Regarding request for team changes

NMS Families,

 There is a lot that goes into it scheduling nearly 600 students. Legally special education has numerous parameters that impact classes and teams in relation to certified personnel and numbers. Fully documented investigated bullying/conflict issues that lead to a finding also take priority. We then need to find balance between the numbers on each team and the mix between the numbers of boys and girls. 

I know some kids may be upset  about their placement. We also appreciate parents advocating and putting in a call to help their child. I am sending this so you can help explain to your child that moves for friends alone are not possible and more importantly that everything will be ok. Kids friendships change and move all the time it would be nearly impossible for us to maintain complete knowledge of all of the nuances and know the complete web of friendships among almost 600 hundred kids.  

Having a child myself just about to enter middle school in a town that merges two elementary schools at grade six I definitely can appreciate the anxiety for students and as a parent. 

However, I am sorry but we can not be involved in moving kids to be with friends. Once we start down that road at this point in the year it leads to more and more requests coming in. This inevitably creates the perception of a winning team and a losing team i.e. the team that everyone wanted to get on and those that did not. We work hard to break down cliques and we can not become involved in their creation. 

Students are more connected than ever. There is before and after school, the weekend, sports and clubs, texting, facetime and good old fashion phone calls. I am more than confident that students can maintain friendships and perhaps even expand their social circle.