Sunday, October 6, 2024
Linked here: Weekly Parent Update, October 7-11
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Linked here: Weekly Parent Update, September 30 - October 4
September 22, 2024
Linked here: Weekly Parent Update, September 23 - 27
Friday, September 13, 2024
Linked here: Weekly Parent Update, September 16-20
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Linked here: Weekly Parent Update, September 9-15
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Good afternoon NWMS Parents,
Earlier today, an odor was detected within the building. Out of an abundance of caution, students were evacuated and the fire department was contacted. After a thorough inspection, the building was determined to be safe and students returned to their class and will continue with a normal school day.
Thank you,
Mrs. Francisco
Friday, August 30, 2024
Linked here: Weekly Parent Update, September 2-6
Monday, August 27, 2024
Good afternoon NWMS Vikings,
We want to thank everyone for a great 1st Day of School.
We have a special message for Afternoon Car Rider Parents:
If you are picking up in the Car Rider Line in the afternoon and you do not have a Car Tag Number we are asking you to please write your child's First and Last Name in LARGE PRINT and hold it up or hang it from your Sun Visor/Rear View Mirror so that the teachers entering information can easily enter your information. Today they had to stop and type out names for many students and it is much quicker for them if they can read your name and see it visually as they type it into TEAMS.
Also - please make sure your child knows their Car Tag Number and that they are watching TEAMS in their Last Class of the Day so that they are dismissed from that class when you enter the Car Rider Line. We had many students whose parents had to pull around today to have their information re-entered.
Overall, things went very well today. We passed out several bus passes this afternoon so many that were waiting on their bus route will be able to start riding tomorrow. Those that are still waiting, we will get your child's bus pass to them just as soon as we receive it. Continue checking PowerSchool and Here Comes the Bus App as well.
Thank you for a great 1st Day of School. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to assist you.
Mrs. Francisco
Sunday, August 26, 2024
Aug 26-30 NWMS Parent Update linked here.
Friday, August 16, 2024
Happy Friday NWMS Vikings! This email is long but does include a lot of important information. We thank you for taking the time to read this - as it will answer many questions you might have.
Your schedules should arrive in the mail by today or Saturday. PowerSchool has also been made active for parents so if you have set up your Power Parent Account you should also be able to view your schedule online (directions for setting up a Power Parent account and a form for requesting Power Parent Access are under the Parent Tab on our Website). As you look at your schedule, we want to point out a few items:
You will notice that every student has been assigned to a Homeroom Teacher. Students will need to be in this Homeroom classroom by 8:30 each day to be marked present and on time. In order to be in this classroom by 8:30 students need to walk through the front doors of the school no later than 8:25. Please plan accordingly to be in the car rider line early enough so that your child is inside the school's front doors before 8:25 each day. Please also keep in mind that the first few weeks of school there are always more car riders as families wait for bus routes to be fully established. There will definitely be increased traffic (NW School Road will be impacted and backed up) and longer lines for the car rider line the first 2-3 weeks of school. This is to be expected. We just ask that everyone remain patient and follow the procedures:
*We will begin unloading cars in the car rider line at 8:00 am.
*Please stay in the line and drop off from the top spot near the main intersection all the way down to the crosswalk at the mobile units. Then all of those cars should leave the line making room for the next set of cars to enter the drop zone.
*We do not allow students to be dropped off in parking lots or near the high school and walk over to the middle school. The only place to drop off is in the official car rider line. Once routines are established, we are effective with this unloading process between 8:00-8:30 each day.
*We do not allow students to be dropped off before 8:00 am. A staff member will be at the top car spot and indicate when the unloading process will start at 8:00 am. If you are in the first set of cars - please wait for this staff member to indicate that the 8:00 bell has sounded and unload at that time.
*We strongly encourage as many students as possible to please use the Bus Transportation System. There will be bus routing specialists at Open House that can assist anyone with finding their bus stop/bus number and also providing directions on how to sign up for a bus if you do not currently have a stop. Bus routes should also populate in PowerSchool by Wed. Aug. 21st.
*The neighborhoods across the street from the school are provided with bus stops and therefore they are not considered approved "walking zones" through GCS. If you live across the street from the school and choose to walk to school it is important for parents to understand that you are responsible for ensuring that your child crosses the street safely both in the morning and in the afternoon. We are not provided cross walk assistance and NW School Road is a busy road with fast moving vehicles. If you plan for your child to walk please monitor their safety and let your "last teacher of the day" know that you elect for your child to walk to school. Students are not allowed to be picked up by cars in the neighborhoods across the street and we do verify the home addresses of anyone that states they will be walking to those areas. We will not allow students to walk across the street if they do not have a permanent address for a home in that neighborhood.
We care about each child's safety and have these procedures in place to ensure that everyone gets to and from school safely. We appreciate your support with following our expectations. With close to 1000 students we aim to have efficient but ultimately safe morning and afternoon procedures. Please review more information about arrival and dismissal in our Family Handbook that is attached to this email.
Also on your schedule directly under your Homeroom Assignment you will see a period called "Enrichment". This class is a period that we will refer to as "WIN" this school year. WIN stands for "What I Need" and is a period each day for every student in the school to spend time with a trusted staff member for support navigating the school day/week/year. The purpose of WIN is to establish a strong and trusting relationship for every single student with a staff member who is committed to supporting their academics, attendance, and behavior across all areas of the school. Your teacher for WIN will be your advisor and trusted support for anything you need throughout the school year. During WIN each week students will build their Reading and Math skills using district provided/approved resources on each student's Chromebook. The staff member will be able to personalize instruction and provide social-emotional support for the unique needs of each student in their small group. They will conference with students to monitor their academic progress, attendance goals, any concerns a student may have, and provide emotional/behavior support as needed. We will also use this time at the beginning of the year (and periodically throughout the year) to establish school wide expectations and take care of other items typically covered in a traditional homeroom/advisory block. Think of WIN as a time for reinforcement, support, intervention and/or enrichment! Also, we encourage you to visit your WIN Teacher at Open House as this staff member will be a "go to" for students each day and can assist parents throughout the year as well. Start the relationship strong by meeting your WIN Teacher on Aug. 21st from 5:00-7:00!
We realize that every student did not receive their top choices for Encore Classes. We wish that we could honor every single student's #1 choice but as classes fill using PowerSchool Scheduling we must revert to the alternate choices a student selected during the registration process. When classes are full we cannot continue to enroll additional students into those sections. If you feel a request for a change to your schedule is needed our Counselors, Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Martin, will be at Open House in the Media Center to speak with you. They will have Change Request Forms that you will be able to fill out and submit back to them. They will review all of these forms and make changes as they are able to do - understanding that all requests will not be feasible. They do work extremely hard to meet the needs of all students and will do their best.
Finally, there has been a change to the Family and Consumer Science Course. Ms. Minner's class is now called Careers and Employment. This is a fascinating new addition to our CTE programming that will be an engaging Encore for all students. You will not be disappointed if you are lucky enough to have this course on your schedule! Stop by and visit with Ms. Minner at Open House to learn more and see how exciting your school year will be!
We look forward to seeing everyone at Open House next Wednesday, Aug. 21st from 5:00-7:00. In order for us to end the event on time we ask that everyone arrive by 6:30 so that you have time to visit all the classes on your schedule. It is very important that you visit your "last class of the day" to communicate how you will go home from school. Your teachers and all NWMS Staff are very excited for the 24-25 school year - It will be a Great Year to be a Viking!
With excitement,
Mrs. Francisco
Attachments:
NWMS_Family_Handbook_2024_2025.pdf (316.4 KB)
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Good afternoon NWMS Vikings. This is Mrs. Francisco calling to let you know that we mailed student schedules out this afternoon. You should receive your schedule in the mail over the next few days. If for some reason you do not receive your schedule our Counselors will have a hard copy available for you at Open House on Aug. 21st. You will find our Counselors at a table in our Front Commons from 5:00-7:00. They will have Change Request Forms at their table in the event there is a mistake with your schedule that needs to be corrected.
As a reminder, Open House is Wednesday, August 21st from 5:00-7:00 pm. Open House is floating but everyone needs to arrive no later than 6:30 in order for you to have time to visit all classrooms by the 7:00 end time.
On the email attached to this call I have included our Family Handbook. Please review this prior to attending Open House so that you are familiar with our school wide procedures. I also encourage you to use our School Website and specifically the Parent Tab on the website.
Student Supplies are specific to each teacher so please review the teacher's website for the Course Information and Supply List. If you do not see the information there yet, you will be able to get it when you visit the classroom at Open House. Also at Open House, we need all students and parents to be sure to visit your last teacher of the day and let that teacher know how your child will be going home from school. You will either provide that teacher a Car Tag # or a Bus #. Car Tags and Bus Information will be available to you at tables in our Front Commons during Open House. I have been told by the Transportation Department that bus route information should populate in PowerSchool by Aug. 21st. Please note that it is important for your child to know their Car Tag # and/or Bus # on the first day of school. Free and Reduced Lunch Forms will be available at Open House as well. You will also be able to join our PTO and purchase NWMS Spirit Wear at tables in the Front Commons during Open House.
We look forward to seeing you next week!
Mrs. Francisco
Attachments: NWMS_Family_Handbook_2024_2025.pdf (316.4 KB)
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Click here to read Mrs. Francisco's Newsletter!
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Good afternoon NWMS Viking Parents,
We have several important updates for the end of the 23-24 school year:
- Last week students took their ELA, Math and Science EOGs. Scores have been provided to classroom teachers who are able to communicate with you your child's scores. Individual Score Reports will be mailed home with report cards later in June. Parents should also be able to see final/yearly grades and End of Grade Test Scores in PowerSchool so please check these accounts.
- We will hold all report cards and final reports if a student has outstanding fees or owes the school books, chromebook, charger, etc. If you owe the school money or any items you will receive notification from your child's homeroom teacher. You can bring fees owed to the Main Office the remainder of this week, next week, or Mon.-Thurs. this summer.
- ALL library books are due back to the Media Center. Please make sure you have returned all library books as soon as possible! Students may continue to read ebooks in both our school Destiny catalog and through the North Carolina Digital Library this summer.
- Yearbooks will be distributed to all students (that purchased a copy) on Thursday, June 6th by their homeroom teacher. If your student is not in school on Thursday you can pick your copy up in the main office next Monday or Tuesday or another day this summer. If you did not purchase a book, there are a limited number of books that will be available on a first come first serve basis for $50.00 in the main office.
- Rising 7th Grade Students: Math Placement Letters for 24-25 are being sent home today, 6/5. Please review this letter carefully. Please contact your math teacher or Sharla Martin if you have any questions about the math course for next school year. You can reach Ms. Martin by calling 336-605-3333.
- Rising 7th Grade Students: Please remember that all 7th grade students must have updated immunizations within the first 30 days of the 24-25 school year. You can bring the updated Immunization Record to the school Monday-Thursday this summer, at Open House in August, or at the beginning of the year. The requirements are:
- Diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap)
booster - One dose of Meningococcal
Conjugate Vaccine (MCV) - A current and up to date
immunization record turned in to our School Data Manager, Mrs. Ramana.
- Diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap)
Important Information about Summer GCS Virtual Helpline:
GCS Virtual Helpline FAQs:
Who can receive tutoring on the Helpline? ANY GCS student from rising 3rd grade to 12th grade.
What subject areas can students be tutored in on the Helpline? ELA for grades 3-12, Math for Grades 3-8, AND NC Math 1, 2, and 3!
Who are the tutors on the Helpline? We are extremely proud to share that 100% of our Helpline Tutor list are certified, full time, GCS staff members. This ensures continuity of content, instruction, and standards. If our tutors’ years of experience were to be combined, this figure would represent hundreds of years of GCS teaching experience and commitment!
What if students don’t have a GCS-issued device over the Summer? No problem! The attached flyers give instructions on how to access Clever and our Pearl virtual tutoring platform on a personal device. As long as students have their student ID/lunch number and password, they will be able to book and attend tutoring sessions!
When can students access the GCS Virtual Helpline? The GCS Virtual Helpline reopens for Summer on June 24th. It will run Mondays-Thursdays from 2-6pm until August 1st. It will be closed on the week of July 4th along with school and district offices. Students must sign up for a session 24 hours in advance of the time they would like to be tutored. This ensures that our tutors have ample time to prepare for sessions.
Attachments: GCS_Virtual_Helpline_2024_5.22.24.pdf (545.5 KB) GCS_Virtual_Helpline_2024_SPANISH_5.22.24.pdf (985.3 KB)
