Northeast News. Notes from Mr. Jaster July 2014

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1 Northeast News Notes from Mr. Jaster July 2014 Greetings Viking students and parents, I hope all of you have been enjoying a relaxing summer, and have enjoyed the time away from school with family and friends. The office staff has been busy making preparations for the new school year, and the return of students on Tuesday, September 2 nd. This year we will be welcoming nearly 975 students to Northeast Middle School. The start of a new school year is always an exciting time for students (even though most won t admit it), they are probably anticipating picking up their new class schedules, and reconnecting with fellow students and staff. Northeast Middle School will host an early schedule pick-up for students on Thursday, August 21 st. Students are invited to report to the Northeast Gymnasium at the following times: 8th graders at 9:00 a.m., 7th graders at 10:00 a.m., and 6th graders at 1:00 p.m. Parents are also welcome at these times too. Students who can t be here on August 21 st may pick up schedules in the main office during regular office hours beginning August 22 nd. Locker numbers and combinations will be included with student schedules. This school year the Northeast staff will continue to focus on improving student achievement in all core subject areas, writing instruction, technology integration in all subjects, and differentiation of instruction to support student growth. Teachers have received ongoing professional development in these areas in order to provide the best experience possible for all of our students. If you have questions throughout the school year please don t hesitate to contact teachers directly. All Northeast staff members regularly check and voic , in addition to regular progress reports and Home Access Center updates. Staff changes at Northeast were minimal this year but we will be welcoming three new staff members to our building. We are glad to have these individuals become a part of our Viking Team Mrs. Barb St. Louis (World Language), Mr. Steve Last (Business), and Mr. Nate Adolphson (Art). Enclosed you will find a letter from our school Booster Club, a list of important school dates, school policy reminders (please review these with your student), and a parent survey. In addition, please plan to attend our Back to School Open House on August 27th (this is prior to the start of the school year) so that you will have an early introduction to the building, and a chance to meet our staff. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the gymnasium, then beginning at 7:15 p.m. you will follow a shortened version of your child s class schedule. We expect to conclude the evening by 8:30 p.m. If you have a new student at Northeast this year please allow extra time for all before or after school drop-offs. Students will be allowed to enter the Cafeteria (rear parking lot entrance, near the tennis courts) as early as 7:30 a.m., but access to the rest of the building is restricted until 7:55 a.m. (school begins at 8:05 a.m.). The front parking lot is used for bus drop-off only between 7:30 a.m.-8:05 a.m. In addition to the rear parking lot, students may also be dropped off in the parking lot between Northeast, and Plymouth Elementary, or curbside (adjacent to our bus drop-off area at the front of the building). I would also encourage all of our students to walk, or ride their bikes to school, if weather permits. Lastly, if your student(s) will not be in school for any reason please call the Northeast Attendance Line at before 10:00 a.m., or as soon as possible, to excuse the absence. On the recording, please state the student s name, grade, and date of the absence. I am looking forward to another great school year here at Northeast Middle School. Enjoy the rest of your summer vacation! Regards, Jeff Jaster Principal Northeast Middle School Notable Excellence

2 FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATIONS The Free and Reduced Lunch Application can now be filled out online. This method is faster than turning in a paper application. A paper application can take up to 10 days to process. You MUST fill out a new Free and Reduced Lunch Application each year. Parents; if your student qualifies for free or reduced lunches and they will participate in a sport, please fill out the Share Form along with the Free and Reduced application. This enables Chartwell to share the information so your child can get either their sport fee waived or reduced. To fill out the application(s) go to Click on the Parents tab at the top of the page. Click on the Online Payments tab first tab on the left. Under the Free and Reduced Lunch Program heading, click on the Food Service WebPoral. foodservices@midlandps.org or call with your students name and you will receive the username and password for your student. MUSIC STUDENTS AND PARENTS! Band and Orchestra students DO NOT need to bring their instruments the first day of school. ROCK Northeast! Looking for after school options for your middle school student for the 2014/2015 school year? Starting the first day of school and every school day thereafter, immediately following class dismissal and until 5:30 p.m., you now have a wonderful and safe option available! There will be tutoring, homework help, activities, snacks, supervision, games, and more. There is a strong component threaded throughout the program that focuses on character development and life skills. It is part of a program that is currently being offered in schools throughout Midland County. More information is available by calling The ROCK at The ROCK staff will be present so you can meet them and ask questions. This program is available to everyone. Those who have the ability to help offset the costs of the program will be given an opportunity to do so, but no one will be turned away. A group of 7 th and 8 th grade student volunteers; Northeast Model Mentors, will be on hand to assist the 6 th graders and new students at the orientation on August 21st. This group of helpers aims to promote successful transitions to NE and positive connections among students in different grade levels. Through the orientation process, students will learn from their peers about policies, clubs, events and after-school programs. Students will be able to make their way around the building finding their classrooms and lockers with individualized assistance. Northeast Model Mentors will be there to answer their questions, encourage them to get involved and make them feel welcome. Students will exchange school addresses and are urged to seek support and connect with each other throughout the semester as questions arise. Feel free to contact the group s organizer, Ms. Borus at boruspc@mps.k12.mi.us with any questions.

3 Midland Public Schools say, Talk to us The Midland Public School District has added a new button to its website. When you go to and click on the Talk to us button, you can ask a question, report a problem, squelch a rumor, share an idea, or offer a compliment. We are interested in what people in our community are thinking, said Superintendent Michael Sharrow. This addition to our website will help residents contact us directly at their convenience. We invite school district residents to visit and click on Talk to us anytime, day or night. Sharrow says the Talk to us button is just another way the Midland Public School District is continuing to improve communication with people in the community. We know that people always have questions or that they ve heard a rumor, Sharrow said. Now they can get answers to their questions or check out a rumor any time. We also know that people in the community see problems that we should attend to or have ideas that we should consider, Sharrow added. The Talk to us button provides the school district with another way to listen to what people are thinking, hearing, and saying. When people click on Talk to us, we can take action on what they tell us. The new Talk to us option is available to anyone in the MPS community parents, students, those without school-age children, school staff members, community leaders anyone. It is available 24/7/365. People who use the Talk to us button can do so anonymously or they can request a response to what they have written. Our goal is to get back with those who contact us within 24 hours, said Sharrow. Because we are not sure how much traffic the new Talk to us button will generate, at this point we are promising to get back with people who contact us as soon as we can. The bottom line is that if you click on Talk to us and ask for a response, you will get one. Sharrow said, Of course, people can still us or call us. The Talk to us button provides yet another communication option for those who prefer not to or call. SCHEDULE PICK UP Northeast Middle School will host an early schedule pick-up for students on Thursday, August 21 st. Students are invited to report to the Northeast Gymnasium at the following times: 8th graders at 9:00 a.m., 7th graders at 10:00 a.m., and 6th graders from 1:00-2:00pm. There will be Northeast student mentors available to 6th graders to show them around the school and help them open their locker. Parents are also welcome at these times. Students who can t be here on August 21 st may pick up schedules in the main office during regular office hours beginning August 22 nd. Locker numbers and combinations will be included with student schedules.

4 Northeast Middle School Booster Club We would like to invite you to join the Northeast Middle School Booster Club. The Booster Club supports ALL of the Northeast student body in a variety of activities throughout the year. Our Mission: Northeast Booster Club supports the quality of education at Northeast Middle School by providing both human and financial resources beyond those support by Midland Public Schools. The membership will volunteer time and talent to help sponsor staff and student events and raise necessary funds to acquire school equipment and supplies. The equipment and supplies will be intended for both student and staff use, so long as the purchased items/events reach students directly. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, fundraising by students and the work of dedicated volunteers and staff, the Booster Club has been able to help support many programs. Over the last few years, Booster Club activities have supplied funding to: 8 th grade field trip to an afternoon at the Loons, teacher s needs & wants, students snacks during MEAP testing, books for the library, activity supplies for the students for the students during lunch time and a teacher appreciation day luncheon, just to name a few. All of these activities are made possible by the dedication, commitment, and generosity of Booster club parents and guardians. We d love to have you join us in support of Northeast students. The Northeast Middle School Boosters Club meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm in the Media Center at Northeast. By working with parents, staff, and students, we hope to make Northeast Middle School an even better school. Sincerely, Sarah Hills, Booster Club Chair Leigh Anne VanSumeren, Treasurer If you are unable to donate your time but would like to make a financial donation to the Booster Club, please send your payment payable to Northeast Booster club to: Northeast Middle School, Booster Club Treasurer 1305 E Sugnet Midland, MI YES! I am interested in participating in the Northeast Booster Club Activities. Name:

5 TIME SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL DAY 8:05-9:00 1st Period 9:05-10:00 2nd Period 10:05-11:05 3rd Period 11:10-12:50 4th Period 6th Grade Lunch 11:10-11:40 7th Grade Lunch 11:45-12:15 8th Grade Lunch 12:20-12:50 12:55-1:50 5 th Period 1:55-2:50 6th Period 2:55-3:45 Staff C& P ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Students are not permitted in hallways until 7:55 a.m. Prior to 7:55 a.m. students must report to the cafeteria through the cafeteria entrance for a supervised study hall until the 7:55 a.m. dismissal. The early study hall is open at 7:30 a.m. Students should not arrive at school prior to 7:30 a.m. since there is no staff supervision before then. An a la carte breakfast program including fruit, juice, milk, and breakfast items is offered between 7:30-7:50 a.m. Students who are not involved in an extracurricular activity MUST leave the building by 3:10 p.m. Students should not gather on surrounding public or private property before or after school. ATTENDANCE Regular class attendance is the student's best assurance for success in school and it is required by Michigan State Law until age 16. Student grades may be affected by frequent or prolonged absences. To report an absence call: by 11:00 a.m. or send a note to the office explaining the reason for the absence. If a student s absence is not called in our Automated PhoneMaster will call home later in the day to report the unexcused absence. Please call the school or the attendance line to clarify. In 2010, the school district adopted a new attendance policy. The policy is as follows: The secondary schools (6-12) have a (12) twelve-day maximum absence policy. Excused and unexcused absences ar e included in the 12 day absence policy. School excused absences are not counted in the 12-day limit. Medical absences are not counted in the 12-day limit as long as you provide the office with a physician s note for those day(s) absent. If a student is out for medical reasons (i.e. dentist, orthodontist, doctor s appointment for illness) a parent will need to provide the office with a physicians note of verification for the hour or day of absence to be counted as medical. This note must be brought to the office in order to be considered a medical absence. All excused absences must be verified with the Office. TARDINESS Tardiness to class is disruptive to the learning environment. Tardiness to class will be recorded each day by each teacher and will be reported to the attendance office. If a student is tardy 2 times per marking period in a given class, the student will spend time after school with the teacher. If a student is tardy 3 or more times per marking period, the student will be referred to the office for a closed class and/or an after school or lunch detention in the office. Chronic, persistent tardiness will be treated as truancy. A student will be considered absent if he/she misses more than 5 minutes of a class period. Students are tardy from the start of class up to 5 minutes into the hour. A tardy cannot be excused. MAKEUP WORK - When a student has an excused absence for missing a class, it is the student'sresponsibility to contact the teacher and make arrangements to make up the work missed. The rule of thumb for makeup deadlines is one day extension for each day of absence. Students are responsible to have completed assignments that were given prior to an illness, when they return. If work is not made up, an "E" will be recorded on the student's record for that assignment. If a student is absent for an extended period of time (two or more days) for illness, a parent may request homework assignments. Requests should be directed to the school secretary at between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. Assignments should be ready by 3:00p.m. but in some cases it may take twenty-four hours after the request is made.

6 ELECTRONICS: The only time students are allowed to use cell phones or MP3 players or other electronics devices is in the cafeteria during their lunch. All other times dur ing the school day they ar e not allowed to use them. If these devices are seen or heard other then during their lunch, they will be confiscated and an additional discipline may be issued. CAFETERIA SERVICE : Our lunch program operates under the U.S.D.A. lunch program. Students may purchase a complete school lunch, items from the ala carte menu or bring a lunch from home. As a convenience to families we use a computerized cash register/data processing system for the lunch program. Students accounts are recorded and debited automatically using the Students ID number. If a student has an account balance from the previous school year, is will automatically be transferred to the current school year. Parents wishing to deposit money into student pre-paid accounts may issue checks or cash (student s full name on check and made out to Midland Public Schools.) You can also set up a School Payment Network account by going to You will need the student ID number listed on your child s schedule or report card. Through this account you can see the balance and transaction history of each of your children, as well as make deposits into their accounts. If you make a deposit by 10 a.m. it will be available in your student's account by lunch time. Lunch assistance is available to qualifying families. Contact the office for a Reduced Lunch Application or go online to Students are responsible for their own lunches and lunch money. They should not expect to borrow money from staff members or the cafeteria. MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS: Please refer to the Midland Community Center website at for information regarding sports and registration. If you have questions, please contact Ryan Longoria directly at rlongoria@mymcc.org or call Middle Schools have the following sports available: Fall -Football, Girls Basketball and Girls Swimming; Winter -Boys Basketball, Volleyball, and Wrestling; Spring - Boys and Girls Track Please note that a physical exam is required of all students who wish to participate in a competitive sport before they may begin practices or tryouts. Any physical given after April 15, 2013 will be acceptable for the school year. Midland Public Schools has an Activity Fee to participate in athletics. The cost for Middle School is $85 per activity with an annual cap of $150 per student. All activity fees must be paid before the first scheduled contest of a sport. Payment can be made in the school office or online at To apply for a scholarship, please fill out the Free and Reduced Price School Meals Family Application and check the box allowing our food service department to share your application with school officials. Completed applications should be sent to your child's school or the MPS Food & Nutrition Services Office at 305 E. Reardon St. Midland, You may also stop in at Central Middle School main office where they are now located. Additional scholarships may be available. Please contact your student's counselor or assistant principal for more information. Students must be in attendance at least three class periods on a given day to participate in any extra curricular activity.

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10 August Football Conditioning 3-5:30 pm No sports physical required 21 Schedule Pickup 8th 9am; 7th 10am; 6th Orientation 1-2pm Football Practice 3-5:30 pm MUST HAVE A SPORTS PHYSICAL ON FILE 27 Curriculum Night 7-8:30pm September 1 Labor Day - NO SCHOOL 2 First Day of School ROCK begins M - F 3-4:30pm in the Media Center 2 This will occur throughout the school year 17 Picture Day 22 Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL Football conditioning will begin on August 18 th 22nd from 3 5:30pm. Football practice will begin on the 25th at 3pm. Remember, you MUST have a sport physical on file in the main office BEFORE you can participate in football practice. A sport physical is not necessary for football conditioning. All 8th graders are welcome to participate in football. 7th graders must weigh 150lbs or more. Only those sport physicals done on or after April 15, 2014 will be accepted. Navigating the Northeast Parking Lots Parents thank you for your patience and cooperation during the morning drop-off and after school pick-up. The parent drop-off at the rear entrance has improved from the previous year school year, but please remember that the effectiveness of running two separate lanes only works if the following rules are observed: Students should be ready to exit quickly when you stop your car. Drop-off lane traffic should continue to pull past the entrance to make room for additional cars behind. If you are in the passing lane and need to switch lanes please do so near the end of the sidewalk (well past the entrance). Students can be dropped-off in the lot between Plymouth and Northeast. Students should not be dropped-off in the front lot after 7:30 a.m. (this is for bus traffic, or staff parking only). Thank you for your support.