NB Wall

February 3, 2023

Middle School Parent Message

Good Afternoon,

Here are the updates from the middle school:

Upcoming Events:  There are several busy weeks in February at the middle school.  Here is a quick summary of the events that were detailed in prior parent messages:

Door Decorating: Next week, our students will be participating in a door decorating contest as part of our observance of Black History Month sponsored by our Students Taking Action Together (STAT) club and the No Place for Hate club.  We are looking forward to seeing what they put together.  Check out the middle school Twitter and Instagram handles, @nbc_msprincipal, for pictures of the progress.

Spirit Week:  The week of February 13 will be our school’s annual spirit week and it will involve a Blue/Grey competition with all students assigned to a team based on their last name.  Names that begin with the letters A-K are on the Blue Team and names that begin with the letters L-Z are on the Grey Team.  

Part of the week will be a FOOD DRIVE where the Blue and the Grey teams will compete to bring in the most number of nonperishable food items and win points for their respective teams. That week, donations should be dropped off at the cafetorium and placed in the respective areas (Blue or Grey).

FFA Week:   National FFA Week is the week of February 21.  The club has organized different dress themes to celebrate the FFA as well as the role of agriculture in the United States.  

  • Tuesday,  2/21:   Neon

  • Wednesday, 2/22:  Favorite Food (t-shirt or sweatshirt to represent favorite food)

  • Thursday,  2/23:  Flannel 

  • Friday, 2/24:  Blue & Gold/FFA

Super Bowl Squares:  As our local NFL team gets ready to play in the Super Bowl, we want to capitalize on this enthusiasm and create an activity for our students who have been earning NB3 tickets for being ready, respectful, and responsible.  We are going to be holding a version of the typical Super Bowl Pool that we are calling Super Bowl Squares. Of course, our version involves no money.  To participate, students just need to have earned NB3 tickets that gives them a chance to win some neat prizes, much like our weekly raffle.  Students should listen to announcements in homeroom and lunches next week for how they can take part.

Extended Learning Schedule Update: We will be doing another trial run of our extended learning plan on February 28, March 1, 2 and 3. We have made adjustments to the schedule in response to feedback we received from the previous trial in December.

Yearbook PARENT ADS:  Good news! Parent Ad sales have been extended until February 8, 2023!  This is the final deadline! Recognize your child to commemorate their achievements and important milestones. Purchase and design your ad at the link below. 

https://www.jostens.com/apps/s...

High School Program of Studies and 8th Course Selection for 2023-2024:  The 2023-2024 High School Program of Studies is available on the High School Counseling Department Web Page. Course selection will occur electronically via PowerSchool.  Please review these instructions and contact your student’s counselor if you have any questions. The PowerSchool Parent Portal is accessible to current 8th grade students and parents until Monday, February 13th.  High School Counselors will begin to meet with 8th grade students to review their course selections starting in March. 

 

To help with the planning process a video recording of the presentation from the High School Academic Planning Night is available on Northern TV   and on the HS Counseling page of the website. The video series for each department has been updated for 2023-2024 and is also available on Northern TV.

Spring Sports:  Spring sports registration is open

https://northernburlington-ar.rschooltoday.com/

 

If you already have an account, there is no need to create a new one.  Log in with your username and password to register your child for the 2023 Spring Sport Season.

 

Please be sure that all current physicals are uploaded into the registration portal (STEP 4).

 

If you have any questions, please contact Michele O’Neill, Athletic Department Secretary at moneill@nburlington.com or 609-298-3900, ext. 2093.

PTSC News: Check our website (www.nburlington.com/page/ptsc) for more information.

Clinical Corner: A topic not yet covered is teens and relationships.  Child Mind Institute published an article on some DOs and DON’Ts to share with a teen be it a student or child and they are actually open to some guidance.  Here they are:

  1. Do look for someone you feel comfortable with…they explain what that means in terms of trust, being able to have differing opinions, and just being able to be yourself around the person.  

2.  Don’t forget your friends….this is so easy for teens to do because they are new to balancing these different relationships and managing their time and attention.

3.  Do be your own person…keeping their own identity within the relationship is important to their self-esteem, making the point that if you are confident in yourself you will be more confident in your relationship.

4.  Don’t hide from problems…how working through problems is good for any relationship and it doesn’t mean the relationship is “doomed”.

5.  Do know the difference between good and bad conflict….the article explains how conflict can make your relationship closer if handled correctly and gives helpful tips on how to do this.

6.   Do know the signs of an abusive relationship…it’s important to know the red flags such as someone who tries to keep you away from your friends and/or family, wants to constantly check your phone messages, or is constantly criticizing you just to list a few.  

The article makes a good point that it is hard for some teens to talk or ask for help especially when it comes to relationships, so if they do, try to be available. Or you might just want to send them this article and see if it generates any conversation.  In any case, click here for more in depth information on this topic.  

A Message from your Northern Nurses:  Following data from the Burlington County Health Department, trends show we may expect an increase in the number of Flu, COVID and all respiratory infections.

Please do your part by carefully monitoring your student and keeping him/her home for any sick symptoms.  

Worrisome symptoms are cough, fever, breathing difficulty AND 2 or more symptoms combined such as congestion, headache, sore throat, muscle aches etc.

Please do not send students with sick symptoms to school and either:

Take to your doctor for clearance OR

Use a home COVID test (ideally 1 negative test and a second 48 hours later)

AND - Please communicate with your student's school nurse.

We must track the number of COVID and Flu cases in our community and we will work with you and Administration to ensure students home sick have excused absences.

Burlington County continues to offer both the single COVID-19 test as well as a combined COVID-19/Flu test at the testing site at Willingboro Towne Center, 4390 Rt 130 North, Willingboro.  Test results are generally back within 48 hours. Insurance information is collected, but people without insurance are still eligible for testing.   Please see attached flyer

Contact our school nurse with any questions, tpugliese@nburlington.com.

Relay for Life:  From May 20th at 6:00 p.m. to May 21st at 6:00 a.m. we will gather on the football field to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society!   The night is spent celebrating survivors, supporting cancer patients, and remembering friends and family.   There are also events and games all night long, and you can spend the night hanging out with your friends and family.  All are welcome!!!!

Join us for information, food, and fun at the Relay for Life Kick-Off event which is being held in the Foyer/Main Cafe at Northern Burlington on Thursday, February 9th, at 6:00 p.m.  Don't miss out on the free food, information tables, and prizes!

Meeting Schedule:  

  • February 15, 2023 - 6:00 PM (Room 110)

  • March 21, 2023 - 6:00 PM (Room 110)

  • April 4, 2023 - 6:00 PM (Room 110)

  • April 26, 2023 - 6:00 PM (Room 110)

  • May 9, 2023 - 6:00 PM (Room 110)

  • May 20-21, 2023 - Relay for Life (6:00 PM to 6:00 AM)

If you have any questions or you would like to be a part of the Relay for Life of Northern Burlington Committee, please contact Lori Nadolny (lnadolny@nburlington.com ) or Dr. Sally Lopez (slopez@nburlington.com ). If you would like to participate in Relay for Life by creating a team or joining a team, please visit the website:  https://relayforlife.org/NB

Reminders:  

Student Pickup:  In the event that a student must leave school before the conclusion of the school day they may only be picked up by a person that is listed in PowerSchool as a parent, guardian or emergency contact.  All persons will need to present picture identification prior to the release of a student.  Any changes to this information must be completed  IN WRITING PRIOR to the day of implementation.   

School Closure/Delayed Opening due to Inclement Weather:  In the event that school must be closed or the opening delayed by 90 minutes due to inclement weather, announcements will be broadcast via twitter and posted on our website www.nburlington.com.  Please follow me at @NBC_MSPrincipal and our Superintendent, Dr. Andrew Zuckerman, at  @azuck1

Important Dates:

Week of Feb. 6:  Extended HR:  Door Decorating Contest

Feb. 13:  Middle School Spirit Week Begins

Feb. 17:  No School for Students/Staff Professional Day

Feb. 20:  School Closed for President’s Day

Feb: 21:  FFA Week Begins

Feb. 28:  Extended Learning/Block Schedule Practice Day

Mar. 1:  Extended Learning/Block Schedule Practice Day

Mar. 2:  Extended Learning/Block Schedule Practice Day

Mar. 3:  Extended Learning/Block Schedule Practice Day

Mar. 17:  Early Dismissal of Students/Staff Development Day

Mar. 31:  MP3 Ends

Apr. 6:  Early Dismissal

Apr. 7 to Apr. 14:  School Closed for Spring Break

Have a good weekend. 

Andrew Kearns, Ed.D.

Principal