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January 2024 Northtowne News
School News, District News, and Community Items
PBIS Mission Statement
I am prepared and ready to learn.
I will be respectful, responsible and focused.
I will make choices that focus on teaching and learning.
My hands are for helping, NOT hurting.
And my words are for encouraging.
I will be the best ‘me’ I can be.
January Important Dates
January 15 - No School; Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 16 - No School; Teacher Professional Development
January 17 - No School; Records Day
January 31 - Last day to order school spirit shirts and gear
Stay up to date! The calendar for the 2023-24 school year can be found here.
Student Absences
Did you know that you can send an email to let us know your student will be absent from school? You can! You can also take a photo of the appointment excuse note and attach it to an email. No more wondering if your student remembered to turn in the paper. Contact us with all things concerning attendance here: attendance.northtowne@columbus.k12.oh.us
Principal's Corner
Hello Families, Caregivers, and Students,
Happy 2024! I hope everyone was able to enjoy some of the change of pace that the winter break brought us. January 12 is the last day of the second quarter of the school year! Grades will be finalized shortly after the Records Day. Families can check the student report card in the Parent Portal in the "Grades" section. Any family having difficulty with Parent Portal access can contact our Family Ambassador for assistance.
We are all wondering if this winter season will bring us snow and weather that forces school cancellations. Only time will tell. Below this note is additional information on how to find out about school closures. It is not uncommon for Columbus City Schools to remain in session with snow on the ground despite other Central Ohio districts canceling their school day. Each school district (i.e. Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard, Worthington, Westerville) makes its own decision independent of other districts.
We will not plan to have a busy schedule of Northtowne school events in January. This will allow teachers, students, and families to really focus on making a solid start to the second half of the school year. We do look forward to events already in planning stages for February and March. Stay tuned for announcements as the next months approach.
Stay warm and stay safe,
Mr. Taylor
Morning Drop Off Reminders
Please stay with your child prior to 8:30 a.m. and/or when there is no adult supervision. For the safety of your child, please wait until a staff member is outside. Children should not be dropped off before 8:30.
If you drive your student to school, please enter the parking lot area and drive beside the sidewalk. Pull forward, as much as possible, until just past the open cafeteria doors.
Breakfast is served starting at 8:30 and is free for any child who chooses to eat.
Dress for the Weather
Cold mornings, freeze warnings, and frosty car windshields have arrived in Columbus! Please, send your student to school dressed for the weather. Warm coats, hats, and mittens/gloves are needed. Boots for walking through snow could be needed at any point as temperatures continue to drop. In Ohio, cold weather often lasts from the end of October through early/mid March.
If you need any assistance with getting the necessary outerwear for the Ohio weather, reach out to Family Ambassador Sarah Bowman, sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us. She will get the details of your needs and connect you with Northtowne Elementary or community based resources to help.
School Cancellations for Weather
It's January in Ohio, which means winter weather could impact your child's school day. Throughout the winter months, school cancellations may occur due to severe weather or snow. Please be prepared for school cancellations and have a plan for your student.
Keep up-to-date on cancellations:
- Make sure the contact information on file in the Parent Portal is up to date.
- All families and staff will be alerted through an automated call, email, and text message from the District’s phone system. It is important to have your updated contact information on file in order to receive this notification.
- Make sure you have "opted-in" to receive communications from the district on Parent Portal. The District uses an automated system to share information. You must allow the system access to your contact information in order to receive updates by phone, email and text.
- Follow Columbus City Schools on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or check our website. As soon as the decision is made to cancel school, we’ll share news and other schedule updates on the District website and on our social media pages.
- Monitor the news on local television and radio stations. School cancellations will run at the bottom of your tv screen.
When will caregivers know if school is cancelled?:
- CCS will make an announcement regarding school cancellations the night before, whenever possible.
- If a cancellation cannot be made the night before, the Superintendent and her Operations team will make a decision no later than 5:30 a.m.
- On very rare occasions it is necessary to dismiss students early from school. This will only occur if the Superintendent and her Operations team believe that the weather conditions are deteriorating too rapidly to get students home safely, if classes are not dismissed early.
- Once the decision has been made, the next step is to alert parents, teachers, and staff using the District's phone system to send an automated call, email, and text message.
Are Extracurricular Activities cancelled when school is cancelled because of weather?:
- Generally, evening activities, events, and athletic practices are cancelled when classes are cancelled for the day.
- Early dismissal for inclement weather will automatically cancel all after-school activities.
School Spirit Wear Sale
Spirit wear, or clothing that shows the school you support/are affiliated with, is popular in US culture. Northtowne Elementary has coordinated with a company that is providing us with a spirit wear online storefront. A portion of the sales will come back to Northtowne as a fundraiser.
Orders can be placed through January 31st. When ordering remember to select "DHE Customs" pickup before completing the order. Selecting the "DHE Customs" pickup option will save you the shipping costs. Your items will be sent to Northtowne Elementary and we will sort and send home your order with your student.
Please note this sale is entirely on-line. Do not send money to school with your student as we will not be able to make the order for you. The on-line site accepts payments by credit card, debit card, and the Mastercard/Visa branded gift cards (you can purchase these at grocery stores)
Notes From Nurse Cassie
Nurse Cassie would like to remind families that the dentist is coming to our school! The School Smiles on-site dental program provides on-site dental care at our school for ALL students that signup to participate. The dental team is a state licensed dentist and dental assistant. The dental team will set up inside our school and they accept Medicaid, private insurance, offer self-pay rates and grants through their foundation. Registration is now open online at: www.schoolsmiles.com/student-signup with over 100 languages to choose from when completing the online form.
School Smiles will be providing dental services for those who have registered in advance on Friday, February 9th.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be present at the appointment?
No, you are not required to be at the appointment. We operate just like a private practice except with the convenience of having our equipment on wheels and bringing the services to the child’s school.
What all will be done at the appointment?
The registration form gives us consent to do the following at the first dental visit: Exam, Prophy, Fluoride, X-rays, Sealants, and Restorations. If you only want certain services, you can include that on the registration form. We also reach out with additional treatment consents as needed so that all treatment can be completed at school.
What is the cost for signing up my child?
If you have Medicaid, there is no cost to you and will be covered at 100%. If you have private insurance, the same deductible/copays apply the same as any other dental practice. If you do not have dental insurance and select the self-pay rate it is $49 for each visit.
What if I have both primary insurance and Medicaid?
If you have more than 1 insurance, Medicaid will always default as the 2nd insurance option—therefore we have to have the primary insurance details in order to see your child. Medicaid’s website also tells us if there is another plan but not the details so if we don’t have it available we will reach out before we can schedule your child.
Will you be coming back to the school?
Every school is different and depends on their schedule; however we do strive to return every 6 months.
Will I be notified of how my child’s visit went and if anything else is needed?
A report card is always sent home with your child after the visit and you can always call our office at 855-497-6453. We are also setting up parent portals so you can have access and communicate via text, this will be available in the Fall 2023 and details will be sent out on how to signup for this.
My child was recommended additional treatment, what are the next steps?
The consent forms needed were sent home with your child, please sign and return to your child’s school—we will also send a text with a link to sign the consent online. We will work with the school on a return date to get your child seen.
Why is my child that signed up not being seen?
Our most common reasons for a child not being added to the schedule is that they were seen by another practice and per insurance is not eligible or that we have tried reaching the family to get insurance and/or payment details and haven’t been able to reach them.
What if my child turned in their form late?
No problem. Please always send in the registration forms to the school and we will do everything we can to process them as quickly as possible to get added on the schedule.
What if a child turned in their form after the dental visit?
No problem. Please send your form into the school and we will work on getting another visit scheduled.
What is the best form of communication?
- Paige Williams, Insurance Specialist Payment, Insurance questions: pwilliams@schoolsmiles.com
- Nicole McKinney, Patient Coordinator Dental records request, questions regarding visit: nmckinney@schoolsmiles.com
- General Email: contactus@schoolsmiles.com Main Line 855-497-6453
House Competition for January
We are excited to be back in school after the winter break! We want to encourage great student attendance, when students are healthy. Beginning the week of January 8-12 we will be tracking classroom attendance for our January House Contest. Classes in a House with an overall attendance rate of at least 90% will receive special recognition.
The AAA House: Ms Cole, Ms Crawley, Ms Snedeker, and Ms Blake
The AE House: Ms Bullard, Ms Litman, Ms Weaver, and Ms Lee
The NASA House: Ms Easley, Ms Mason, Ms Smith, Ms Flannelly, and Ms Weinman
School Choice Information
School Choice Lottery Information - HighSchool and Middle School Edition
School Choice Fair:
- Virtual High School/Middle School Fair - January 11, 2024 from 6:00 - 7:30pm
High School & Middle School Lottery Applications via the Parent Portal:
- Wednesday, January 3, 2024 through Thursday, February 29, 2024
- Applications are NOT first come first serve. The lottery drawing takes place at a later date.
Selective Admissions Applications via Parent Portal:
- Monday, January 8, 2024 - Wednesday, January 31, 2024
- Students eligible for select admission may also complete a general admission application via parent portal.
- Selective Admission applications are NOT first come first serve.
Request to Return to Homeschool Application via Parent Portal:
- Wednesday, January 3, 2024, through Friday, March 15, 2024
- Students who request a Return to Homeschool cannot complete a lottery application after they are accepted back to their home school location.
All applications, requests, and reservations must be completed and submitted in Parent Portal.
Columbus City Schools FACES Information Sessions
Columbus City Schools (CCS) proudly presents FACES, the online Family and Community Engagement Series program created to inform and connect families, community, and schools. The series airs on the District's Facebook and YouTube channels. During sessions, CCS families will learn about the latest District information, hear about family resources from our community partners, provide feedback, and get answers to frequently asked questions.
Sessions air at 6:00 pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Then, the Columbus City School Board of Education meetings air on the first and third Tuesdays. Sessions are recorded and available to watch at your leisure. Some past topics have included mental health awareness, reading and literacy, and coping with stressors of busy holiday seasons.
Spruce Run Nature Center - Save the Date
Did you Know that Columbus City Schools (CCS) has a Nature Center? It does, at Spruce Run! Spruce Run will be hosting a free open house event Saturday, February 10 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Come to learn what is still happening when nature looks like it is asleep for the winter!
Spruce Run is located at 4175 Sunbury Rd, Galena OH 43021
For questions contact Heather Allen at hallen@columbus.k12.oh.us
Children's Coat and Shoe Give Away
In case your student missed the Northtowne distribution of coats and shoes or coats and shoes or coats and shoes for additional children in your family would be helpful, here is another opportunity. Items are first come, first served.
When: Saturday, January 13, 2024 11:00am-1:00pm
Where: PLM Program Site, 1500 Barnett Rd, Columbus OH 43227
For more information call 614-344-5018 ext.106
Especially for Families with 5th Graders - Free COSI Membership!
Are you a 5th Grade Parent? Get a FREE COSI Membership Today!
Give your family the gift of science learning with free year-round visits to COSI! Thanks to the generosity of the Robert Weiler Company, COSI is proud to offer a complimentary one-year COSI Membership to Columbus City Schools 5th Grade students and their families. This is an amazing opportunity for all families in our school district with a 5th grader in the house!
It’s simple! Sign up for your FREE membership: Visit cosi.org/CCS5 to fill out the application form.
COSI looks forward to welcoming you!
Summer Camps and Childcare - Start Your Plans Now!
It's hard to believe that in a few short months school will be over for the year and students will be exploring summer camp options throughout the city. Many of the larger camp programs begin registration very early. Below you will find a short list of locations registering for camp programs in the upcoming weeks.
Columbus Recreation and Parks - February 27, 2024 @ 6pm
Registration for outdoor recreation camps will take place online and in-person at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 for Columbus residents and 7 p.m. for those in neighboring areas. Enrollment for all other camps will be held online and in-person at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 for Columbus residents and 7 p.m. for others. https://columbusrecparks.com/community/summer-camps/
Franklin Park Conservatory- Register by age January 9, 10, and 11 @ 11am
Online sign-ups for members will begin early next week. Dates and times are scheduled for different age groups. Member registrations will be held:
- 11 a.m. Jan. 9 — Ages 3 to 4 (half-day)
- 11 a.m. Jan. 10 — Ages 5 to 6 (full-day)
- 11 a.m. Jan. 11 — Ages 7 to 8 (full-day)
Please be aware that Franklin Park will be using a virtual waiting room for the member registration process during high-demand web-traffic periods to ensure smooth, orderly registration.
Non-member registration will open at 11 a.m. Jan. 15. https://www.fpconservatory.org/education-programs/camps/
YMCA - February 1, 2024 @ 7am
Online registration for YMCA day camps opens at 7 a.m. Feb. 1 at ymcacolumbus.org/school-age/daycamp.
Looking for more options?
Returning for another year is the CCS Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair!
Date: February 10, 2024
Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch in the Reading Room on the 2nd floor (96 S. Grant AVE)
with over 50+ community partners offering
- Summer Camps/ Programs
- Summer Internships
- Summer Employment
- Family Workshops
More information, including a user friendly digital camp guide will be available soon. Stay Tuned!
Northtowne News Past Issues are Still Available
Did you delete a Northtowne News email and then realize there was a resource you still wanted to check out? Do you remember seeing a newsletter announcement about a community resource but now you can't remember the name of the organization and you can't find the email from the newsletter? Don't worry! The information you need is not lost! All prior Newsletters and mid-month updates are available on the Northtowne Elementary web site. The button below will take you directly to the newsletter archive.
Grateful for Family Involvement
Thank you so much for your support and involvement with your child’s learning. Whether it’s conferences, attending the family meetings, or a quick chat throughout the day, we appreciate your involvement and efforts to build the lines of communication between home and school.
Lots of school communication and information is in the Parent Portal. If you need help accessing the Parent Portal please contact our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman. She can even link families to interpreters (Bilingual Engagement Liaisons or BEL) to help with understanding the Parent Portal set up process. Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or you can call or text: 614-859-9654Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter.
Send a note to let us know what you thought, make suggestions or ask a question. We would love to hear from you. Please send a note to your child’s teacher or send a message.
Contributors:
Austin Taylor, Principal
Phone: 614-365-5488
Fax: 614-365-5487
Email: ataylor4@columbus.k12.oh.us
Sarah Bowman, Family Ambassador
614-859-9654
Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us
Susan Bryant, Building Coach
614-365-5488
Email: sbryant9569@columbus.k12.oh.us
Frank Beickelman, Grant Provider
614-365-5488