
NMS Mustang Minutes
Week of October 23 - 27 , 2023
From the Principal
We have a busy and exciting week ahead of us! Please make note of the following events that we have scheduled for this week.
- Red Ribbon Spirit Week is being hosted by our FCCLA. Please see the flier below.
- Quarterly Town Hall Meetings will be held on Monday, October 23rd, with each grade level. During these meetings school administration will review school-wide expectations and the Student Code of Conduct. We will also discuss attendance, discipline, and academic data from the first 9 weeks. Students will also be reminded of the importance of maintaining good academic standing and attendance as these are leading indicators later in the school year when determining if a student is prepared to be promoted to the next grade level.
- Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 26th, from 4:15 - 7:00 PM. Families are encourage to contact teaches to schedule a time to meet.
- Our Halloween Dance will be held on Friday, October 27th, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please see the Halloween Dance Permission Form that was sent home Friday with all students for additional dance information. Please note that an electronic version of the permission form can be found as part of the newsletter email. It is important to note that tickets will be sold Monday - Thursday this week as students arrive. Tickets will not be sold on Friday or at the door. Students who receive after school detention, ISS, OSS and/or a bus suspension between 10/16 - 10/27 will lose the privilege to attend the dance. Please note that only NMS students may attend the dance.
I encourage our families to reach out to our school team by email or phone with any questions or concerns that you may have regarding all things NMS. We are here to help provide a positive experience as we begin the second 9 weeks.
Go Mustangs!
Scott Belako
Principal
A Huge Shout Out to our PT Mustangs!
Halloween Dance Info
BRVGS Interest Meetings
SPCA Donation Collection
Announcements and Reminders
Important September Dates:
- October 23rd - 27th - Red Ribbon Spirit Week sponsored by FCCLA
- October 26th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:15 - 7:00 PM
- October 27th - Halloween Dance 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Help Us Catch Our Mustangs READING:
Parents, did you know 20 minutes of daily reading to or with your middle school student can greatly increase their reading comprehension and level? We encourage you to read with or to your student every day. If you need resources, or want to know how to encourage your student to read at home, contact their ELA teacher or our Reading Specialist, Jennifer Campbell. If you see your student reading at home send an email with a note or picture for a classroom or PBIS productivity reward.
Chromebooks and Chargers:
Students and families are reminded that restitution will be sought for damage to Chromebooks and for missing and/or lost power cords. It is important for students to handle their devices with care as we do not have the resources to continuously repair devices that are neglected or intentionally damaged.
Birthday Celebrations / Outside Food:
Parents and families are encouraged to work through their student's Advisory Teachers to arrange student birthday celebrations. Please note that birthday treats and food cannot be distributed in the cafeteria during student lunch times. All outside food must be purchased from a store and have the ingredients available due to student allergies.
Bus Passes:
Bus passes must be provided in writing or by email when requesting your student to go home on a different bus with a friend by noon of the day the pass is being requested. Please note that we will not accept a phone request as we have no way of knowing who is making the request. Thank you for understanding as we want to assure all students arrive home safely.
Daily Student Attendance:
Attending school has a huge impact on student success. This year, we want to make sure that every student is present every day. Student attendance is recorded daily. Students are expected to be present each day to receive instruction. By attending class regularly, your student is more likely to keep up with daily lessons and assignments. We will be monitoring student attendance carefully and working with families and students to make sure students do not become chronically absent this school year. Please note that students are considered chronically absent once they have missed 18 or more days of school for any reason.
Parents and/or caretakers are asked to contact the main office to report all student absences. Thank you in advance for making sure your student attends school regularly.
To encourage daily attendance we will be starting an incentive program through our PBIS Rewards program. Students who do not miss a day of school each month will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win prizes each month. We will also have additional raffles at the end of the school year for students who have 7 or more months of Perfect Attendance and for students who miss 7 or less school days overall. We look forward to working with our students and families to improve daily student attendance throughout this school year. Student success begins with being at school!
Classroom Action Process:
Students will be introduced to our Classroom Action Procedures that will be implemented this school year as a tiered system of support. Our goal is to improve communication between home and school while also working to enhance our learning environment by issuing a system of reminders and consequences for minor behavior infractions. Staff will work to issue Classroom Actions after reminding students of expected behaviors. Classroom Actions will be assigned as follows:
- 1st Action = Phone call home and warning provided to the student
- 2nd Action = Phone call home and teacher assigned lunch detention
- 3rd Action = Phone call home and scheduled parent/teacher conference
- 4th Action = Phone call home and disciplinary referral submitted to administration
Please note that serious violations of the Student Code of Conduct will be investigated and handled accordingly. Thank you for working with us as we build upon our tiered systems of support to promote a safe learning environment for all students and staff.
NMS Athletic Information
Congratulations to our Volleyball Team for a successful season! We wish our Cross Country Team the best of luck as they prepare for their last meet this Thursday at Sweet Briar!
Nelson Middle School - Home of the Mustangs
Website: https://nms.nelson.k12.va.us/en-US
Location: 6925 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston, VA, USA
Phone: 434-263-4801