Northwoods News

Disclaimer: You are receiving this newsletter because you have a student(s) enrolled at Northwoods Elementary for the 2024-25 school year. If you have moved or have accepted a seat at a private or charter school, please let our Data Manager know immediately at chartzell@wcpss.net.

Northwoods Families,

The start of the 2024-25 school year is just a couple of weeks away! Try as we may extend the summer fun, the unmistakable signs and promise of a new start abound. I love the start to each new school year, and I hope you and your families are equally excited! Please take a few minutes to read through the information and reminders below.

Within this newsletter you will find information that is separated into four main categories:

1. Kindergarten Information--Please read if you have a rising kindergarten student.
2. Grades 1-5 Information--Please read if you have a child(ren) in grades 1-5.
3. General School Information--Information that everyone should read.
4. PTA Information--The Spirit Wear store is officially open! Orders are due by September 23rd. Don't miss your chance to get some Northwoods apparel.

Additionally, please mark your calendars for the following events:

Upcoming Events:

• Saturday, August 17th--Campus Beautification Day
• Wednesday, August 21st--Class Lists for Grades 1-5 Posted
• Thursday, August 22nd--Teachers Will Send Welcome Emails
• Friday, August 23th--Meet the Teacher for Grades 1-5
• Tuesday, August 27th--First Day of School!!
• Tuesday, August 27th--Kindergarten Staggered Entry (for select students)
• Wednesday, August 28th--Kindergarten Staggered Entry (for select students)
• Thursday, August 29th--Kindergarten Class Lists Posted
• Friday, August 30th--Kindergarten Meet the Teacher
• Monday, September 2nd--Labor Day

Respectfully,

Joe Nixon, Principal

Kindergarten Staggered Entry:

All kindergarten students will participate in staggered entry. This means they will only attend school on one day during the first week of school between August 27th and August 30th. Your child's assigned date for staggered entry was included in a staggered entry information letter, which was mailed out last week. If you did not receive a letter, please contact the school and we will help identify your child's assigned date.

Kindergarten Class Lists:

Class lists for Kindergarten will not be finalized until we have completed Staggered Entry. Lists will be posted near the front office doors by 12:00 PM on Thursday, August 29th. As a gentle reminder, I do not accept parent requests for specific teachers.

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher:

Our Meet the Teacher event for kindergarten students and families will be held on Thursday, August 30th from 10:00 - 10:45 AM. Please bring your child's school supplies during Meet the Teacher.

Vaccination/Health Forms:

Per state law, we are required to collect vaccination records and student health forms for each kindergarten student. Student vaccine records and health forms are due no later than the first day of school. Forms may be scanned and emailed to Crystal Hartzell at chartzell@wcpss.net, or they can be dropped off directly at the school.

Class Lists:

1st-5th grade class lists will be finalized by Wednesday, August 21st and lists will be posted near the front doors of the school and at the bus loop doors by 12:00 PM on the 21st. Families may park and review the lists at that time. Be advised: I do not accept requests for specific teachers. Once published, class lists are considered final and I will not accept requests for changes. Classroom teachers will send a welcome email to each family on his/her classroom roster on August 22nd.

1st-5th Grade Meet the Teacher:

Open House/Meet the Teacher for students in 1st-5th grade will be held on Friday, August 23rd. Times are listed below.

• 9:30 - 10:15 AM--Last Names A-L

• 10:45 - 11:30AM --Last Names M-Z

School Supplies:

Supply lists for the 2024-25 school year are posted below. Student supplies should be brought to school during your family's designated Meet the Teacher date/time.

2024-25 Transportation Updates:

Bus routes for traditional calendar students will be posted online (https://www.wcpss.net/Page/174) on August 16th. Once posted, families should confirm the location of their student’s bus stop. Bus stops change each year based on actual ridership.

New Students to WCPSS:

Immunizations & Health Assessments are due no later than August 27, 2024. Please submit copies of both documents to our data manager, Crystal Hartzell.

• Health Assessments: State law requires that every child entering public schools in N.C. complete a N.C. Health Assessment due on or before the child's first day of attendance. If the school hasn't received the completed health assessment by the 30th calendar day of school, the principal is required by law to exclude the child from school on the 31st day until the document is submitted.

• Immunizations: North Carolina General Statutes (G.S. 130A-155) require that a parent or guardian of any child enrolled in public schools must present proof of immunizations. Do not depend upon school records to arrive from another school system since records may arrive late or with incomplete medical information. If the school hasn't received an immunizations report by the 30th calendar day of school, the principal is required by law to exclude the child from school on the 31st day until records are submitted.

Existing WCPSS Students:

If you have already submitted these documents to a WCPSS school, you do not need to resubmit at this time. However, if your child has received new immunizations since submitting your documents, providing an updated copy of those immunizations is encouraged.

2024-25 School Meal Prices:

Meal prices for the 2024-25 school are noted below. If your family is in need of meal assistance, I strongly encourage you to complete and submit an application for Free/Reduced Cost Meals. Applications will be mailed out to all WCPSS families in the coming weeks and will also be available during our Meet the Teacher event at the start of the year.

• Breakfast Cost--$1.75
• Lunch Cost--$3.50

Pre-Pay for Meals Online:

The easiest way to pay for school meals is to create an online account at www.MySchoolBucks.com. Please remember, you will need your child's student ID number to register. Once registered, parents may load money, set spending limits, and set-up auto-loading so that your child never runs out of lunch money.

Free/Reduced Price Meal Application:

Families in need of meal assistance must reapply every school year if they are interested in receiving meal benefits. Applications may be submitted online at https://www.wcpss.net/Page/1849. Paper copies are also available at the school.

Student Medications:

Please remember that students cannot receive medication (prescription or over-the-counter) at school without a signed 1702 form. The 1702 form is linked below and must be signed by a licensed medical doctor before being submitted to the school.

• Form 1702--Parent's Request and Physician's Order Form for Medication

All prescription medication must be in original packaging with a pharmacy label. OTC medications must be in the original packaging and labeled with the student's name. Medications may be dropped off at school at our Meet the Teacher event in August.

Before & After-School Care Options:

Before and after-school care will be available for students onsite at Northwoods for the 24-25 school year. The before-school program will be managed by Northwoods staff as it has been in the past. The after-school care program will be managed onsite by the Taylor Family YMCA. Applications and registration information for the before and after-school care programs can be found on our website at: https://www.wcpss.net/domain/11295.

Carpool Tags:

Families that were issued carpool tags last year may continue to use those same numbers. New backpack tags for carpool riders will be issued and affixed to student backpacks on the first day of school. If you need replacement placards for your vehicles, you may request them during our Meet the Teacher Event. New families who will be utilizing carpool as their main transportation method may also request a carpool number during Meet the Teacher.

NES Parent/Student Handbook:

Our parent/student handbook (linked below) contains a list of our school-based policies and procedures. Please take several minutes to thoroughly read through the handbook to ensure that you are knowledgeable about our established policies.

Save the Date--Campus Clean-Up:

We need your help! Please join us for our fall Campus Clean-Up event on Saturday, August 17th from 9:00AM - 12:00 PM. We need volunteers to help stain picnic tables, pull weeds, etc. Please consider donating some of your time so that our campus can look its best for the first day of school on August 27th. Please use the link below to sign-up In the event of rain, we will move the event to August 24th.

• Campus Clean-up Volunteer Sign-Up

Northwoods Spirit Wear:

The Northwoods Spirit Wear store opens on September 9th and will remain open until September 23rd. Click the button below to view and order items. Shipping to the school is free! This is the only time this fall that the spirit wear store will be available, so don't miss your chance to order!