NBCMS

December 17, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Here are the weekly updates from the middle school:

Update on Friday, December 17:  There will be a separate note going out from the Superintendent’s Office about the online threats.

 

Staying Home When Sick:  Just a reminder as we approach the holidays… We want everyone to get there healthy.  If students are showing symptoms of an illness, they should stay home.  Our school nurse has no way of being able to tell if a cough, sore throat,  headache, stuffy nose, or fever is a common cold or COVID.  As a result, students exhibiting these symptoms at school will be sent home and not allowed to return until they test negative for COVID.  It does not matter whether they are vaccinated or not.

 

NJDOH recommends that students stay home with: 

 

  • Any one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of smell or taste. 

  • OR

    • Any two of the following symptoms: fever (measure or subjective), chills, rigors (shivers), muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose.

If your child is kept home as a result of illness, please call the attendance line: 609.298.3900 x 4060.

If your child is ill, please keep them home.  Save yourself a trip to pick them up from school and from having to arrange for a COVID test.

 

Any questions, please contact our school nurse.

 

Burlington County COVID Vaccination Sites: The CDC continues to recommend vaccination as the best way to prevent the spread of COVID.  Please see this flyer regarding more information on vaccination sites in Burlington County.  

 

Start Strong Assessment Results:  Earlier this school year, students participated in New Jersey’s Start Strong Assessment to assess a subset of priority standards from the prior school year. The district will soon mail the 2021 Start Strong Individual Student Reports (ISRs), which are also available in the NJ Parent Portal at nj-results.pearsonaccessnext.com. The claim code on the ISR will be needed to access results. 

 

High School Program of Studies and SAVE THE DATE for Presentation

The 2022-2023 High School Program of Studies is now available on the HS Counseling website

Course selection for 2022-2023 begins in January. 

 

Date: Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Time: 7:00 pm-8:30 pm

Location: High School Main Cafeteria

 

A recording of the event will be posted online for those not able to attend in person.

 

Sports Spectators:  We appreciate anyone who wants to support our winter sports teams.  However, students who wish to watch one of the winter sports teams must go home and return with a responsible adult who stays with them while they watch an after school event.

 

Holiday Sweater:  Thanks to all who participated in our Holiday Sweater day.  It was an interesting display, to say the least!

 

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.

Clinical Corner Spotlight:

  • Self-Care for Parents During this Holiday Season:  It is common during the holiday season to be reminded about the need to take care of oneself and to find ways to cope with the inevitable stressors. This year, however, the usual holiday stress is complicated by the economic, psychological, and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst all the bad news, we have also been showered with lists of suggestions for self-care. We have all seen enough lists of seemingly simple strategies for self-care to last a lifetime.  Are parents experiencing “burnout”?  The simplest description of burnout is too much stress and too few resources to cope with it. This imbalance can lead to common aspects of parental burnout.  Even under the best of circumstances the holiday season can cause stress, but this year we remain in the grips of the pandemic. Click the link to access the full newsletter: Self-Care for Parents During this Holiday Season

  • Express Genuine Emotion: It’s Worth It! By: Andy Pool, Ph.D. - Being a parent doesn’t mean you have to hide your emotions. In fact, many of your emotions may arise through your parenting experiences.  In fact, both parents and teens are better off if parents learn how to appropriately express the full range of emotions.  Consider reviewing the points in the article, both for yourself and as a model for the young people in your life: https://parentandteen.com/expressing-emotion/

  • Lunchtime mental health check-ins - #Lightentheload #feedyourmind - Mental health check-ins will be available at the High School on Tuesdays and Middle School on Wednesdays, starting December 7th during ALL lunch periods 7, 9, 11, and 13 for any students that want to attend.  This allows for a small group of students (15 max, first come first serve) to drop in and have lunch with peers and a counselor. This is an opportunity to safely talk about mental health concerns in a relaxed setting. We welcome students that are genuinely interested in participating.

  • Introducing NAMI Homefront Mental Health Resources For Military Service Members, Veterans And Their Families – here is a brief video about the resources: Video - NAMI Homefront MH Resources and here is the website to access those resources: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education/NAMI-Homefront

  • 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

  • Care Solace helps our Northern Burlington community find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community. Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:

  • Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.

  • COMING SOON in FEBRUARY 2022 - Group Counseling for students after school - Northern Burlington School District has collaborated with First Children Services (FCS) to provide therapeutic mental health services in-person to our student via group counseling.  This is a free 8-week group in-person after school support group for students to engage with a licensed clinician and their peers to discuss various topics in a safe space setting. The main topics will include anxiety/stress management, emotional regulation, gaining self-awareness, self-esteem, friendship and relationship issues, communication skills, and coping skills.  If you are interested in having your child participate or have questions about the group, please contact your child’s School Counselor. Spaces are limited.  Dates to be determined.

Important Dates:

Dec. 23:  Early Dismissal

Dec. 24 through January 2:  Winter Break

Jan. 3:  School Resumes

Jan 5:   2022-2023 HS Program of Studies Presentation

Jan 26: Early Dismissal/Professional Development (DISTRICT CALENDAR CHANGE)

Enjoy the weekend!

Sincerely,

Andrew Kearns, Ed.D.

Principal