Nicollet News
Family Weekly Newsletter: Decmeber 5 - 9, 2022
OUR WEEK AT A GLANCE
Explore Middle School Night
We will have our Explore Middle School Night on Tuesday, December 6th! This is intended for our incoming 6th graders to come in and explore what will be their school next year. Come meet Principal B and Mr. Lepper as well as some fabulous student leaders. Classrooms will not be open but there will be a fun activity and roaming and exploring is encouraged!
December 6th - 6:00 - 7:30
UPCOMING CONCERTS!
All Concerts will be in the Nicollet Cafeteria
December 6th
2:00 - 6th grade Choir Concert
2:45 - 7th grade Choir Concert
3:30 - 8th grade Choir Concert
December 8th
6:30 - 8th grade Band Concert
December 15th
6:30 - 6th grade Band Concert
7:30 - 7th grade Band Concert
January 12th
7:00 - 6th - 8th grade Orchestra Concerts
First Quarter Honor Rolls Announced!
CLICK ON AN HONOR ROLL TO VIEW
6th Grade "A" Honor Roll
7th Grade "A" Honor Roll
8th Grade "A" Honor Roll
6th Grade "B" Honor Roll
7th Grade "B" Honor Roll
8th Grade "B" Honor Roll
We will be honoring our Honor Roll students this week with a small ceremony during Advisory classes. Students will get a certificate and small treat. We are not inviting families for this ceremony but please ask your student to see their award!
Upcoming for 8th Graders!
This month LINK leaders from the high school will be visiting Nicollet to connect with 8th graders to talk about all that Burnsville High School has to offer!
Want to get a head start? Check out the course catalog and all the Pathway options available to your student!
YEARBOOKS FOR SALE!
Price increases after January 31st!
YEARBOOK COVER CONTEST!
Yearbook Cover Contest!
Hello, NMS Student Artists!
We are having an art submission competition to create a cover for the yearbook! You can draw, paint or create digital art cover the cover. Submission will take place from Friday November 18th—December 22nd. You can bring your works of art to Ms. O’Hara Stuart in the office and yearbook students will vote on art for the cover.
More than one piece of art will be featured in the yearbook, so there are lots of chances to have work incorporated into the final design.
Get creative, have fun and make sure you are showing RISE in the subject matter you create.
Mr. Reeves
AROUND THE DISTRICT: ANNUAL 191 CHESS TOURNAMENT
NURSE'S CORNER
Health Services
School Nurse: Ms. Mjelleli "Nurse M"
Email: emjelleli@isd191.org
Phone: 952-707-2603
Hours: 7:20AM - 3:20PM
Nicollet Middle School Families:
As cold and flu season is upon us, we have seen an increase in respiratory and flu symptoms over the past few weeks. As a reminder, please keep your child home if they are experiencing a cough, fever, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea. They may return to school after they have been fever free for 24 hours and their symptoms are improving. Please report your child's absence and their symptoms using the Nicollet attendance line at 952-707-2612. Also, all confirmed cases of communicable diseases (ie: Covid, influenza, strep, chicken pox, etc.) must be reported to our health office. You can contact the health office at emjelleli@isd191.org. Thank you all for helping us keep our children and staff healthy, safe, and in school.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
NEW ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES
With safety in mind we are returning to some of our pre-covid attendance procedures.
Attendance is a key factor in student success! Parents are strongly encouraged to schedule appointments outside of the school day. If your student must miss school, please follow the following procedures in accordance with our attendance policy to ensure the absence is excused:
All Day Absence – Parent/Guardian must call the attendance line (952-707-2604) as soon as possible in the morning to report the absence. If this is not possible, parents may send a signed note to school when the student returns.
Arriving Late to School – Parent/Guardian must call the attendance line (952-707- 2604) as soon as possible in the morning AND the student must complete the sign-in form in the Main Office when they arrive at school. If a call is not possible, the student can bring a signed note to the office when they arrive at school AND complete the sign in form. If the student does not sign in upon arrival at school, they will not be excused.
Leaving Early from School (for an appointment, etc.) - We ask all Parents/Guardians to come into the building to sign out their students. Parent/Guardian must send a note into the office in the morning AND the student must pick up their departure pass before leaving school. With the pass in hand, they are able to leave class at the appropriate time, eliminating the wait for parents. If a call is the only option, it needs to be before 10:00 am and we cannot guarantee your student will be waiting for you for pickup. If the call is after 10:00 am we will call your student down for you when you arrive to sign them out. There is a short form that needs to be filled out as well. If the student is returning to school after the appointment, they should bring their departure pass back into the Office and get signed back into school.
PLEASE NOTE: If students are leaving school due to illness, they need to check out through the health office in order to be excused. A parent/guardian needs to be contacted by a nurse, and a pass will be issued for students when leaving school. We cannot go back and excuse students who do not check out before leaving. If they do not check out, they will not be excused.
BUS Behavior
We have seen an increase in unsafe behavior on the buses as the year has progressed.
The same behavior that is expected in school & classrooms is expected on the bus. Bus safety is necessary for all riders & drivers. Bus drivers cannot safely drive your children's buses when buses are loud and chaotic. Please talk with your child about what safe bus riding looks like.
We appreciate your support and partnership in helping get our students to and from school safely.
NICOLLET NEWSCAST: DECEMBER 5
CLICK ABOVE TO SHOP FOR SPIRITWEAR!
STUDENT ACTIVITIES, SPORTS & CLUBS
MODERN DANCE PROJECT RETURNS!
Independent School District 191 Community Education and Burnsville's Youth Dance Ensemble have collaborated to offer students an opportunity to participate in a modern dance class that will be a challenging and fun experience for Middle School aged youth in Burnsville! An activity bus will be provided to give students transportation to the practice site and home from this workshop. A snack wil also be provided for students attending. There is NO cost to this program, students will attend for free. All students who attend will be asked to dress for movement (example: t-shirt, sweatpants, shorts, socks) and will also be asked to commit to the entire project. This means attend and be dressed appropriately for all prgram dates. The workshop will be help at the Nicollet Middle School in the Auxiliary Gym.
Project Dates: January 17th - March 17th, 2023
Rehearsals: Tuesdays & Fridays 3-6 pm
The Workshop includes a performance at the Community Dance Concert at the Mraz Center on March 10th, 2023.
Paper copies are available in the main office. If you've already turned in a paper copy you do not need to fill out the online form.
Contact Program Director Bekah Berry at rgudim@isd191.org with an questions.
Register HERE
WINTER SPORTS REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Girls Basketball - REGISTRATION CLOSED
Boys/Girls Wrestling - REGISTRATION CLOSED
Boys Basketball - First Practice: 1/3/23
Fee: $70
Reduced fee if a student qualifies for educational benefits (free or reduced lunch): $25
All students must have a current (within the last 3 years) sports physical on file. If you plan to participate in a winter sport and need a physical do this sooner rather than later. Students will not be allow to practice without the physical.
PRISM IS BACK!
PRISM is an after-school club celebrating inclusiveness and individuality! It is a safe, non-judgemental space and network for LGBTQ+ students and allies. We are open to ALL students who want to support each other and promote an accepting environment at NMS. Please see Ms. Schmidt in room 320 with questions.
We meet every other Thursday in Room 320.
SINGERS & SWINGERS
GRADES 6-8
FALL 2022 - Spring 2023
WITH MRS. BAKKEN and BEKAH BERRY
Come sing and dance! We will sing in the fall and learn the basics of east Coast Swing... including Jam Circles with aerials!
Fall: Students will learn a variety of holiday music to be performed for others.
Spring: Students will learn specialized dance routines to perform during several field trips in the Spring. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to come along!
We meet every Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. in the choir room or auxiliary gym.
Year Long: $99.00
JAZZ BAND!
Jazz band will improve overall playing skills and promote ear training. We have several fieldtrips during the year. We meet Tuesday & Friday mornings through Advisory. Can't be at school early? Students are more than welcome to join when they get to school and stay through Advisory!
Year Long: $99.00
Chess Club!
The Nicollet Chess Club is open to all students even if you do not know how to play chess! We meet after school Tuesdays and Thursdays in the media center. For those interested, we do have competitions and parties as well! Register through ISD 191 community education. Should you have questions or need financial assistance, please contact coach Brian Ribnick (bribnick@isd191.org) or Assistant Coach Mark Burtnett (mburtnett@isd191.org)
No class Dec 25, 27, Mar 9.
WEEKLY STUDENT CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
Singers & Swingers - Thursdays 7:00AM in Choir Room, Ms. Bakken
Jazz Band - Tues. & Fri. 7:00AM through Advisory in Band Room, Ms. Bakken
Chess Club - Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:30 - 4:00 in the Media Center, Mr. Ribnik & Mr. Burtnett
Quiz Bowl - Wednesdays 2:45 - 4:00 in Room 308, Mr. Hartman
Photojournalism Yearbook Club - Tuesdays 2:45 - 4:30 in Room 100, Mr. Reeves
Student Council - E/O Wednesday 2:40 - 3:40 in Room 114, Mr. Iverson/Mr. Sorensen
Dungeons & Dragons Club - Wednesdays 2:45 - 4:00 in Room 116, Mr. Iverson
Science Club - Tuesdays 2:30 - 4:00 in Room 311, Mr. Nemetz
The Drama Experience - M-Th 2:45 - 4:30 in Room 322, Mr. Orth
PRISM - E/O Thursday 2:45 - 4:30 in Room 320, Ms. Schmidt
BYC is BACK!
BYC Registration
BYC is set to run: October 25, 2022 - April 27, 2023.
**BYC IS CURRENTLY FULL BUT YOU CAN STILL REGISTER AND BE PLACED ON A WAITLIST
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
Extra Opportunites
Check out the Burnsville High School Athletics website for information.
Burnsville Athletic Club:
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
PARENTVUE
In order for us to effectively communicate with you throughout the school year, please make sure you update your address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact/s on PARENTVUE. This information is very important as it is the only way to contact you in the event of an emergency.
We will send weekly bulletins for families through email. We will also regularly call home with voicemail message updates.
TEXT MESSAGING
Additionally, Parents/Guardians now have the option of receiving text notification from District 191 and its schools. Text messages are timely and relevant, including weather related school closure information, emergency announcements and others.
In order to participate, parents/guardians must opt-in by texting “subscribe” to the
number 67587.
Learn more about ParentVue at https://www.isd191.org/enroll/student-information
Schoology connects students to their teachers. Students get class assignments, link to readings and guides selected by their teacher, collaborate with classmates, and work on self-paced learning activities. Families can see upcoming assignments and announcements, view assignments, test schedules and daily grades for current classes, and more.
Food and Nutrition Services
- Free meals for all students have expired.
- Families are encouraged to complete the Application for Educational Benefits. https://www.isd191.org/enroll/application-for-educational-benefits
- Meal prices are based on the results of completing the Application for Educational Benefits. It may take up to 10 days for your application to be processed. Families will receive a letter in the mail letting them know if they have been approved or denied. Meals must be paid for until families are notified of the results.
- Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year, and especially if there has been an increase to household members or decrease to household income.
- Money is expected to be deposited into meal accounts prior to making meal purchases. Money MUST be in accounts to make la carte purchases.
Credit/Debit Cards online through PayPams website
Cash at secondary schools using NetCash machines in the cafeteria
Checks at secondary schools using the check drop box
Cash or checks at elementary schools in a marked envelope provided to the student's teacher
- All students need to use their PIN (Personal Identification Number) at meals and should practice memorizing this 4 or 5 digit number.
- Menus, nutrition, and allergen information can be found online at https://schools.mealviewer.com/
- A special diet statement must be completed and on record in order for the Food & Nutrition Services department to make accommodations. https://www.isd191.org/discover/departments/health-services
- Visit the Food and Nutrition Services webpage for more information: https://www.isd191.org/discover/departments/food-nutrition-services
Parent Drop off & Pick up
Just a reminder that our parent drop-off location is on the east side of Nicollet near the tennis courts (the same location as parent pick-up). Please circle around the lot rather than pulling into parking spaces to avoid having your child cross through traffic to enter the school. Students should be picked up by 2:45pm. After school, you will only be able to turn RIGHT out of our parking lot. We appreciate your cooperation so this process is safe for EVERYONE.
If you are dropping your child off at school after 7:45 AM, please drop them off at the front of the school, door 1, because they will need to check into the office for a tardy pass to class.
Please do not enter the driveway between Sky Oaks and Nicollet. This is where buses are entering and exiting and dropping students off here is a safety concern.
THE MAP IS BELOW:
Questions?
Fadlan la xiriir Axmad Kaahiye, is ku xirahanaga iskuulka Nicollet Middle School, wixii su'aala ah oo aad ka qabtid macluumaadkaa.
Phone: 952-707-2600
Email: nicollet@isd191.org
About Nicollet Middle School
School Hours: 7:50AM - 2:30PM
Email: nicollet@isd191.org
Website: nicollet.isd191.org/
Location: Nicollet Middle School, East 134th Street, Burnsville, MN, USA
Phone: (952)707-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolletmiddle
Twitter: @NicolletMS191