November 24, 2021
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Here are the weekly updates from the middle school:
Thanksgiving: This school year has been, and will continue to be, an unusual year. The ongoing pandemic will ensure that. Nonetheless, even with the pandemic, we have reached a milestone in the school year, Thanksgiving. While celebrating the holiday, please remember to take precautions to avoid bringing COIVD back to school when we reopen on Monday. In the unfortunate event that any student becomes sick over the holiday, please contact our school nurse and keep your child home to err on the side of caution. Pandemic aside, we want to wish all of our students and their families a Happy Thanksgiving.
Student Picture Packets: Student pictures from the October 19 Picture Day that were delivered to the middle school were distributed in homeroom on Monday (11/22/21) for students to bring home. Unfortunately, we only received half of the packages that were ordered and shipped. Lifetouch is reprinting the missing packages and will continue to trace the initial shipment as well. In the meantime, if you would like to view the proof, please contact Lifetouch at 1-800-736-4753, the customer service representative will provide you with the student portrait sitting number for your student so that you can view the proof on mylifetouch.com.
For those who are not satisfied with the pictures you received, please have your student return the physical package with a note to the main office on Monday, November 29th and we will add your student to the list to have their photo taken on November 30. If you have not received your packet or reviewed the proof at mylifetouch.com and would like to have your student’s picture retaken, please send an email to aharrison@nburlington.com by November 29th and she will add your student’s name to the list for November 30 retakes.
Makeup picture day is Tuesday, November 30 for students who were absent/not enrolled on October 19, 2021. Students will receive a pass to report to the aux gym the morning of November 30th to have their picture taken. The Make-up Picture Day ID is ETKJCK9D, mylifetouch.com is the on-line ordering address.
Afterschool Enrichment Program: Northern Burlington County Middle School is proud to offer the following, free program, open to all interested 7th and 8th grade students. The afterschool program begins on Monday, December 6th at 2:45 pm. Participating students can take the 5:10 pm bus home. Please open this link to find out what the program is all about: Let’s Get Organized, Mondays, 2:45 pm to 5:10 pm. Use this form to sign up! Questions? Email Mrs. Noelle Fowler at nfowler@nburlington.com
A Dickens Christmas Carol: Mark your calendars for Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4 for the middle school drama presentation of A Dickens Christmas Carol. Ticket sales begin at 6:30 pm and the doors open for seating at 7 pm. The curtain will rise at 7:30 pm both nights. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and students with id. Hope to see you there!.
NB Holiday Craft Fair: The Choral and the Theatre departments are hosting the annual Holiday Craft Fair. We hope you can come out to the holiday festivities and enjoy the entertainment and holiday shopping. We will have many vendors of all varieties and a food truck.
Date: Sunday December 5th
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
We hope to see you all there! If you would like to sign up as a vendor, please contact Michele O'Neill at: moneill@nburlington.com.
Burlington County Covid Vaccination Sites: Please see this flyer regarding more information on vaccinations.
Travel Quarantine Update: While the CDC recommends delaying travel until individuals are fully vaccinated, New Jersey's travel advisory is no longer in effect. Subsequently, mandatory post-travel quarantine is not required for domestic, out of state travel, within the United States. Therefore, NB will recommend, but not require, that for 14 days after travel, individuals self-monitor for COVID-19 compatible symptoms such as cough, breathing difficulties, loss of taste &/or smell, fever, chills, shivers, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose, and isolate and get tested if any symptoms occur.
COVID Monitoring: We continue to stress the importance of parents screening their children DAILY for symptoms before sending them to school. Parents/caregivers should monitor their children for signs of illness every day as they are the front line for assessing illness in their children. Students who are sick should stay home from school and call the attendance line: 609.298.3900 x 4060.
In addition, the district manages a dashboard that is posted on our website to track COVID activity.
Field Trip Protocols During COVID-19: Please see the message below from Dr. Sarruda, our Superintendent regarding Field Trips.
Field trips have always been an educationally sound and important part of our programs here at NB. As stated in Board Policy, they “can supplement and enrich classroom instruction by providing learning experiences in an environment outside the schools.” We have always encouraged the field trip experience and supported these opportunities not only in New Jersey but across the states and outside of the United States.
More recently, several trip requests have been made to destinations that require or permit only vaccinated students to attend. This has become yet another of the many new challenges we are asked to manage as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, I have asked our administration and our faculty to reach out to these program directors and discuss this requirement. We have learned that some will allow a negative PCR test prior to the trip in lieu of a vaccination. The idea of implementing the PCR test as a requirement seems to be a reasonable compromise and these trips will be approved for NB students. With this in mind, I have directed the administration and the faculty to seek destinations that will welcome all our students. Our school district welcomes all students regardless of vaccination status; therefore, our policy on field trips will be to seek destinations that will welcome all our students.
We know that the information and conditions are constantly evolving, so I ask for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through these matters and seek to find solutions.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Sarruda
Superintendent
Middle School FFA Fruit Sale: Directly Shipped to You
New in 2021: The Middle School FFA partners with the High School Greenhouse Club for Indian River Fruit Sale. Oranges, pink grapefruits, and combination gift boxes will be directly shipped anywhere in the continental United States.
Ordering opportunity now through December 10 for holiday arrival.
As a partner with the high school, when checking out you will need to scroll to the bottom of the list and where it asks "Which seller would you like to credit for this order?" scroll to the bottom and select "School, Middle" Feel free to reach out to Dr. McLean with questions.
https://www.floridaindianrivergroves.com/ecommerce/832321
Sports Eligibility: For those students inquiring about whether they have been medically cleared for a sport, please direct inquiries to your coach rather than the school nurse.
The deadline to submit materials for winter sports has passed. Moreover, the tryout process for basketball has been completed.
PTSC and Amazon Smile: The Parent Teacher Student Connection (PTSC) has an Amazon Smile account for any community members who would like to support the PTSC while shopping online. Simply go to http://smile.amazon.com and search for the "Parent Teacher Student Connection" in the list of organizations (it is listed as being in Columbus, NJ) and then go through that portal to do your Amazon shopping. Amazon will donate 0.5% of all purchases to the PTSC. Please email nburlingtonptsc@gmail.com with any login questions.
Class of 2026 & 2027 Fundraising for Class Activities: Here’s how to help us reach our fundraising goal:
Please click here to register today! Use our ORGANIZATION ID 11741 to register!
Send 10 unique and valid shopping email invites to your friends & family using our invite tool at registration.
Shop! With over 2,500 gift ideas, you can check-off your holiday gift-list and support our important cause, too.
PRO TIP: The more email invites you send, the more supporters we’ll get! So, break out your email contact list, share on social media, and help spread the word!
Will you take a few minutes and register now? Thank you so much for your support!
Questions about registration? Call CW Customer Support at 1-866-395-2926
Clinical Corner Spotlight:
10 ways to Teach Your Kids Gratitude This Thanksgiving – by Wendy Wisner - Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many and with good reason. It’s a time to gather with loved ones, share a hearty meal, and give thanks for all the good in our lives, large and small . Not only is the holiday enjoyable and delicious in so many ways, but it's also a great opportunity to teach our children what the holiday symbolizes: gratitude. Gratitude teaches humility and expands children’s worldview. And studies have shown that practicing gratitude can have positive effects on mental health. Sharing and teaching gratitude isn’t the answer to all of our challenges. Although practicing gratitude has many proven benefits, your child may still be experiencing mental health struggles as a result of the stress of the pandemic or because of the general stresses of life. Please click the link to access the full article: 10 Ways to Teach Your Kids Gratitude
Northern Burlington has partnered with Effective School Solutions and will be hosting virtual staff/parent/community workshops. Our next virtual sessions are:
Wednesday, December 1st at 6 pm presented by: Kristin Cline, LPC: Introduction to the Trauma Attuned Model®. ESS’s Trauma Attuned Model® is a relationship-based, evidence-centered approach to supporting student development, fostering student and caregiver resiliency, and ultimately promoting healthy growth and academic achievement. In this introduction to TAM® workshop, parents and caregivers are introduced to the four key components of the model: Prevalence, Affect, Response, and Triggers (or P.A.R.T. for short). A more comprehensive 6-hour version of the full Trauma Attuned Model® is also available Please click the link to join via zoom: Presentation link OR use Meeting ID: 948 9253 3661 Passcode: 218452
Tuesday, December 14th at 3pm presented by: Monica Generoso, M.Ed.: How to Talk to Your Kids and Survive: Raising a child is probably the most gratifying job any of us will ever have -- and one of the toughest. In large part, that's because times have changed. We live in an increasingly complex world that challenges us every day with a wide range of disturbing issues that are difficult for children to understand and for adults to explain. Our kids are part of the iGen or GenZ generation. The generation born with smartphones and tablets. Let’s talk about how we can talk to our kids and survive. Link will be available in the next bulletin.
Family Support Organization of Burlington County: Parents Helping Parents:. Parents helping Parents can make the lives of families better by building stronger relationships and better communication. Please join the parent support group via Zoom on the first, third and fourth Thursday evening of each month from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Please click the link to access the meeting: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime Join Zoom Meeting FSO Parent zoom link Meeting ID: 875 8951 4273 Passcode: 244506
COMING SOON to Northern Care Solace: A 24/7 multilingual care concierge team that connects students, families, and staff with available, verified mental health providers and substance use treatment programs matched to their needs regardless of circumstances.
Important Dates:
Nov. 24: Early Dismissal
Nov. 25 & 26: School Closed for Thanksgiving
Nov. 30: Student Picture Retakes/Make-up
Nov. 30: PTSC Meeting at 6:30 via Zoom
Dec 1: Introduction to the Trauma Attuned Model, 6 pm Virtual
Dec. 3 & 4: Middle School Drama: A Dickens Christmas Carol, See Information Above.
Dec. 5: Holiday Craft Fair at the High School, 9 am - 3 pm
Dec. 7: Middle School Chorus Concert, 7:00 pm
Dec 14: How to Talk to Your Kids and Survive, 3pm Virtual
Dec. 15: Instrumental Concert, 7:00 pm
Dec. 23: Early Dismissal
Dec. 24 through January 2: Winter Break
Jan. 3: School Resumes
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Sincerely,
Andrew Kearns, Ed.D.
Principal