Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year!!!

I am very excited for a new school year and believe it is a collaborative effort to lead your children, our students, toward success. We are a team, and I look forward to working side by side with all of you.

This year, our theme is "Planting Ideas and Growing Our Minds" and we are centered around the vision of setting high expectations for all students.

We are on year 2 of changing our approach to literacy based on our training in the Science of Reading. Each class will have a 120-minute literacy block encompassing the five pillars of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension) and writing. With explicit and systematic instruction in these areas, we hope to see students flourish in learning to read and comprehend text. We have seen some GREAT results from last year and know we will continue to see the same type of results this school year.

At home, you can support your child's reading skills by reading with them or asking questions about their reading. Please help us to stress the importance of school and opportunity to learn. Attendance is vital to this success.

I have linked a great article about how our brains learn to read below. It is worth the read!

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to classroom teachers or myself at sleasure@eastnoble.net or (260) 347-1354.

Your partner in education,

Stephanie Leasure

Principal

Tuesday, August 6th - Open House, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 8th - First Student Day, school starts at 8 a.m.

Monday, August 12th - late start, school starts at 8:45 a.m.

Monday, August 12th - Beginning of year iReady benchmarking begins

Monday, August 12th - Parent Square invites being sent out to parents

Monday, August 19th - late start, school starts at 8:45 a.m.

Wednesday, August 21st - Board Meeting @ Rome City, 6 p.m.

Monday, August 26th - late start, school starts at 8:45 a.m.

Tuesday, August 27th - OUR FIRST WILDCAT PTO MEETING,5:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 29th - School Pictures

Monday, September 2nd - NO SCHOOL, Labor Day

Friday, September 6th - Grandparent's Day, more info to come

Tuesday, September 10th - Title I Family Reading Night, 5:30-7 p.m., more info to come

Thursday, September 12th - Fundraiser Kick-Off

School hours:

Mondays - 8:45-2:40, Doors open at 8:15 a.m.

Tuesday - Friday - 8:00 - 2:40, Doors open at 7:30 a.m.

*If you have not received car tags yet, please stop at the table during Open House or in the office after Tuesday to complete the necessary paperwork and receive the car tags.

*If you need to change the way your child(ren) go home for the day, please call our office by 1:30 p.m. to make those changes. This allows us the ample amount of time to relay the information to both the teacher and your child(ren).

*Please complete the volunteer paperwork and provide us with a copy of your driver's license if you wish to volunteer for events, help in the classroom or wish to attend field trips. You may pick one of these forms up in our office or at Open House.

Please don't hesitate to call us with any questions, (260) 347-1354.

Mrs. Hilterbrand and Miss Myers

We are excited to introduce our new school counselor, Mrs. Shayla Vance. She is looking forward to getting to know the students and working with you and them. Please take the time to stop and introduce yourself to Mrs. Vance at our Open House or in the morning car line.

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I am so excited to move into the role of Dean of Students. Please know that you can reach out to me about safety, attendance and anything else that I may assist you with. My e-mail is mhardin@eastnoble.net and the school number is (260) 347-1354.

Safety –

The safety of our students is our number one priority. We will conduct several drills to ensure that the staff and students are prepared in the event something should happen. We will practice fire, tornado, earthquake, shelter-in-place, lockdown, and relocation drills this school year. Each month, we are required by the state to conduct specific drills. We will send out a message to families to notify you of the week we will be conducting a drill. Our first fire drill will be the week of August 12th-16th.

Attendance –

Attendance is an important part of your child’s education. Being present at school each day and on time helps them achieve their full potential. We understand that students get sick and need to miss school on occasion, please remember to call them into school ill and ask for a doctor's note when taking them to the doctor. It is best to schedule appointments and vacations during our breaks throughout the school year.

Having your child at school on time is important as well. This provides structure and gives them the chance to eat breakfast at school with their peers and start class on time.

Due to new policies put into place by the state, we have updated our East Noble School Corporation attendance protocols. The new protocols are below. Please know that we want to work with you and together we can make this the best year possible for your child's attendance and education.

Hello ­­Wildcat­­­­ families 😊 I’m so excited to start seeing the kid’s faces in school again!!

A couple of things to keep in mind this upcoming school year:

• Parents, PLEASE send a change of clothes for your child to keep in their locker at school. Accidents happen, whether it’s urine, spilled milk or mud… it happens and your child is always more comfortable in their own clothes!!
• I have a closet with extra clothing just in case, but supplies are limited. If your child is growing out of their clothes and you don’t know what to do with them, I will gladly take used pants and underwear, size 6-14.
• Please, make sure your child(ren) are up to date on vaccines!! I will be making phone calls and sending home a letter if your child is not up to date on their vaccines. Our policy states that they must be up to date within the first 20 days of school. So please, make those appointments now!!! If you choose not to vaccinate for medical or religious reason, please contact me ASAP.
• Appointments can be made at the Noble County health department or by calling your pediatrician/ family physician.
• Noble County Health Department phone number (260) 636-2978
• Studies have proven that tired and hungry children are not able to perform at their highest abilities. To help your child adjust to going to school all week, please start getting them in the habit of going to bed early with 9 to 10 hours of sleep every night. And remember, a well-balanced breakfast will help your child start their day right! Breakfast is available at school every morning (except 2-hour delay days) and is FREE for all students this year!!! Help your child concentrate better by EATING A WELL-BALANCED BREAKFAST EVERY DAY!
• Attendance at school is so very important, but so is the health of our children. If your child is running a fever, vomiting or having diarrhea, please keep them home until they have been fever, vomiting and diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use medication. And remember to call their absence into the office (260) 347-1354.

The following is needed for MEDICATION to be given AT SCHOOL:

• A signed authorization form (this gives the school permission to give the medication). Please contact me if you need one.

• Prescription Medication is to be given by the instructions on the label. The Label must include the student's name, physician's name, dosage, and time to be given.
• Two times a day medication should be given at home, (in the morning before school and then after school or evening).
• Three times a day medication should be given at home (in the morning before school, after school, and at bedtime). Special arrangements can be made with the school if deemed necessary.
• Four times a day medication is given at lunchtime during school, unless otherwise specified by your physician. Measure out or count out the number of doses needed by the school, send only this amount in the prescription bottle and keep the rest at home for administration. This will minimize confusion for transportation of medication to school and back home.
• Any other times for medication should be specific on the medication label.
• Medication will only be administered as directed.
• Over the counter medication is to be given according to the recommendations of the manufacturer, unless we have a physician’s order stating otherwise.
• Check the label directions to see if it is appropriate for your student's age or weight.
• Send in the original container (preferably a small container)
• Medication in baggies or other containers is not allowed to be given.

If you have any questions concerning medication, please feel free to contact me 😊

Nurse Whitney

WE ARE SOOOOO EXCITED THAT OUR DISTRICT WAS APPROVED FOR ALL OF OUR PRESCHOOL-5TH GRADERS TO RECEIVE FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH THIS SCHOOL YEAR. We sure hope you take advantage of this! Please do your best to have your child to the school around 7:30-7:40 if they are eating breakfast so they have an ample amount of time to eat and still make it to class on time.

Please reach out if you ever have any questions.

Email: sleasure@eastnoble.net
Website: Home | North Side Elementary School (eastnoble.net)
Location: 302 Harding Street, Kendallville, IN, USA
Phone: (260) 347-1354
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NSElementary
Twitter: @NorthSideElem