Dear Nathan Hale Families -

As we move into Autumn, we are excited to have the first of many events happening!

Our first SGC (School Governance Council) meeting is scheduled for this coming Wednesday evening. Our first job is to finalize the School Improvement Plan, which is created yearly. Again, I would like to thank our dedicated parents and community members for stepping up to the plate for the betterment of Nathan Hale - DaJaun Wiggins, Karen Lourds, Troy Davis, Jenifer Jefferies, Yuri Montoya, Keith Parmalee, Amanda Penrose and Amanda Segura join staff administrators Eric Jackson, James Crouch, Stephanie Peckham as well as teachers, Riley Northrop, Debbie DiDonato, Jay Gerlach and Bryan McQuaid. We look forward to collaborating with you this year!

The first School Dance of the year will be held next Friday, October 28th. It is the "Fall Fling" dance. Although the dance is being held right before Halloween, no costumes or face makeup will be allowed. Tickets are required to enter, and there is a capacity limit. Students should arrive promptly for the start at 6:30pm and picked up promptly at 8:30pm. 

We thank the NHMS PTA for organizing the event. 

Tickets are $5.00 per student, and there are two ways to purchase:

• Parents can purchase tickets ONLINE until Wednesday, October 26, 2002. 

Please click below to purchase tickets online:

Purchase Fall Fling Dance Tickets Here

Note: Students do NOT need to bring a copy of the receipt to the dance with them. Their names will be on a list at the entrance.

• Students can purchase tickets DURING LUNCH, with EXACT CASH until Thursday, October 27th - until all tickets are sold. We cannot make change, please be sure your child has exactly $5.00. Once tickets are sold out, we cannot allow additional students in, due to fire code capacity limits.

Note: Students who are suspended the week of the dance cannot attend.

In addition, we are asking for donations of snacks and beverages for the kids. Please sign up below to donate. 

Donate Fall Fling Dance Snacks Here

All donations can be dropped off to the Security Guards at the main entrance any time between Monday, October 24 and Thursday, October 27.

A new charity event is happening - Nathan Hale is collecting new socks for cancer patients! New children's and adult socks can be donated to your child's homeroom. Prizes are going to the homeroom with the most donated pairs of socks! So far, Mr. McQuaid's homeroom is hard to beat! Let's warm the feet of the cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Last day to donate is Monday, October 31st.

Any parents wishing to join the Nathan Hale Middle School Equity Committee, which meets the first Thursday of the month, 3:30-4:15pm should reach out to Malcom Welfare, committee chairman - WelfareM@NorwalkPS.org

FINAL REMINDER:

The 2022 Norwalk Youth Survey, which has been authorized by the Norwalk Board of Education. The survey will be given to our Grade 7 and Grade 8 students on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 during homeroom.

Why survey our students?

This will be the third time Norwalk has surveyed our middle and high school students. The survey allows students to share their beliefs and experiences on matters beyond academics that impact their learning and their lives. The information is used to guide community, municipal, and school initiatives to support our youth and address issues they experience.

How will the survey be given?

Prior to the survey being given on the morning of October 26th in homeroom, classes will watch a short video made by students of Norwalk Public Schools, that explains the purpose of the survey, the type of data collected, and the confidentiality of the survey. Students will then click a link to complete the survey in either English or Spanish. The survey will take 15-17 minutes to complete.

What data will be collected? The survey is intended to gather information on both risk factors and protective factors facing our youth today. Specifically, it will gather information on our students' perceptions and experiences around substance use, mental health and suicide, online gaming, social media, bullying, toxic stress, extracurricular activities, and connectedness to others. The survey will ask for demographic information, such as - grade, race and ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, if the students is an English Language Learner, if they have an IEP - in order to identify groups that may be at higher risk. You are welcome to read over the survey questionnaire prior to the students taking the survey. Please contact the Dean of Students, Stephanie Peckham, at the email below.

Is the survey confidential?

Please be assured that the survey is fully confidential and all findings will be anonymous.No personally identifying information will be collected. There is no way to identify individual students.

A few ways the survey findings have been used include: 

• The 2018 survey resulted in a five-year federal grant to support the Norwalk Partnership on preventing underage substance misuse and promoting mental wellness.

• The 2021 survey, conducted during COVID, was used to identify the mental health crisis in our students as well as to target the highest-risk populations. As a result, NPS brought in new mental health resources and trainings in our schools, as The Norwalk Partnerships, Norwalk ACTS and community nonprofits developed plans, sought funding, and launched support groups for the highest-risk students.

Who funded the survey?

This survey has been funded by Positive Directions - The Center for Prevention and Counseling, through a Drug-Free Communities grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as The Norwalk Partnerships, a coalition of community members and organizations dedicated to preventing substance misuse and promoting mental wellness in Norwalk youth and young adults. For more information, please contact Margaret Watt, Prevention Director at MWatt@PositiveDirections.org.

How to opt your child out of taking the survey:

• If you do not wish your child to participate, please contact the Dean, Stephanie Peckham via email - PeckhamS@norwalkPS.org by 5:00pm on Friday, October 21st.

• Your child may also choose NOT to participate on the morning of October 26th. If that is the case, they should inform their homeroom teacher. They will be asked to work independently and quietly while others take the survey.

Should you have any concerns regarding this survey, please contact our Dean of Students, Stephanie Peckham.