2026/2027 School Year
Medication Guidelines and Drop off Day Information
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Middle School Health Office would like to provide a reminder about the
medication procedures to help ensure the safety and well-being of all students.
Your NMS Nurse will be at the school on Tuesday, August 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
to receive medications and physician orders prior to the start of the school year. We encourage families to take advantage of this opportunity to ensure everything is in place before students return.
Please remember that anything containing an "active ingredient" is considered a
medication in the school setting. This includes both prescription medications and
over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Both prescription and over-the-counter medications may be administered at school when the following requirements are met.
1. Physician Authorization
All medications must be ordered by your child's healthcare provider. The medication order must include:
● Name of the medication
● Route of administration
● Time the medication should be given
● Reason for administration
● Any special instructions
Physician orders may be submitted in any of the following ways:
● A letter from the healthcare provider's office
● A fax from the healthcare provider's office
● A School Medication Authorization Form completed and signed
by the healthcare provider
2. Parent/Guardian Consent
A parent or guardian must personally deliver all medications to the Health Office. At that time, you will complete a consent form authorizing the School Nurse to administer the medication exactly as prescribed by your child's healthcare provider.
A separate form, titled “Annual Health Information Form," will be provided for parents
and guardians to authorize the administration of the over-the-counter medications stocked in the Health Office.
Please do not send medications to school with your child or in your child's backpack. All
medications must be delivered directly to the School Nurse by a parent or guardian.
Important Medication Guidelines Please keep the following policies in mind:
● The first dose of any medication must be administered at home. School nurses
cannot administer the first dose of a new medication.
● Students are not permitted to self-carry medication unless specifically
authorized under Massachusetts law and Northbridge Public Schools policy.
● Medication orders expire at the end of each school year. New physician orders and
parent consent forms are required at the beginning of every school year.
● The Health Office may accept only a 30-day supply of prescription medication at
one time.
● All medications must be in their original pharmacy- or manufacturer-labeled
container with the student's name and prescription information (if applicable). The
medication label must match the physician's order.
● At the end of the school year, families will be notified to retrieve any remaining
medication. Any medication not picked up by the designated deadline will be safely
discarded in accordance with school policy.
Thank you for your partnership in helping us provide a safe and healthy learning environment for all students. If you have any questions regarding medication administration or your child's healthcare needs at school, please contact the Middle School Health Office.
We appreciate your cooperation and support and look forward to a healthy and successful school year.
Susan Calabro, RN BSN NCSN
Northbridge Middle School Nurse
Congratulations to our NMS Chorus members for winning GOLD and to our NMS Band members for winning SILVER at the Great East Music Festival!! Great Job!! We are so proud of you!!
On Friday, May 8th, three teams of students from Northbridge Middle School attended and competed in the statewide One8 Foundation Student Showcase. The students were accompanied by their dedicated science teachers, Mrs. Mercier and Mr. Silvestri, as well as the middle school's instructional coach, Dr. Kim Kelly. Each team created a display and shared their learning from one OpenSciEd unit of study to a jury of industry professionals. OpenSciEd Lessons are built around real-world "phenomena" that students investigate to understand scientific concepts. The 7th grade team of Danielle Germain, Meyer Ihesiene, Ashley Johnson, and Madelyn Otteman were awarded the first place prize for their presentation on "ecosystem dynamics."
Exciting News from the Music Department!
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Lauren Hammer will be returning to Northbridge Middle School next year as our Chorus Director and Music Teacher! She will be rounding out our fantastic music program alongside Mr. Joe Goguen, who will continue to lead our amazing band program. Together, they are sure to make next year an incredible one for music at NMS!
If you haven’t yet filled out the Band and Chorus Interest Survey, please do so as soon as possible. I’m currently working on the schedule, and having this information now will help reduce changes once school starts.
We can’t wait for a fun and musical year ahead!
On March 13th, approximately 150 seventh grade students from Northbridge Middle School enjoyed a presentation of Chariots of the Sun. The funds for this program were received from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and our local Northbridge Cultural Council. We greatly appreciate their support. As part of our 7th grade’s study of Ancient Greece, our students experienced Chariots of the Sun. In this program, the actor, Jeff Benoit, used a combination of poetry, masks, mime and audience participation to bring to life classic Greek tales. Included was the myth of Phaethon and his chariot, Pandora and her mysterious box, and the thrilling tale of Odysseus and Cyclops. It was a dynamic presentation that offered an accessible and fun introduction to the stories of ancient Greece. Student actors included Erin Geary, Isaiah Clemente, Sophia Baldwin, Declan Trities and Cameron Brouillard. These actors joined Jeff on stage to help bring the stories to life!
This simple guide offers two practical tips to help families manage technology at home. It encourages setting device-free zones to support healthier screen time habits, and using parental controls along with open conversations to promote online safety for kids.
Mr. Goguen and Ms. Hammer are excited to welcome any students interested in joining Band or Chorus at NMS! Both classes meet during RAMS block, and we are in the process of planning a return to the Great East Music Festival where we earned Silver and Gold medals last year!
Please contact Mr. Goguen (jgoguen@nps.org) or Ms. Hammer (lhammer@nps.org) for more information.
Also, for students interested in Band, Instrument Rental Night is taking place on 9/5 at NES. Please contact Mr. Goguen for more information.
Great news! All student passwords have been successfully changed district wide. In order to view their new password students will need to log into their Infinite Campus student portal and visit the "Student PW ID" custom tab. Students, parents, and guardians will be able to access this password at any time if forgotten. We are doing this to better secure each student's account and provide the tech. department with the ability to quickly change their password if needed. For a short how to, parents/guardians please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16pcHL2FBWZF7-keZxeWDeBYRXgLmE9OcfxEdpVnhG7s/edit For a short how to, students please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10D9KntGpSPsiDFGTr49FyCiddCX-LMJ8oasiRIe8amI/edit Please note that the retrieval of the new password should be done at home. If you do not have a computer at home, please reach out to your school’s main office staff. NOTE: THIS WILL NOT CHANGE ANY EXISTING INFINITE CAMPUS PASSWORDS.
The Infinite Campus Parent Portal is our tool for families to access instant, online, timely and secure student information about their student’s work in Northbridge Public Schools, and about issues that may affect them and their family. Family engagement has a direct correlation to student success. Students with engaged parents/guardians are more likely to have higher self-esteem, lower absenteeism and earn high grades or test scores. Campus Parent is a platform that helps NPS parents/guardians stay engaged with their child's education by providing access to student's grades, attendance, schedule and more! Learn more at https://sites.google.com/nps.org/nps-technology-website/for-parents-students/infinite-campus-portal?authuser=0
We are pleased to announce the relaunch of our technology website! This platform offers a variety of helpful resources for staff and families alike. Please take a moment to visit the website at https://sites.google.com/nps.org/nps-technology-website/home and explore all of the exciting things it offers. Thank you for your continued support!
A huge congratulations to the NMS Choir for a Gold Medal Performance and the NMS Band for a Silver Medal Performance at the Great East Festival on May 24, 2024. We are so very proud of our band and choir members and their amazing teachers!!