Northridge Elementary Weekly Blast

November Dates:

20 - PTO General Assembly (all are welcome)

25 - 29 Thanksgiving Break

December Dates:

4 - PTO Executive Board Meeting
6 - Holiday Shop
13 - Breakfast with Buddies

18- SAC Meeting - This is a change of date
19 - DAC Meeting (Wilcox Board Room)

Please check in at the front office with Campus Security, Kirk Kelsey, and remember to wear your visitor sticker throughout your visit. Thank you for helping keep our school safe!

Congratulations to Mrs. S. Dinkel for winning a $400.00 Opportunity Grant for manipulatives in mathematics. We appreciate all you do for our students at NRE

Link for Volunteers for Holiday Shop: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844AFAD2EA3F8C61-53256177-holiday

Veterans Day Celebration Breakfast

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Veterans Day Celebration Breakfast! What a wonderful morning of appreciation and honor for our loved ones who have served our country. Thank you to our 5th graders who performed, our Scouts who presented the flags, all the volunteers who worked hard to make this happen, and of course to our beloved US Military Veterans!

Upcoming Events

Winter Coat/Boot Drive

Northridge is hosting a coat drive and swap! Donate old winter items and pick up something new to you in the front lobby through December 6th! All left over items will be donated to a nonprofit in need! Let’s keep our community warm this winter!

PTO General Assembly Meeting: November 20th 8:45am – 10:15 am

ALL are invited to attend the next PTO General Assembly Meeting in the NRE Library. Learn about PTO and how we support our school community. Bring a friend! Free snacks!

Holiday Shop: Friday, December 6

The PTO Holiday Shop is a fun event for kids during the school day where they get to shop for small gifts for their family/friends. Some items that will be available include: jewelry, keychains, mugs, cookies, magnets, ornaments, soaps, dog collars, and so much more! The shop will also be open after school from 3:30-4:30 for families to shop. This event is a wonderful NRE tradition!

To make this special event happen, PTO is in need of many volunteers. There are a variety of opportunities available to help, please see the signup genius to find something you are interested in doing. Little ones are always welcome to join you when volunteering.

PTO will be providing “Dash Cash” to students who wouldn’t otherwise have the funds to shop. If your child could benefit from this, please reach out to PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com. If you would like to donate to PTO to help provide “Dash Cash”, please log into MySchoolBucks and make a donation to PTO.

Breakfast with Buddies - Friday, December 13th 7:45-8:30am

As an expression of gratitude for everything the NRE community does to support PTO, we’re excited to invite ALL families and staff to our special Breakfast with Buddies event on Friday, December 13th! Let’s celebrate our amazing community with a delicious breakfast and quality time together. Bring your appetite and your smiles, and let’s make this morning a memorable one! We can’t wait to see you there! Please click here to RSVP by Friday, December 6.

Ongoing Impact: Year - Round Fundraisers

Pride Rock

Paint the Rock to recognize birthdays or other special occasions for $20.

• To make a reservation, you must FIRST signup here

• Submit $20 through MySchoolBucks or by check. Happy painting!

• Pride Rock Painting Service - For an extra fee, PTO will find a volunteer to paint Pride Rock for you on the day(s) you have it reserved! If this service would be helpful to you or your family, please book Pride Rock and then send an email to PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com to inquire about volunteer availability for the rock painting service.

Restaurant Nights - Add to your calendar!

• The Basketball Social House - November 22 - Donating 10% to NRE PTO

• The 3v3 courts will be open for NRE families from 3:00-10:00pm. Come out for a fun family Friday evening!

• Red Robin - December 18

• Stop in for lunch, happy hour or dinner and a portion comes back to NRE PTO.

• 63 W Centennial BLVD, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Volunteer Opportunities

• Paint the Rock - Some families have expressed interest in paying an additional fee to have some help to paint the rock on days they reserve it. PTO is seeking volunteers to provide this rock painting service on various days throughout the year. Funds collected through this extra fee will help support NRE PTO. If you are interested in helping with this, please reach out to PTOtreasurerNRE@gmail.com.

• There are several volunteer opportunities available for the Holiday Shop! Please sign-up here to help!

Our December SAC meeting has been rescheduled for 12/18. We will offer an in-person and a Zoom option. We hope you can join us.

Hello NRE Families,

What a week of contrasts—two snow days last week and warm weather this week. Got to love Colorado! It was especially exciting to see many of our students experience snow for the first time.

On Monday, we celebrated Veterans Day, and I want to thank everyone who attended and supported this meaningful event. It was a beautiful tribute to those who have served, are serving, and those we've lost. Our 5th graders amazed us with their heartfelt singing, and the Scouts did an incredible job presenting the flags. A special shout-out to Ashlie Reynoso from our PTO for her leadership in organizing this event, even with last-minute snow adjustments and Ally Berguetski for being our master of ceremonies.

Speaking of community spirit, a huge thank you to the nearly 50 volunteers who came in on Sunday (yes, during the Broncos game!) to help set up. Your dedication is what makes NRE such a special place. I'm grateful for you all.

This week, I was reminded again of the magic of relationships in education. A student excitedly shared about his new hedgehog, Ember. After asking his mom for a picture (see below), I learned that Jonny has dreamed of becoming a veterinarian since he could talk and has always been fascinated by hedgehogs. These moments matter—they build trust, confidence, and a sense of belonging for our kids.

As adults, we all value having someone in our corner who listens and cares. Let’s continue to foster those connections within our community, celebrating the little things that bring joy—like hedgehogs named Ember!

On a personal note, this weekend marks a big football showdown. Whether you're a Broncos, Bills, or Chiefs fan, I hope you enjoy the game. I’m heading to Buffalo with Mara Howell, our GT Facilitator, to cheer on the Bills and (hopefully!) end Kansas City’s perfect record. It’s all in good fun, of course, and something we’ve been playfully debating for months.

Here’s to a wonderful weekend of connection, joy, and maybe even a little football.

Sincerely,

Katie Lynch

P.S. Meet Ember, Jonny’s adorable hedgehog! 🦔

....

Thank you all for celebrating our One Book One District book this year! Whale Fall, by Melissa Stewart. Hope you and your kids had a great week! We learned a lot about whale falls and brought in a lot of toiletries for families in need right here in Highlands Ranch. Thank you to everyone who participated and donated!

Thank you also to our NRE Student Council who organized and promoted our Spirit Week!

If you are interested in reading our One Book One District book, but English might not be your first language, we have some translations that might help! Our own Ms. Lien translated the Chinese version!

Whale Fall, by Melissa Stewart

Translated Readings

• Spanish

• Russian

• Chinese

• English with subtitles

DCSD is incredibly thankful to the voters of Douglas County for understanding our need to care for our buildings, and provide our students and staff with comfortable learning environments.

Thank you to our employees - the school and district leaders, and teachers and staff members - for the countless hours spent volunteering to spread the word about 5A. We have especially loved seeing the thank you videos being submitted by our principals. Watch the Thank You videos here.

Funding from the bond will:

• Update and equip aging schools and facilities.

• Create additional Career and Technical Education pathways, including for our students with special education needs.

• Construct two new elementary schools in rapidly growing neighborhoods (one in RidgeGate and one in Sterling Ranch).

• Build an expansion at Sierra Middle School.

• Begin Phase 2 of the Legacy Campus.

• Provide safety and security updates at all schools.

Click here to see how each school will benefit.

Please take a couple of minutes to watch this brief thank you video from Superintendent Erin Kane and DCSD Board President Christy Williams.

Wednesday, November 20

5:30 p.m.

Webinar registration here

Join us for our last Parent University of 2024! Presented by Dr. Kelli Smith, DCSD's Director of Health, Wellness and Prevention.This free webinar will address Bullying Awareness and Prevention for DCSD students. From the developing adolescent brain, the effect external influences can have, and the role DCSD schools play, you'll leave with a better understanding and awareness of the term bullying and how we can all work to prevent it.

In case you missed it, watch the recording of October's Parent University Webinar: Career and Technical Education Pathways. Learn how post-secondary and industry partnerships provide relevant learning opportunities for DCSD high school students, ensuring a competitive advantage and workforce readiness. All webinar recordings available via the DCSD Parent University page.

If you are a parent/guardian requesting a paper version of the CMAS assessment - please email Vicki Askey vmaskey@dcsdk12.org by December 2, 2024.

To excuse your student from CMAS testing please complete this form:

State Assessment Excusal Form Walkthrough Parent/Guardian

Additional details and forms are posted on the NRE website.

https://nre.dcsdk12.org/state_mandated_testing

Bus #53

• Dec 16-20
• Feb 3-7
• Mar 10-14
• Apr 21-25

Bus #58

• Dec 2-6
  
• Jan 21-24
• Feb 24-28
• Apr 7-11
• May 12-16

Below is a list of resources, should you have a concern that a loved one (or yourself) may be experiencing behavioral changes, mood swings, depression, or suicidal thoughts.

Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to the child or others

• 988 - Suicide and Crisis Hotline

  • Call or text “988” any time, 24/7 for free, confidential support.

• Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)

• Trained Crisis Counselor Hotline: (844) 493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255

• Chat online (open from 4pm-12am daily): Click Here

• Walk-in Locations (open 24/7): Location List

• Information About Types of Services and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado Crisis Services

• DCSD Mental Health Intervention website

• Mobile apps for wellness and recovery

• Let’s Talk Colorado

• iMatter (free virtual counseling sessions)

Douglas County has an anonymous reporting system available at all times. Anyone with a concern for someone’s well-being or safety can use Safe 2 Tell (1-877-542-7233) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.