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December Extras
There are many opportunities listed. Check them all out!
Winter Break is Coming
A reminder to our families that Winter Break begins with a 30 minute early release from school this Tuesday, December 19. Please have your student picked up from the school no later than 3:00pm. There will be no after school meetings or tutoring sessions.
Winter Break will run from December 20th through January 2nd. We look forward to seeing our Northtowne students back in the classroom on Wednesday, January 3rd.
2nd Annual Gingerbread House Event a Success!
Thank you to all of our families who came out to build gingerbread houses! It was fun to see so much creativity. The building process didn't always go according to plan but our families adapted and communicated while still creating some pretty great houses. Enjoy a selection of photos from the event below.
Click on any photo in the newsletters to enlarge them for a better view.
The Wedding of Letters Q and U
One of the fun traditions at Northtowne is the wedding of Q and U. Each year our students in the pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st grade classes participate in this fun activity to highlight the special relationship of Q and U in the English language. Mrs. Easly officiated the ceremony and students enjoyed a short reception with cake and dancing. We wish letters Q and U the very best!
News of the House Competitions Returns!
You may recall that this year classrooms have been divided into houses for the purpose of friendly competitions. This is meant to get students encouraging each other to put in the effort to meet various educational goals. For each competition multiple houses can earn the reward as long as the students in the house reach the goal.
For the months of November and December the House Competition focus was on iReady lesson completion. We have great news! ALL of our houses completed the iReady lessons required, throughout last month and this month, to earn the reward. Way to go Northtowne students!! Weather permitting students will have an extra recess period before the winter break.
Northtowne Spirt Wear!
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)
Dental Clinic at Northtowne Elementary
Nurse Cassie would like families to know 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
CCS Winter Reading Challenge
The Columbus City Schools (CCS) Winter Reading Challenge returns! The Literacy team will be hosting its second annual Scholastic LitPro Winter Reading Challenge beginning December 20th and running until January 2nd. Students can access Scholastic Literacy Pro through their Clever account using the Scholastic app. The challenge is open to students, K-8.
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!
Families with Pre-K Students - Franklin Park Conservatory Free Admission Evening
Calling all Pre - K families! Please join the CCS Department of Early Childhood Education in a FREE and fun filled evening at Franklin Park Conservatory Friday, January 5, 2024 from 6-7pm.
This event will include:
- Books & learning resources or kits for families to take home
- Scavenger Hunts and prizes
- Families may receive some giveaways
Again, this event is FREE and includes admission to Franklin Park Conservatory.
Utility Assistance
The cold winter months can be hard for our CCS families that struggle with paying heating bills. The attachment below includes a list of community programs that provide utility assistance. Each resource includes a link and brief description of the program or assistance provided.
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