Northlake Notes
Whew...we made it through a busy couple weeks of STAAR assessments! I can't believe that April is coming to end and we are starting our last month of school. We are really in the home stretch! While we have several fun things coming up over the next couple weeks, we also have a few end of year assessments to finish up as well. I know you may have noticed that the fence along Church Road has been removed. The district has installed a temporary fence for now. I will keep you posted as the project to install the new fence continues.
We are all looking forward to Buddy Fun Day on Friday. It looks like the weather is going to be perfect. Please be sure your children wear tennis shoes in order to participate and stay safe outside. A big thank you to all who have signed up to help on Friday. Just a reminder that all parent volunteers must be approved in Voly in order to help at school (and chaperone field trips). Please let the front office know if you need assistance with Voly. Only parents that have already signed up to volunteer may attend Buddy Fun Day.
Please be sure to read through the entire Northlake Notes! Be sure to note that school supplies for next year are already on sale. And, if you have not already enrolled your child, please do so soon! We are already close to capacity in a few grade levels. Please secure your spot at Northlake now!
:) Ms. Kellagher
Buddy Fun Day Volunteers
Parents that would like to participate in Buddy Fun Day, must sign up to volunteer. We cannot support logistics for spectators or for non-Northlake children/siblings at Buddy Fun Day.
That said, we are in need of volunteers to help with Buddy Fun Day this year! There are lots of stations in the 9:00-11:00am (Pre-K, 1st, 3rd, & 5th) and 12:30-2:30pm (Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, and 6th) time slots. Please sign up for one event during each time slot that you want to attend.
If you haven't completed a volunteer background check for this year, you must fill out a background check in order to volunteer at https://risd.voly.org/. This can take up to a week for approval, so please complete the background check as soon as possible.
Pre - K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th Volunteer Sign-up
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094DA4AB22A3FC1-49087941-2024
Kinder, 2nd, 4th, and 6th Volunteer Sign-up
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094DA4AB22A3FC1-49092156-2024
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to check-in at the NLE Office and receive your volunteer badge.
We look forward to seeing you on May 3rd!
Save the Date to Save Your Seat
Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year opens online Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 8:00 a.m.
Whether youβre new to RISD or returning for another year of school, parents can take advantage of convenient online enrollment using a PowerSchool registration account. Enrollment for returning students will require a βsnapcodeβ that will be emailed to current parents on February 26.
Starting Feb. 27, enrollment for next school year will open for all current or future students in Pre-K through grade 12. Please click here for more information about the enrollment process and what documents are necessary to complete enrollment.
Contact your current (2023-24) RISD school for questions or assistance with enrollment, including help submitting necessary documents.
Volunteering at Northlake & RISD
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 this link 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.
Security Update
The district has implemented a new intercom and a new system for checking in and out as a visitor or volunteer and for checking students in/out of school. Please be patient as we learn this new process together.
- Be sure to bring a valid ID each time you come to school.
- Students that arrive after 8:05 MUST have an adult sign them in. Northlake staff members may NOT do this for you, so please be sure that walkers are getting to school on time.
Lunch & Recess Support
With the advent of spring, comes a little spring fever. Dads Club & PTA are asking volunteers to join in to provide support in the lunchroom and at recess.
If you are interested in volunteering in the lunchroom or at recess, please use this link to sign up. Be sure you have completed the background check via risd.voly.org.
Thanks, Dads (and Moms) ! We appreciate you. β€οΈπ¨π©
If you would like to hear more about Dads Club, please reach out to Brad McCutcheon at DadsClub@NorthlakePTA.com.
RISD Elementary Dress Code
Reminder that no crocs or "croc-like" shoes are allowed at school. Many croc-related incidents end up in the Nurse's clinic. Please do not make us have to be the "crocs police", as this rule is part of our district Elementary Dress Code. Please be sure your students are dressed appropriately for school each day. Thank you for your help keeping all our students safe! π
Last Lunch Dates for 2024
Due to STAAR/EOY testing, field trips, Buddy Fun Day, Career Day, and a host of other ongoing activities, as we get closer to the end of the school year, there are dates that are blacked out on the lunch calendar due to shifting school schedules and demands on staff.
The spring semester lunch dates are listed below. The bolded are upcoming/available dates.
Be sure to scroll to the end of the newsletter for lunch visitor expectations.
Spring Semester Lunch Dates:
Jan 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31
Feb 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
Mar 1, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28
April 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 29, 30
May 1, 2, 13, 14, 15, 16
Use this link to sign up.
Parent Supervision at the Audelia Public Library
Please be sure that children are supervised at all times whether at the Audelia Public Library or the playground next to it. There have been injuries that have happened from students playing without guardian supervision. Please remind your children that if they are walkers, they should be walking straight home from school. The librarians do not supervise students, so please do not allow your children to go to the library without an adult.
Attendance Reminders
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 you 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 lorrie.ford@risd.org.
Birthday Reminders
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 labeled with child's name, grade and homeroom teacher, 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.
To have your child's name added to the marquee for their birthday for just $10, please use this link to the PTA website. www.northlakepta.com/birthday-marquee
Focus Parent Portal
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 grade.
Safety and Security Reminders
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. As you enter the building, 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. Thank you!
Lunch Visitors
Parents are welcome to come visit during lunch to eat with their students. We ask that you sign up for a day and time using the sign-up genius. In order to keep students safe and to accommodate everyone, please review these expectations for lunch visitors:
- Sign up for your visit using the Sign Up Genius.
- No siblings, due to limited space on the stage.
- You may eat lunch with your child only.
- Please do not take pictures of your child while at lunch.
- When you are finished with lunch, please check out through the office. Parents may not go back to class with their children to visit.
Spring Semester Lunch Dates:
Jan 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31
Feb 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
Mar 1, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28
April 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 29, 30
May 1, 2, 13, 14, 15, 16
Free/Reduced Breakfast and Lunch
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.
School Lunch Options
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.
Northlake PTA
If you are interested in volunteering in the lunchroom or at recess, please use this link to sign up. Be sure you have completed the background check via risd.voly.org.
Please be sure to check out their website for different ways you can help out. You can also reach out to Amanda Hinders at President@NorthlakePTA.com for more information about PTA, or if you would like to hear more about Dads Club, please reach out to Brad McCutcheon at DadsClub@NorthlakePTA.com.
We need your help! We are working hard to grow our PTA membership. It costs $8 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! https://www.northlakepta.com/
Dates to Remember
April 29 - AVID Site Team Meeting
April 30 - Kindergarten Field Trip
May: Mental Health Awareness Month & Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage American Month
May 2 - 5th Grade Field Trip
May 3 - Buddy Fun Day
May 6-10 Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7 - 1st Grade Field Trip
May 8 - National Nurse Day
May 10 - Career Day
May 13 - Book Fair starts & AVID Site Team Meeting
May 15 - Senior Breakfast & Walk
May 16 - 7 Up Parties & 5th Grade Field Trip
May 17 - 4th Nine Weeks Assembly
May 20 - 40 Book Pieface Celebration & PBIS Team Meeting
May 21 - 6th Grade Field Trip
May 22 - 5th & 6th Graduation Rehearsal
May 23 - 5th Grade Graduation & 6th Grade Field Trip
May 24 - 6th Grade Graduation & Early Release Day/Last Day of School