North Star News - Family Edition

As we move into September, we are excited to continue our journey of growth and learning together. This month brings a host of activities and important dates that we want to share with you.

First, we hope you all enjoy the upcoming Labor Day holiday on Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2nd. Please take this time to relax and spend quality time with your loved ones.

We're also thrilled to kick off our House meetings this month! These gatherings are a wonderful opportunity for students to build camaraderie, foster school spirit, and work together towards shared goals. We can't wait to see the enthusiasm and teamwork that each House will bring!

Midway through the month, interim reports will be sent home. This is a great time to check in on your child's progress and celebrate their accomplishments. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community. Together, we make North Elementary a place where every student can shine. We look forward to another fantastic month of learning and growing with your children.

Wishing you all a wonderful September!

Dr. Llewellyn & Mrs. Watkins

If you are picking up your child in the afternoon, please ensure you have your car tag displayed. We ask that you remain inside your vehicle during pickup. For safety, children should enter the vehicle on the passenger side (closest to the sidewalk) to avoid being in the path of oncoming traffic.

If you don't have a car tag, please visit the front office to show your ID and complete the necessary paperwork.

If you are walking to pick up your child, please do so at the main entrance of the school. A staff member will call your child from the building to meet you.

If your child rides the school bus, please ensure someone is at the bus stop to meet students in grades PK-2. Students in grade 3 or higher do not need to be met by an adult at the bus stop.

If you need to pick up your child early, please do so before 2:45 p.m. After this time, it becomes challenging to accommodate early pickups due to dismissal procedures. If you arrive after 2:45 p.m., you may be asked to wait until the regular dismissal time.

The 2024 - 2025 school day will be 8:35 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Students may enter the building at 8:20 a.m. and proceed straight to their classrooms. Dismissal will start at 3:15 p.m. and be staggered by grade level.

Friday, August 30 - School Holiday

Monday, September 2 - Labor Day Holiday

Tuesday, September 10 - PreK Family Night (for PreK families only) @ Tussing

Thursday, September 19 - First interim reports sent home

Thursday, September 19 - Colonial Parent Academy @ 6 pm

Tuesday, September 25 - School Board Meeting @ 6:30 PM at CHPS Tech Center

October 1 - Fall Picture Day

Good attendance is important for elementary students because it helps them establish a routine, build a strong foundation for learning, and develop good habits. Regular attendance ensures they don't miss out on essential lessons and social interactions, contributing to their academic progress and growth.

Attending school regularly allows students to receive consistent instruction and engage with lessons. Missing school can result in gaps in their learning, making it harder for them to keep up with the curriculum.

Elementary school lays the foundation for essential skills like reading, writing, and math. Regular attendance ensures students have ample opportunities to practice and refine these skills.

School provides a vital social environment where students interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn to work in groups. Regular attendance helps children build social skills and develop emotional intelligence.

Attending school regularly helps children establish a routine and understand the importance of punctuality. This discipline can carry over to other aspects of their lives and set them up or success in the future.

Good attendance allows students to form stronger relationships with teachers. Teachers can better understand individual learning styles and provide tailored support when students are consistently preset.

Attending school teaches children responsibility and accountability. They learn that commitments are important and that they need to fulfill their obligations.

Developing good attendance habits at an early age can lead to lower absenteeism in later years of education. This can have a positive impact on long-term educational outcomes.

Consistent attendance facilitates better communication between families and teachers. Families can stay informed about their child's progress and any challenges they might be facing.

Obviously, families should keep children home if they are sick as it is crucial to their well-being and the well-being of others. This helps prevent the spread of illness and ensures that they have the necessary time to recover and rest before returning to school. It is important to speak to Nurse Kelly if you have questions about your child returning after an illness.

Regular attendance is crucial for your child's success, so we encourage students to be in school every day. However, if your child is sick, please keep them at home. A doctor’s note or a parent's note is required after any absence, even if you’ve already called the school office.

We want all of our Stars to thrive, and consistent attendance is key to achieving that. If possible, please avoid scheduling vacations during the school year.

Keep in mind that if a child misses more than two days of school per month, even for excused absences, it adds up to 18-20 days over the school year, which is considered chronic absenteeism.

Please be mindful that our school day begins at 8:35 a.m. and students who arrive after 8:30 a.m. are considered tardy.

If you drop your child off after 8:35 a.m. --> You must park and walk your child in to sign them in.

1- Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

2 - Be honest.

3 - Be respectful to others.

Please review these rules with your child. If we adhere to these rules we will have a great year!

Breakfast and lunch will be served daily to all students at no cost.

School menus can be found HERE.

If your child will be bringing his/her lunch to school, please help them so they are able to open juice boxes or other containers they bring in their lunch. We have adults on hand to help but if the students can open things themselves, it makes lunch go smoother!

North Elementary will continue to be served by the following buses —Bus 1, Bus 3, Bus 7, Bus 14, and Bus 15. As we move into September, we expect our bus schedules to stabilize, resulting in fewer late buses. We appreciate the patience and flexibility of our North families as we work to finalize these schedules.

Please take a moment to remind your child(ren) about proper bus behavior. Students must remain seated at all times, with their backs against the seat and their feet in front of them, keeping the aisle clear. Riding the bus is a privilege, and inappropriate behavior can lead to consequences, including the loss of bus privileges and the possibility of before or after-school detention.

We thank you for your cooperation in helping to ensure a safe and respectful bus environment for all students.

Students are expected to adhere to standards of dress and appearance. Our guiding principles for the student dress code are similar to those experienced and expected in the workplace: attire that furthers health and safety of students and staff, enables the educational process, and facilitates the operations of the school. Parents are asked to partner with the school division to monitor student attire to help adhere to the guiding principles set forth in the policy.

To promote these goals, students may not wear or carry clothing, jewelry, book bags, or other personal articles that:

1. Depict profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, or violence, alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs

2. Threaten the health or safety of staff or students

3. Are reasonably likely to create a disruption of the educational environment or operations of the school

Specifically:

a) Students must wear clothing that covers their skin from chest to upper-thigh with opaque (non-see-through) fabric in front, back, and on the sides. Clothing must cover undergarments. Chest, genitals and buttocks must be covered with opaque (non-see-through) fabric.

b) Students must wear shoes at all times except when changing for physical education or athletic practices or events or when specifically directed otherwise by a teacher or administrator.

c) Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education, science labs, CTE classrooms and other activities where unique hazards exist.

d) Specialized courses may require specialized attire, such as sports uniforms or safety gear.

e) Hats and other headwear (including hoodies, bonnets, beanies, bandanas, etc.) are not allowed unless permitted for religious, medical, or other reasons by school administration.

Introduction

Hello Everyone, I am Kristal Cherry, the school counselor at North! I am looking forward to a great year! Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I am happy to support students and families in any way that I can :) Also, follow the new counseling page on Instagram for updates on our counseling program: nes_counseling.

Character Trait of the Month:

This month’s focus is Respect. One way to think about Respect is “seeing value in all people and things & treating them with care.” Many people feel Respected in different ways. We hope this month inspires discussions with your family about what Respect means to you and how you can practice it together! Respect is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Kind. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like perspective-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership.

North House System:

We are continuing our North House System where we are building a culture of excellence through authentic connection and a sense of belonging. The system provides a consistent and purposeful school-wide positive behavior support system designed to increase student achievement academically, socially, and emotionally for our K-5th grade students. Our motto is, “We Shine Together.” North House System handbooks will be sent home to our new stars and we ask that you sign the handbook agreement and return it to school as soon as possible.

Anti-Bullying Note:

Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance where the behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. In order to help us prevent bullying here at North Elementary we would love it if you could talk to your student about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Please let your student know bullying is unacceptable at North Elementary. Encourage your student to speak to a trusted adult if they are being bullied or see others being bullied when it FIRST happens.