NMS Mustang Minutes

Hello Mustang Families -

Thank you for your continued support as we had a great start to our second semester this past week! Our students returned prepared to continue their learning and worked hard to get reacclimated to the school day.

On Friday, January 5th we announced our Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to Mrs. Bethany Grooms for being selected as our NMS Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Grooms goes above and beyond to lead our Agriculture and FFA program in and outside of the classroom.

Congratulations to Sadie Perry, Mari Mullins, Iva Birkhead, Juan Booysen, and Orion Dettweiler for winning the NMS Spelling Bee. They will be moving on to represent NMS in the NCPS Spelling Bee.

Report Cards for the second 9-weeks were sent home with all students this Friday, January 5th. Please contact your student's teacher(s) should you have any questions regarding grades for the second 9-weeks.

I look forward to meeting with all students this week for our Town Hall Meetings. During this time I will review our school-wide expectations and the Student Code of Conduct. I will also share the importance of maintaining a good academic standing and good attendance in order to be considered for promotion at the end of this school year.

This Friday we will host our school-wide basketball game for students. Students who receive a disciplinary consequence this week will lose the privilege to attend the game.

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 looking forward to our first full week of the second semester and 2024!

Scott Belako

Principal

We are loving our new NCPS app! Stay updated with access to events, documents, news from administrators, student stories, and even emergency notifications. You can download the Nelson County PS app for free on both Google Play or Apple App Store.
Download for Android https://bit.ly/3qcA8Hs
Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3q6FFzk

Important January Dates:

• 1/15 - No School - MLK Jr. Holiday

All In Tutoring:

As we begin the second semester we will continue to focus on providing math and reading remediation during our daily Advisory time. Students who did not pass their reading and/or math SOL assessments last school year and students who passed with a score of 400 - 448 will receive additional math and/or reading support per the VDOE All In Tutoring requirements. Please note that some students were also invited to participate in after school tutoring. These invitations were sent home prior to winter break.

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:

Our Classroom Action Procedures will restart for all students as we begin the second semester. Staff will 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.

All student athletes are reminded that academics and behavior are monitored throughout the school year and each playing season. Students must maintain passing grades and demonstrate good behavior consistently throughout the school year and each season to be eligible to participate.

Upcoming Athletic Events:

1/8 - Basketball at William Campbell - 5:30 PM

1/10 - Basketball at Lylburn Downing - 5:30 PM

1/12 - Basketball at Home vs. Appomattox - 2:00 PM

Important Game Reminder:

All elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all NMS and NCHS athletic events and games.

Website: https://nms.nelson.k12.va.us/en-US
Location: 6925 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston, VA, USA
Phone: 434-263-4801