NMS Mustang Minutes

Hello Mustang Families -

This past week we celebrated Red Ribbon Week in which we saw many of our students participating in activities and learning about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle free of drugs. Thanks to our FFCLA students and School Counseling Team for their coordination of the events and learning throughout the week!

Please note that part of Red Ribbon Week this past Friday provided the students an opportunity to wear their costumes. We have shared with students that costumes are not permitted to be worn on Halloween as we work to minimize disruptions and focus on teaching and learning. However, students are encouraged to wear black and orange or fall colors on October 31st.

I was also able to meet with each grade level this past Monday to review school-wide expectations and Student Code of Conduct reminders as we begin the second 9 weeks. Throughout the month we have also worked to share the importance of being kind and not bullying others during our morning announcements. Thank you for taking the time to frequently remind your student(s) of the importance of being kind and following our school-wide policies as we work together to provide a safe and enjoyable learning experience for all of our amazing students.

Thank you to all of our families who attended Parent/Teacher Conferences this past Thursday. We had a great turnout and appreciate those that were able to attend! Please feel free to reach out at anytime to schedule a time to meet and/or talk to our staff as we are here to support your student during their middle school career.

This week our talented performing arts students will be presenting The Addams Family Musical on Thursday and Friday evening at 7:00 PM. We are looking forward to seeing this performance as they have been working tirelessly since the start of the school year to prepare!

Girls and Boys Basketball Tryouts will be held Wednesday, November 1st and Thursday, November 2nd after school. Students who are trying out must have a VHSL physical on file with the school nurse by October 31st to be eligible for tryouts. Best of luck to all of the student-athletes who are planning to tryout later this week!

Please note that Monday, November 6th is an Asynchronous Day and Tuesday, November 7th is Election Day per the NCPS School Calendar. Students will not have school on these days. The Asynchronous day is designed to allow students to get caught up on missing work and/or assignments. Teachers will not assign new learning on Asynchronous days.

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.

Go Mustangs!

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.
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Ms. Andrews is hosting a LEGO STEAM Club during Club Days. This past week students were tasked with designing and building a stabile watch tower suitable for bird watching that is as tall as possible.

Important November Dates:

• November 2nd - The Addams Family Musical Performance - 7:00
• November 3rd - The Addams Family Musical Performance - 7:00
• November 6th - Asynchronous Day - No School for Students
• November 7th - Election Day - Schools Closed
• November 15th - Interim Reports Sent Home
• November 17th - Fundraiser Assembly
• November 22nd - 24th - Thanksgiving 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:

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.

Congratulations to our Cross Country team for a successful season!

Girls and Boys Basketball Tryouts will be held Wednesday, November 1st and Thursday, November 2nd after school. Students who are trying out must have a VHSL physical on file with the school nurse by October 31st to be eligible for tryouts. Best of luck to all of the student-athletes who are planning to tryout later this week.

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