Turkey Drive
NACS is dedicated to helping students thrive and increasing awareness about the significance of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the support required to provide stability and consistency for students experiencing homelessness across our school community. Please complete the questionnaire using the link below to receive a FREE TURKEY this Saturday at NACS starting at 10am!! Please be sure to enter your contact information correctly.
Looking Ahead:
- Thursday, 11/16, The Philadelphia Zoo- Behavioral Support Students
Tuesday, 11/21, Adventure Aquarium- Grade 2
Monday, 12/4, The Franklin Institute- Grade 3
Thursday, 12/7, Academy of Natural Science- Grade 6
Friday, 12/8, Constitution Center- Grade 8
Friday, 2/9, Please Touch Museum- Grade 1
Stay tuned for more trips in the coming weeks!
For PA Criminal Background checks (no charge): https://epatch.state.pa.us
For Child Abuse Clearance (no charge): https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis
For FBI fingerprinting (charge): https://uenroll.identogo.com or call #1-844-321-2101. The service code you will need is 1KG6Q9.
All 3 clearances must be obtained and are valid for 5 years.
REMINDERS:
ALL required documents must be submitted together at one time. We will not hold your documents until they are all complete and accounted for.
Copies of the required clearances must be printed and handed to the front school office or classroom teacher. We can not accept clearances forwarded to us via email. Thank you for your support of our program, safety as always is a priority for all our students and their families.
Clearances submitted within 48 hours of an impending trip will not be processed in time for that individual to chaperone that particular trip. While we encourage everyone to complete clearances, we cannot honor last-minute requests.
Reach out to Ms. Urbano for a step-by-step guide for completing your clearances, at curbano@northwoodcs.org.
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Cold and flu season is upon us. To prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please consider the following guidelines:
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
- Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
- Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
- Headache
- Stomach ache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
- Fever (greater than 100 degrees and your child may return to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently below 100 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
- Vomiting (even once)
- Diarrhea
- Chills
- General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness, or muscle aches
- Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:
- Wash hands frequently
- Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth
- Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away, and then wash hands
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until "fever-free" for a minimum of 24 hours. Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring it to school. Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on return to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.
As a school, we have our custodians and the nighttime cleaners disinfect surfaces, door knobs, and banisters on a daily basis. We are also ensuring that there is soap and hand sanitizer in all dispensers and encouraging everyone to remind students about the importance of hand washing.
Thank you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as possible.
GIRLS BASKETBALL UPDATES:
Important Announcements:
Physical forms are required for all players to be eligible for games. If your child does not have a physical form turned in, they will not be permitted to play in our games.
Uniform Policy: All players must have a signed uniform policy form. In order to receive a uniform, all players must turn in a $20 deposit. At the end of the season, the deposit will be returned once we receive the uniform back and in good condition. Questions? clanghorne@northwoodcs.org
Reminders:
Parent Code of Conduct: All families must sign and return the code of conduct form in order to attend our games. Northwood expects all spectators to show good sportsmanship to our players as well as the other teams. Please return these forms and the uniform deposit as soon as possible. Questions? clanghorne@northwoodcs.org
Spectator Update: This is a reminder that ALL students who would like to attend the basketball games must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. If a student is at the game without parental supervision they will be asked to leave.
We look forward to a fantastic season! Go Bulldogs!
Sunday, November 12th til Saturday, November 18th, is National Hunger Awareness Week, which is an annual event bringing people together across the country to draw attention to issues surrounding hunger and homelessness. NACS is dedicated to recognizing and increasing awareness about the significance of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the support required to provide stability and consistency for students experiencing homelessness across our school community.
To assist us in increasing awareness, NACS has partnered with Chosen 300, which is a non-profit organization on a mission to distribute meals and services to the homeless throughout the Philadelphia Region and around the world.
In honor of Hunger Awareness Week, we will be doing a Food Drive from Monday 11/13 until Friday 11/17. Each grade band will receive a flier and letters will be provided to parents/guardians with detailed information concerning this event.
Our hope is to collect a great amount of goods to donate to Chosen 300.
Questions? dominiqueharris@northwoodcs.org
Red Shirt Day, Friday, Nov. 17th:
To end "National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness" week, on Friday, Nov. 17th, we are turning our school red to bring awareness to education for children and youth experiencing homelessness!
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal act to ensure that homeless children and youth have access to free and appropriate public education.
According to the federal law, a child is considered homeless if they experience the following circumstances:
● Resides in a public or private shelter
● Resides in a place not designated for or ordinarily used for sleeping or living accommodation (vehicles, campers, motels).
● Resides with their family in a residence with other relatives or friends due to a lack of housing (doubling up).
● Is a runaway
● Is a child of migrant workers who lack adequate housing
● Has been abandoned
● Is considered an “unaccompanied youth”- teens living with friends or relatives who do not have guardianship of the student.
Our school social worker, Mrs. Harris, is equipped and committed to supporting Students experiencing homelessness to ensure that they have access to their education at Northwood Academy. Contact our school social worker directly via email to discuss options for support.
NACS COAT DRIVE: Monday, 11/13- Friday, 12/8
While it’s been a rather mild fall, winter temps are surely upon us. We are seeking gently used, clean gloves and winter coats of all sizes to keep internally for Northwood students in need.
Students can bring gloves and winter coat donations to school Monday, 11/13- Friday, 12/8. Again, donations will be stored in our school building for Northwood families in need.
While participation is appreciated, it is not mandatory.
Questions? Email Curbano@northwoodcs.org
REMIND APP SIGN-UP
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!
- Go to remind.com/join/nacsnews (or download the free iOS or Android app)
- Click Sign Up
- Provide a full name, email address, and password
- Choose your role
- 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/
NORTHWOOD PARENT ASSOCIATION:
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!
Tacony Creek Park Keepers Friendsgiving
Tacony Creek Park Keepers Friendsgiving
Thursday, November 16 from 6-8 pm
Panasian Buffet: 829a Adams Ave, Philadelphia 19124
Join your fellow TCP Keepers for a FREE Friendsgiving dinner get-together. Celebrate your incredible Tacony Creek Park efforts this year. Enjoy dinner & giveaways. Free parking is available on-site. The gathering is set in a reserved private room.
Comparta con sus compañeros TCP Keepers para una reunión GRATIS de Friendsgiving. Celebre sus increíbles esfuerzos en el Parque Tacony Creek este año. Disfrute de cena y obsequios. Estacionamiento disponible gratis. La reunión será en un cuarto privado reservado.
What is Safe2Say Something?
Here’s how it works:
- Submit an anonymous tip report through the Safe2SaySomething system
- The crisis center reviews and processes all submissions
- The crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
- If needed, the crisis center may contact the tipster anonymously through the app
Safe2Say Something PA:
Submit an anonymous tip here.
FAMILIES IN TRANSITION: NORTHWOOD IS HERE TO HELP
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.
Connect with Northwood
Website: northwoodcs.org
Location: 4621 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 289-5606
Facebook: facebook.com/Northwood-Academy-Charter-School-153041454730750/
Twitter: @northwoodcs