Steve Minard, Principal

Kristi Bast, Secretary

Telephone (616) 252-2010 and Fax (616) 252-2011

Our next EARLY DISMISSAL will be on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Parent pick-up begins at 1:30 PM. Buses depart when the final bell rings at 1:45 PM. Please plan accordingly!

Parents and Guardians,

Our last day of school before the holiday break is Friday, December 20, 2024 and it will be a HALF DAY of SCHOOL with dismissal beginning at 11:30 AM. Please plan accordingly and arrive on time! The holiday break begins upon the 11:30 AM dismissal.

Half Day of School on Friday, December 20, 2024

Parent pick-up begins at 11:30 AM; Buses Depart when the Final Bell rings at 11:45 AM

No School

Monday, December 23, 2024 through Friday, January 3, 2025

Classes Resume on Monday, January 6, 2025

Get in the holiday spirit!

Monday, December 16: Holiday Colorful Gear, wear holidays colors (red, green, gold, silver, etc).

Tuesday, December 17: Deck the Halls, wear your hippest holiday shirt or sweater.

Wednesday, December 18: Head to toe Holiday Fun, wear your holiday socks, hats, necklaces, etc.

Thursday, December 19: Holiday Character Day, dress as your favorite holiday character!

Friday, December 20: The Polar Express, wear your pajamas to school!

Parents and Guardians,

Each day our students are OUTSIDE for up to 15 minutes (earliest drop off is 8:00 AM and the starting bell rings at 8:15 AM) in the morning, during lunch recess for 15 minutes, and for a short extra afternoon recess, UNLESS:

1. It is raining

2. Our school area is under a thunderstorm or tornado warning

3. The temperature is below 16 degrees

4. The wind chill is below zero

5. A student has a medical note for exclusion from a physician

In order for a student to be exempt from outdoor recess on any given day, we MUST HAVE A NOTE FROM A PHYSICIAN on file stating the reason, temperature threshold for staying indoors, and/or the duration of the exemption (dates).

Parents, please be sure that your student is properly dressed for outdoor weather EVERY DAY. This includes a warm, waterproof coat, snow pants, gloves, hats, and boots. If you need help securing any of these items, please call the school office, or email Mrs. Bast at: bast@godwinschools.org

North Godwin Elementary is proud to once again have an organized GIRLS ON THE RUN team for 2025. Lindsey Summers, North Godwin Reading Paraprofessional, is heading up our team and volunteers. We are only able to register 5th grade girls this year.

You may register your 5th grade girl by clicking here: https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/2025Kentprogram?sid=70f68562818540d98e44682d4ed30cd8

Paper copies of the registration form are available upon request.

Event Information

• Organizer: Girls on the Run West Michigan
• Website: http://www.gotrwm.org
• Dates: Monday, February 24, 2025
  to Saturday, May 17, 2025
• Time: Registration closes at 11:59pm on December 12, 2024 and will re-open for teams with available slots on December 16, 2024. The season begins the week of February 24, 2025 and lasts 10 weeks.

We believe that everyone

can embrace who they are,

can define who they want to be,

can rise to any challenge,

can change the world.

Can.

Key Dates for Spring:

December 13 - Team Placement Day

Week of February 24 - Season Begins

May 17, 2025 - Celebration 5K

IDEA Statement

We are deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. You can read about the broader organization's commitment here and you will be required to submit a waiver on the final page of the application agreeing to foster a team/practice environment that is positive and inclusive, where diversity, equity and access are prioritized.

Marcus Martinez-Martinez, 4th (Mrs. Tidey)

Left to Right:

Dr. Derek Cooley, District Special Education Director;

Kaleigh Salata, School Social Worker;

Chris Mayer, School Psychologist

Meeka, North Godwin Facility Dog

Eliud Hernandez Guerrero, 3rd grade (Mrs. Winer)

Samantha Sebright, North Godwin Staff Premier Substitute

Celebrate the holidays at the Wyoming Public Library!

We are located at: 3350 Michael Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509. Telephone # (616) 784-2007

We have many free events for families this month including:

December 16, 2024 -- 6:00 PM-7:00 PM - Meet the Sled Dogs

December 19, 2024 -- 4:00 PM-5:00 PM - Make a Gingerbread House

December 31, 2024 -- 11:30 AM - Happy NOON Year Eve Party!

Please join us!

Please remind your students to check the Lost & Found bins, located in the main lobby. Our bins are overflowing with misplaced items. Thank you!

At North Godwin Elementary, our entire school, staff included, is part of one of our 5 HOUSE TEAMS, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Space! Students are assigned to a team in 3rd grade and stay on that team for their entire 3 years at North Godwin. New students in all grades are assigned to teams after they enroll.

House teams in schools are a fun, positive way to build stronger relationships among students, faculty, and staff. By setting up houses that include students from all grade levels, we enable students and staff to make investments in each other and share powerful moments together. House teams in schools also:

• Make large schools feel smaller
• Create stronger peer connections
• Cultivate a sense of belonging
• Improve school culture and climate
• Enable organic character education
• Foster faculty, staff, and student ownership
• Promote positive relationships
• Instill a sense of school pride
• Help reduce behavior issues
• Increase academic achievement

ALL STUDENT ABSENCES MUST BE REPORTED TO THE NORTH GODWIN OFFICE!

IMPORTANT PARENT REMINDER!

All absences must be called in to the school office each day at 616-252-2010! OR, emailed to Mrs. Bast: bast@godwinschools.org.

Absences not reported to the office will be recorded as UNexcused.

The Literacy Center of West Michigan is offering FREE classes for North Godwin Elementary parents who wish to learn English as a second language. Classes are held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays. Free childcare is available. Please call McKenna at 616-551-4553 to register.

Our Feeding America truck distributions will be once a month on WEDNESDAYS! Food trucks start at 4:45 pm in front of the high school. If you have your own bags, you are encouraged to bring them!

Here is the schedule for the rest of the year:

January 8, 2025

February 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g8jzgNQfqROOPszZhYNwk0miwI-4m9JS/view?usp=drive_link

December 18 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

December 20 ~ 1/2 day of school Dismissal at @ 11:45 AM

December 23 - December 31 ~ No School HOLIDAY BREAK

January 1 - 3 ~ No School HOLIDAY BREAK

January 6 -- FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER HOLIDAY BREAK

January 15 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

January 20 ~ No School

January 29 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

February 18 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM Spring P/T Conferences

February 19 ~ 1/2 day of school -- Dismissal at 11:45 AM for MID-WINTER BREAK

February 20 ~ No School MID WINTER BREAK

February 21 ~ No School MID WINTER BREAK

February 26 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

March 12 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

March 26 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

April 3 ~ 1/2 day of school -- Dismissal at 11:45 AM

April 4 ~ No School SPRING BREAK

April 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 ~ No School SPRING BREAK

April 23 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

May 7 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

May 21 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

May 23 ~ 1/2 day of school -- Dismissal at 11:45 AM MEMORIAL WEEKEND

May 26 ~ No School -- MEMORIAL DAY

May 30 ~ 1/2 DAY OF SCHOOL -- DISMISSAL AT 11:45 AM -- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

We are excited to announce that construction is complete on the new Cherry Health School Based Health Center located independently at Godwin Heights High School. The entrance to the clinic is on 36th Street near the main doors to Godwin's PEB sports complex. Anyone wishing to receive services at the clinic must enter through the Cherry Street School-Based Health Center doors, as the public will not be able to access the clinic through the high school.

This is a WONDERFUL addition to our Godwin community. All Godwin Heights students ages 5-21, enrolled in the district, are able to receive health services, regardless of their ability to pay. The clinic will also take appointments for any members of the Godwin community by appointment, or walk-in (as available).

The medical services being offered at the Cherry Health School-Based Clinic incude:

Sports Physicals

Wellness Exams

Vaccinations

Injuries

Illness

Prescribed medications, like antibiotics

Test for common viruses and bacterial infections like strep throat, ear infections, and COVID-19

Mental Health Services

Confidential testing for sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and more!

If you have further questions about utilizing these services being offered in our Godwin Heights community, call 616-965-0435.

The clinic is open from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM every TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY!

As a public school, we are held accountable to public school laws that govern attendance. The Kent Intermediate School District oversees all public schools in Kent County to be sure that all are operating under the laws and of the Michigan Department of Education.

The normal attendance expectations for any given child in the Kent County Intermediate School District are as follows:

> that a child miss not more than 10 days of Excused Absences for the entire school year,

> that a child have no Unexcused Absences for the entire school year

> that a child have not more than 5 Tardies combined with Leave Early check-outs per semester.

> that a child have no Suspensions for the entire school year.

Godwin Heights Public Schools are held by law to report tardies and absences in excess of the guidelines listed above to the Kent Intermediate School District Office of Truancy and School Attendance-State Law Enforcement Division.

The primary rationale for positive attendance is the strong relationship between student attendance and student achievement. Chronic student absences reduces even the best teacher's ability to provide learning opportunities. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career. A recent study looking at young children found that absenteeism in kindergarten was associated with negative first grade outcomes such as greater absenteeism in subsequent years and lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge.

Poor attendance has serious implications for later outcomes. High school dropouts have been found to exhibit a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates. These differences in absentee rates were observed as early as kindergarten, and students who eventually dropped out of high school missed significantly more days of school in elementary school than their peers who graduated from high school.

North Godwin Elementary is home to Godwin Heights Public Schools’ 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders!

Email: bast@godwinschools.org
Website: www.godwinschools.org
Location: 161 34th Street Southwest, Wyoming, MI, USA
Phone: 616-252-2010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthGodwin/