Shooting Star Scoop: November

Monday, November 4: October Healthy Futures Logs are due!

Thursday, November 7: Mrs. D's Book Mobile visits NNS!

Monday, November 11: Veterans Day Celebration at 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, November 12: Girl Scouts at 3:45 p.m.

Friday, November 15: Early Release Day-Dismissal begins at 1:55 p.m.-Primary & 1:57 p.m.

Wednesday, November 20: NNS Site Council Meeting, 3:45-4:30 p.m., NNS Library

Monday, November 25: NNS 3rd-5th Intramural Cross Country Ski season begins

Tuesday, November 26: Girls Scouts at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, November 28 & Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving Break; No School

Families are encouraged to visit: https://kpbsd.org/communications/surveys/ and complete a variety of surveys that exist. Your input is greatly appreciated and supports the growth of our team.

NNS has been talking about learning-A lot! During lunch, Mrs. Fabian is spending time celebrating student growth across all grade levels in math, reading, and other subject areas. Students look forward to hearing their name recognized when goals are met, congratulating their peers, and making a plan for the following week.

iReady

Our school is using i-Ready MyPath to supplement high-quality, direct instruction from our teachers. This adaptive program provides brief, targeted lessons in reading and math, tailored to each student’s needs and requiring minimal daily screen time. MyPath helps reinforce skills while keeping students engaged and learning at their own pace.

BOOST

BOOST Reading is used to supplement high-quality literacy instruction students receive from their teachers. BOOST Reading uses assessment data to tailor reading support through brief, targeted lessons based on where each student is in their reading journey.

After evaluating the resources and funding that we currently have available to us as a school community, NNS cancelled swim/water safety lessons for the 2024-2025 school year. This year, we are excited to partner with our PTO and a wide array of community organizations to bring a variety of enriching programs into our school building. This year, we are focusing on hands-on learning experiences, inviting experts into our school to engage students with interactive, real-world activities that inspire curiosity and build valuable skills. Additionally, we are prioritizing improvements to our playground to enhance outdoor learning and playtime. These opportunities are designed to provide meaningful, memorable experiences for all students, and we cannot wait to see the positive impact on our school community! Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to expand our students' educational journey.

NNS is comprised of dedicated staff, who choose to commute from a variety of areas, committed to fostering an enriching educational experience. Is there an NNS Staff Member that you would like to send a shoutout to? Please complete this form to generate a thank you message to a staff member of your choice. You can complete the form for as many staff as you would like and the messages will be hand delivered to our staff.

Shooting Star Shoutout: https://forms.gle/ZGdCt5qMaSMhZXFt5

A big thank you to all of our families that were able to attend conferences via in-person or phone. We truly appreciate your partnership! If you missed conferences, please reach out to your child’s teacher or give our office a call so that a time can be scheduled. A big thank you to Title I for providing $5 coupons for use at the Book Fair! Lots of smiling faces as students left the building with brand new books to read!

Numerous attendees mentioned that this was the best carnival, yet! A big thank you to our fantastic PTO for all their behind-the-scenes efforts and to our dedicated NNS staff, volunteers, and community partners who contributed to the success of this event! Big appreciation to everyone involved in making the carnival happen—from set-up to clean-up, sponsorship, and all the details in between—THANK YOU!

NNS receives federal funds through Title I. For the 2024-2025 school year, NNS will operate a schoolwide program model (K through 5th grade) based on our school’s needs. Yearly, we benefit from a Federal Grant that supplies additional resources and teaching allocations to provide services that support our school’s needs. Successful attainment of these grant monies is based solely on families filling out the electronic KPBSD Student Program Form at http://mealapp.kpbsd.org/. Not only do we benefit with Title I, we also increase our E-Rate percentage. This means that we see a reduction in the costs for electronic services such as internet access. Parents/guardians are encouraged to fill out the form and return it to the school or the district. We benefit whether you include your income information or not.

This Monthly Newsletter continues our series of tips for supporting reading skills at home, provided by the What Works Clearinghouse. The tips support literacy skills of all ages. Did you know that children who read 20 minutes a day/5 days a week are exposed to 1.8 million words in one school year?

Strategy Two: Help children learn how to break sentences into words and syllables.

Please remember to pack their JACKET, GLOVES, HAT, BOOTS AND SNOW PANTS.

If you need assistance with winter gear, please contact the school nurse and we will try our best to meet your needs.

***Please remember to write your student's name on all their gear. Items get lost everyday and having their name on their gear helps us find it's owner.

Thank you for ensuring that your child and the office knows what their normal end of the day plan will be. NNS will use this as the default plan if there is any question. If you have a change in plans, please provide a written note or call our office at 776-2600 so we can document the change. Note: Our office does not answer the phone after 3:10 p.m. as they are involved in dismissal procedures. In the event of an appointment or other obligation after school, it is advised that parents sign their student out at the office before 3:00 p.m.

Nikiski North Star uses Bloomz as a primary source of information. Stay updated with all things NNS! We are also active on Facebook and our website at https://kpbsd.org/schools/nikiski-north-star/. In addition, KPBSD also has a Facebook page and a free KPBSD app which provides you with District and school notifications.

Do you have the time and interest to be a substitute for the Shooting Stars? No pressure: You choose when you say, “Yes, I can work!” Substitutes choose the classes, grade levels, and positions they would like. Receive one day of paid, “on-the-job training” before you begin subbing. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/departments.aspx?id=21717

The Nikiski North Star PTO is a Parent/Teacher Committee focused on providing educational resources and enrichment for our children. FROM Nikiski FOR Nikiski.

• Support our school by ordering NNS apparel today! Order your new apparel via the Walden Bros website.
  
• Facebook: “Nikiski North Star PTO“
  

• Address: 45600 Holt Lamplight Rd Kenai, AK 99611

• Phone: (907) 776-2600
• Fax: (907) 776-8423
• Website: https://kpbsd.org/schools/nikiski-north-star/

• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/NikiskiNorthStarElementary
• Previous School Newsletter Editions: https://kpbsd.org/schools/nikiski-north-star/communications/newsletters/