Bobcat Nation:

Be sure to review the report card for the second marking period with your child. They were posted in HAC on Friday, February 3rd. If you have any questions about a particular class, please contact the teacher. This will allow them to provide you with suggestions on how to provide the best supports to help your child improve their performance. It may also be valuable to work with your child to set goals for the third marking period.

8th Grade Families - beginning this week, 8th grade students will start the process of registering for 9th grade courses and exploring the extracurricular options that are available in high school. Our counselors will be meeting with 8th graders in their science classes on Monday. A video with the presentation information is included for below so parents can reference it when helping their child with the process. The section below also contains information about the registration nights at the high schools.

• NHS – February 7, 2023, 6:00 PM (AP US History Session to follow)
• CTA – February 8, 2023, 6:00 PM
• HHS – February 16, 2023, 6:00 PM (AP US History Session at 5:30)

Update from CCPS - February 8 is a full day of school. CCPS was notified that it is listed as a 2-hour early dismissal on the 2022-2023 Printed Calendar and Handbook. This is an error. All other calendars are correct.

Have a great week!

Mr. Webster, NMS Principal

https://twitter.com/NorthernMSCCPS

The Counseling Department at Northern Middle School will be hosting a Career Day on Friday, March 24th. The purpose of the Career Day is to expose students to a variety of professions and inform them of all the details regarding those careers so that they may relate them to their future goals and aspirations. It is an opportunity for our students to see firsthand the career choices of some of the parents in our school and community. In addition, students can see the commitment and dedication that parents give to their career.

We would like to invite you or a family member or friend to present at our Career Day to discuss the opportunities and expectations of your career. Career Day will take place from about 12:26 pm - 2:43 pm. Lunch will be provided for our presenters starting at 11:30.

If you are interested in being a Career Day Presenter, please complete the attached form and return it to the counseling department by March 3rd. If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor via email or by phone at 443-550-9230.

Jessica Himes, School Counselor - himesj@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Linda Woehlke, School Counselor - woehlkel@calvertnet.k12.md.us

The attached letter outlines information regarding information for students currently enrolled on approved transfers or interested in submitting transfer requests for the 2023 - 2024 school year. The application is now available. Transfer requests that are not submitted by February 15th may not be honored due to lack of space at the desired school or grade level. Please note that transfers are approved on a one-year basis so families must apply/reapply each year.

If you are interested in the CCPS Virtual Academy for your child for the 2023-24 school year, the flyer below contains information about the program and registration process.

A fundraiser for the Calvert County School Foundation will take place from January 16 through February 10, 2023. Community, parents, students, teachers, and staff will have the opportunity to purchase a $5.00 online ticket to nominate a teacher for a $750 Classroom Refresh!

On February 14, 2023, there will be one teacher from each level (elementary, middle, and high school) who will win the classroom refresh. The sponsors of this event are Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and Community Bank of the Chesapeake.

The link to purchase online tickets is: https://tinyurl.com/SpreadTheLoveRefresh

Be sure to order your 2022-23 NMS Yearbook! Yearbooks are sold online at https://link.entourageyearbooks.com/view_account.asp?l=FA7A42A7-C300-45ED-BBEB-129ECDED39DC.

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $35.00. If you have any yearbook questions, please contact Mrs. McGuire at mcguireta@calvertnet.k12.md.us.

We are excited to see our basketball teams, cheerleading squad, and poms squad compete against the other middle schools. Below is the schedule of home games for the regular season.

Games will start at 4:30 pm. Students and families who wish to attend as spectators will be admitted starting at 4:00 pm. Admission is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for students.

• 2/7 - Girls Basketball, Cheer, Poms at home vs WHMS, Boys Basketball at WHMS

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

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

On Monday, 8th grade students will be receiving their course registration material for high school during a presentation in their science classes. Course registration sheets are due back to their 1st period teachers on February 21st.

Please see video below for an instructional video that explains the registration process and important high school information. This information was shared with your students in class.

Feel free to contact your child’s counselor with questions:

• Jessica Himes (Last names A-K) himesj@calvertnet.k12.md.us
• Linda Woehlke (Last names L-Z) woehlkel@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Below is information on the dates and times for the upcoming high school information nights at NHS, HHS, and CTA.

• NHS – February 7, 2023, 6:00 PM (AP US History Session to follow)
• CTA – February 8, 2023, 6:00 PM
• HHS – February 16, 2023, 6:00 PM (AP US History Session at 5:30)

Calvert County Public Schools and Calvert Health are partnering on the 1000 Hours Outdoor Challenge. This challenge is designed for children and adults to find inspiration and activity outside by trading screen time for green time. This wellness initiative is all about making small changes that will have a big impact.

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.