Northlake Notes

Hi Northlake Fam!

Whew... What a BUSY week back after Spring Break! 😌 I have been editing photos for what feels like days, but it just goes to show that our Wildcat Team and students are making sure to fill each and every day with learning and growing!

Here's a message from someone we've all missed, Principal Mary Kellagher!!

Hello Northlake,

I wanted to send a quick update and share some good news! My knee surgery was successful and after spending the past 11 weeks in Physical Therapy and a lot of time at the YMCA riding the bike, I am doing great and have been cleared to return to school. I will be back to Northlake on Monday, April 1st! I have missed you all so much and can’t wait to see everyone. Please be sure to thank Mrs. Easter over the next week. She has done a wonderful job filling in while I was out. And a big thank you to Mrs. Wall too. I know both ladies have kept Northlake thriving this semester.

😊 Mary Kellagher

Thanks for the update, MK. So glad to hear your latest progress.

From assemblies to field trips to Hoops to boot camps and project based learning and more...

For all the important announcements and celebrations from this past week, read on below! 🎉

Be sure to check out the important upcoming dates at the end of the newsletter!

Cheers, 🐾❤️

Kylee Wall

What an awesome weekend of basketball to start off the March Madness of it all!

Our Northlake Wildcats represented and gave the competition a run for their money.

Thank you to Coach Manhkong, Ami Neff, and ALL the parents, teachers, sponsors, and volunteers that coached, cheered, and supported our Northlake Wildcats!

Look through the pictures carefully, and you may also find someone else that has been away that was at the games... where's MK?

Open House is for all grades, PreK - 6th Grade.

Here is a message from Mr. Cho about performances:

Dear Kinder-3rd Grade Parents,

Your children have been working hard to prepare a song per grade level for the upcoming Open House on Wednesday, March 27. We’d like to have your present in the cafeteria a little before 5:00 pm so they are ready to perform! When students enter, please send them to the front towards the stage. We will have each grade level sit together for ease of transitions. Each grade will perform one Texas folk song so be ready to take your videos and photos!

Thank you! Mr. Cho

Northlake LITE, Kimo Aleman was featured in the Lake Highlands Advocate this week for facilitating the 2024 Northlake Book Battle.

If you haven't seen it yet. Check out the article by clicking this link: https://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2024/03/20/northlake-elementarys-march-madness-book-battle/

Way to advocate for reading on campus and in the greater community, Mr. Aleman!

Congratulations to all the students that received certificates at the 3rd Nine Weeks Assembly for the categories of:

• Perfect Attendance
• A & A/B Honor Roll
• Most Academic Growth
• Hard Working
• Self Managers
• Cocoa Cup - given by the Specials Team: Art, PE & Music
• Character Traits
• January: Tolerance
• February: Caring

Students also sang Texas Our Texas in honor of Texas History Month and did a step routine they learned from our NLE Cheer Team.

Check out all the honorees in these slideshows:

K-2 Assembly Slideshow

3-6 Assembly Slideshow

At Northlake, we do PBIS for our teachers too. At every staff meeting, we draw three names from our Northlake Team. Staff members that are drawn then spin the Wheel of Northlake to win prizes such as a free drink from Drip Drop or Sonic, a leave (a little) early pass, coverage for recess, workout wear, Admin parking space, or even breakfast tacos for their grade level/dept.

From January to now, we've had three winners for the taco breakfast - Mrs. Yau in Kinder, Mrs. Horner in 4th Grade, and Mrs. Cady for Specials. Congratulations to our winning teams and THANK YOU to PTA for providing the tacos and our amazing PTA President, Amanda Hinders for her delivery services!

3rd Grade got to enjoy all things space during their Planetarium Field Trip this past Monday. On the field trip, they were able to ride “rollercoasters” on each planet, enjoy lunch outside on a stunning Spring Day, and also learned a lot more about the solar eclipse that will happen on April 8th! The planetarium even sent home solar eclipse glasses for the entire grade.

Thank you to our 3rd Grade Team, our well-behaved 3rd graders, and our parent chaperones!

Not to be outdone, 2nd Grade also took a walking field trip this week to the Audelia Library up the hill. Students brought lunches and picnicked indoors after learning through rotations and centers at the library. The weather, though wet, made sure to clear up when needed giving students time to walk to and from and also some time to play on the playground.

Thank you to our 2nd Grade Team, our well-behaved 2nd graders, and our parent chaperones!

Students dove right back into learning this week after spring break, and teachers were busy too!

3-6 Grade teachers got ready for STAAR Boot Camps, and K-2 teachers had a planning day to work on differentiating lesson plans for the last nine weeks of this school year.

Students in Kindergarten were coding, 1st grade was back at it with project based learning, 2nd grade delved into poetry, and 3rd grade worked on flipping the text for extended constructed responses.

In 5th grade, students were physically and mentally challenged with Grammar Boot Camp followed by a plank challenge from their teachers, a Science Lab about isopods (you'll remember these as pill bugs), and a Lucky Charms Data Dig where they created bar graphs and frequency tables (and maybe ate a few Lucky Charms).

In Mrs. Lambert's class, throughout March, they've been doing March madness! Most days students earn a shot at the basketball hoop by displaying WILDCAT behavior (nice PBIS tactics, Mrs. Lambert), but Friday students had a new challenge. They had the opportunity to showcase their phonics knowledge. With each correct phonics question answered, students earned a shot at the hoop, aiming to score points while mastering essential language skills that they have been working on all year!

1st Grade parents have joined the Mystery Reader fun along with our Kindergarten parents.

They've got a lot of catching up to do though, because these Kinder parents are BRINGING IT! In fact a giraffe and turtle wandered into school Friday, bringing a large bunch of bananas with them to read Giraffe Problems by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith.

Whether you dress up, make fun faces and sound effects, or bring snacks, our students love hearing you read. Thank you to all our parent Mystery Readers for instilling a love of reading in our kids!

Students and staff enjoyed getting into the Texas History Spirit by dressing up in their best western wear. Every Thursday this month has also been a college shirt day in honor of March Madness!

Ms. Latavia Taylor is a new face you might have seen recently in the Front Office. She is serving as a long term sub in our Student Data Specialist position, so you have most likely seen her busy at work with enrollment for next year. Ms. Taylor is a Northlake mom with 2 children that have attended Northlake and a current 5th grader. Please give her a warm welcome when you see her.

Northlake also welcomes Amy Woodard to the Resource and Inclusion team as the long term sub for Mrs. Robarge. Mrs. Woodard has been a frequent sub at Northlake in her four years with RISD. She lives in the Lake Highlands community with her husband and four kids, all who attend or have attended LH schools. We are thankful to have her at Northlake and hope you will welcome her when you see her on campus!

Thank you to everyone that turned in forms to try out for the Northlake Talent Show.

Tryouts will be this Monday, March 25th.

At the March 7 board meeting, RISD trustees an update on the inclement weather days in the current 23-24 calendar. RISD has banked enough instructional minutes so that students will not need to make up the bad weather day used in January.

This means both Friday, March 29, and Friday, April 12, will be student and staff holidays. The school district will work with all employees to ensure their schedules align with the calendar. Thursday, April 11 is also an early release day.

Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year opens online Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 8:00 a.m.

Whether you’re 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 “snapcode” 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.

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.

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. ❤️👨👩

If you would like to hear more about Dads Club, please reach out to Brad McCutcheon at DadsClub@NorthlakePTA.com.

We have a new opportunity to volunteer in the garden. In the weeks leading up to our drip-line install, we are needing some watering help.

This opportunity will be for one week at a time, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You would be watering the seedlings for a total of around 20 minutes. It can be done at your convenience, but you won't need to check in if you go after 3pm.

To sign up, click the link: Garden Volunteer Link

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Garden Chair, Rachel Bennion at rachelebennion@gmail.com

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! 👟

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.

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.

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

The district policy is that grades are not printed and sent home; however, you may view your child's grades on the Parent Portal in Focus. If you have not signed up for a Parent Portal Account, please see the information below.

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.

web.risd.org/focus/

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!

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 read through these reminders for visiting Northlake for lunch:

• 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.

bit.ly/NLESpring24LunchSignUp

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.

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.

We are so fortunate to have a wonderful PTA. They have been working so hard all year.

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/

Mar 25 - Talent Show Tryouts

Mar 27th - I Know What to Do Day & Open House 5:30-7pm

Mar 28th - College/Spirit Shirt Day & 3rd Grade Field Trip

Mar 29th - No School

April - National Library Month, National Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, National Arab American Heritage Month, World Autism Month

April 1-5 GT Awareness Week & National Assistant Principals Week

April 3 - Paraprofessional (Classroom Aides) Appreciation Day
April 4 - National Librarian’s Day
April 8 - Total Solar Eclipse & PBIS Team Meeting
April 10 - Talent Show Rehearsal, Produce Day, & Mentor/Mentee Meeting
April 11 - Early Release Day & Talent Show 5:30pm
April 12 - No School
April 15 - STAAR Pep Rally
April 16 - STAAR Test Reading 3-6 & PreK/Kinder Field Trips
April 17 - Haiku Day
April 18 - STAAR Test Science 5
April 23 - 1st Grade Field Trip & School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
April 24 - Administrative Professionals Appreciation Day (Front Office)
April 25 - STAAR Test Math 3-6 & 2nd Grade Field Trip
April 29 - AVID Site Team Meeting & Paw Prints Picnic
April 30 - Kindergarten Field Trip