November 4, 2020
Good Afternoon:
Long Weekend: Enjoy the four day weekend. We wish everyone a healthy and restful break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back (in person or virtually) on Monday.
The state of New Jersey has seen a growth in COVID-19 cases as cold weather approaches. We appreciate the students' work in following school safety practices designed to limit the chance of the spread of this virus. It is appropriate to echo the guidelines sent out in a recent notice from the Superintendent with a reminder to follow the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards, such as:
Staying home when you are sick;
Washing hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds;
Covering coughs and sneezes and properly disposing of tissues;
Limiting close contact with people who are sick and not sharing food, drinks and utensils;
Practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart);
Wearing a face covering while in school; and
Continuing to monitor your health for symptoms.
Following these practices increase our chances of keeping everyone healthy both in school and out of school.
Travel Advisories: If a student is planning to travel out of state please check the following:
New Jersey’s Travel Advisory Form
COVID Cannot test out of Quarantine
COVID-How-Long-Isolate-Quarantine
Second Marking Period Survey: At this time, NB is once again asking for each family to select the learning model they prefer for their student(s) during the second marking period. Although the second marking period begins on November 26th, we will not make any changes to a student’s learning model until November 30th.
Option A (Hybrid): Under this option, the student will participate in the hybrid learning program. This is a partial in-person and partial virtual model of instruction. Students will be expected to wear masks while in the building. Each cohort attends classes in-person for approximately 4 hours per day, two days per week. Students will participate in remote instruction on the days their cohort is not in-person..
Option B (Remote): Your child will participate in the 100% remote learning program. Although participating remotely, your student will be required to participate in the scheduled instruction. NB will provide the 100% remote learning model in accordance with state guidelines.
We are asking parents to again make this decision for Q2 on or before Thursday, November 12th.
To complete the survey, please log in to PowerSchool, select ‘Forms’ on the left side, then select ‘Reopening Our Schools’ to complete the survey. Be sure to submit and complete one per student. In order to assure that you have completed one for each child, verify the name on the student’s tab in PowerSchool and check the forms page to make sure the survey has been submitted for that child.
A response for each student is needed by Thursday, November 12th at 4:00 pm.
Federal Impact Aid Survey Past Due: The Northern Burlington County Regional School District must receive an annual signed survey from ALL parents or guardians for EACH student in order to receive the federal funding of military affiliated students.
Please note that even if you are not active military or a civilian working on federal property, it is essential that ALL parents and guardians complete and sign this form as soon as possible.
Click here to log into your PowerSchool parent account. Once logged in, click on the link on the left side of the webpage that says Forms. Choose the “Title VIII Federal Impact Aid Survey 2020-2021” to complete the form electronically. A form needs to be submitted for each student, however if submitting for multiple students, please click the arrow up key next to the submit button. This will allow you to submit the form for each student without having to reproduce each survey selection.
Thank you for your continued support of the Northern Burlington County Regional School District. If you have additional questions, please contact Kristie Worrell, Administrative Assistant, extension 2003 or Richard Kaz, School Business Administrator (609) 298-3900 extension 2080.
Virtual Bookfair: The PTSC’s scholastic book fair is up and running now at this LINK. Don't forget to check it out! The fair closes on November 8. Please note the link has been updated.
Wednesday Expectations: The district has put together the following handout to clarify activities on typical Wednesdays during hybrid instruction. That information can be found at this LINK.
Parent Teacher Conferences: As a follow up to the email that went out last week, please note that ALL conferences will be held remotely via Zoom and appointments are scheduled in 10-minute intervals.
The sessions will be held on the following dates:
November 10 12:40 pm to 2:40 pm
November 11 Veteran’s Day: School Closed
November 12 12:40 pm to 2:40 pm and 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
November 13 12:40 pm to 2:40 pm
Conferences are scheduled online via PTC Wizard. While the conferences are open to all parents, there are a limited number of appointments available. If you are not sure if a conference is necessary, feel free to contact the teacher directly. For parents who are interested in a conference they are encouraged to register as soon as possible. If you are unable to meet during conferences or feel that you may need more than the 10 minutes allotted per appointment, we invite you to contact your child’s teacher or counselor to make alternate arrangements.
How it works:
Parents create an account in PTC Wizard.
It is helpful to have a list of the student’s teachers handy.
Once logged in, Parents choose:
which set of conferences they prefer and
the teachers they wish to see from a staff listing of all middle school teachers.
Parents will then see which teachers are available for a given time slot, and sign up for appointments
Note: If a teacher is fully booked, they will not appear as a choice for that day/time
PTC Wizard will send parents a confirmation email that includes their schedule with the Zoom links for each of their appointments.
On or about November 9, PTC Wizard will send parents a reminder email with their schedule and Zoom links for their appointments.
Instructions for PTC Wizard
To register for conference meetings, please follow the steps below:
To Register: Click here https://nburlingtonms.ptcwizar... then click the Create Account! button screenshot 1
You will be redirected to a form - fill it out: (first name, last name, email address and a password you want to use screenshot 2
Click Register, and then add one child only screenshot 3
Click Save.
You will be sent to a new screen and you will be asked to give your consent to receive emails from PTC Wizard (your schedules, notifications about appointments booked or canceled, etc.).
To add more than one child, Click Account Settings (top right corner of the screen).
To Schedule Conference Meetings: Click the “Add a Meeting”
In the new screen click the checkbox next to the teachers that you want to meet with
Click Continue
Choose the times available for each teacher (the teachers are listed on top of the column)
If you have more than one child, after you chose a time the system will ask you which child this is for
Choose all the meetings and then click Continue
Here is a video tutorial for parents' scheduling.
Any difficulties in scheduling, please contact the middle school main office at 609-298-3900 x4011 or email Mrs. Angela Harrison at aharrison@nburlington.com.
Picture Day is Coming: Please mark your calendars. Lifetouch will be at the middle school on December 7 through December 11 to take student pictures. More information will follow in the coming weeks.
PowerSchool: Quick Tutorials
As we approach the end of the first marking period, Ms. Rachel Friedman walks parents and students through the process of navigating PowerSchool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwM6jIJ_aJo&list=PLCyGy1Pqi_h2lGMBOcs5iPAEiMhoDAjln
Accessing PowerSchool as a Parent Ms. Rachel Friedman walks parents through the process of navigating powerschool. |
 | Accessing PowerSchool as a Student Ms. Rachel Friedman walks students through the process of navigating powerschool. |
Winter Sports: We are now accepting Athletic Participation packets for the Winter Season. Winter season practice will start approximately December 1, 2020. As a result of the pandemic, the situation remains fluid. At this point, it is not clear what the season will look like and it is not likely to include interscholastic competitions.
A copy of the packet can be found on the district web page and at this LINK. If your child’s physical exam is current and does not expire prior to 12/1/20, please complete pages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 of the packet and submit them electronically to middleschoolathletics@nburlington.com .
If your child is in need of a new physical, please contact your physician’s office at your earliest convenience to secure an appointment. Please take page 3, 5 and 6 of the packet with you so that your doctor can complete the physical forms. Please submit the entire packet (pages 1-7) electronically to middleschoolathletics@nburlington.com.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. O’Neill in the Athletic Office at moneill@nburlington.com or 609-298-3900, ext. 2093.
Ordering School Lunch for Students: Please note that Lunches are FREE through the month of June FOR ALL STUDENTS.
Students Learning Remotely: Students who are receiving instruction remotely, or their parents/guardians, may pick up meals (three to five meals at one time) for those days they are receiving remote instruction. Ordering ahead of time is required:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSCfgxym6WPcJofHaCxJa5lS1jTZzsRyr2-UUxGsXWCpnxbg/viewform
As with the Spring 2020 meal distribution, the pick-up location is near the Middle School’s rear entrance (Middle School Door C-3 that leads into the teachers’ lounge) via the Island Road entrance and taking the 1st left to go toward the back of the school. NB has established MONDAY and TUESDAY for pick up of meals. Meals may be picked up between the hours of 10:00 AM and 11:15 AM. For social distancing purposes, NB will limit the number of people entering the middle school facility at one time.
Students Present in the Building: Students attending class will order their lunch in their first class of the day via a link the teachers share in class. Orders for these lunches must be placed by 8:00 AM. Students will be dismissed to pick up their lunch in the cafetorium prior to exiting to the bus or parent pickup locations.
NHS Tutoring: Is your child in need of some extra help? NHS tutoring is here to assist! Virtual tutoring will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30-2pm. All you need to do is have the student who in need of help email the NHS adviser at jnewman@nburlington.com and then the student will receive a link to the virtual tutoring session.
Health & Safety Reminders:
It is important to emphasize a few points with regard to health safety. Most importantly, students should not come to school if they are sick. The remote option is available on a day to day basis if a student has any symptoms on the day he or she is supposed to attend school in person but can still attend school at home. If you have any medical questions, please contact our school nurse at extension 4030. Covid Informational Flyers.
Important Dates:
November 5 & 6: NJEA Convention: School Closed
Nov 10: Afternoon Parent Conferences
Nov 11: Veteran’s Day: School Closed
Nov 12: Afternoon & Evening Parent Conferences
Nov 13: Afternoon Parent Conferences
November 18: Early Dismissal of Students/Staff Professional Development Day
November 20: End of Marking Period 1
November 23: Marking Period 2 Begins
November 25: Early Dismissal
November 26 & 27: Thanksgiving Holiday/School Closed
If you haven’t already done so, please be sure to complete the 2020 Federal Impact Aid Form in PowerSchool.
Enjoy your weekend.
Andrew Kearns, Ed.D.
Principal