September 1, 2023
Good Afternoon,
This parent email will go out every Friday (or the last day of the week if we are off on Friday). It will include updates from the middle school. THese same notices are posted on our web page for easier reference. Here are the items for this week.
Mark Your Calendars for Important Dates:
Sept. 4: School Closed for Labor Day
Sept. 5: First day of school for all 7th grade students & NEW 8th grade students only.
Early Dismissal of Students (12:05 pm)
Sept. 5: Emergency Info/Trip Form & Parent Consent Form in PowerSchool DUE
Sept. 6: First day of school for ALL students
Week of Sept. 11: Student Activity Fair during lunch periods
Sept. 21: MS Back to School Night - in person, 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Oct. 9: No School for students
Oct. 12: High School Open House (open to 8th graders, the class of 2028)
Oct. 17: Middle School Picture Day
Tuesday, September 5: 7th Grade Students and New 8th Grade Students Report to School: The first day for ALL SEVENTH graders and NEW eighth graders is Tuesday, September 5th. School begins promptly at 7:30 am and dismisses at 12:05 pm. Breakfast will be available. See more information below regarding breakfast. Students will follow an abbreviated schedule, meet their teachers and become familiar with the middle school.
Wednesday, September 6: ALL Students Report to School: The first day for ALL STUDENTS is Wednesday, September 6th. School begins promptly at 7:30 am and dismisses at 2:38 pm. Students should report to the cafetorium, where they have the option to purchase breakfast and then be dismissed to homeroom. Please access PowerSchool to see the location of homeroom. For reference, homeroom and first period are in the same location. During that class, students will receive a copy of their schedules. Students will also be attending grade level assemblies during an extended Homeroom period.
For middle school students who begin the day in the high school, primarily students who are enrolled in the JROTC program, they should report to the high school as they would any other day. We will make arrangements for them to take part in the orientation activities in the middle school.
Breakfast
Breakfast will be served from 7:00 am to 7:30 am.
The cost for breakfast is $2.00 for a breakfast bundle which will include a grain/ and or protein, a fruit, and a milk. This will be the free/reduced option and will also be available for purchase. Ala Carte items are available for purchase as well.
Student Schedules and Opening of School Forms: PowerSchool is available to parents and students. PowerSchool allows parents and students to view attendance, grades, and assignments.
Please note that every effort was made to schedule students based on their requests. At this point, electives and team assignments are not able to be changed.
Before students will be able to access their schedules, parents will need to log into PowerSchool using their parent account and complete the Opening of School forms. Please log on to your Parent PowerSchool account and complete the following two electronic annual forms:
Emergency Information & Trip/Activity Medical form
Parent Consent Form
These two (2) forms need to be completed no later than Tuesday, September 5th. If you cannot access your Parent Portal account, please contact your child’s counselor for assistance.
Chromebooks: Please be aware of our Chromebook protocol:
Students are expected to bring their school issued Chromebook & charger to school
every day.
Please make sure that the student logs into their Chromebook prior to the first day of school so that all system updates are completed prior to their arrival.
It is the students’ responsibility to have their Chromebook charged every day.
If a student does not have their Chromebook/charger, they will be sent to the main office to call a parent/guardian to bring what they are missing.
Students who have non-working Chromebooks should report to the main office for a loaner. When students receive their repaired Chromebook, it is expected that they return the loaner.
The cost to replace a charger is $35.
The cost to replace a Chromebook will depend on the age of the Chromebook.
Dress Code: Please be reminded that there is a dress code. Please review the following with your children and reference page 25 of the student handbook for the following information:
NO sheer clothing
Undergarments may NOT be exposed
Bottoms MUST touch tops
Bottoms MUST extend to finger length
Students in violation of the dress code will be asked to change their clothing. If they have nothing in their locker, they will call a parent/guardian to bring them appropriate clothing. If the student refuses to change their clothing, they will be placed in In School Suspension.
District Expectations: How we treat one another at Northern Burlington is important and we want all of our students to feel welcome. We want to create a safe and orderly environment to promote the best opportunity for learning. To that end, we have three key expectations in our school community. At Northern, our students will
Be Ready
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
As school begins we will be talking to the students about how those expectations apply in all classrooms. Throughout the year we plan to revisit these concepts and reinforce them. In addition, eliminating bullying is another key part of our expectations for student conduct. We will be setting up a variety of student activities throughout the school year to better educate our students on how to stop bullying.
Finally, our school has been recognized as a No Place for Hate school by the Anti-Defamation League. We look forward to continuing to earn this distinction through organizing different activities related to No Place for Hate throughout the school year. Look for updates in the weekly parent message that comes out every Friday via email.
Parent Email: Parent Messages from the principal are sent regularly at the end of every week.
The school uses email communications on a regular basis so it is essential that the school has an accurate email address. Parents should log into PowerSchool to review the email address shown and update as necessary. Parents may enter more than one email address. Please note that adding an email address in the Parent/Student Portal does not change the email address on file in PowerSchool demographics, to do this you must email the school registrar your request.
Bus Assignments: Bus Assignments can be found in PowerSchool under Transportation. Please be aware that students must ride their assigned bus. Temporary requests for a student to ride a different bus will be considered only for emergency situations and only with the Principal’s approval. Such a request must be submitted in writing from both the parent of the child and the parent who will be receiving the child, along with phone numbers to confirm the request at least 24 hours in advance.
School Lunches:
Breakfast will be served from 7:00 am to 7:30 am.
Every day there are two lunch periods and each is 30 minutes long.
We encourage all parents and guardians to complete a new 2023-2024 Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals prior to the first day of school. The application can be found on our webpage under parent/student resources and at this LINK.
The cost for breakfast is $2.00, regular school lunch is $3.25, and a premium lunch is $3.50. Students will use their school ID to move through the lunch line. Parents are welcome to establish an online lunch account through the lunchtime parent portal found under Food Services on the parent/student page and at this Acct Link.
Students are welcome to pack their lunch, please no glass bottles.
Other Important Information: Several important pieces of information are available on our district website at www.nburlington.com please be sure to check out the tabs for Student Resources, Parent/Guardian Resources, and Middle School Important Information for the following:
District Calendar
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Student Handbook
Parent Teacher Student Connection (PTSC): This is the parent group for the school district.
Medication at School Form: Must be completed in order for a child to take any medication at school.
Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
Anti-Bullying Policy (HIB)
Asbestos Abatement Notification (AHERA)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan
Health Insurance Brochure/Application
Vaccine Information
Enjoy this last holiday of summer as we recognize the importance of labor in our nation. We look forward to seeing your children return. Best wishes as we embark on another exciting school year.
Andrew Kearns, Ed.D.
Principal