October 1, 2025

Greetings North Star Families!

As we settle into the school year, our learners are becoming more comfortable with their peers—and at times, they may say things they do not intend to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, in today’s world, this type of behavior cannot be tolerated. We have seen an uptick in the use of inappropriate phrases. Whether joking or not, words that reference harm to oneself or others must always be taken with the utmost seriousness.

As a united team, we are asking parents to partner with North Middle School in addressing this concern. Please take time to talk with your child about the dangers of verbal threats and help them understand the difference between a joke and a threat. A few key points to review include:

• Intent vs. impact: Even if a child thinks they are joking, their words can make others feel unsafe. A “joke” that singles someone out or uses harmful language should always be avoided.

• Consequences: Verbal threats are taken extremely seriously in schools and can result in suspension or expulsion, regardless of the intent.

• Healthier communication: Encourage your child to express frustration appropriately (e.g., “I’m upset about what happened”) instead of making a threat.

• Underlying causes: Children may say inappropriate things due to stress, insecurities, bullying, or a desire for attention. Helping them find constructive outlets can prevent harmful language.

At school, every threat must be investigated, which can be frightening for students and time-consuming for staff. Together, we can work toward better solutions by modeling positive communication, practicing conflict resolution, and showing empathy. Encourage your child to consider how their words affect others, and praise them when they handle conflict appropriately.

If concerning behavior becomes a pattern, please reach out to the school or a mental health professional for support. Open communication between families and the school is critical, and we are committed to partnering with you to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.



Thank you for working with us to make North Middle School a peaceful, respectful, and safe place for every learner.

Warmly,

Kristin Higgins

Principal

North Middle School



Congratulations to

Lilly Danish and

Bailee Dodd, who are the September Optimist Club Students of the Month!

Need a second chance?

Thursday, October 16th is Picture Retake Day. If your student would like a retake or has not had their picture taken yet this year, this is the last opportunity to be photographed.

The following students were caught being a STAR in September!

• Norman Kosanke
• Evelyn Hermes
• Athena Van Pool
• Abigail Fogler
• Angelo Brem
• John Thiel

• Anna Wicinski
• Owen Poth
• Hattie Kasuboski
• Alyse Lewis
• Kameryn Anderson
• Luis Balistreri
• Jackson Henricks
• Aaliyah Schliepp
• Andrew Pierson
• Mariah Robertson
• Nolan Visoky
• Coralyn Morrissey

• Kieran Bishop
• Claire Drouillard
• Reagan Tappa
• David Allar
• Georgiana Ewig

Student Services is excited to have this opportunity to showcase our department in this newsletter. We are here to support you and your child(ren) throughout middle school. Our goal is to help with any academic or social/emotional needs so that students can be successful in the classroom. Families can look forward to updates and resources from our team throughout the school year. In this issue, we’d like to introduce ourselves to all of you.

The deadline for having your student vaccinated is October 13^th. This is a requirement of the State of Wisconsin that students be fully vaccinated. If you would like to be exempt from having your student vaccinated, a waiver form must be filled out and turned in to the school before October 13^th.

If your student is not fully vaccinated, a form will be mailed home to you with the waiver at the bottom. The waiver can also be filled out if your student’s appointment to receive vaccinations is after the October 13^th deadline. Once the vaccines have been given, bring a form from your physician to the school, and your student’s vaccination record will be updated. Students that are not compliant with the vaccine requirement will be excluded from school starting October 13^th.

For questions regarding vaccinations please call 262-250-6470, or Pam Madrzak(District Nurse) at 262-366-9320.

Join us on Tuesday, October 7, for a sweet PTSO fundraiser at

Smart Cow Yogurt Bar from 4–8 p.m.

Create your own frozen delight, weigh and pay—

and 15% of sales will be donated to North Middle School PTSO!

No flyer needed—just stop in, treat yourself, and celebrate the PTSO.

It’s cool to support, so spread the word!

The 6th graders are currently learning about how animals can be great for emotional support, as they are reading an article about it in English Language Arts class. Here they are in the library learning about emotional support animals, like Wall-E, one of the ESA's at North - Frankie Wilson, 6th Grade Student

Students enjoyed the Book Fair!

Our 8th grade scientists had a blast building marble ramps.

Students decorated the sidewalks with encouraging messages for North's 1st annual Staff Run at Work Event.

The Cross Country team has been having a great season! Come out and cheer them on tomorrow, 10/2, at the Falls Invite starting at 4:15. The meet will take place at the Thomas Jefferson property(formally TJ Middle School),

W165N8301 Lavergne Avenue, Menomonee Falls.

Girls Basketball

10/7 - Templeton(Sussex) @ North

10/9 - North @ Thomas Jefferson(Port Washington)

10/14 - North @ Longfellow(Wauwatosa)

10/16 - Kennedy(Germantown) @ North

10/20 - Slinger @ North

10/21 - North @ Whiteman(Wauwatosa)

10/22 - North @ Whitefish Bay

National Junior Honor Society

10/7 - Induction Ceremony

5:30-6:30 - NMS Auditorium

10/13 - NJHS Meeting

2:45-3:15 - NMS Library

Love helping others?

Join Builders Club!

They meet 1-2 times a month to spread kindness and plan fun community projects.

Their first meeting will be Thursday, October 9 from 2:40 - 3:30 in Mrs. Lee’s room, room 229.

Does your North Star like money? There are two upcoming opportunities for them to win prize money by simply writing a short essay.

• VFW Essay Contest - Deadline October 31, 2025 - “How Are You Showing Patriotism And Support For Our Country?” Essay should be 300-400 words, monetary prizes will be awarded.

• Elks Essay Contest - Deadline December 15, 2025 - “What Does Service To Your Country Mean To You?” Essay length is not to exceed 300 words, monetary prizes for each grade level.