Northwest News
Mr. Smith's Newsletter for the Northwest Community
Sunday, August 28, 2022
NEW: This week's message from Mr. Smith
Dear Northwest Students and Families,
Welcome back to school for the 2022-2023 school year! We are thrilled to welcome our over 2,485 students tomorrow morning and are ecstatic for what we know will be a great year! As noted in my back to school newsletter, I will be sending the newsletter for the Northwest community, Northwest News every Sunday evening. This newsletter will detail important upcoming dates, schedules, information and pertinent information for families, students and staff.
As we return to school for the first day, it is important to note that car-riders should be dropped off through the lower, gym lobby entrance. Car drop-offs/pick-ups are not allowed in the upper, bus lot during arrival hours, 7:00 - 7:55 or dismissal hours, 2:20 - 2:55. Plan ahead! The earlier you arrive to school, the smoother and less congested both Richter Farm Road and the school lots will be. Be Safe! Keep your eyes open for both pedestrians and bike riders. Slow Down! Pay close attention to the posted speed limits and remember that there are thousands of students and staff for whom we want to arrive safely.
In this week's newsletter, there are a lot of important pieces of information to get us started off with a smooth week. You will find this week's bell schedule as we have homeroom for the first two (2) days of school, Monday, August 29 and Tuesday, August 30, JagPaws on Wednesday, August 31 and a Pep Rally on Friday, September 2. Additionally, our seniors will be holding their Senior Sunrise celebration this Friday, September 2.
You will also find a welcome back message from Dr. McKnight and MCPS, information regarding Saturday School, a message from MCPS' Medical Officer, ParentVue information, a way for parents to get involved, a letter regarding the individual score report on the Government MCAP test from the spring, ways to donate to our Art department, information on our free store, a note regarding the BeWell365 information on our school's website, our continued College T-Shirt Tuesday tradition and a way to buy class spirit gear!
Don't forget to mark you calendars for Back to School Night which is this Thursday, September 1. More details are provided below.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to Northwest. We are looking forward to welcoming each and every one of our students back to school!
A Welcome Back Message from Dr. McKnight and MCPS
Dear MCPS Community,
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year. On Monday, August 29, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will open its doors to nearly 160,000 students. For our teachers, staff, and administrators, this is a day we have been anticipating for months and preparing for all summer. We are excited to welcome our students back for a brand new school year and all the potential it represents.
Read the full message and see our Welcome Back Video here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2022-2023/Welcome-Back-8-24-22.html
Montgomery County Public Schools
A Letter from MCPS' Chief Medical Officer
Dear MCPS Community,
We are so excited to be back together next week for the new school year! As we return to shared spaces, the health and wellness of our students and staff remains a top priority. We have more tools, experience and knowledge than ever to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 in our school community. Here are some important things to know about vaccination, testing and masking as staff and students return to school:
COVID-19 Vaccination Helps Our School Community
Vaccines are an important way to lower individual risk of severe complications from COVID-19 infection. A high vaccine coverage rate helps reduce the overall burden of COVID-19 on the school community and helps keep learning going, as individuals with milder symptoms will miss fewer school or work days. We continue to strongly recommend students receive all recommended COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for which they are eligible. At this time, COVID-19 vaccination is required for staff unless approved for a medical exemption. We will continue to provide opportunities for students, staff and family members to receive COVID-19 vaccines at after-school and weekend events.
Rapid Testing for COVID-19 for a Strong School Year Start
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is encouraging at-home rapid testing for COVID-19 as staff and students return to school. Testing is an important way to identify individuals actively positive for COVID-19 who should temporarily isolate in order to prevent further transmission and keep our school community as healthy as possible.
End-of-summer activities, such as returning from travel or getting together with larger groups, can increase the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Staff and students may consider testing even after school begins, following Labor Day holiday travel or after higher-risk social events that may coincide with the start of the school year. Testing is not mandatory. We are depending on our staff and families to consider their exposure risk, and test and report positive results accordingly.
Test kits will be available at schools, at the MCPS Annual Back-to-School Fair on Aug. 27, and upcoming school-based weekend vaccination clinics on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28. Free rapid test kits are also available to Montgomery County residents at most public library locations, or by mail for home delivery from the U.S. government. Only positive test results need to be reported using the MCPS COVID-19 Reporting Form. Individuals who have a positive COVID-19 test should report their positive result and follow CDC guidelines for isolation.
Masking
As of today, the CDC COVID-19 Community Risk Level for Montgomery County is “low.” At this time, masking is not mandatory in MCPS buildings or buses in most situations. Health room staff actively engaged in patient care or anyone assisting with medical procedures must follow infection control guidelines from the DHHS and the CDC, including wearing a mask when required.
In addition, masking may be temporarily required for individuals or groups, in certain circumstances:
- A student develops symptoms of COVID-19 during the school day and presents to the health room for evaluation
- A student has tested positive at school for COVID-19 and is awaiting pick-up
- In outbreak situations, as an alternative to quarantine for exposed individuals who do not have symptoms of COVID-19
- For students or staff recovering from COVID-19 who have completed at least five full days of isolation, and feel well enough to return to school or work.
Recommendations and requirements for masking can be expected to change during the school year, as COVID-19 data trends and science change. For individuals who cannot safely mask, other prevention measures will be used.
Please remember that all staff and students are supported in their decision to wear a mask for individual protection, at any risk level. MCPS will continue to provide masks for staff and students for use during the school day.
The new school year is just around the corner! Let’s work together to keep our school community well, as we return with excitement, renewed purpose and joy.
Sincerely,
Patricia Kapunan, M.D.
MCPS Medical Officer
ParentVue Resources
What is ParentVue?
ParentVUE provides a way to view all school related information and data for all your students. Register for athletics, special programs, communicate with teachers and verify your student information annually. For more information, please check out the "quick guides" linked below in various languages.
ParentVUE Quick Guides for Parents
ParentVUE Support Guide (link to translated version is in the footer of every page)
Northwest Parent Councils' Questionnaire
We hope that you and your family will join us for future events and that you will consider becoming a part of the Northwest Hispanic Parent Council, African American Parent Council and the Asian American Parent Council. Please take some time to respond to this questionnaire and let us know how you would like to become involved. This questionnaire has been translated in Spanish.*
Please contact the following administrators for more information about the Hispanic, African American, and Asian Parent Councils at Northwest High School.
Hispanic Parent Council: Nyurka_I_Morales@mcpsmd.org
African American Parent Council: Tara-dee_Whitely@mcpsmd.org
Asian American Parent Council: Danielle_M_Abdelsalam@mcpsmd.orgSpring MCAP Government Scores
For those students who took the MCAP Government exam in the spring, your Individual Score Report (ISR) for the assessment administered in May has been delivered to the United States Post Office. In addition to the ISR, you will receive a letter explaining how you can access additional information about this assessment from the MCPS website.
If you have any questions about your student’s American Government score report, please contact Dayo Banjo, Assistant School Administrator, at (Temidayo_O_Banjo@mcpsmd.org)
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Este mensaje es para informarle que los Informes de puntaje individual (Individual Score Report-ISR) de su hijo para la evaluación de Gobierno Estadounidense del Programa de evaluación integral de Maryland (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program-MCAP) de la primavera de 2022, administrada en mayo, se han entregado a la oficina de correos. Además del ISR, recibirá una carta que explica cómo puede acceder información adicional sobre esta evaluación en el sitio web de MCPS.
Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el informe de puntaje de Gobierno Estadounidense de su estudiante, comuníquese con la oficina principal de la escuela para más ayuda. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre los puntajes MCAP de su estudiante, comuníquese con Dayo Banjo, administrador asistente escolar, al (Temidayo_O_Banjo@mcpsmd.org)
Donations for the Art Classes
The Art Department at Northwest is looking for recycled or donated materials for our new Fine Crafts course. Here is a list of some of the supplies we are looking for:
Metal coat hangers
Tissue paper
Paper tubes (toilet paper, paper towel, or wrapping paper)
Yarn: Synthetic or Cotton
Crochet hook and knitting needles (all gauges/sizes acceptable)
Embroidery hoops
Embroidery string/floss
Scrap Ribbon 12 inches or longer
String and Yarn: Synthetic or Cotton
Pipe cleaners
Fabric Squares or unused fabric
Scrap wallpaper (6 inches or larger rectangle or square)
Newspaper
Paper grocery bags
Paper Egg cartons
Cardboard Shoe boxes
Costume Jewelry (please bring in clear plastic bags)
Wrapping paper ( any type/ Used or unused)
Scrapbooking supplies
Metal tabs (from any sort, form, or kind of can)
Sewing materials
Wool roving or Felting supplies
Poly-fil (craft stuffing)
Equipment Donations: Old (clean) blenders, paper shredder, wood picture frames (8 by10)
The Free Store!
Do you have any school supplies you no longer need? The Free Store would love your donations! We take all gently used school supplies, but at the start of the year, we especially need backpacks, composition books, calculators, and test prep books. Please bring items to the front office or ask your child to drop off them at The Free Store in room 264. We will also have a table at Back to School Night.
Once school starts, The Free Store is open most days at lunch in room 264 and is available to all NW students and staff. Thank you for your support.
BeWell 365 Resources are now available!
You may have noticed that at the top of our school’s webpage we have elevated Mental Health and Well-Being resources alongside the COVID information. This is in alignment with the district’s Well-Being and Family Engagement strategic priority. Please be sure to check out these resources and we will continue to share them throughout the year.
Back to School Night: Thursday, September 1
Northwest Class Spirit!
It's a long-standing tradition at Northwest for each grade to wear their assigned CLASS COLOR on Pep Rally days! Each class sits in a designated section at the rallies so make an impact for YOUR CLASS by wearing your grade level color and make your presence known! Although participation with wearing class colors is optional, we hope you will join in the FUN!
The grade level colors are as follows:
Freshmen (Grade 9): YELLOW
Sophomores (Grade 10): GREEN
Juniors (Grade 11): RED
Seniors (Grade 12): BLUE
You can wear any clothing and/or accessories in your assigned color as long as you adhere to the school dress code. You can opt to wear clothing that you already own in your grade level color, you can purchase a shirt from the PTSA/Booster Club website for $8: http://www.nwhsptsa.org/shop (available sizes and quantities are limited), or you can purchase a T-shirt in your color at Michael's or Joanne's (the cost is usually around $5) and personalize with fabric markers or paint pens! The possibilities are endless to show your #JagPride!
Class of 2026 (9th Grade): Yellow
Class of 2025 (10th Grade): Green
Class of 2024 (11th Grade): Red
Class of 2023 (12th Grade): Blue
Northwest High School
Email: Scott_E_Smith@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://northwestjags.org
Location: 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: (240)740-7100
Twitter: @NorthwestJags
School Day Arrival/Dismissal Procedures/Reminders
If students are arriving by car, they must be dropped off at the lower gym lobby entrance until 7:45am. After 7:45 am, car riders must be dropped off at the upper main entrance. Students who walk to school may arrive at the main entrance or the gym lobby. All buses will drop students off at the upper main entrance. Please note that these procedures are the same for dismissal in the afternoon.
Families, please remember to adhere to the speed limit on Richter Farm Road. Additionally, please do not let students out of your vehicles on Richter Farm Road. We want everyone to arrive to school safely.