Bobcat Nation:

Thank you to the students, staff, and families of the Northern Middle community for their contribution to a successful first week of school. Student attendance and engagement has been outstanding. Our staff has planned quality lessons and helped students adjust to being back in the classroom. Everyone’s efforts to make the first week a success were a perfect example of our theme – We Rise by Lifting Others!

It is important that your preferred contact information is up to date in Home Access Center (HAC) and School Messenger (SM) so that you don't miss important information from the school and district levels. Information on how to update information is below.

There is a lot of information in this week’s update. Please take the time to look over these items. We hope this information is helpful as we start the school year.

Have a great remainder of the holiday weekend and a great week!

Mr. Webster, NMS Principal

The online NMS Spirit Wear store through National Ink & Stich is now open. The store is open until September 20th for delivery by October 7th. You will have the choice to have your order delivered to your home, to the school, or pick-up at their store.

https://www.nmsspiritwear.com/nmsbobcats

Spirit Wear comes in both Youth and Adult sizing, as well as in your choice of gray, black, and burgundy.

If you have any questions, you can contact National Ink and Stitch at 410-257-1776.

All district families are invited to meet our new superintendent, Dr. Andraé Townsel. This is a casual event to share your feedback about the district and engage in open conversation with the superintendent. You can attend one of the four events.

• September 7- Windy Hill Middle School (5:30- 7:00 p.m.)
• September 12- Patuxent High School (5:30- 7:00 p.m.)
• September 21- Career & Technology Academy (5:30- 7:00 p.m.)
• September 27- Huntingtown High School (5:30- 7:00 p.m.)

To register for an event: https://forms.office.com/r/bjvAvPpHy0

Open House/Back-to-School Night will occur on Thursday, September 15th at 6:00 p.m. Please plan on attending. Back-to-School Night provides an excellent opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s teachers. During open house, parents will visit classrooms and learn information concerning curriculum, homework procedures, classroom policies, and upcoming events. There will be many parents attending and in each classroom. If you feel the need to meet with your child’s teachers about individual needs, please schedule a conference through our Counseling Department.

It is important that accurate phone numbers and email addresses are in place for parents. This will help to make sure that you receive messages and email updates from the system, school, and your child’s teachers.

Parents of Calvert County Public Schools students are able to view their child’s gradebook, interim reports, and report cards online through the Home Access Center (HAC), the online application that allows families to view grades and monitor progress throughout the school year.

The HAC Login page may be accessed on the website in the Quicklinks dropdown menu, via the Students and/or Parents tabs of Calvertnet, or may be accessed directly at: https://hac4.calvertnet.k12.md.us/HomeAccess/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fHomeAccess

Each guardian needs to login to their HAC account and update their contact information. Remember, each guardian has his/her own account and each account should be updated. To update your contact information, please login to HAC, then click on Registration. Scroll down to Contacts and click Edit on the right. At the top, guardians may see information for their student. Underneath your student’s information, you will see your name listed under Guardian. It is critical that a valid email address and updated phone numbers are attached to your account in the Guardian section.

Guardians can access the SchoolMessenger Info Center at https://go.schoolmessenger.com/#/home. In the School Messenger Info Center, you cannot change contact numbers or email addresses. However, you can adjust preferences for how general school or CCPS messages are delivered. This is not related to the emails sent directly by teachers.

The NMS Staff has collaborated to develop a set of common expectations to support reduced distractions and a productive learning environment throughout the building. These expectations will be shared with the students at the beginning of the school year. We appreciate the support of our families with reinforcing these expectations.

As a reminder, the CCPS Code of Student Conduct outlines a dress code that shall be followed by all students in kindergarten through grade 12. When shopping for school clothes/items, please remember:

• Students must wear clothing that covers the chest, torso, lower extremities, and undergarments.
• Clothing that is ripped or has holes must cover the chest, torso, and undergarments.
• Clothing on the lower extremities must be longer than the longest fingertip when the student stands with arms fully extended at their sides.
• Clothing must not be see-through.
• Hats, hoods, and any other headwear that obscures the face and/or ears is not permitted.
• Ear buds are not permitted unless used for instructional purposes.
• Attire that can be used as a weapon (e.g., chains, dog collars, hats with spikes) or cause damage to property is prohibited.

With USDA Waivers ending June 30, 2022, school breakfast and lunch meals will no longer be free for all students during the 2022-2023 school year. Students not eligible for free/reduced-price meals will be able to purchase meals at pre-pandemic prices as follows:

Secondary Schools - $1.65 breakfast, $2.80 lunch

Parents can add funds to their child’s account, as well as check account balances and purchasing history at www.myschoolbucks.com.

Students will receive a Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Application at the beginning of the school year. The form is also available on the CCPS website at Departments – Child Nutrition or at https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/child-nutrition. Households are strongly encouraged to complete the Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Application to see if their student(s) qualify for free meals. Anyone wishing to submit an application may do so by:

• Accessing and completing online at www.myschoolapps.com
• Hard copy dropped off or mailed to Northern Middle School (2954 Chaneyville Road, Owings, MD 20736) or mailed directly to the CCPS Child Nutrition Office, 1305 Dares Beach Rd., Prince Frederick, MD 20678
• Scan or take a picture of the completed application. Email the scan/picture to Mrs. Pellock at pellockl@calvertnet.k12.md.us.

Fall Sports Clinics will begin this week for soccer (coed) and volleyball. Attached is a calendar of clinic dates. Please look for which grades participate each day. In order to participate in the clinics, students will need to submit a completed physical, Athlete Clinic Form (with the clinic fee), and a School Insurance Waiver Form. These documents can be turned in at the main office.

• Required Athletics Forms - Copies are also available in the main office and cafeteria. https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/athletics/middle-school-athletics.

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

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/

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

• Admission Cost $6
• Online Tickets can be purchased at www.gofan.co in the search type (Northern High School or Huntingtown High School)
• Student and Parent Pass for all Fall Athletics events at each school can also be purchased
• No re-entry (you may not pay to re-enter)
• No bags or backpacks
  
• No outside food or drinks
• No sports equipment
• No profanity
• No smoking or vaping

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

https://calvertnet.nutrislice.com/

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.