News from the Principal

News from the Principal
May/June 2012 Newsletter
Jeff Pesta,
Principal
507.663.0650
Attendance Office
507.663.0655
Activities Line
507.645.3559
Student Support Services Office
507.663.0664
Here comes summer! This May/June newsletter will be mailed out to all incoming sixth
through eighth grade students’ homes. We will also be mailing out our August Back to
School edition to the same addresses. As part of a successful budget reduction goal, all
school year editions will be posted on the district and middle school websites for viewing. A
Skylert message will be sent out to parents notifying them when the newsletters are posted.
Any family that would like a paper version of a newsletter may pick one up at school or call
and request that a copy be mailed to their home.
Parent Night will be held on Wednesday, August 29 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This parent only
event provides a unique opportunity to walk through your child’s schedule and meet all of
their teachers. Parent Night serves as a sneak preview and parent orientation prior to the first
day of school on September 4th.
On August 30, we will enthusiastically host our WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) orientation program for 6th graders. The event will run from 8:00 a.m. to noon and will provide students with a chance to become comfortable with school operations and meet their new classmates. Bus transportation is available; however the routes will be determined by requests
submitted by June 4th. Please return the postcard that your child received at their elementary
school to request transportation or call our main office at 663-0650 to make a reservation.
Information about 6th grade instructional programs and faculty is posted on our website. It is
necessary to submit all special requests for 6th grade team placement and any other grade
level teacher requests via letter or e-mail by June 4th. Please provide the educationally relevant reasons supporting your request. Scheduling a school of this size with many electives is
a challenging process which begins in early June. We are not able to fulfill special requests
after the master schedule has been created and balanced.
The middle school will be hosting many summer programs. However, the middle school
administrative office hours will vary as our staff is either off contract or blending in their vacation times. All messages will be returned in a timely manner and you can expect full service with any assistance that you may need throughout the summer break.
I will be using some vacation time to travel to Mexico to conduct my doctoral research beginning June 23rd. The ultimate goal of my project is to complete an ethnography that will help
our district to better serve our students and families with roots in the State of Veracruz. I
believe that the net result of this research will make our programming for all students stronger
in the long run. I will attempt to keep up on school business during those two weeks. Please
have patience if I am not able to fully address your requests until mid-July.
Please remember that middle school students will be dismissed two hours early on the final
school day. Students will eat lunch at school and our buses will begin loading at 12:51 p.m.
This has been an awesome year and our community should be very proud of the accomplishments of all 900 NMS students! It has been our pleasure to serve them.
Visit us on the web
www.nfld.k12.mn.us
Jeff Pesta,
Principal
May /June 2 01 2
Noticias del Director
¡Ya llega el verano! Este boletín de noticias de mayo y junio se enviará por correo a las casas de todos los estudiantes que van a ir al
middle school de sexto a octavo el próximo año escolar. Así mismo enviaremos nuestra edición de agosto sobre Vuelta a la Escuela a
la misma dirección. Como parte de nuestros esfuerzos por ahorrar en los presupuestos los boletines de noticias durante el año escolar
se podrán encontrar y leer en las páginas de internet del distrito y del middle school. Todas las familias recibirán un mensaje de
Skylert para advertir a los padres de que los boletines de noticias están en internet para que los puedan leer. Todas aquellas familias
que necesiten una versión imprimida en papel de los boletines pueden recogerla en la escuela o llamar a la escuela para que les
envíen una copia por correo a casa.
La noche de los padres será el miercoles 29 de agosto de 5:00 a 7:00 PM. Este es un evento solo para padres y proporciona una
oportunidad única para tener una idea del horario de su hijo o hija y para conocer a todos sus maestros. La noche de los padres sirve
para que los padres conozcan la escuela y como una orientación antes del primer día de escuela el 4 de septiembre.
El 30 de agosto ofrecemos con gran entusiasmo el programa de orientación WEB para los estudiantes que empiezan en 6º grado,
WEB (Donde todos tienen su lugar- Where Everybody Belongs). Este evento, que es solo para los estudiantes, empezará a las 8:00
AM hasta las 12:00 PM y ayuda a los estudiantes a sentirse cómodos con el funcionamiento de la escuela y les ayuda a conocer a los
otros estudiantes. Quien lo necesite puede solicitar el servicio de los autobuses escolares para ir al evento en el middle school pero
las rutas se van a crear con las peticiones que lleguen antes y hasta el 4 de junio. Por favor, si necesitan el autobús, devuelvan la
tarjeta que su hijo o hija recibió en su escuela de primaria a su escuela para pedir el autobús o llamen a la oficina del middle school
para hacer su reserva al teléfono 663-0650.
La información sobre los programas académicos y sobre los maestros se puede encontrar en nuestra página de internet. Es necesario
enviar todas las peticiones especiales para el equipo que crea los grupos para los salones de clases y cualquier otra petición de
maestros por carta o por correo electrónico antes del 4 de junio. Por favor, especifique las razones específicas de por qué hacen una
petición especial. Organizar los horarios en una escuela tan grande como es el middle school y con muchas asignaturas optativas a
elegir es algo muy complicado y es un proceso que empieza a principios de junio. No podemos incluir las peticiones especiales una
vez que el horario esté creado y equilibrado.
En el middle school van a tener lugar numerosos programas de verano. Sin embargo, la oficina administrativa del middle school no
siempre va a estar abierta a las mismas horas. Los horarios van a cambiar para incluir los diferentes horarios de los empleados de la
administración ya que algunos habrán terminado su contrato y otros estarán organizando sus vacaciones. Intentaremos contestar a
todos sus mensajes lo antes posible y pueden contar con nuestra completa asistencia y servicio en cualquier asunto que necesiten
durante todas las vacaciones de verano.
Parte de las vacaciones de verano las voy a usar para viajar a México y realizar investigación para mi tesis doctoral a partir del 23 de
junio. La meta de mi proyecto es completar una etnografía del estado de Veracruz que va a ayudar a nuestro distrito escolar a servir
mejor a nuestros estudiantes y familias con raíces en el estado de Veracruz. Estoy convencido de que los resultados de mi
investigación van a ayudar a que a largo plazo los programas académicos para todos los estudiantes sean más fuertes y sólidos. Por
favor, tengan paciencia si no puedo prestarles la debida atención a sus peticiones hasta mediados de julio.
Por favor, recuerde que los estudiantes del middle school saldrán dos horas antes el último día de escuela. Los estudiantes tomarán el
almuerzo en la escuela y nuestros autobuses empezarán a salir a partir de las 12:51 PM. ¡Este ha sido un año estupendo y toda la
comunidad debe sentirse orgullosa de los éxitos alcanzados por los 900 estudiantes del middle school! Ha sido un placer para todos
nosotros servirles.
Jeff Pesta,
Director
Traducción: Mar Valdecantos
2
May /June 2 01 2
Student Support Services
Summer is almost here! Students and
staff are preparing for a few months of
rest from the busy school year.
Here are a few dates to keep in mind this
summer:
Informal open houses:
Families are welcome to tour the building. There will be maps available near
the main office. Feel free to look
around. The times are as follows:
August 21: Self Guided
Tours (10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)
August 23: Self Guided
Tours (10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)
St. Dominic and New Student Orientation: August 23rd
The Guidance Office will hold an orientation session for all new 7th and 8th grade
students and St. Dominic students from
11-12PM in Room 162/163.
6th grade WEB Orientation: August
30th
More information about WEB is included in this newsletter. If you are requesting transportation, please fill out the
purple card you received. Please remember to put your child’s name and address
on the card.
Jenny Streefland and Cori Oian
Middle School Counselors
WEB - Where Everybody Belongs
Sixth Grade WEB Orientation Day
Thursday, August 30th, 2012
7:55 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
On Thursday, August 30th, Northfield
Middle School will kick off its forth annual Sixth Grade WEB Orientation to
welcome our new 6th grade students to
the middle school. Sixth Grade Orientation Day will begin at 7:55 a.m. and will
end at 12:00 p.m. Please mark this important date on your calendar!
The Sixth Grade WEB Orientation begins with a large group assembly. Students participate in a series of spirited
and interactive activities designed to
make them feel comfortable in their new
school and educate students with strategies that will help them be successful
throughout their middle school years.
Following the assembly, students are
organized into smaller groups led by two
8th grade WEB leaders. During their
small group time, the 6th graders have the
opportunity to meet new people, participate in team building activities, and learn
about their new school through a guided
tour.
The orientation concludes with a second
large group assembly that leaves the incoming 6th graders feeling energized and
excited about the new school year ahead.
They will leave Orientation Day
equipped with information and strategies
that will help them be successful and the
feeling of connectedness to their new
school. Each student will also receive
their class schedule and have time to
practice his/her locker combination.
already request and are in need of transportation, contact the main office at 6630650 immediately. Families requesting
transportation will be notified of the busing routes this summer.
Incoming 6th graders will receive an official invitation to WEB Orientation Day
in August. We are looking forward to
meeting our incoming sixth graders!
Have a fun and relaxing summer! J
NMS WEB Coordinators
Cori Oian, Krista Betcher, & Rhea
Mehrkens
Limited transportation is available
through Benjamin Bus. Transportation
request cards are due in the NMS office
on May 25th. However, if you did not
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May /June 2 01 2
Nurse Notes
Immunizations:
Required shots for students going into
7th grade in the fall of 2012:
TD (tetanus/diphtheria...now given as
Tdap) If the student did not have a Tdap
after their 7th birthday, then a new one is
needed.
Chicken Pox status: Either the disease
date verified by your physician OR 2
Varicella vaccines
Hepatitis B series completed (3 shots
given over 5-6 mos.)
Must have 2 MMR shots on record
(measles, mumps, rubella)
OR, an Exemption on file
For more information check the Minnesota Department of Health website.
Summer is a good time to get Dental
check ups, Vision check ups and Physicals done. Middle School students who
will be participating in High School
sports are required to have a sport physical on file before participating. A copy
should be given to the High School Ac-
tivities Office and one given to the Middle School for your students health
file. Those are good for 3 years.
Students taking medication daily in the
nurse office are required to provide a
Physician order each year and a new order for dosage changes. School Physician order forms are available on the
School District Website. Medications
such as anti-depressants, ADD-ADHD
meds, seizures meds, etc. are to be
brought to the school by the parent or
guardian and kept in the nurse office . Students are not allowed to carry
those medications during the school day
for safety reasons. Over the counter
medication must be accompanied by a
parent/physician permission note and
should be in the original container for the
nurse to dispense to the student.
Asthma inhalers and emergency allergy
medication may be carried by the student
with parent/physician/nurse permission.
You may contact the health office during
the school year, if your student has specific health needs. Please remember that
school nurses are staffed only during the
school year and are not in the buildings
during the summer months.
Nancy Becker,RN
Middle School Health Services
2200 Division St. South
Northfield, MN 55057
Phone# 507-663-0656
Attendance
Please call the attendance line each day
your child is absent. You may reach the
24-hour voice mail system by dialing 6630655. E-mailing teachers is okay, but
DOES NOT count as official notification to the school. When calling, please
leave your student’s name, grade, reason
for absence and your relationship to the
child. If calling in an illness, please leave
information regarding symptoms. Our
health services staff is required to file a
report with the State Health Department
if there is an unusual increase in certain
illnesses. Students who are not called in
will be considered unexcused until a par-
ent/guardian notifies us. If you should
forget to call in, your child may turn in a
note to the attendance window outside
the office when he/she returns to school.
Students may not call in their own absences.
If your child is absent for three
consecutive days, you may leave a
request for homework on the attendance
line when you call in your child’s absence
information on the third day. Requests
should be made by 9:00 a.m., so teachers
can use their prep time to gather work.
Homework will be requested on your
behalf and any available homework will
can be picked up between 3:00-4:00 p.m
Attendance Line
663-0655
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May /June 2 01 2
Northfield Middle School 2011-2012
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Period
Schedule
1
7:57-8:55
2
8:59-9:50
3
9:54-10:45
4A
10:48-11:13
4B
11:15-11:40
4C
11:42-12:07
5
12:10-1:01
6
1:05-1:56
7
2:00-2:51
Wednesday Late Start Schedule
Period
Schedule
1
8:57-9:45
2
9:49-10:30
3
10:34-11:15
4A
11:18-11:43
4B
11:45-12:10
4C
12:12-12:37
5
12:40-1:21
6
1:25-2:06
7
2:10-2:51
5
May /June 2 01 2
Volunteer
We raised $1200 in the "Trash for Cash"
Competition in April. Thank you to everyone who sent in milk caps, box tops
and the many other items we collect. The winners for the Dairy Queen
treats were: Shania Moon, Danny Allin,
Joe Kreis, Jarrod Gross, Sheerah
Gebhard, and Anna Hruza, and their
study hall teachers. Please continue to
collect the "Trash for Cash" items as we
still accept those items anytime at the
front office. The Site Improvement
Team approved three funding requests at
the meeting on April 16, so the money is
being used to improve the Middle
School.
The Media Center and Tattered Pages is
having their Annual Mother's Day Sale
May 3-11. Please consider dropping off
your good, used books at the Media Center so the students can "buy" books, using their coupons, for their mothers and
other women in their lives.
Finally, May 10 is Staff Appreciation Day
where lunch is provided. The Student
Council is providing the main dish for
this lunch, and parents are providing the
side dishes, salads and desserts. I may
have already filled up the food needs by
the time the newsletter goes out, but if
you would like to contribute a dish/
dessert, please e-mail
me. [email protected]
I am looking for parents who are interested in committing one hour/week,
starting next school year 2012-2013, to
tutor a student or be paired up with a
teacher. E-mail me if you are interested.
Thank you for all of your support of the
Middle School!
Carol Myint
Thank Yous
Thank You to so many who have volunteered at Northfield Middle School this
year. Your gift of time and talent was
greatly appreciated.
Special thanks to our parent representatives who served on our Site Improvement Team this year: Jill Ponder, Karen
Roback, Katie Vondrasek, Mary Hillmann, Adam Dowd, Angie Denardo-
Meagher, Heather Stanga and Sara Pratt.
The Site Improvement Team plays a very
valuable role in setting and reviewing
progress toward our achievement and
climate goals for the school year. This is
one of the most impactful contributions
any parent can make to our school. Any
community member or parent is welcome
to join us on next year’s team. Our work
is conducted over a series of four or five
after school meetings throughout the year.
Contact Jeff Pesta with any questions you
may have.
Karen Roback, Katie Vondrasek, Mary
Hillmann, Adam Dowd, Angie DenardoMeagher, Heather Stanga and Sara Pratt.
El equipo de mejoras del lugar juega un
papel muy importante al establecer y
revisar el progreso en los logros y el
ambiente que queremos en la escuela
durante el año escolar. Cualquier
miembro de la comunidad o padres
pueden unirse al equipo para el próximo
año escolar. El trabajo se realiza a lo
largo del año en una serie de cuatro o
cinco reuniones después del horario de la
escuela. Pónganse en contacto con Jeff
Pesta si tienen preguntas al respecto.
Muchas Gracias
Muchas gracias a todos los que han sido
voluntarios en el Northfield Middle
School este año. ¡Les agradecemos
enormemente su dedicación con su
tiempo y conocimientos!
Queremos darles las gracias
especialmente a los padres representantes
en el equipo de mejoras del lugar (Site
Improvement Team) este año: Jill Ponder,
6
May /June 2 01 2
Media Center
I’m writing this May newsletter with one
eye looking out the beautiful window in
the Media Center. The sky is brilliant
blue with a few billowy clouds passing
by. The lawn is filled with students doing
nature experiments. I am so fortunate to
be working in such a fabulous school,
with such smart and generous students.
Spring is a busy time in the Media Center. After nearly two weeks of testing,
students are flocking in today for book
check-out. The annual Tattered Pages
Mothers Day Sale/Cinco de Mayo celebration took place on Thursday, May 3rd.
It was a fun evening filled with books,
food, dancing, crafts, and music! Thanks
to all that came out to enjoy in the celebration, the night was a great success!
The annual “Two for the Price of One”
Scholastic bookfair began on April 30.
This is a wonderful time to help your
child stock up on good summer reading.
All books are “buy one, get one free”!
Students entering grades 6-8 next year
may be interested in learning more about
our video-streamed news show, The
Morning News. Information about this,
and other wonderful opportunities, can
be found on the Media Center webpage.
Check it out!
Parents interested in touring the Media
Center, watching the news show live,
checking out The Tattered Pages or getting more information, can just drop in
anytime. Someone is always available to
meet with you and show you around.
As the school year comes to an end I am
reminded how quickly time passes. Try
to find some time to read with, or to,
your child this summer.
Warm wishes,
Amy Sieve
Middle School Media Specialist
Yearbook—How to Place an Order
Dear middle school parents,
The yearbooks will be distributed to students during 7th hour on May 31st as well
as on the last day of school, June 1st.
There will be a limited supply of year-
books for sale during those two school
days. Please contact me if you have any
questions.
Thank you,
Sarah Van den Akker
Musical
We hope you attended our recent production of “The Musical Adventures of
Flat Stanley, Jr.” Thank you to volunteer
choreographers: Jana Hirsch, Megan
Proft, Mary Hahn and Christina
Schwietz. Elizabeth Christensen designed the sets and Dale Turnacliff and
Mark Penning did the building of the
sets. Amy Allin, Suzanne Proctor, and
Christina Schwietz gathered props and
costumes and then volunteered their time
backstage the last few weeks for supervision and management of the cast. Pat
Shelby used his “green screen” to make
the video of the bus stop scene which the
kids enjoyed making as much as the audi-
ence enjoyed watching! Thanks to Lynn
Baggot, Brenda Shelby, Jill Mahr, Elizabeth Leer, Kelly Foster, Christina
Schweitz, Lynn Soderlund, Cindy Penny,
and Elizabeth Evenson for providing
bars and supervision for the party before
our final dress rehearsal. We wish to
thank the administration, faculty and
staff for their support of the cast as students were excused for two preview performances. Mostly we wish to thank the
parents and families of the cast and crew
of Flat Stanley. Without your support
and guidance the show would not have
been the same. We were delighted to
bring this musical experience to North-
field Middle School.
Rose Turnacliff and Cathy Penning
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May /June 2 01 2
Choir
Thank you to all the parents that
stopped by at Spring Conferences and
also for all the support you continue to
give the Music Department at the Middle
School! Your children are great to work
with and are getting excited for all the
spring choir events.
The following are a list of the recent
choir events. Watch for updates of
things scheduled for the spring to be
coming home.
Concert Choir Tour for all 7th & 8th
Grade Choirs
Tuesday, May 1th
Choir Concert for all 6th, 7th, &8th
Grade Choirs
Thursday, May 3, 7:30pm.
• Friday, May 4-Critique parties 6,
7 & 8th grade Maroon Choirs
•
Monday, May7-Critique parties 6,
7 & 8th grade Gold Choirs
May 7th to the end of the school yearsmall ensembles and or solos-sign up
for your voice lesson if you haven’t
yet.
May 17, 7:10am., and 3pm Or
May 18, 3pm.Honors Choir
Try-outs Select 40 auditioned
voice group that performs at
special events throughout the
school year for this year’s 6th
& 7th graders to be a part of
next year.
Concert Tour for all 7th & 8th Grade
Singers – Tuesday, May 1th
Our 7th & 8th grade choirs traveled up to
Eagan to perform a concert at an
elementary school. After the morn-
ing performance, we traveled to Mall
of America for a possible flash mob
dance, lunch/rides/and or shopping
before heading back to Northfield.
Concert Dress for girls- PLAIN
WHITE top, (no tank tops or spaghetti straps, top needs to cover to
the shoulder) BLACK PANTS OR
SKIRTS(skirts must be long enough
so that all undergarments are covered when sitting, stand, or reaching)
Concert dress for boys -Plain white
collared shirt and tie, black pants,
and dark shoes.
Any questions contact; Mrs. Cathy Penning, Vocal Music 663-0675, e-mail
[email protected]
Band
The middle school concert bands are
working hard in preparation for their
final concert of this school year. The
concert is on Tuesday May 15th at 7:00
PM in the Middle School Auditorium.
We will be using the same format as we
did in the last concert, with the 6th Grade
band playing at 7:00, 7th Grade Band at
7:30, and the 8th Grade Band at 8:00.
Please have your son or daughter at the
Middle School 15 minutes before their
performance time. Everyone is encouraged to watch the entire concert, but to
ease overcrowding, we are no longer requiring students to attend the parts of the
concert where they are not performing.
If 7th or 8th Grade students arrive more
than fifteen minutes before their performance, they should be in the auditorium enjoying the other bands and not in
the music area where there will be limited
supervision.
The Jazz Bands had their final concert on
Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 PM in the
Middle School Auditorium.
hard work. We also want to thank parents for encouraging their kids to practice and participate in the band program.
Have a great summer!
Mr. Beck, Mr. Freier
Summer lesson sign up sheets are coming! Look for the application forms to
come home with your son/daughter in
May. Summer is a great time to take music lessons because there is usually more
free time for practicing. The sooner the
application forms are returned to us, the
better chance you have of reserving your
ideal time.
The students have made incredible progress again this year and we want to
thank all of them for their continued
8
May /June 2 01 2
Orchestra
The last NMS Orchestra Concert for this
year is Monday, May 21 at 7:00 pm in the
Middle School Auditorium. This concert
will also feature the 4th and 5th grade orchestras.
skills. Lesson time slots are scheduled in
the order in which the registrations are
returned. The sooner the form is returned, the better the chance of having
your 1st choice lesson time.
We will again be offering lessons during
the first part of the summer. Students
will receive summer lesson registration
forms in early May. This is a great opportunity for your son or daughter to
continue to build their string playing
I am proud of the progress the NMS
orchestras have made this year! Thank
you for supporting your child and the
Northfield Orchestra Program. I look
forward to more music in the fall!
Have a wonderful summer!
Mrs. Olivier
Professional Learning Communities
Most community members are aware of
the purpose behind the Wednesday
morning late starts. It is also important
to know that the Professional Learning
Community (PLC) process is transparent
and accountable to the citizens of the
school district. Each PLC maintains
weekly meeting documents that are reviewed by administration. Every group
also posts an Evidence of Practice in
Action document on the school district
website at the end of each semester. The
second semester summary will be posted
by June 30.
One more visible level of accountability
is the school board meeting presentations. Each site or program is scheduled
to share a summary of their PLC work
with the superintendent and school
board. This year the middle school
Physical Education and 6th Grade PLC's
will be featured in our presentation to the
board on May 29. The public may attend
the meeting, watch a local cable broadcast of the meeting, or
stream video of the board meeting from
our middle school website. Feedback
about the PLC process and the work
available for public review is always welcome.
Community Services
The Northfield Public Schools Community Services summer brochure is out and
registration in open! This brochure offers
a number of summer activities for middle
school students such as beginner and
immediate guitar lessons, science programs, jam camp, tennis, little league
softball and baseball, basketball, football,
track, volleyball, lacrosse, martial
arts, swimming lessons, trap shooting,
and archery. To register or learn more
about any programs visit us
at www.nfld.k12.mn.us (Community Ser-
vices link to online registration) or call
507.664.3649. Scholarships are available
for all programs.
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May /June 2 01 2
Upcoming Events ~ 2011-2012 School Year
(Calendar may be subject to change. Please check website for updates.)
May 8 - 9
Gr. 6, Concordia Language Village Field Trip
May 10
HS Latino Drama Class Performance, 8:30 a.m., Lompart, MS Auditorium
May 14
School Board Mtg., 7:00 p.m., H.S. Media Center
May 15
Gr. 8 MN Twins Weather Day Field Trip
May 15
MS Spring Band Concert, 7:00 p.m., MS Auditorium
May 17
8th Grade Awards, 7:00 p.m., MS Auditorium
May 21
MS Orchestra Concert, 7:00 p.m., MS Auditorium
May 21 - 25
MAP Testing – Math
May 24
WEB Leader Bowling Celebration, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Jesse James Lanes
May 28
No School, Memorial Day
May 30
Gr. 6 Movie Event, 11:45 a.m., MS Auditorium
May 31
Gr. 6 Team 1 – The Works Field Trip
May 31
Gr. 8 Valleyfair Field Trip
June 1
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL – Two Hour Early Release (12:51 p.m.)
2012-2013 School Year
(Calendar may be subject to change. Please check website for updates.)
August 21
Fall Sports Registration
August 21
Self Guided Tours for Incoming Students 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
August 21
NMS Picture Day – Grades 7 & 8 (Day 1)
August 22
New Teacher Orientation
August 23
Self Guided Tours for Incoming Students 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
August 23
New Student Orientation, 11:00 – 12:00, Room 161
August 23
NMS Picture Day – Grades 7 & 8 (Day 2)
August 24
W.E.B. Leader Training, 8:00 – 12:30 p.m.
August 27
W.E.B. Leader Training, 8:00 – 2:30 p.m.
August 28-31
Teacher Workshop Days
August 29
MS Parent Night, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
August 30
W.E.B. Orientation, Grade 6, 7:55 a.m. – Noon
September 3
No School, Labor Day
September 4
First Day of School / Beginning of 1st Quarter
September 25
NMS Picture Day – Grade 6
September 25
NMS Picture Day – Grade 7 & 8 (Day 3)
October 11
MS Conferences, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
October 16
MS Conferences, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
October 18-19
No School, Education MN
October 25
NMS Picture Re-Take Day – All Grades
Oct. 31- Nov. 2
Gr. 7, Eagle Bluff Field Trip
November 2
End of 1st Quarter
November 5
No School / Teacher Workshop
November 6
Beginning of 2nd Quarter
November 13
Gr. 7, Vision and Hearing Screening
November 21
No School / Teacher Workshop
November 22-23
No School / Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 24-Jan. 1, 2013
No School / Winter Break
January 18
End of 2nd Quarter / End of First Semester
January 21
No School / Teacher Workshop / Martin Luther King
January 22
Begin 3rd Quarter / Second Semester
January 28
No School / Teacher Workshop
March 5
7th Grade Courage Retreat
March 22
End of 3rd Quarter
March 25-29
No School / Spring Break
April 1
No School / Teacher Workshop
April 2
Begin 4th Quarter
May 16
8th Grade Awards, 7:00 p.m., MS Auditorium
May 27
No School / Memorial Day
June 4
Last Day of School / 2 Hour Early Release (12:51 p.m.)
End of 4th Quarter / End of Semester
10
Actions Taken at the April 23 Board Meeting
x
May 2012
Newsletter
x
Main Office
507.663.0600
Chris Richardson,
Superintendent of Schools
507.663.0629
Donita Delzer,
Admin. Assistant to the
Superintendent & School Board
507.663.0629
x
Buildings & Grounds
507.663.0610
Business Office
507.663.0626
Community Services Division &
Community Relations
507.664.3650
x
Curriculum Office
507.663.0622
Food Service
507.663.0618
Health Services
507.645.1205
Payroll Office
507.663.0628
Personnel Office
507.663.0627
Student Services
507.645.3410
Technology Services
507.645.1260
At their meeting Monday, school board members approved modifications to Policy
514 – Bullying Prohibition, requested by principals to more clearly define bullying. The
updated policy, which can be found on the district’s website, articulates key
components that must be in place for an act of bullying to occur.
At their meeting Monday, school board members approved the creation of a new
centralized special education classroom under the category of Developmental
Cognitive Disability: mild/moderate, for special education students who need more
support than the district’s current resource rooms, but are higher functioning than
students served in the district’s Low Incidence classroom. Staffing will be
accomplished through the realignment of current staff across the three elementary
schools. The program will be housed in available space at Sibley Elementary School.
At their meeting Monday, school board members approved the addition of a full-time
ESL teacher at Greenvale Park Elementary to support English language needs. This
addition will provide staffing equity between the three elementary buildings, balance
student teacher ratios, and provide support to English language learners with the
highest instructional needs.
At their meeting Monday, school board members approved, on a 5-to-2 vote, the
Activities Advisory Committee’s recommendation to change how waiver fees are
administered beginning in fall 2012 as follows. Under the current school year’s Free or
Reduced Meal Program Guidelines, as administered by the district’s Child Nutrition
Department:
x Students who qualify for the Free Meal Program will be required to pay 20% of
the total cost of the activity for which they are enrolling.
x Students who qualify for the Reduced Meal Program will be required to pay 40%
of the total cost of the activity.
x Families who qualify for the Free Meal Program will be required to pay 20% of
the family full fee limit. Families who qualify for the Reduced Meal Program
would be required to pay 40% of the family full fee limit.
x Students who do not qualify for a Free or Reduced Meal Program, but who have a
financial hardship, will submit an application for a scholarship, and if granted, will
be required to pay at least 20% toward the activity fee.
Announcements from the April 23 Board Meeting
x
x
x
Seven Northfield Middle School students participated in the 2012 National High
School Chess Tournament in April: Christof Zweifel, Henry Ganey, Jackson Hillmann,
Evan Jasnoch, Leif Berdahl, Jasper Egge and Gus Ohnesorge. Team 1 (under 800
rating), with Jasper, Jackson, Christof and Evan, took 10th place. Jasper also received
an individual trophy for placing 20th. Team 2 (unrated players), with Gus, Henry and
Leif, took 25th place. Daniel Cloherty represented the high school in the under 1200
division and Kai Pei represented the high school in the championship bracket. Rebecca
Messer is the coach and David Ludescher is the assistant coach.
Bravo to the cast, crew and volunteers of the Northfield Middle School production,
The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr. Faculty directors Cathy Penning and Rose
Turnacliff guided over 50 student participants through two successful performances.
Congratulations to the Northfield High School Knowledge Bowl Team and Coach
Troy Cohrs for qualifying and competing at the state level. Team members include
Eduardo Jaramillo, Connor Rowher, Chris Hager, Tom Dobrow and Muriel Carpenter.
DISTRICT NEWS
Northfield Youth Organizations
5th Bridge
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Bowling
Boy Scouts
Cannon Valley Youth Orchestra
Carleton ACT Center
Check it Out Singers
Community Resource Bank Junior Board
Dance 'N Fitness
Girl Scouts
Healthy Community Initiative
Jr. Curator Program
Just for Kix
Leo Club Advisor
Library Teen Advisory Board
Making Waves Swim School
Northfield Area Family YMCA
Northfield Arts Guild
Northfield Basketball Association
Northfield Community Chinese School
Northfield Dance Academy
Northfield Fastpitch Softball Assoc.
Northfield Gymnastics Club
Northfield Hockey Association
Northfield Lacrosse Association
Northfield Library
Northfield Mentoring Coalition
Northfield Police Dept Explorers
Northfield Skating School
Northfield Soccer Association
Northfield Swim Club
Northfield Tennis Association
Northfield Union of Youth
Northfield Volleyball Club
Northfield Youth Baseball Assoc
Northfield Youth Choir
Northfield Youth Wrestling
Project Friendship
Rainbow Saddle Club
Reaching Our Goals - St. Olaf College
Rice County Extension - 4 H
St. Olaf Volunteer Network
Candy Taylor
Jenna Herzog
Terry Heilman
Sam Trebnick
Dora Barvir
Laura Riehle-Merrill
Todd Thompson
Christina Jerome
Colleen Day
Nicole Anderson
Zach Pruitt
Nfld Historical Society
Liz Rohach
Alice Nasby
Kathy Ness
Cindy Varley
Virginia Kaczmarek
Sheryl Joy
Kevin Rodgers
Gao Hong
Kristin Lauenstein
Mark Pritchard
Melissa Bernhard
Marietta Ruppe
Natalie Marfleet
Kathy Ness
Zach Pruitt
Sgt. Mark Murphy
Carey Tinkelenberg
Paula Manor
Troy Nystuen
Kit O'Brien
Amy Merritt
Tim Wilgohs
Roger/Kim Thompson
Liz Shepley
Shaun Murphy
Kathy Lansing
Nancy Becker
Education Dept.
Kelly Chadwick
Kris Vatter
507.663.1505
507.414.0308
507.645.8322
651.254.9120
507.645.4311
507.646.4028
507.645.5397
507.645.3125
507.663.7814
507.645.6603
507.664.3524
507.645.9268
507.271.3316
507.645.7398
507.645.1804
507.645.4623
507.645.0088
507.645.8877
507.664.9108
612.385.3893
507.645.4068
507.645.1365
507.663.7772
507.645.7310
507.645.4035
507.645.1804
507.664.3524
507.645.4475
508.887.2551
507.645.8577
507.663.1926
507.581.4428
507.663.0715
507.645.5860
507.301.9746
507.645.4194
507.645.2326
507.645.6762
507.645.4336
507.786.3245
507.332.6163
507.786.3999
www.5thbridge.org
www.joincubs.com
www.cvyomn.org
www.carleton.edu/campus/act
www.girlscoutsrv.org
www.northfieldhci.org
www.justforkix.com
http://npl-info.blogspot.com
www.makingwavesswimschool.com
www.northfieldymca.org
www.northfieldartsguild.org
www.northfieldsports.com
www.northfielddance.com
www.northfieldfastpitch.leag1.com
www.northfieldgymnastics.com
www.northfieldhockey.net
www.northfieldmn.info
www.northfieldhci.org
www.northfieldskating.com
www.northfieldsoccer.org
www.northfieldswimclub.org
www.northfield.usta.com
www.unionofyouth.org
www.northfieldvolleyballclub.org
www.northfieldsports.com
www.northfieldyouthchoirs.org
www.northfieldwrestling.com
www.rainbowsaddleclub.org
www.oleville.com
To update contact information, please call 507.645.3406 or email [email protected] with changes.
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Have a safe and healthy summer!
School Begins
September 4, 2012
13