Hello Northlake,

I hope this message finds you well and soaking up what may be the end of our warm summer days. I have been enjoying some extra time at the pool this weekend, thinking it may be my last opportunity.

I also spent some time at the Richardson Family YMCA, riding the bike. As most of you know, I had a knee replacement last January and a big part of my rehab has been riding the bike. What you may not know is that I set a goal for myself last February, which is to earn a spot on one of the banners hanging up for the most workouts at the Y. I found out this past week, that I met my goal. It was such fun surprise to be cheered on by the sweet staff members that have followed my rehab journey! I'm not done yet, I'm hoping to get several more visits in by the end of the year and make it to another bracket by January. I'll keep y'all posted!

We were supposed to have the NED show visit on Friday, however this was cancelled due to the presenter being ill. Ms. Sorensen has rescheduled the NED show for later in October. If you have already sent money for a yo-yo, we will keep it locked up in the safe and we will have yo-yo sales after the NED show. If you haven't sent money yet, please hold off! I'll send a message with the new date and details about the yo-yo sales in a couple weeks.

Parents, please help us by ensuring that you're kiddo's are getting a good nights sleep and getting to school on time. School starts at 7:50, which means we need students here by 7:45, ready for instruction to start at 7:50. We have been writing several tardy passes over the past few weeks. Some mornings, we write over 40 tardy passes. Please be sure your kids are at school, ready for learning by 7:45 each morning!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead,

Ms. Kellagher

Ms. Sorensen continues to host B.U.G. lunches each Friday and I think she would tell you, it's the highlight of her week! It's so fun to get some time to visit with our kids during lunch and to recognize them for Being Unbelievably Good!

Our annual Northlake Carnival is just around the corner! We met last week to go over all the details and it's going to be a great event. We are moving the carnival back to the playground this year. This is one of our biggest fund raisers and an amazing community event. Please plan on volunteering in some capacity (set up, working a booth or station, ticket sales, clean up). We will also need several cakes donated for the cake walk. It takes a team effort to pull off a successful carnival and our PTA does a great job each year. A sign up genius will be coming out soon, but I wanted to put this date on your radar.

We are so happy to let you know that Mr. and Mrs. Turner welcomed sweet baby Henry to world this past week. Mom and baby are doing great.

Mrs. Richards will be substituting in 2nd grade while Mrs. Turner is out. She is a wonderful teacher and is excited to work with the kiddo's and the second grade team.

You guys have been doing a great job in the carpool line. We really appreciate your patience as we work to get all the kiddo's in and out of school safely and in a timely manner. Here are a few reminders:

• Please stay in your car at all times. Do not park in the carpool line.
• We will help get younger children in and out of their cars.
• Pre K/ECSE/SDC pick up begins at 3:00. If you have older students and are in the pick-up line too early, we will send you around to get in the carpool line at 3:10. Kindergarten - 5th grade car riders are dismissed at 3:10.
• There is no left hand turn on Ravensway at the end of the carpool line.
• There is no left hand turn on Church from Ravensway.

Parents are welcome to bring a small birthday treat to celebrate their child's birthday. Here are a few reminders:

• Treats must be store bought or baked (cupcakes and cookies are best). We ask for store bought so teachers can see the ingredients listed in order to be mindful of any allergies students may have.
• We do not pass out drinks, party bags or balloons.
• Parents may drop treats off in the main office and we will get them to the classroom.
• We will not call students out of class to come to the office for pictures with their treats.
• Teachers will pass treats out at the end of the day.

Please be sure to sign up for your Parent Focus Account. This will give you access to all kinds of important student information. Most importantly, you will have access to your child's grades. We will not send a home paper copy of your child's report card. So, please be sure to sign up for an account soon!

The district has updated the Elementary Dress Code. Please be sure your students are dressed appropriately for school each day. Please let me know if you have any questions.

We will are ready for lunch visitors! Please be sure to read through the following rules in order to keep the cafeteria running smooth and safe.

• No siblings, due to limited space on the stage.
• You may eat with your child only.
• Please do not take any pictures while visiting for lunch.
• When you are finished with lunch, please check out through the main office. Parents may not go back to class with their children to visit.

The school day is from 7:50-3:10

• The building opens at 7:30.

• Breakfast is served in the classroom from 7:30-7:50.

• Your child is tardy at 7:51 and will receive a tardy pass to get to class.

• Your child is late for school after 8:05 and a parent will need to sign them in at the office.

• If your child arrives to school after 9:00 AM they are counted absent for the day.

• If your child is absent for any reason, please be sure to send a note to school on the day your child returns, letting us know the reason for the absence. Any excuse notes must be received within 3 days of returning to school in order to receive an excused absence.

If you have any questions regarding attendance, please email our Student Data Specialist, Mrs. Logan at pam.logan@risd.org.

If you would like to volunteer at Northlake Elementary, you must complete a volunteer background check EVERY new school year. Volunteering could include helping with class parties, attending field trips with your children, working in the library, helping at Field Day, or many other activities. We will not allow anyone who has not completed and passed the volunteer background check to volunteer. Please click on the link below to complete the background check. You MUST also watch the very short powerpoint at the end to complete the entire background check. Failure to watch the powerpoint will make your application incomplete and you will not be able to volunteer.

We are so fortunate to have a wonderful PTA. They have been working so hard already this year! PTA has helped with school supplies, spirit wear, Back to School Night, Reflections, etc. Our Garden Committee is planning Phase II of our NLE Garden and the Carnival Committee is planning for our annual NLE Fall Carnival later this month. Please be sure to check out their website for different ways you can help out. You can also reach out to Amanda Hinders at Preseident@NorthlakePTA.com for more information about PTA.

We need your help! We are working hard to grow our PTA membership. It costs $10 to join PTA and there is no time commitment needed. We always need volunteers at PTA school events such as Carnival, Multi-Cultural Night and Buddy Fun Day. But, we are flexible and you can work as much or as little as your schedule allows.

You can find more information out about our PTA on their website. Thanks in advance for supporting our school!

Parents must apply for their child/children to receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch. Last year everyone received free school breakfast but this year families must apply to receive free or reduced breakfast. The application must be completed as soon as possible to ensure that there is no interruption to their meal service. This application needs to be filled out every year. Please click on the picture or link below to get to the lunch application.

Students are welcome to pack a nutritious lunch from home or a lunch may be purchased in the school cafeteria. If your child happens to forget their lunch from home, please drop it off in the front office by 10:30 AM. This will ensure that the lunch will reach your child by their lunch time. Please refer to the RISD Child Nutrition website for menus, pricing and payment options.

In the interest of safety & security, every visitor to a Richardson ISD campus must present a valid form of identification and be processed through the Raptor background check system each visit, regardless of previous checks. Please be sure that you have your valid identification with you every time you visit Northlake Elementary. Thank you for your patience and understanding as RISD works to ensure the safety of students and employees. Volunteer questions may be directed to the office of Strategy & Engagement.

Additionally, the front office staff will use the intercom system to ask visitors to identify themselves and the purpose of their visit before granting access to the office. This is part of our heightened security measures. Please be cooperative and patient as we all get used to these new measures. As you enter the building, please do not allow others to enter with you or to follow you through the doors as you enter or leave. Everyone who enters should ring the buzzer and speak to someone in the office before entering the school building.

September 27 - Doughnuts with Grown-ups - 7:15 AM on the playground

October 10 - Elementary Night at the LHHS football game

October 10 - End of the first quarter

October 11 - No School

October 14 - No School - Fair Day

October 17 - NLE Carnival 5:00-7:00

October 23 - Early Release Day

October 28 - Paw Prints - 6:00