Bulldog Blast

📓 Settlement Music House: See below for more information on our new after-school drumming club starting 2/13 and 2/15!

📓 Upcoming Parent Meeting: At 5:30 via ZOOM on Wednesday, 1/31 we will continue to host our Community Check-in for all K-8 guardians. Join us! Please see the below flyer for more information.

🍎 Save the Date: 8th Grade Pictures are scheduled for Tuesday, March 12th, 2024.

Please note the following:

• Graduation gowns are provided by Lifetouch Studios. Caps are not worn in graduation pictures. Traditionally girls wear golden rod yellow and boys wear maroon.

• RETAKES will not be available for 8th-grade pictures.

• Pictures will also be available for purchase online after picture day. We will have a picture day code closer to the event. Thank you!

In our effort to continue NACS parent/guardian engagement with the Administrative Team, we have added another way for parents/guardians to schedule a meeting with an Administrative Team member. You can schedule a meeting by clicking this link or scanning the QR code, to complete the Google form. Once your request has been received, you will receive a follow-up email with confirmation of your request. An additional phone call and/or email will be sent to confirm your scheduled meeting date and time.

Please complete this form to confirm your child(ren)'s re-enrollment to Northwood Academy Charter School for the 2024-2025 school year.

This re-enrollment is due by January 31st, 2024. If re-enrollment is not complete for your child(ren) by the due date, this may result in loosing their spot for the next school year.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Mohamad (Amohamad@northwoodcs.org)

We are so excited to announce we will be partnering with local community organization, Settlement Music House to offer our students grades 3-8th drum lessons free of charge!

Northwood's after-school drumming clubs presented by Settlement Music House are held in person. More details on meeting days, times, and grades served for each can be found in the individual club listings on our FamilyID Platform (Arbiter Sports). You will need to create a FamilyID account to register for the club, this takes about 5 minutes. To learn more about SMH please visit them at, https://settlementmusic.org/

>> NACS LANDING PAGE <<

>> REGISTER HERE <<

Upper School Drumming (Grades 6th-8th)

When? Tuesdays, 3:30pm-4:30pm

Start Date: Tuesday, February 13th

This event is on a first come first serve basis.

Lower School Drumming (Grades 3rd-5th)

When? Thursdays, 3:30pm-4:30pm

Start Date: Thursday, February 15th

This event is on a first come first serve basis.

Additional Contact:

Teacher Cody Messersmith, M.Ed. (he/they) Lower School Music Specialist, cmessersmith@northwoodcs.org

Settlement Music House Onsite Instructor: Dr. Barudin, jeffrey.barudin@settlementmusic.org

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Northwood will be hosting its annual Career Day on Wednesday, March 20th! The purpose of Career Day is to expose students to a variety of careers in order to jumpstart their thinking about the future. By preparing early, students will be more likely to be college or career ready. Students in grades K-8 will participate in Career Day. However, we can’t do it without you!

We are currently seeking up to 12 volunteers for our lower school portion. Career Day Presentations will run from 8:00-10:00 am. Please CLICK HERE to learn more. This is a great opportunity for you to get involved at NACS and make an impact on the student’s future!

Hello 8th Grade Guardians,

As a recap, the SDP 2023-2024 high school selection process opened on Friday, September 15, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. and closed on Friday, October 27, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

Overview of dates:

The Apply Philly Charter window was: Friday, September 22, 2023 – Monday, January 22, 2024

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Schools: Rolling Admissions
Priority Financial Aid Deadline: December 31

School-Specific Applications (Most Private & Select Charter Schools) Application Timelines Vary by School

For Questions and/or Need Additional Support:

This Link provides a more detailed timeline for the school selection process: Schoolselect.philasd.org

For questions or concerns with the school selection process or offer status: The Office of Student Enrollment and Placement (215-400-4290, schoolselect@philasd.org) is available to support students and families and will have extended phone hours from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM on January 19th.
Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

For technical issues with accessing your application: The Family Tech Hotline (215-400-4444, FamilyTechSupport@philasd.org) will have extended phone hours from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM on January 19th. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

THIS LINK will provide instructions on how to accept or decline offers. If high schools are in need of your child's transcripts, PSSA scores or attendance records you can send a request for records by contacting our Upper School Guidance Counselor via email tscreenthompson@northwoodcs.org. Also as students receive high school acceptance letters please let Ms. Screen-Thompson know so she can update the student's high school selection spreadsheet. If you have any additional questions feel free to reach out to Ms.Tiffany Screen-Thompson, thank you!

Thank you for your ongoing support.

With winter weather in full swing don't forget to reference our "Inclement Weather" landing page on the school's website for our specific policies and procedures.

If you have not done so already, sign up to get essential weekly alerts from us via the school Remind app

Remind is a free, safe messaging app that keeps Northwood Academy families up to date with what’s happening in the classroom and school. Additionally, our weekly Bulldog Blast is sent out via Remind, along with other timely announcements throughout each week. Please sign up for our Remind notifications to stay on top of important updates from teachers and receive schoolwide updates in real time.

Create a Remind account to receive Northwood's schoolwide alerts!

1. Go to remind.com/join/nacsnews (or download the free iOS or Android app)
2. Click Sign Up
   
3. Provide a full name, email address, and password
4. Choose your role
5. Follow the instructions to start using Remind

To sign up and receive alerts via text message, text @nacsnews to the number 81010 and select the appropriate role.

Note: Each teacher has a different class code for their individual classes. Please contact your child's teacher to receive this information. Take note, not all teachers have a separate Remind classroom.

If you have followed the above instructions and are still having difficulties or not receiving NACS information please reach out to the Remind Help Desk for further assistance https://remind.ada.support/chat/

Are you eager to stay in the know about all the exciting events happening at your child's school? Do you want to lend a helping hand and get involved in the school community as a parent volunteer? Look no further! Our Parent Association is here to help you stay informed and engaged.

By filling out our simple form, you'll be sure to receive all the latest updates on school events, volunteer opportunities, and more. **Please note, if you completed this form last year you do not need to complete it again**

Don't miss out on any of the action - sign up today and stay in the loop with our Parent Association!

>> CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE OUR FORM. <<

The WIDA ACCESS is an annual state required assessment for all students, considered to be English Language Learners, in all grades K-8. The WIDA website provides the following basic information about the test:

• The test provides information about students’ English language abilities in school. Educators use this information to make decisions about students’ education.
• ACCESS measures what students know and can do in English in the domains of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.
• Students do not need to study for the test, but rather, focus on demonstrating their language abilities.

At Northwood, our students will test between the dates of 1/29/24 and 2/16/24. Parents and Guardians who have children involved in testing, will receive further details in January. Questions? ACarlson@northwoodcs.org

Every child deserves a quality education. At National School Choice Week (NSCW), they help families discover the traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and home education options available for their children. This week we celebrate National School Choice!

Each January, NSCW partners with schools, homeschool organizations, and nonprofits to plan or promote tens of thousands of unique events and activities, reaching tens of millions of people. These efforts shine the brightest possible spotlight on the importance of opportunity in K-12 education.

Their work is positive, inclusive, and fun, helping families find schools and learning environments where their children can learn, thrive, succeed, and be happy.

Have you heard the good news?! Starting January 6th, Saturday service is back at

Tacony Branch - Free Library of Philadelphia. https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/5205

The Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP) offers K-12 out-of-school programming in Neighborhood Libraries. This programming fosters an inclusive, informal learning environment for children, teens, and families, with accessible learning activities that build on life skills, Maker philosophies, and wellness concepts.

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/leap

If you and your family lack fixed, regular, or adequate housing (for example, living in a shelter, transitional home, or even doubled-up with other people) due to loss of housing or economic hardship, you may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which ensures educational stability for students experiencing homelessness.

To learn more about the rights of eligible families, click here for a brief video.

If you qualify for rights under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, contact our school social worker at dominiqueharris@northwoodcs.org for more information.

Are you or someone you know in need of housing, food, health, and safety services? Please check out these resources from Project HOME: Where To Turn Guide.

Please review Northwood's Homeless Students Policy here: McKinney-Vento Policy.

• Monday, 1/21- Friday, 1/27, National School Choice Week

• TODAY, Wednesday, 1/24/24, SPED Coffee & Conversations with Mrs. Leite (8:30am-9:30am)
  

• Wednesday, 1/31/24, January Community Check-In (Zoom Webinar, 5:30 pm)

• Thursday, 2/1, First Grade Field Trip (PTM)

• Friday, 2/2, 7th Grade Field Trip (Franklin Institute) NEW DATE

• Friday, 2/2, Kindergarten Field Trip (Legoland)

• Friday, 2/9, 100th Day of School (K & 1st Grade)

• Friday, 2/9, 2nd Grade Field Trip (Legoland)
  

• Wednesday, 2/14, Valentine's Day Dance (K & 1st Grade)

• Friday, 2/19, President's Day (School Closed)

• Friday, 3/1, First Grade Field Trip (Legoland)

Northwood will be celebrating Read Across America Week during the week of February 26th.

More events to come!

Website: northwoodcs.org
Location: 4621 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 289-5606
Facebook: facebook.com/Northwood-Academy-Charter-School-153041454730750/
Twitter: @northwoodcs