High School Parent Message 

March 4, 2022

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Important Dates 

Mar 7: Season begins for track, lacrosse and golf 

Mar 11: Season begins for baseball, softball, boys tennis, & boys volleyball

Mar 15-18: NJ GPA (Grade 11 Testing)

Mar 15-17: Early Dismissal HS Students only

Mar 16: PTSC Meeting - please see information below

Mar 18: Early Dismissal of Students/Staff Development Day 

Mar  25,26, & 27 Spring Musical -  Legally Blonde

Mar 31: End of Q3

Apr 1: Beginning of Q4

Apr 14: Early Dismissal/Beginning of Spring Break 


High School Calendar Change

On March 15-18 the high school will follow an Early Dismissal Schedule for students, while students in Grade 11 are administered the New Jersey Graduation Performance Assessment (NJ GPA). Juniors will resume their class meetings following the testing window each day.  A rotating A/B Day schedule of 4 periods per day will be implemented as follows:

NEW - New Jersey Graduation Performance Assessment for Grade 11

On March 14-18, students in Grade 11 will be administered the New Jersey Graduation Performance Assessment (NJ GPA). Effective for the Class of 2023, the NJ GPA is the primary graduation assessment pathway.  Make up testing will occur March 22-25 for students who are absent during the initial testing window following a regular schedule.  Students who need to test during the make up window will miss class time to test. 

The NJ GPA includes content aligned to the grade 10 New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) in ELA, and the NJSLS in Algebra 1 and Geometry. If after completing the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment a student does not demonstrate proficiency on the ELA or mathematics section, the student may retake the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment in the following summer or fall, or access two additional pathways to meet this graduation requirement. Students must take the NJ GPA at least once to be eligible for additional pathways. 

Additional information about the pathways is available at

https://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/requirements/2023_2025.shtml

On March 15-18 the high school will follow an Early Dismissal Schedule for ALL students. 

A rotating A/B Day schedule of 4 periods per day will be implemented as follows: 

Juniors should check with their English 3 teachers, their Class of 2023 Google Classroom, or the posted assignments on the Office of Academics windows or outside the Media Center for their testing room assignments the week of March 7. 

Juniors will resume their class meetings following the testing window each day. 


Stay Healthy

This was the last week where masks were required in our school.  Beginning Monday, March 7, masks will be optional.  In addition, as a result of new guidance issued last Friday by the CDC, masks will also be optional on school buses.  (This last note about buses is a change from what we shared last week.)  In concluding this phase of pandemic precautions, we want to acknowledge the cooperation and support of our students in implementing the masking requirement for the last year and a half.

As we move toward this next stage it is important that students recognize that each will make their own choice regarding whether they wear a mask or not, and it is important that we respect each others’ choices without bullying, harassment, or other unkind actions.

The school district has ceased contact tracing tracing in school.  Of course, students who contract COVID should still remain home for the required isolation period.  

While we look forward to the decreasing incidence of COVID-19 infections in our community, it is critical to maintain our basic prevention strategies as reinforced in the latest NJDOH Guidance:

Parental Symptom Screening 

Parents/caregivers must continue to monitor children for signs of illness every day prior to leaving for school as they are the front line for assessing illness in their children. 

Students who are sick should not attend school.

COVID-19 Compatible SICK Symptoms that indicate school absence and a COVID Test:

• At least one of the following symptoms: new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste and/or smell OR

• At least two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, shivers, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose

Students who come to school with a combination of these symptoms will be sent home by the school nurse and require a negative COVID test before they can return to school.  So save yourself the trouble and simply keep your child home if they have any of these symptoms.  You can report your child’s absence on the attendance line: 609.298.3900 x 2029.

 

Any questions, please contact our school nurses, Ms. Crane & Ms. Nocon  mcrane@nburlington.com gnocon@nburlington.com please include both nurses in your email.  Sometimes they must deliver bad news.  Please know that the directions  given are based on the information they have from the public health authorities.  Please be patient as they navigate these many challenges and work to keep our school a safe place to be for everyone.  Thank you :)

If you need it, the Burlington County Health Department is offering walk-in testing for COVID.  Please follow this LINK for location and information.  

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

NB 2021-22 Covid-19 Dashboard 

AP Reminder

March 11 is the final day to register late for an exam or cancel an exam. Both incur an $40 additional fee. To register and pay or cancel an exam, please log in to Total Registration from Northern's AP website. Exams canceled by March 11 will receive a partial refund. Any questions? Contact Dr. Leslie Puente-Ervin, the AP Coordinator. 


PTSC 

PTSC Meeting: All parents are invited to a PTSC Meeting on Wednesday, March 16th from 6:30pm-8:00pm in the Middle School Cafetorium. The purpose of this meeting is to review and discuss the most recent revisions to NB’s “Safe Return Plan,” NB’s NPFH Club, and NB’s Health Curriculum.  Dr. Sarruda will join district administrators and faculty to discuss concerns and recommendations. 

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.


SAT Prep Program Registration 

NB’s 6 week SAT Prep program continues in-person on Saturdays from March 12 - April 30, 2022.  An afternoon session will be added if needed to meet all registration requests. The registration deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Spring 2022 Registration Form.

Looking to Spring Sports  

We are now accepting Athletic Participation packets for the Sprinter/Spring Seasons.  A link to the packets can be found here

The anticipated start date is March 7th, for track, lacrosse and golf and March 11th, for baseball, softball, boys tennis, & boys volleyball.  Packets must be submitted and approved by our school doctor before students are permitted to participate.  This process can take several weeks due to the volume and the medical review of each one.  Please plan to submit the packets at least three weeks in advance.  All students must be medically cleared prior to participation.  It is important to plan accordingly.

  • If your child’s physical exam is current on the first day of practice for their specific sport, please complete pages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 of the packet and submit them electronically to highschoolathletics@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  highschoolathletics@nburlington.com

Spring Musical 

Northern Burlington's Theater Department is proud to present Legally Blonde The Musical! A fabulously fun award-winning musical, based on the adored movie, follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances - this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal! Two outrageously talented casts and four shows to enjoy: March 25th at 7:30 PM, March 26th at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM, and March 27th at 2:30 PM. For more information and to purchase tickets visit: http://our.show/nbcr 

Spring Musical Fundraiser

Support the Spring Musical, Legally Blonde,  by purchasing Gertrude Hawk Chocolate! Click the link to browse the catalog of delicious chocolate that will ship directly to you. Purchase now through April 1st just in time for Easter! https://tinyurl.com/nbchocolate

 

SENIORS

Senior Scholarship Application:

The Class of 2022 Senior Scholarships & Awards Google form application for this year will be available the last week in March.  Each year dozens of local scholarships offering thousands of dollars in scholarship awards are available to Northern Burlington Seniors. In addition, more scholarships are available on Naviance Student so seniors should log into their account frequently as new scholarships are added each week. 

 

Important Update on Cap & Gown Orders

The updated message below, regarding how to order their Cap and Gown, was shared today, in the class of 2022 Google Classroom. All orders will be placed through Jostens’ website. The site is now updated to accept payments for the caps and gown units which include a cap, gown and tassel.  The standard Cap and Gown Unit cost is $23.05. 

If you ordered prior to the payment option being open and your order was $0.00, an invoice from Jostens’ will be emailed to you. The Cap and Gown Unit is NOT free.  

The Cap & Gown Units will be delivered to the school directly for distribution. All additional specialty items ordered through Jostens will be delivered to the address attached to the order. This information was posted in the Class of 2022 Google Classroom.

Northern Burlington Seniors...If you HAVE NOT ORDERED your Cap and Gown...watch this short information video, then place your order online using the link that appears after the video. Click on the SHOP NOW button to order the cap and gown unit.

If you HAVE ORDERED your cap and gown, you will receive an email with your balance due and payment instructions. Please make that payment promptly so that we can reserve your cap and gown unit.

Also...It's not too late to order your class ring. Click here (Jostens.com) to order your ring. Send us your address and we will mail you a plastic ring gauge to measure your finger.

Class of 2022 please click here to view your personalized video

Congratulations NBHS Class of '22!!!

 

PowerSchool Senior Form

It is important that we have students’ names correct for their diplomas. Therefore, we have posted

 the following information in the Class of 2022 Google Classroom: 

Seniors, The deadline has been extended! Please complete the form entitled “Class of 2022 Senior Diploma Form” in YOUR PowerSchool account no later than today Friday, March 4.  In order to find this form - students need to log into their PowerSchool account,  locate Forms on the left hand side - then scroll down to Senior Forms - then select the  “Class of 2022 Senior Diploma Form”.  Please consult with your parent or guardian when completing the form.

 If you have any questions, please email Ms. Guevara at rguevara@nburlington.com

 

Early Dismissal of Students

Please be advised that no student under the age of 18 can sign themselves out from school early even if they are drivers. As per our Board of Education Regulations: 

5230 LATE ARRIVAL AND EARLY DISMISSAL

No pupil under the age of eighteen shall be released from school before the end of the school day except in the presence of the pupil's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) or an agent of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

2020-2021 Yearbook

Limited copies of last year's yearbooks are still available for purchase. Please contact Tina Kim,  tkim@nburlington.com  for details.

Assessment Schedule 2021-2022

During the course of the school year, students will participate in various standardized assessments. Assessment Information and NB’s Assessment Schedule is available on the website: Student Assessment 

Clinical Corner Spotlight:

  • Building Character in Teens – By Dr. Ken Ginsburg - People with strong core values make the greatest contributions, have the best sense of self, form the most secure and healthy relationships, and build the strongest communities. They are also happiest and often feel gratified and successful in life. People with strong character strengths are more resilient because they have the ability to return to a set of core values during trying times. Adults must notice and nurture adolescent’s inherent character strengths and can teach and reinforce others. We do so best when we model good living. And with good modeling, we can be pretty sure our children will develop strong character strengths themselves. We are positive role models when we show our young people that we constantly work to improve ourselves, and that it’s okay to have flaws.  At the Center for Parent Teen Communication (CPTC), we are committed to helping parents support the development of the 7 Cs.  Click the link to access a quick video on Character (The Seven C's of Resilience) Character video or use this link to access the full article: Building character in teens link

  • The Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) trainings are being held through Partners For Kids and Families, in 2022.  Please see link for the flyer - NHA calendar link.  All trainings are virtual.  For those who need a refresher on what NHA is: “The Nurtured Heart Approach consists of a set of strategies that assist children and adults in further developing self-regulation and has been found to be effective with individuals of all ages. It focuses on transforming the way someone perceives themselves, and the world around them.”

  • 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.

  • For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at https://caresolace.com/site/nbcrsd 

  • Are you or your children in need of winter coats? Generations has new winter coats available in sizes 2T to adult XL.  Please call 609-267-4001 to make an appointment to come in & pick up coats.  

  • Looking for parent support for your child with special needs? The Mom2Mom Helpline connects parents of children with special needs to our trained counselors who are also parents.  Talk to someone who understands you and your family.   Call 1-877-914-MOM2 (1-877-914-6662).

  • Looking for financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost resources: https://www.findhelp.org/

 

Steve Lee, Northern Burlington                                                                                                                                                                           

Sally López, Ed.D.

Principal

Follow the Principal on twitter @nbc_hsprincipal

Follow the Superintendent on twitter:  @NBCSUPER

Webpage at www.nburlington.com