NAMS Message to Grade 6 Families 09/19/25

Hello NAMS Families,

I hope that this message finds you and your family well. You may find this week’s message here, which you can translate into 180 different languages, and also copied below.

In this week’s message, you will read about the following:

• Open House Dates
• NAMS Extracurricular Clubs & Activities - Coming Soon!
• Free Resources for NA Families
• Congressional App Challenge
• Reporting Student Absences
• Student Tardiness to School
• Dismissal Procedures
• Town's Annual Lake Cochichewick Clean Up Event 2025
• School Calendar & Early Dismissals

 

Open House Dates

Our NAMS Open House schedule begins in the auditorium for all 3 grade levels.

• Grade 6 - Wednesday, October 8, 2025
• Grade 7 - Thursday, October 16, 2025
• Grade 8 - Wednesday, October 22, 2025

 

NAMS Extracurricular Activities

Each year we are able to offer 8 weeks of after school extracurricular activities and clubs to students free of charge thanks to the support of our PTAC (Parent Teacher Advisory Council) during the fall, winter, and spring.

After Hours Programs offer a variety of clubs/activities after school free-of-charge to all students. The courses are designed to give middle school students a chance to try something new, share an interest with others, or just to have a place to hang out after school in a safe, welcoming environment.

We are surveying students and staff to determine what will be offered for the fall session, which will begin on Monday, October 6, 2025 and continue through Thursday, December 4, 2025.  Programs are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 2:20-3:20 p.m.  

We should be able to announce what will be offered the week before we begin the fall session on Monday, October 6, 2025.

Please Note: All participants must make arrangements for getting home at 3:20 p.m.

 

NAMS Student Leadership Meeting

The first student leadership meeting was held after school this week. We advertise meetings in morning announcements and student leadership is open to all students. At this first meeting, students made posters to hang around the school in support of childhood cancer awareness month and signs to support our NAMS Cross Country Team for their first meet of the year.

 

Free Resource for NA Families

• Care Solace is available to all NA Families in need of food, housing, or affordable medical and dental care. Care Solace can help you connect to resources and provide eligibility information. Reach out to our Care Companions for personalized help connecting to essential social services here or at the following address: https://caresolace.com/site/ma-northandover
• This is an amazing resource that includes mental health support and addiction services (ranging from outpatient counseling all the way to hospitalization) along with support for housing needs, food insecurity, and even general healthcare.

 

Congressional App Challenge

• The Congressional App Challenge is the official computer science competition of the House of Representatives. Since its inception in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge has grown to become the most prestigious prize in computer science. Over 50,000 students have participated in the Congressional App Challenge across 374 Congressional Districts in 50 states and five U.S. territories. This year, we are pleased to announce that we will be participating in the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. 
• The Congressional App Challenge is accepting submissions until October 30, 2025. This is a great opportunity for middle and high-school students interested in computer science, coding, and technology to be involved. The Congressional App Challenge urges all students to enter the competition, as it encourages critical thinking and creativity for those of all computer science experience levels. To learn more about the rules, prizes, and more, you can visit their website here. 
• Students may apply through the program’s website here. 

 

Reporting Absences 

• If a student will be absent or tardy, a parent/guardian must call the school at 978-794-1870 then press 2 and provide the student’s name, grade, and reason for the absence or tardiness. The voice mailbox is available 24 hours per day. This call should take place before 7:10 a.m. on the day of the absence or tardiness. 
• Please do not email your child’s teacher as a means of reporting the absence. 
• Absences due to personal illness, death in the family, observance of religious holidays, emergency medical or dental treatment, or other serious emergencies are considered excused and will be coded as AE (Absent Excused).  Absences due to vacations will be coded as AT (Absent Travel). 
• Parents/Guardians are requested to schedule appointments for physicians, dentists, or special lessons after school hours.  
• Students who have been absent during the school day may not participate in after-school or evening activities.

Please note:

• For chronic tardiness or absenteeism, parents/guardians may be asked for medical documentation.
• A student who reports to school after 11:05 a.m. is considered absent for that day. Similarly, a student who is dismissed from school before 11:05 a.m. is counted as absent.
• No student may participate in a school activity on a day he/she is listed as having an unexcused absence. 
• In case of extended absences of three or more days (whether in person or remote), parents/guardians should communicate with their child's team and guidance counselor to arrange for missed work and/or work out a plan for the student to catch up.
• Absences without valid reasons and parent knowledge constitute truancy, which will result in referral to administration and the school resource officer.

 

Tardiness 

• Students are expected to be in their homeroom between 7:35-7:45 a.m. Any student arriving at homeroom after 7:45 will be marked absent. 
• Students entering the school at 7:45 or after should report directly to the main office to sign in; they will be marked as tardy and receive a pass to class. 

 

Rules And Consequence Levels

• All students who arrive after the start of the school day (not in their homeroom before 7:45) should report to the office.
• Excessive tardiness places a student at a great disadvantage and disrupts the learning environment. After a student has accrued 6 tardies within a trimester, they will be assigned a detention for each additional day until the end of that trimester.
• Students are expected to attend all classes daily during designated school hours.  Students may not leave school without permission from the office which includes participation in school-sponsored,  after-school activities.

 

NAMS Dismissal Protocols

• When it is necessary to be dismissed early for a doctor’s appointment or other personal business, the student must bring a note from the parent/guardian stating the reason and the time for early dismissal.  This note must be brought to the office before homeroom. Parents/Guardians may also send an email to namsattendance@northandoverpublicschools.com by 8:00 a.m. with the name of the student being dismissed, the reason for the dismissal, and the time of dismissal. 
• If neither a note is brought to the main office or a dismissal email is sent, a parent/guardian must pick his/her/their child up at the office and fill out a dismissal form. Unexpected dismissals may take additional time due to students being outside away from the building for lunch or outside classes. 
• Due to bus line ups and congested traffic, we ask that parents/guardians not dismiss their child between 1:45-2:20 p.m.

 

Town's Annual Lake Cochichewick Clean Up Event 2025

North Andover's Annual Lake Cochichewick Clean-Up Event is scheduled for Saturday, October 4th. Please check out the flyer here for more information.

 

School Calendar & Early Dismissals

Printable District Calendar

Early Release Dates (Students are dismissed at 11:05 a.m.)

• Wednesday, September 24, 2025
• Wednesday, October 22, 2025
• Wednesday, November 19, 2025
• Thursday, November 26, 2025
• Wednesday, December 10, 2025
• Wednesday, January 28, 2026
• Wednesday, February 25, 2026
• Wednesday, March 25, 2026
• Wednesday, April 29, 2026
• Wednesday, May 13, 2026
• Wednesday, June 3, 2026

 

Thank you for your anticipated support and cooperation.

 

Be well,

Jorge Goncalves

Principal