North Dorchester Middle School

Dear Parent/Guardian/Community Member, Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) has initiated a process to modernize its elementary schools, and we need your input in the first step—the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. This document will identify what an ideal elementary school in Dorchester County should be: the types of instructional and support spaces it will contain, its educational philosophy, and its community features. It will be used to evaluate the older elementary schools in the system, leading to capital improvement projects that will support your children’s needs. You are invited to a listening session to learn about the process for developing the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. The first session will be held on February 11, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School in the auditorium, and the second session will be held on February 12, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at North Dorchester High School in the auditorium. At these sessions, you will have the opportunity to provide input on the elementary schools. You do not need to attend both sessions as they will both cover the same information. Additional opportunities will be available later this spring to provide comments as the draft educational specification document is developed. The Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification is the first step in providing modernized facilities for the elementary school students of Dorchester County. Your concerns and observations are crucial to the success of this process. We look forward to seeing you at one or both sessions. Sincerely, Dr. Jymil Thompson Superintendent of Schools

Please help congratulate January's Staff Member of the Month , Angel Biskach. As soon as our students enter the building, Mrs. Biskach is there to serve them breakfast. Mrs. Biskach is a valuable staff member because she helps create a welcoming environment where students can enjoy their meals and socialize with peers. She helps ensure that students have the nutrition they need to fuel their brains for learning. Thank you for all you do!!!!

On Thursday January 23 from 6-7:30 at NDMS, the PEP Family Resiliency Program will be hosting an engagement event. Join them to gain valuable insight on parenting styles to develop resilient and confident children. Dinner will be provided for the whole family. Interactive activities for youth will also be available with the ability to join in on raffles. Use the link tinyurl.com/PEPinDCMD

Peek at the Week! We are back at the nest for a short week. No school today to observed Martin Luther King's Birthday. Tuesday we have tutoring (3-5), basketball (3-5), media club (3-4:30), and NJHS meeting. Wednesday we have tutoring (3-5), basketball (3-5), All Shore Choir (3-4:30). Thursday we will only have Cheer from 3-4:30. Term ends January 29th. Please check PowerSchool and get in your missing assignments.

NOTICE OF MEETING Board of Education Budget Work Session with Public Comments on the Budget DATE: Thursday, January 23, 2025 TIME: 5:00 p.m. PLACE: The Board Room Central Office of the Board of Education 700 Glasgow Street Cambridge, MD 21613 The Board of Education of Dorchester County will conduct a Budget Work Session with Comments from the Public at the date, time and location indicated above to address business as indicated on the agenda. The agenda and related documents can be accessed online via BoardDocs on the Dorchester County Public Schools website at www.dcps.k12.md.us. Anyone who would like to submit public comments electronically, to be included in the minutes, can email comments@dcpsmd.org by 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 22 2025. All Board of Education Meetings will be livestreamed: https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe

Good Afternoon Families, This weekend is a 3-day weekend. Schools will be closed on Monday, January 20th, in observance of Martin Luther King Day. We are closely monitoring the weather forecast, which indicates a possibility of snow on Sunday and very cold temperatures on Monday and Tuesday. We are unsure if this will cause a school closure next week. To prepare, we are sending home devices and chargers with students today in case we have to provide virtual learning next week. Remember, we have used all our inclement weather days and are doing our best to not extend the school year further into June. If there is no significant snow event, students should bring their devices and chargers back to school on Tuesday. Please ensure the devices are safely stored over the weekend. If there are any connectivity issues, students will have the opportunity to make up the work, and it will not count against them. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

January 15, 2025 Dear Parent/Guardian/Community Member, Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) has initiated a process to modernize its elementary schools, and we need your input in the first step—the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. This document will identify what an ideal elementary school in Dorchester County should be: the types of instructional and support spaces it will contain, its educational philosophy, and its community features. It will be used to evaluate the older elementary schools in the system, leading to capital improvement projects that will support your children’s needs. You are invited to a listening session to learn about the process for developing the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. The first session will be held on February 11, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School in the auditorium, and the second session will be held on February 12, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at North Dorchester High School in the auditorium. At these sessions, you will have the opportunity to provide input on the elementary schools. You do not need to attend both sessions as they will both cover the same information. Additional opportunities will be available later this spring to provide comments as the draft educational specification document is developed. The Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification is the first step in providing modernized facilities for the elementary school students of Dorchester County. Your concerns and observations are crucial to the success of this process. We look forward to seeing you at one or both sessions. Sincerely, Dr. Jymil Thompson Superintendent of Schools

Peek of the Week Monday - No afterschool activities Tuesday - All Shore Band Practice 3-4, Media Club 3-4:30, Tutoring 3-5, Basketball 3-5 Wednesday - All Shore Choir Practice 3-4, Media Club 3-4:30, Tutoring 3-5, Basketball 3-5 Thursday- Cheer Practice 3-4, All Shore Band Practice 3-4, Friday - No afterschool Activities Saturday - All Shore Band Auditions **No Flag Football until April

Good evening NDMS Families- We hope that everyone has stayed safe and warm during the snowy weather. We are excited to have our scholars back on campus, tomorrow, with a 2 hour delay. We will post our Peek of the Week, tomorrow afternoon, with the weekly events. Tutoring will resume Tuesday and Wednesday! A couple reminders- Scholars are to bring back their DEVICES AND CHARGERS, tomorrow. We do not have loaner computers for them to use. It would be helpful if they charged their devices tonight. Dress accordingly. Coats, hats, and hoods are not permitted to be worn in classrooms. Also, blankets are not permitted in school. We hope everyone has a restful night and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Good afternoon! Dorchester County Public schools will be opening on a two hour delay Monday, January 13th. Parents please make sure that your child returns their charged laptop tomorrow.

Friday, January 10th will be another VIRTUAL LEARNING DAY. Couple of reminders and trouble shooting from today: 1. Charge your devices tonight! 2. When logging on to a google meet, check the upper right hand corner to make sure you are logged into your DCPS google account. If not, you will not be able to enter the meet. 3. 8th grade Miller's Science classes, will use Mrs. Chester's code. 8th grade Miller 's Math classes will use Carpenter's code. 4. All UA codes end with 1 (the number 1) 5. Tomorrow is an A Day. Stay safe and warm!

Good afternoon. Friday, January 10th will be a virtual learning day for students. More information will be sent from your child’s school. All 12-month employees are expected to report on time. If staff need additional time to get to work, they may reach out to their supervisor to adjust their schedule. Please be safe.

Good afternoon NDMS Families - We hope that you have been staying warm and enjoying your snow days. DCPS has declared that tomorrow, Thursday January 9th will be a virtual day for teachers and students. Please remember to charge your devices this evening, in preparation for tomorrow. Below find the information that you will need for your student to log on for tomorrow's instruction. Schedule: 9:30- 10:10 Pd 1 10:10-10:50 Pd 2 10:50 -11:30 Pd 3 11:30 - 12:00 Lunch Break 12:00- 12:40 Pd 4 12:40 - 1:20 Pd 5 1:20 - 2:00 Pd 6 2:00 End of Student Day If you have any issues logging on, please make sure that you are logged into your DCPS account for google. Please feel free to call the office tomorrow, if you have any questions.

Good afternoon. Thursday, January 9th will be a virtual learning day for students. More information will be sent from your child’s school. All 12-month employees are expected to report on time. If staff need additional time to get to work, they may reach out to their supervisor to adjust their schedule. Please be safe.

Good afternoon! Dorchester County Public Schools and Central Office will be closed Wednesday, January 8th. Essential staff may be called in by their supervisor if needed. Stay safe.

Good afternoon! Dorchester County Public Schools and Central Office will be closed Tuesday, January 7th. Essential staff may be called in by their supervisor if needed. Stay safe.

Good afternoon! Due to the forecast for Monday, January 6th, all schools and the central office will be closed. If needed, essential staff may be called in by their supervisor. Stay safe.

Here is what is happening at the Owl's Nest for next week- Monday - No afterschool activities Tuesday - Tutoring resumes 3-5, with All Shore Band Practice 3-4 and Media Club 3-4:30 Wednesday- Tutoring until 5, All Shore Choir Practice 3-4, Modeling until 4, Dance Team Tryouts until 5:30 and Media Club until 4:30 Thursday Cheer Practice until 4, Flag Football until 4:30, All Shore Band Practice until 4 On Thursday the NDMS Owls Basketball team will travel to Washington to play, tip off at 5 Friday Basketball returns home against Lockerman, tip off at 5 and D and D club will meet until 4.

It looks like 2025 is starting with some possible Inclement Weather days. At this time, the forecast is showing a winter storm on Monday, January 6, 2025. DCPS is scheduled to open on time; however, we will monitor the situation closely. Please visit our website for more information on potential inclement weather days and virtual instruction.

Due to wind and cold temperatures, Flag Football is cancelled for today.