👋 NVMS Email Blast 156

Important Announcement

The Hawaii DOE is pleased to announce that all students at Hawaiʻi’s 257 public schools statewide will receive free breakfast and lunch meals for the entirety of the 2021-22 school year, thanks to a nationwide waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Even though there will be no charge for the first meal, breakfast and/or lunch, NVMS will still be using the ID badge system.

Click here for details on the Hawaii DOE website.

Prepare for the New School Year

-Pay the school fees
-Purchase the school uniforms
-Purchase the school supplies
-On Hold Due to Recent Announcement: Create your child's lunch account and deposit lunch money
Etrition Guidelines
Meal Account Refund
-Get accustomed to the new bell schedule
-Check the school calendar for important dates
-Review the NVMS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Handout
-Check out the school website for important information

URGENT REMINDER! NVMS Fee Payment

Please be sure to submit your child's school fees prior to the start of school. Please see the attached flyer for the form and detailed information. (Only check and exact cash will be accepted)

Health and Safety Guidelines

While the CDC has lifted the mandate on masks for those who are vaccinated, the guidance from HIDOE has not yet changed. Masks are mandatory while on our school campus. Niu Valley Middle School will continue to follow the DOE Health and Safety Guidelines. The most important mitigating factor is wellness checks at home.

Step 1: Take your child’s temperature every morning. If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher - do not send your child to school / do not come to school.

Step 2: If you/your child has any symptoms of illness, do not send your child to school / do not come to school:

❏ Fever (a temperature of 100°F or higher)

❏ Chills

❏ Cough

❏ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

❏ Fatigue (tiredness, weakness)

❏ Muscle or body aches

❏ Headache

❏ New loss of taste or smell

❏ Sore throat

❏ Congestion or runny nose

❏ Nausea or vomiting (stomach ache)

❏ Diarrhea

After School Care Update

NVMS will no longer be offering any after school care. Updates on After School Extramural Athletics will be announced to our student body during our morning Niu News broadcast. In addition, updates will be provided in our email blast and posted on our website.
The Kaimuki Y may be offering Youth After School care. Please visit their website for details.

Leaving the Hawaii DOE? Application for Lunch Account Refund

If you are leaving NVMS at the end of the school year and NOT entering another Hawaii DOE school, please be sure to submit this form to receive a refund of your balance in your school meal account.

Parent/Guardian Text Message and Email Blast for SY 2021-22

NVMS will be converting over to the DOE School Messenger service for email blasts. We are currently using this service for Text Messages.
Participate in this free Text message service by sending a text “Y” OR “YES” to the number 67587.
·      Repeat this process for any wireless number you wish to include.
·      You can opt-out of these messages at any time by simply replying STOP.
·      Message and data rates may apply so check with your wireless carrier for possible charges.

For the email blasts, the email addresses that you currently provide to your school will be automatically sent an email blast. We will send out a test email blast before the first day of school. If you do not receive one, please be sure to complete the information forms clearly and accurately at the start of the new school year.

Amazon Smile Reminder

As summer approaches, you'll be surprised how many purchases add up as you prepare for vacations, house projects, back to school, etc. As an example, one individual was notified that her family accumulated purchases that earned our school almost $150 during the COVID stay at home restrictions and the holidays, and, we have earned almost $6,000 since we started participating as a qualified non-profit organization. It's fast and easy! Just follow these step by step instructions:

Go to smile.amazon.com
Click Get Started
In the Search box type in: Friends of Niu Valley Intermediate
Click Select next to the name when it comes up
Now, every time you shop, go to smile.amazon.com or bookmark this page

For Amazon Mobile App:

For Amazon Smile... there is an extra step needed for those using the Amazon mobile app to activate Amazon Smile within the app.
Once activated there is no further action needed, only a re-activation every 6 months.
Click here for the instructions.
If you do not actively turn on the feature within the app, there is no 0.5% going towards the charity.

Continuing to Keep our Roads Safe

The efforts to keep our roads safe continue with the support from the District 7 Community Policing Team (CPT) of the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), led by Corporal John Mau, and his fellow officers: Corporal Hayden Schmidt and Officer Robert Holden. These three diligent HPD Officers, took the time and effort to patrol our pick-up area and remind drivers how to use safe driving practices to keep their child, and everyone on the road, safe from harm.

One particular unsafe observation was cars stopping in the middle of the road, not at curbside, and having their child move between parked and moving vehicles, to get to their car. Please be sure to use the designated curbside drop-off and pick-up area.

Requests:
To avoid the back up at the curbside Auto Line, please arrive after 1:45pm when you are sure your child is there ready to get into your car. Also, avoid parking directly across the street from the curbside Auto line. Many students will attempt to jay walk to get to their cars, to avoid walking to the two available crosswalks.

Corporal John Mau will be visiting our school throughout the remainder of the school year to keep our roads safe for everyone!

Morning Drop-Off Request

Please be aware of the entrance to the Auxiliary Parking lot on Halemaumau. This lot is available only to NVMS faculty and staff. Do not block this entrance or use this lot to drop off your child. It is a small area and cannot accommodate too many cars entering or exiting at the same time.

MAHALO TO HPD!

A big Mahalo goes out to Officer John Mau from the District 7 Community Policing Team (CPT) of the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) for his support in keeping our students and community safe! Officer Mau led the sign waving effort, along with Principal Laura Ahn, Vice Principals, Counselors, teachers and students, on the Friday before Spring Break.

This was a gentle reminder to everyone using our roads to drive with safety and for pedestrians to use crosswalks at all times. With our 8th Graders now attending school twice a week, there will be an increase in cars and students at pick up time. To reduce the back up at Auto Line, please arrive after 1:45pm when you are sure your child is there ready to get into your car.

Officer Mau will be visiting our school throughout the remainder of the school year to keep our roads safe for everyone!

Latest Edition of The Lancer

Check out the latest edition of The Lancer! There are great articles, games, and trivia that the students put together that celebrate the different events of February.
Talented and creative students who run this newspaper include Kaena Kim, Kailani Clark, Marcus Cho, Isabella Sharp, Kiana Novey, and Karen Dong.

Here's the link to our online newspaper: https://www.thelancer.org/

Traffic Alert: Student Safety First

Please be aware of the following road safety reminders:
1. When dropping off your children, please pull forward to allow space for everyone to safely drop off at the curb.
2. Please follow traffic laws! When you make a U-turn in the middle of Halemaumau Street, this is a traffic violation and is considered breaking the law.
3. When picking up your child(ren), please model safety, and pick up your child at the curb. We have already experienced one close encounter with a student walking between cars to get to their own car that was waiting for them in the middle of the street.
4. Remind your children to always use the crosswalk.

Please, let's all be safe!

Request to Unsubscribe

We are currently in the process of streamlining our subscriber group. If you no longer wish to receive this email blast, please unsubscribe at the bottom of this email blast or respond to this email with "Unsubscribe".

REMINDER! EZSchoolPay Information

As your child returns to campus for the blended learning schedule, please be sure to check on their meal account balances, if you are planning on having them purchase school lunches. Instructions here and general information and link below:

Free Parent account to view the purchase activity on their children's accounts. All children attending a Hawaii DOE school can be added to one account.
Allows Parents to set purchase limits.
Notifies Parents via email when the child's account balance is getting low (parent sets that low balance notification amount).
Has an auto-pay feature via credit card so that your child never misses a meal.
Cash and check deposits will continue to be accepted at the Office, or Parent can make an online credit card payment with this EZSP account for a small bank convenience fee.

When enrolling, go to the website: www.ezschoolpay.com
School District: Hawaii (Hawaii DOE will appear; use that selection)
You can add your children by either their 10-digit school ID number or their child's birthdate.

Water Bottle REMINDER

This is a reminder to have your child bring a water bottle to school with them every day. For the health and safety of our students, all the water faucets have been covered. However, there are water filling stations that allow students to refill their water bottles.

Message from our Registrar

Moving to the mainland or off island?
Parents, we request that you inform the front office of your child’s last day.

We will prepare a Request for Release form for you to fill out at the front office. Photo identification is required.
Please contact NVMS at least two weeks prior to departure so we can process your child’s documents along with their other school obligations.
On your child’s last day we will provide you a Release of Records Packet so you can deliver it to your child's next school of enrollment.

The Learning Corner

Click here for the article.on Self-Management Skills and Strategies that can help your child perform better at home during distance learning.

Link to Social Emotional Learning

The attached article on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) provides some insight and strategies for teachers, but also for parents. Please email PCNC Joanne Imada if you have any questions or concerns.

From our NVMS Counselors

Check out these available Parent Rsources that provides good learning opportunities for your children.

The Lancer

Reminder to check out The Lancer, our school's online newspaper. You will find entertaining comics, photos, interesting articles, and interactive games. Most importantly, it's entirely student-driven! Faculty Advisor Ms. Lourena Yco maintains that "I just provide space for them (students)"!

Continuous Notice - For Your Information

The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) and its schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, and religion in its programs and activities. Please direct inquiries regarding HIDOE nondiscrimination policies as follows:

Beth Schimmelfennig, Director
Rhonda Wong, Compliance
Aaron Oandasan, Title VI
Toby Yamashiro, Title VII
Nicole Isa-Iijima, Title IX
Krysti Sukita, ADA/504

Civil Rights Compliance Branch Hawaii State Department of Education
P.O. Box 2360 Honolulu, Hawaii 96804 (808) 586-3322 or relay CRCB@k12.hi.us