com/NorthernMSCCPS

The annual Impact Aid Program Survey is once again digital! The green paper form you are familiar with can now be completed quickly and easily online. However, if you would rather complete the form on paper, a hard copy of the form has been sent home with your child. You can also download a copy of the form below or by going to the Parents page at www.calvertnet.k12.md.us, then looking for the Impact Aid Program Survey link under “Forms & Applications.”

The US Department of Education requires Calvert County Public Schools to survey each student annually to determine eligibility for the Impact Aid grant – those whose parents/guardians work on federal property in Maryland, live on federal property in Maryland, and/or are active-duty military.

For assistance in completing the form, please reference the attached frequently asked questions. It is important to note that on the survey, “Employer” is not the same as “Federal Property.” For example, you may work for Dunkin’ Donuts (Employer) on Joint Base Andrews (Federal Property).

Please be assured that all information collected is confidential and used only for the stated purpose. The Impact Aid grant application provides only collective information on the numbers and locations of our federally connected students. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. The more survey forms returned, the greater the grant funds available to our school system.

Thank you!

Last week Bobcat Nation showed the spirit as we celebrated Red Ribbon Week 2022! Thank you to the students and staff who participated as we promoted the importance of having a drug-free lifestyle. Spirit week activities included Red Day, Neon Day, PJ Day, Jersey day, and School Colors Day. Special thanks to our Counseling Department for organizing the activities!

Thank you to the PTO for organizing and facilitating the Fall Fest Night Party! It was a great night for the students and staff as we celebrated the fall season together as a school community.

Congratulations to the NMS Chorus & Orchestra groups who participated in combined performances last week with the students from NHS. What a wonderful way to celebrate the fall season and the talents of our students! Thanks to Mrs. Sigmon and Mr. Wentz for preparing and supporting the performers!

Congratulations to the following students for being accepted by audition into the All County Middle School Honor Band this year!

• Nora Sharpe, Flute
• Ruth Reist, Oboe
• Hunter Puryear, Clarinet
• Brighton Bowie, Clarinet
• Evan Grimes, Clarinet
• Gabriel Uribarri, Clarinet
• Isaac Simpson, Alto Sax
• Andrew Yates, Trumpet
• Daphne Niederhauser, French Horn

Congratulations to the soccer and volleyball teams for outstanding regular seasons. We have been notified that both teams have earned byes for the 1st round of the playoffs. Both teams will play at home on Thursday against TBD opponents. Final details will be finalized after Tuesday's 1st round games.

The soccer and volleyball teams will be off on Monday and will resume practices on Tuesday to prepare for their semifinal games.

Congratulations to the volleyball team who finished in 1st place at the Huntingtown HS Middle School Volleyball tournament on Saturday!

The Calvert County Health Department will be conducting a hearing and vision screening at Northern Middle School. This screening is for all 8th grade students, students new to Calvert County Public Schools and those students who have not had a recent screening. This is only a screening. All students are required to be screened unless they have been evaluated by an optometrist/ophthalmologist/audiologist within the past year.

If your student was recently screened by an optometrist/ophthalmologist/audiologist, please provide documentation to the school nurse for your student’s health record.

The Vision & Hearing Technician is scheduled to begin screening on Monday, October 31st.

Students who wear glasses, contacts and/or assistive hearing devices should have them available for the screening. Please note that the date is subject to change.

Please feel free to contact your school nurse, Mrs. Fleshman, at 443-550-9227 with any questions you have concerning this matter.

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.

We would like to recognize and thank the following business and individuals who donated to our PBIS program! We truly appreciate your generosity!

• AT&T
• Black Market Bakers
• Chick-fil-A
• Shelly Harvey
• Brenna Scheideman
• Ashley Stevens-Marrone
• WaWa

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

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.