March 2024 Northtowne News
What's happening in our school, district, and community!
PBIS Mission Statement
I am prepared and ready to learn.
I will be respectful, responsible and focused.
I will make choices that focus on teaching and learning.
My hands are for helping, NOT hurting.
And my words are for encouraging.
I will be the best ‘me’ I can be.
March Important Dates
March 6 - No School; Teacher Professional Development
March 7 - Family Event; Math Morning 7:00am-8:15am
March 13 - Woodward Park Middle School students will visit with our 5th grade students
March 15 - Spring Picture Day
March 20 - No School; Records Day
March 28 - 30-Minute Early Release; Students picked up by 3:00pm
March 29-April 8 - Spring Break
April 8 - Solar Eclipse; The path of totality will be near Columbus. If viewing be sure to have the correct protective eyewear.
April 9 - Welcome back students!
Stay up to date! The calendar for the 2023-24 school year can be found here.
The calendar for the 2024-25 school year has been released. Find it here.
Student Absences
Did you know that you can send an email to let us know your student will be absent from school? You can! You can also take a photo of the appointment excuse note and attach it to an email. No more wondering if your student remembered to turn in the paper. Contact us with all things concerning attendance here: attendance.northtowne@columbus.k12.oh.us
Principal's Corner
Hello Families, Caregivers, and Students,
Spring will arrive on March 19th. With the new season come thoughts of growth and being refreshed. In the school setting, Spring also brings on the realization that the end of the school year will be here before we know it! There is so much that is happening.
It has been great to see families come out for events like Parent Teacher Conferences and the Black History Month Presentation. We love to discuss progress and celebrate our students. More events are coming including a Math Morning, Spring Music Concert, and Art Show! Please watch for announcements.
Families, please check your Parent Portal accounts for any school related documents that need attention. These documents needing attention could include, medical authorizations, other consent forms, or Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan (RIMP) documents. If you are having difficulty with access to the Parent Portal app please contact our Family Ambassador at 614-859-9654 (call or text) or see this Parent Portal help document: https://www.smore.com/n/vb1c3
Looking a bit further out, I notice that Spring Break for Columbus City Schools is earlier than it has been in recent years. We hope that when the time comes, families and students will be able to take advantage of some time to rest and recharge. Once the students return from break in early April, there will be no additional days off school until late May. We look forward to students being ready to make that final push from "start strong" to "end stronger".
Take Care and Be Well,
Mr. Taylor
Morning Drop Off Reminders
Please stay with your child prior to 8:30 a.m. and/or when there is no adult supervision. For the safety of your child, please wait until a staff member is outside. Children should not be dropped off before 8:30.
If you drive your student to school, please enter the parking lot area and drive beside the sidewalk. Pull forward, as much as possible, until just past the open cafeteria doors.
Breakfast is served starting at 8:30 and is free for any child who chooses to eat.
Dress for the Weather
Cold mornings and days are still possible in Columbus! Please, send your student to school dressed for the weather. Warm coats, hats, and mittens/gloves could still be needed. In Ohio, cold weather often lasts from the end of October through early/mid March.
If you need any assistance with getting the necessary outerwear for the Ohio weather, reach out to Family Ambassador Sarah Bowman, sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us. She will get the details of your needs and connect you with Northtowne Elementary or community based resources to help.
You Are Invited
March Math Morning
Join us for a fun Math Morning!
- Ideas to support learning math facts
- Free materials, games, and ideas kit
- Breakfast refreshments provided
- Take a chance to complete the Panorama Family Survey
When?
Thursday, March 7, 2024
7:00am-8:15am
Where?
Northtowne Elementary Cafeteria
Spring Picture Day
Did you miss out on getting fall pictures, do you notice that your student has already changed a lot during this school year, or do you just love pictures? Then you are in luck! Northtowne is having a Spring Picture Day.
Spring Picture Day
March 15, 2024
Order Online at: inter-state.com/order
Use order code: 85053WT
Please note, students will only be photographed if a photo package has been pre-purchased.
Counselor's Corner
At Northtowne Elementary, students are embarking on a journey in social-emotional learning (SEL) guided by two amazing (puppet) friends; Fred and Margaret. Fred and Margaret work as models of behavior, emotion regulation, and social interaction to help our students from Pre-K through 3rd grade. The youngsters are honing crucial skills for navigating our complex human relationships. Mr. Dickerson works with Fred and Margaret to lead engaging activities. These activities encourage students to identify emotions in others, engage in critical thinking about social situations, and effectively manage conflicts. One notable instance of their impact happened when students introduced Fred and Margaret to the concept of Fair Play, which encompasses strategies such as Playing Together, Trading, and Taking Turns. This collaborative approach (students teaching others, even puppets) not only enriches the learning environment but also empowers students to become compassionate and socially adept individuals.
Notes From Nurse Cassie
Nurse Cassie reports that spring health screenings are continuing. Some students will be receiving a spring health screening at school. This is similar to the health screenings that took place near the beginning of the school year. All students due for a health screening will be sent home with a one page summary of findings. If the screening results show a need for any follow up care that information will be clearly attached to the paperwork you receive. If you have any questions about this or other school health related concerns please contact Nurse Cassie at cwalaszek@columbus.k12.oh.us
Great Job Students!
We are so proud of our Northtowne students who participated in the Black History Month Presentation. You did an amazing job and hard work really showed! Teachers and staff were raving about the excellent program well into the next day. More than once, someone said, "If you weren't there, you really miss out." This really is one of the highlight traditions for our school community.
🚨 Task Force Survey on District Facilities Use 🚨
The Columbus City School District designed a survey to gather community feedback regarding the consolidation or closing of CCS school buildings. CCS will use the results to inform school closure decisions that best serve the needs of our students and broader community. Your responses are confidential. CCS will only use survey responses to identify factors to consider in the school consolidation process.
You can access the survey in multiple languages by clicking the link below. The survey is available to take for caregivers and for students.
The Panorama Survey is Coming
The Panorama Survey window opens from March 4 through March 18.
This survey focuses on school perceptions and student support. It's a chance for us to better understand your needs and preferences and enhance our services. You can find more information about the survey by clicking HERE. Watch your emails and text messages from Columbus City Schools for more information, including the link to the survey, starting March 4. All families who attend the Math Morning on March 7 will have an opportunity to complete the survey before leaving the school.
Columbus City Schools FACES Information Sessions
Columbus City Schools (CCS) proudly presents FACES, the online Family and Community Engagement Series program created to inform and connect families, community, and schools. The series airs on the District's Facebook and YouTube channels. During sessions, CCS families will learn about the latest District information, hear about family resources from our community partners, provide feedback, and get answers to frequently asked questions.
Sessions air at 6:00 pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Then, the Columbus City School Board of Education meetings air on the first and third Tuesdays. Sessions are recorded and available to watch at your leisure. Some past topics have included mental health awareness, reading and literacy, and coping with stressors of busy holiday seasons.
Summer Opportunities and Camps
Chocolate Factory Tour!
Have you ever wondered how chocolate or other sweet treats are made? You can find out on an Anthony Thomas Chocolates Factory Tour! The Anthony Thomas Candy Company is a Columbus, Ohio business and has grown to be the largest family-owned-and-operated candy company in the Midwest!
This Easter themed tour is FREE!
- Fun for the whole family
- Meet the Easter Bunny
- Easter Eggs for all the kids
- In store sale specials
When?
Saturday, March 16, 2024
9:00am-3:00pm
Where?
1777 Alringate Lane
Columbus, OH 43228
Improve Your Neighborhood Safety with Columbus 311 Reports
Did you know that you can have an active voice in matters that impact the safety of your neighborhood and streets? You can! Columbus officials cannot be everywhere all at once to notice issues and concerns in neighborhoods. So, they have created the 311 reporting system and ask for residents to report the things that are concerns to the people who live in our Columbus neighborhoods (that's you!).
Some examples of things that can be reported or requested in the 311 system include:
- Road potholes that need to be filled
- Broken street lights that need repair or an area that needs new lighting installed
- Issues with animals (wild or pets)
- City Code violation complaints
- Issues with speeding, sidewalks, or other pedestrian safety concerns
- And more!
Go on line (use the button below) or call 614-645-3111 to make a report. When calling, interpreters are available.
Tax Preparation Services
$Tax Time is an initiative led by United Way of Central Ohio that brings together a coalition of nonprofit, business and government organizations working to provide free tax assistance services and connect clients to financial resources. Since 2007, $Tax Time volunteers have prepared over 175,000 returns, returned nearly $190 million in refunds, and saved clients $36.7 million in tax preparation fees.
For information call 2-1-1 of visit liveunitedcentralohio.org/tax-time
Community Resources Collection
At the following links you can find a collection of community resources. These resources are ones that are consistently available on our Central Ohio community. Each link has a different theme to the resources contained in it. These resources have been found and the information is maintained by a team of Family Ambassadors. If you discover outdated information or links that do not work please help the Family Ambassador team by notifying the Family Ambassador at your school. If there are additional resources that would be helpful to you, please notify your Family Ambassador so that the team can work on those additions.
Northtowne News Past Issues are Still Available
Did you delete a Northtowne News email and then realize there was a resource you still wanted to check out? Do you remember seeing a newsletter announcement about a community resource but now you can't remember the name of the organization and you can't find the email from the newsletter? Don't worry! The information you need is not lost! All prior Newsletters and mid-month updates are available on the Northtowne Elementary web site. The button below will take you directly to the newsletter archive.
Grateful for Family Involvement
Thank you so much for your support and involvement with your child’s learning. Whether it’s conferences, attending the family meetings, or a quick chat throughout the day, we appreciate your involvement and efforts to build the lines of communication between home and school.
Lots of school communication and information is in the Parent Portal. If you need help accessing the Parent Portal please contact our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman. She can even link families to interpreters (Bilingual Engagement Liaisons or BEL) to help with understanding the Parent Portal set up process. Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or you can call or text: 614-859-9654Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter.
Send a note to let us know what you thought, make suggestions or ask a question. We would love to hear from you. Please send a note to your child’s teacher or send a message.
Contributors:
Austin Taylor, Principal
Phone: 614-365-5488
Fax: 614-365-5487
Email: ataylor4@columbus.k12.oh.us
Sarah Bowman, Family Ambassador
614-859-9654
Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us
Susan Bryant, Building Coach
614-365-5488
Email: sbryant9569@columbus.k12.oh.us
Frank Beickelman, Grant Provider
614-365-5488