Dates to Remember

October 18th - 5-6th grade Game Night 6-7:30pm

October 30th Early Dismissal – Grades K-12

October 30th - End of Marking Period 1 – Grades 5-12

November 1st Diwali No School

November 4th - Early Dismissal

November 5th - Election Day (Professional Development Day)

November 22nd - Early Dismissal

November 26th - Evening Conferences

November 27th - Morning Conferences (No School for Students)

November 28-29 - Thanksgiving Break

For a link to the entire 2024-2025 school calendar visit the district website found here.

Discover Education Update

Students in the 5th grade Discovery classroom have just finished their first movies after learning more about filmmaking. From writing a good script to getting the best camera angles and then editing those together, these student producers and directors have been hard at work on their creations.

Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Discovery classes have been collaborating for this year's Future City Competition. This year's theme is to design a city 100 years in the future that is a man-made island. Students have been researching innovative ideas about how engineers would create a city like this and using that knowledge together with their creativity to come up with an amazing design. Students must collaboratively write an essay, create a model city, as well as a presentation to go with it for the competition in January.

5-6th Grade Social Friday October 18th 6-7:30pm

The flyer went home this week for our PFC 5th and 6th grade game night. This event is limited to 150 students so get your money is as soon as possible.

PBIS Lunch Bunches Begin

The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coach may invite your child to join our weekly Lunch Bunch program. This initiative involves creating small grade-level groups to foster positive friendships, build self-esteem, enhance social skills, familiarize students with basic school-wide expectations, and clearly understand bus procedures. These sessions provide a relaxed and enjoyable environment for discussing school-related topics. At times students may need extra support and will be met with, individually.

If you do not want your child to participate in this program please contact Ms. Clemons at tclemons@nasd.k12.pa.us to opt out.

October is Bully Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness and take action against bullying in all its forms. It's an opportunity for communities, schools, and individuals to unite, promote kindness, and foster a culture of inclusion. At ENMS, we work together to educate ourselves and others about the impact of bullying, support those affected, and create safe environments where everyone can thrive.

Some ways that middle schoolers can be inclusive are…

Be Kind
Help Others
Accept Differences
Take Turns/Share
Smile
Spread Positivity

ENMS Unity Day October 16th

ENMS & Fresh Artists "My Time to Shine" stickers go to work to "Get-Out-The-Vote"

Last school year all public schools in Montco were invited to participate in Fresh Artists Justice Project art making challenge to submit work to be considered for installation in the new 325,000 square foot addition to the Montgomery County PA Courthouse in Norristown.

All ENMS art students from semester 1 last year participated in this challenge. One of the projects our students worked on was “My Time to Shine.” This project was inspired by the well-loved TV show, CBS Sunday Morning, which features several artful sun images submitted by artists at the opening of each segment.

759 K-12 Montco children submitted "My Time to Shine" projects. Out of those, Fresh Artists along with the Montgomery County Commissioners have chosen 45 projects to be used for the Justice Voting Sticker Project.

These vibrant drawings of suns along with the bold tagline "MONTCO VOTES!" have been made into voting stickers. These "MONTCO VOTES!" stickers, will be given to 215,000 voters at 430 different Montgomery County (PA) polling sites on Election Day, November 5th!

Some of our alumni and current student’s uplifting drawings will be used to thank citizens for registering and voting on November 5th.

National Junior Honor Society Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Each year, the National Junior Honor Society members sponsor a campaign to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Awareness. Starting Tuesday Oct. 1st members of the NJHS will stop in homerooms with a variety of items to purchase. The items cost $ 0.25 up to $8.00 per item.

We sell pencils, pens, ribbon pins, ID holders, lanyards, sweatbands for your head or wrists, sport towels, soccer socks and more.

All funds that are raised will be donated to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk. Any questions, please contact Mrs. DiVirgilio at adivirgilio@nasd.k12.pa.us To date, the NJHS has raised over $5,000 to the cause!

6th Grade Physicals, 8th Grade Health Screenings and Montco Flu Clinics

Attention 6th Grade Parents/Guardians:

Students in 6th grade will need to provide a physical exam performed by a doctor to update their school health records. At age 11, students will get booster vaccinations, Tdap and Meningitis. If your child is 11 years of age please make sure the doctor includes their updated vaccination records to the form. Please send the completed physical form to Mrs Zangara at Lzangara@nasd.k12.pa.us. or have your child bring the completed form to the nurse's office.

Also beginning next week we will begin our required 8th grade health and dental screenings for all 8th graders. For additional information contact Mrs. Zangara.

Lastly, Montgomery County is offering Flu and Covid 19 vaccine clinics. See the information below.

Stay Connected with the Infinite Campus Parent Portal

🌟 Stay Connected with Infinite Campus! 🌟

Parents and guardians, did you know you can access your student's grades, attendance, and more through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal? 📱💻 This easy-to-use app keeps you informed about your child's progress, right at your fingertips! You can also submit absences notes, and early dismissals all with the click of a button on your phone or iPad etc.

To get started, simply download the Infinite Campus app and follow the directions in the image below. 🔽

If you need assistance with setup or have any questions, please reach out to our office. We're here to help!

ENMS Cell Phone Policy

As we embark on another exciting school year, I want to take a moment to discuss a policy that we believe is essential for our students’ success and well-being: the requirement for all students to have their cell phones turned off and placed in their lockers during the school day.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, cell phones are a part of everyday life. However, in a school setting, they can become distractions that interfere with learning. By ensuring that cell phones are safely stored away during school hours, we are helping our students to focus on what truly matters: their education.

Research shows that limiting screen time during school hours leads to better concentration, improved social interactions, and reduced anxiety. When students are not preoccupied with texts, social media, or games, they are more engaged in classroom activities, more likely to participate in discussions, and better able to absorb and retain the material being taught.

Additionally, this policy fosters a more positive school environment. Without the constant pull of their phones, students are more present in their interactions with peers and teachers. They build stronger relationships, develop better communication skills, and learn the value of face-to-face connections.

We understand that cell phones are important for staying connected with your child. In case of an emergency, you can always reach the school directly, and we will ensure that your child receives any urgent messages.

We ask for your support in reinforcing this policy at home. Please remind your child of the importance of keeping their phone turned off and in their locker during the school day. Together, we can create a focused, supportive environment where every student can thrive.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education. We look forward to another successful year at East Norriton Middle School.

Cell Phone Violation Consequences

1st-3rd offenses: Teachers will ask the students to turn their phone off and place it in their locker, or ask the student to give it to the teacher. It will be returned to the student at the end of the school day.

4th offense: Students will give their cell phone to a teacher and the teachers will give it to the main office. The parent or guardian must report to the school to pick up the device. Cell phones are placed in a locked safe in the main office until parents arrive. A one-hour office detention will be assigned for each violation.

Chronic cellphone offenses: It is the policy of ENMS that students who chronically violate the cellphone policy despite warnings, parents picking up the phone etc. will not be permitted to bring their cell phone to school, or will be required to had it to an administrator or school counselor at the start of the school day.

Please take some time to review this policy with your student.

ENMS Dress Code

ENMS does not have a dress code for our students. Many of our students choose to wear hooded sweatshirts. The only rule we have around hoodies is that students must have their hoods off. We need to see students faces and when students wear hoodies, combined with masks it makes it extremely difficult to recognize a student from a distance. Therefore, students who choose to wear hoodies must leave their hoods pulled down.

If we run into situations where students do not remove their hood they will receive consequences ranging from a simple discussion all the way to a suspension for chronic offenders. This is usually not an issue for us, but I like to remind parents at the start of the year of this policy.

Lastly, students also cannot wear "slides." All students must have shoes that have a back on them. Croc style shoes are fine as long as students wear the strap along the back of them. The biggest issue with slides is the tripping hazard they pose on stairs. Therefore, students cannot wear slides to school. Again, this is not a big issue here at school, but I like to remind parents of those two simple rules around our dress policy.

How do I reach a school counselor?

We have two counselors at ENMS. These individuals should be one of your first points of contact if you need guidance related to any issue or problem your student may be facing during the school year. We can usually resolve issues quickly when parents contact their child's counselor. If you need to speak to your child's counselor their contact information is found below.

5th and 6th grade School Counselor: Ms. Gena Bussell gbussell@nasd.k12.pa.us

7th and 8th grade School Counselor: Ms. Sarah Raimondi sraimondi@nasd.k12.pa.us

Know someone who needs help or is in crisis?

Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.

Here’s how it works:

Submit an anonymous tip report through the Safe2SaySomething system
Crisis center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions
Crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
If needed, crisis center may contact tipster anonymously through the app

The Principal's Office (Vol.8)