NMS Family Weekly Newsletter

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Beginning January 30th, students and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the twelfth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

• Effective Leaders

• Collaborative Teachers

• Involved Families

• Supportive Environments

• Ambitious Instruction

Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.

All teachers and 4th through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in May 2024 and will also be included in the State School Report Card.

Additionally, your district has chosen to provide the optional Parent survey supplement. If at least 20 percent of Nippersink Middle School parents complete this survey, a parent supplement report will also be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card.

Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey for students and teachers will be conducted January 30, 2024 through March 29, 2024. The Parent Survey Supplement will be conducted during that same timeframe. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu.

Sincerely,

Brandon Creason

Principal, Nippersink Middle School

February 19: No School. Presidents' Day

February 20: Wrestling vs Gavin 4:15 -6:15 pm

February 20: PTO Meeting 7-8 pm NMS Library

February 21: Wrestling @ Northwood 4-6 pm

February 21: 7th Grade Girls BB vs Northwood 4-6 pm (SGE)

February 21: 8th Grade Girls BB vs Northwood 4-6 pm (NMS)

Updated Registration Calendar SY23-24

Information can be found HERE

Please click on the link below for additional info and times.

Weekly Athletic Information can be found HERE.

Sponsorship Form can be found HERE

As technology gifts may be high on our children's wish lists this season, we're thrilled to introduce our partnership with SmartSocial.com. This platform provides many resources to help safely navigate the digital world.

As the plethora of resources may seem overwhelming at a glance, we recommend starting small and perhaps delving into one of the following topics:

• Social Media Agreement Templates for Families

• Top 5 Kids Cell Phone Safety Tips for Parents

• Avoiding Strangers, Drugs, and Dangerous Situations Online

• Combat Online Bullying

• Pros and Cons to Video Games

NSD2 is giving district parents/guardians free access to all of the SmartSocial tools. Just use this link to register: https://smartsocial.com/members?org=nippersinkrichmondburton

This free access is for our students' families only and valid until July 31, 2024. Please do not share the link with non-district families.

Let's make this holiday season not only joyful, but also a time for learning and growing in the digital age!

8th grade parents, information regarding end of the year dates can be found HERE.

NMS Website

2023-2024 Student-Parent Handbook

February Lunch Menu

NMS Safety Concern

23-24 School Calendar

23-24 School Events Calendar

NMS PTO Stock the Lounge February

PTO Calendar of Events Click HERE

PTO Fundraising Goal Click HERE

Interested in volunteering with the PTO? Click HERE

NMS Fundraising Shopping Event Click HERE

Safety for our students and staff is something we take very seriously here at NMS. Please talk to your children about the seriousness of making threatening comments regarding students, staff, or the school. No comments will be handled as a joke here at Nippersink Middle School and law enforcement will be contacted if comments are made or shared on social media. Please contact the office or use our website if you have a safety concern. Safety concerns can be submitted on the website HERE

Substitute Teachers! The application form for working as a District 2 substitute teacher can be found here