Northrop Newsletter

We have had a great couple of weeks welcoming our students back! Students are working hard to learn new routines in their classrooms and find ways each day to practice being respectful, responsible, and ready!

We work hard to help students enjoy school and we want them to see Northrop as a place they WANT to come to each day! In addition to the work we already do to help foster classroom relationships and build that love for learning, we are once again taking part in the Cleveland Browns Stay In The Game attendance campaign.

Research shows that consistent attendance at school is a critical factor for student success and we want students to be in school as much as possible this year! The Cleveland Browns Foundation, the Ohio Department of Education and Harvard University's Proving Ground have all partnered to create the Stay In The Game Network. This network helps local schools with the goal of student success, which begins with engaged learners who attend school every day. Our Northrop initiative has just a few simple steps:

1. Sign the attendance pledge - students will receive a certificate for signing the pledge and committing to coming to school each day. Students who are new to Northrop (including all kindergarteners) will also receive a Stay In The Game t-shirt.
2. Participate in school-wide spirit days - these include stay in the game shirt days as well as other fun spirit days in the coming months
3. Win prizes for regular attendance - from class attendance competitions to target attendance days, students can be entered into raffles to win prizes just by coming to school!

We understand that illnesses occur and unexpected circumstances arise...our goal is simply to improve attendance overall so that all of our learners can "stay in the game" here at Northrop!

Mrs. Dodez

I want to make sure you have the most up-to-date information regarding our emergency operating levy coming up in November, so I'll be providing updates periodically.

The District has a 7.5 mill 10-Year Emergency Operating Levy on the November 5, 2024 ballot. See the fact sheet below. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions or get some clarification on things you may hear in the community.

One of the biggest reductions we face at the elementary level if the levy doesn't pass is a change from our K-5 neighborhood school to grade-level schools. This would mean that students would move to a new school building each year in grades K-4. This is a possibility that we have never faced before .One of the most amazing things about Northrop is the connections that are made when students spend many years here. Students in all grades get to know each other, learn from each other, and grow together. Students regularly connect with teachers in other grade levels (both former and future), which brings a sense of comfort and confidence for students and sets students up for success in future grades.

This levy is critical if we want to maintain our current Northrop reality. Please ask questions, gain as much information as you can, and of course, don't forget to vote on November 5th!

Please take a few minutes to read this carefully. Following these procedures ensures a safe arrival and dismissal for all of our students!

Student fees can now be paid via the link below. Logins have not changed, but you'll need to add your student(s) and will need their 6 digit district ID number, which is located on Final Forms.

9/2 - No School - Labor Day

9/5 - Northrop levy rally at AI Root (Claggett 8th grade gold football game) - 5:00pm at AI Root

9/8 - PTO mum sale ends (see flyer below)

9/12 - PTO meeting - Northrop commons (cafeteria) - 6:30

9/13 - Community Spirit Night; Kindergarten students walk the track; see flyer below

9/17 - Board of Education meeting - 5:30

9/18 - PTO Dine to Donate at Culver's 4-8pm

9/20 - STAY IN THE GAME spirit day - wear your stay in the game shirt, or Browns gear, or brown/orange!

9/22 - PTO mum sale pickup

9/24 - PTO Spiritwear discounts end (see flyer below)

9/25 - Picture Day (ordering info to come later in September)

9/27 - NO SCHOOL for K-5 students; teacher work day

Do kids have to stay home if someone in the family has COVID?

In general kids can come to school as long as they are feeling well unless they have tested positive for COVID.

If a student tests positive for COVID, they have to stay home for at least 24 hours or until their symptoms are getting better overall AND they have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Are masks required after testing positive?

No, they are recommended and encouraged. More information can be found here.

We continue to be committed to safety at school. Exterior doors remain locked at all times as do classroom doors when students are in the building. Anyone coming to sign a student out must wait in the vestibule and must show an I.D. Only adults who are added as a student contact are permitted to pick up a student.

Additionally, we practice school safety drills a few times throughout the school year. This includes fire and tornado drills, as well as ALICE drills. We will have our first ALICE drill of the year soon and this can sometimes prompt questions at home after the drill. Here is a great resource to help understand and talk to your child about ALICE drills and school safety in general. Our classroom teachers also do a wonderful job helping students understand their role and the need to practice without bringing worries to the situation. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

As cell phones and smart watches continue to grow in popularity, we like to remind parents of the expectations for these devices during the school day. From the student discipline code:

RULE 4 - ELECTRONIC DEVICES

● Electronic devices such as (laser pointers, video cameras, cameras, etc.) are prohibited in school.

● Cell phones, smartwatches, electronic devices such as (Ipods, MP3 players, Ipads, Nooks, Kindles, Gizmos, etc) and any video game devices must be turned off and in the student’s book bag during school hours.

Please make sure to have a conversation with your student about this expectation so that everyone is on the same page in regards to these devices!

We recognize that birthdays are a special occasion for some families and we do our best to make this a special day for your student. While each classroom recognizes birthdays in a different way, we do not allow edible birthday treats for students. Please do not send in anything edible as a birthday treat (including candy), as we will contact you and send them back home. This is for the safety and consideration of all of our students. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

Medina City Schools has worked to implement consistent expectations across all buildings. The 3Rs (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready) help each building to develop clearly defined expectations that are consistent across all classrooms and settings in the building. More information will be shared about this in the future, but we wanted to make sure you're aware of our building expectations.

Stacey Wielgus, M.A., LPSC

Eliza Northrop Elementary & Ralph E. Waite Elementary

wielguss@medinabees.org (330) 636-4607

I am at Northrop on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays each week.

As an elementary school counselor, I am committed to supporting the social and emotional needs of our students and the families of the students we serve. In addition, I am also committed to supporting our staff here at school to ensure that we are meeting the individual needs of each student during the school day. By addressing social and emotional needs as well as academics, we work together to increase learning and academic growth for each student here at Eliza Northrop and Garfield Elementary Schools. As a school counselor, my typical services include small groups and/or individual meetings with students, as well as in the whole group, which is often in a classroom setting. I teach students new skills that can assist them with positive and appropriate emotional expression as well as in learning coping skills and the use of coping tools.

Office Hours: 8:00-4:00

Student Hours: 8:45-3:30

Tardy Bell: 8:55

Visit us on the web at https://www.medinabees.org/Domain/11

Principal - Amanda Dodez, dodeza@medinabees.org

School Psychologist - Kelsey Klatka, klatkak@medinabees.org

School Counselor - Stacey Wielgus, wielguss@medinabees.org

Northrop Attendance Line/Clinic - (330)636-4604

Northrop Office - (330)636-4600

• Amy Brewer - brewera@medinabees.org
• Mary Jarstfer - jarstfem@medinabees.org

We have an amazing PTO here at Northrop Elementary! You can connect with them via email , or on their Facebook page. You can get involved in SO MANY WAYS. Join us at the next PTO meeting on Thursday, September 12th at 6:30pm here in the Northrop commons.

Spiritwear orders arrive 8-10 days after ordering, so you have plenty of time to get your gear before the Homecoming Parade in October!