Steve Minard, Principal

Kristi Bast, Secretary

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

Parents and Guardians,

REMINDER -- there is an EARLY RELEASE this week on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Parent pick up begins at 1:30 PM. Buses depart when the final bell rings at 1:45 PM. Please plan accordingly and arrive on time, as our staff has scheduled professional development meetings upon dismissal.

Thank you!

Our next Principal's Coffee will be on Friday, November 22, 2024 in the North Godwin cafeteria from 8:30 AM until 9:00 AM. Parents and Guardians are invited to join us for coffee and donuts. We will be highlighting students with PERFECT attendance; no absences, no tardy passes, and no leave early check-outs. We hope to see you there!

This is the LAST WEEK for our students to submit original cover art entries for the 2024-2025 North Godwin Elementary yearbook. Entries that do not meet the criteria listed below will be disqualified!

CONTEST DEADLINE

All student submissions must be received in the office by Friday, November 22, 2024.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• All student submissions must be on a white piece of 8.5” x 11” paper.

• The words “North Godwin Elementary 2024-2025” must be included on the artwork.

• The student’s name must be on the artwork in the lower right or left corner.

• All submissions must be original artwork, no photocopies or digital entries.

• Bright and colorful submissions are encouraged!

• All artwork must be age appropriate and not offensive to young readers.

The Cherry Street Dental Hygiene team will begin servicing North Godwin students on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. They will be in our building for several weeks, possibly until the holiday break, or shortly thereafter, depending upon how many students they can service per day. Families that elected for Cherry Street Dental Services during enrollment will have their insurance information reviewed to determine whether or not their child will be on the patient list.

If you have any specific questions about Cherry Street Dental Services, please contact:

Aubrey Warfield, Manager of School Programs

Ferguson Dental / Cherry Street Health

101 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

616.776-2345

aubreywarfield@cherryhealth.com

Hello North Godwin Families!

My name is Lindsey Summers, and I am the site liaison for our Girls on the Run team here at North Godwin. We are currently looking for 1-2 volunteer coaches for our team this spring. Practices will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school from 3:15 PM until 5:00 PM. Practices will start the week of February 24th through May 17th, 2025. Coaches must be 18 years of age, but it does not matter if they are related to the student. As an added bonus, your girl will receive 30% of her registration fee for the program. If you are interested in joining our team, please reach out to me by email at: lindsey.summers@godwinschools.org.

Lindsey Summers

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation.

North Godwin Elementary is hosting an after-school Bible Club for interested students. It is held every Tuesday from 3:15 PM to 4:45 PM in classroom #12 at North Godwin. Transportation is not provided for this club. Students who choose to attend will need to be picked up by a parent promptly at 4:45 PM. To register, visit: https://www.mibibleclubs.org/

Thank you!

Parents, please bring your children to join us on Thursday afternoons from 3:30-5:00 at the Wyoming Public Library for KidZone!

November 7th : stories, crafts, and mini-golfing through the library

November 14th: Totally Tubular building lab activities

November 21st: bring your favorite stuffy and give it a Teddy Bear Checkup where you get to be the vet!

Jackie Boss

Youth Librarian | Wyoming Branch

Kent District Library

3350 Michael Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509

616-784-2007 x4983

NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, November 27

Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving Day)

Friday, November 29

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

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:

Tuesday, December 3. 2024

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

November 20 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

November 27, 28 & 29 ~ No School THANKSGIVING BREAK

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/