Navigator Newsletter

Northgate Families,

We hope everyone is ok after the severe weather last week! Please reach out to Mr. Matthews (counselor) if your family needs any assistance. As we enter the home stretch of the school year, let's encourage our students to finish strong and be on their best behavior as they learn material to prepare them for the next school year.

FIELD DAY NOTICE: The weather unfortunately ruined our Field Day. However, we are discussing options for a fun student activity before the end of the school year. Stay tuned for details!

FRIDAY PARENT LUNCH NOTICE: Our last Friday parent lunch will be this Fri. May 24th (see rules/procedures farther down in newsletter)

Heads Up:

-Monday May 27th is a school holiday (Memorial Day)

-Thursday May 30th is a FULL DAY for elementary (it is a half-day for high-schoolers only)

-Friday May 31st is the last day of school, and we have EARLY DISMISSAL AT 12:55pm (see graphic below)

FINAL TWO WEEKS AT A GLANCE:

Tue. 5/21: Book Fair, PK-Ramirez Splash Day, makeup testing

Wed. 5/22: Book Fair, PK-Vega Splash Day, makeup testing

Thu. 5/23: Book Fair, C.A.S.E.-Falcon Splash Day, 5th grade dual language testing, Spring HS Senior Graduation Walk

Fri. 5/24: Final Parent Lunch Visit, PreK-Ficeto Splash Day, 2nd grade field trip

Mon. 5/27: SCHOOL HOLIDAY (Memorial Day)

Tue. 5/28: students return to school

Wed. 5/29: 9am-10am 5th grade promotion ceremony, 1:30pm--Kinder Awards Ceremony

Thu. 5/30: Full day for elementary students

Fri. 5/31: Last day for students--12:55pm early release

Our fabulous librarian Mrs. Gilland has been able to arrange a second Scholastic Book Fair! This fair will run only Monday - Thursday this week and it will be BOGO! All books will be buy one, get one free (of equal or lesser value). This fair is being held to encourage Summer Reading in our students. All students will have the opportunity to shop during their LAMP time. Parents can pre-load money in an eWallet so kids don't have to bring cash to school. Visit the book fair website for details:

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/northgatecrossingelemschool

Thank you to those of you who voted in the PTO Board elections last week. We are pleased to announce our PTO Board for next year (see below). If you are interested in joining our wonderful PTO and taking part in their amazing activities that support and enrich our school, please email ncespto1@gmail.com

2024-2025 PTO BOARD

President - Karina Light

Secretary - Elizabeth Cuevas

Treasurer - Sara Gomez

Family Events Coordinator - Kelsie Bostick

Volunteer Coordinator - Cayla Wheaton

Fundraising Coordinators - Gabriela Vargas & Kara Eaton

We've had some wonderful decorations around the school to recognize this important heritage month! Contest entries have been collected for review.

Here is a link to all the great events the Asia Society is holding around Texas, many of them here in the Houston area:

https://asiasociety.org/texas/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month-2024

We are now accepting applications for our Kindergarten Two-Way Immersion Dual Language Program. Please complete the following forms to apply:

Parent Agreement:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftuWMaMgaAU9jwsUH_w5iea1gtmOGnS8YHLlrTzwzBEws6GQ/viewform

Non-ELL Parent Tasks Checklist:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeicoDPzA2Rg28ouH_n95myy1YXExMryawW3FAQVYcE0_xP9g/viewform

Mandatory Informational Parent Meeting from 4:00-5:00 PM via Google Meet:

meet.google.com/wez-awcz-pbu

(April 10th, April 30th, May 7th, or May 21st)

See graphic below for full info/schedule, including dates for mandatory classroom visits, and testing appointments.

For questions contact Jill Espino: JESPINO@springisd.org

Pre-K/CASE Parents,

Get ready for fun in the sun with Splash Day! This year one adult per child may attend to enjoy the fun with your student (no other siblings, including infants, due to space limitations please).

Schedule (11am-1pm)

Tuesday May 21st = Ms. Ramirez's class

Wednesday May 22nd= Ms. Vega's class

Thursday May 23rd = Ms. Falcon's CASE class

Friday May 24th = Ms. Ficeto & Ms. Love's class

NOTE: Mrs. Falcon's and Mrs. Ficeto's classes switched days; this is the updated schedule

Further details should be coming from your student's teacher.

Spring ISD Parent/Guardians:

If your student is seeking to attend a school in 2024-25 for which they are not zoned, the window to submit a transfer application is now open at springisd.org/transfers.

The district offers different transfer types depending on the situation. Regardless of transfer type, transportation will NOT be provided to students. More information on each of the transfer types is available at springisd.org/transfers.

Just a reminder, students attending the district’s schools of choice (Roberson Middle School, Spring Leadership Academy, Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, P-TECH at Dekaney High School, IB Program at Spring High School, and Spring Early College Academy) are NOT considered transfer students since these schools do not have attendance boundaries. Students accepted into these programs receive transportation. Current 6th graders and incoming 7th graders at Springwoods Village who have been accepted to the campus through the school of choice process are also not considered transfer students and transportation will be provided.

Students in good standing as it relates to academics, attendance, and behavior can be automatically renewed for the 2024-2025 school year. Campus principals are currently in the process of evaluating students with school transfers.

Students who have not maintained the requirements for a student transfer will be assessed and provided an opportunity for improvement. However, if the campus principal determines that the student has not met the transfer requirements, the student will be returned to their regularly zoned campus. Students in 5th and 8th grades will need to submit new transfer application requests for middle school or high school transfer requests.

Applications for transfers will be processed as submitted. Parents should receive a notification if the transfer request is approved or denied within 10 school days from when submitted. Notification will be sent via email. Should you have any questions about the online transfer application, please reach out to Dr. Eric Tingle (etingle@springisd.org).

Please make sure we have an updated email address and phone number for you in the Home Access Center.

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Padres/tutores de Spring ISD:

Si su estudiante desea asistir a una escuela para la cual no está zonificado para el año estudiantil 2024-2025, la ventana para enviar su solicitud de transferencia ya está abierta en springisd.org/transfers.

El distrito ofrece diferentes tipos de transferencias dependiendo de la situación. Sin importar el tipo de transferencia, NO se proveerá transporte a los estudiantes. Para más información relacionada a los diferentes tipos de transferencias, visite springisd.org/transfers.

Recuerde que los estudiantes que asistan a las “schools of choice” de Spring ISD (Roberson Middle School, Spring Leadership Academy, Carl Wunsche Sr. High School, P-TECH en Dekaney High School, IB en Spring HIgh School y Spring Early College Academy) NO son considerados como estudiantes transferibles dado que dichos centros educativos no tienen límites territoriales en torno a su asistencia. Los estudiantes que sean aceptados a estos programas sí recibirán transporte. Los estudiantes actuales de 6.° grado y los estudiantes entrantes de 7.° grado en Springwoods Village que hayan sido aceptados a través del proceso de elección de escuela tampoco se consideran estudiantes transferidos y se les proporcionará transporte.

Los estudiantes con buena reputación en lo que respecta a lo académico, la asistencia y el comportamiento pueden renovarse automáticamente para el año escolar 2024-2025. Los directores se encuentran actualmente en el proceso de evaluar a los estudiantes con transferencias escolares.

Los estudiantes que no hayan cumplido con los requisitos para una transferencia de estudiante serán evaluados y se les brindará una oportunidad de mejora. Sin embargo, si el director de la escuela determina que el estudiante no ha cumplido con los requisitos de transferencia, el estudiante será devuelto a su escuela de zona regular. Los estudiantes de quinto y octavo grado deberán presentar una nueva aplicación de solicitud de transferencia para la solicitud de transferencia de escuela intermedia o secundaria.

Las solicitudes de transferencias se procesarán tal como se presentaron. Los padres deben recibir una notificación si la solicitud de transferencia se aprueba o rechaza dentro de los 10 días escolares a partir de la fecha de presentación. La notificación se enviará por correo electrónico. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la solicitud de transferencia en línea, comuníquese con el Dr. Eric Tingle (etingle@springisd.org ).

Por favor asegúrese de que tengamos su dirección de correo electrónico y número de teléfono actualizados en el Home Access Center.

Parents, do you have a future Spring ISD student or know of any young students in your neighborhood?

Our annual Pre-K Round Up kicks off on April 1, when online registration will open for ALL students who will be four years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024. In addition, the following documents will be required to successfully register your child:

• Proof of child’s age and identification

• Proof of residency

• Proof of income

For a list of acceptable documents, visit www.springisd.org/prek

We will also be accepting registration from new kindergarten students or those who will be five years or older on or before Sept. 1.

Please help us spread the word about our fabulous full-day Pre-K program, as well as our Kindergarten program. Our schools offer caring and certified teachers to ensure your child has a strong start to a bright future.

Our online registration platform will go live on April 1 but until then, please visit our website at www.springisd.org/prek to learn more. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Jennifer Bassett, Pre-K Coordinator, at jbassett@springisd.org.

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¡CORRE LA VOZ! LA INSCRIPCIÓN PARA PREKÍNDER YA ESTÁ ABIERTA

Padres, ¿tienen un futuro estudiante de Spring ISD o saben de algún estudiante joven en su vecindario?

Nuestro resumen anual de prekínder comienza el 1 de abril, cuando se abrirá la inscripción en línea para TODOS los estudiantes que cumplirán cuatro años el 1 de septiembre del 2024 o antes. Además, se requerirán los siguientes documentos para registrar con éxito a su hijo:

• Prueba de la edad e identificación del niño

• Prueba de residencia

• Prueba de ingreso

Para obtener una lista de documentos aceptables, visite www.springisd.org/prek

También aceptaremos la inscripción de nuevos estudiantes de kínder o aquellos que cumplirán cinco años o más el 1 de septiembre o antes.

Ayúdenos a correr la voz acerca de nuestro fabuloso programa de prekínder de día completo, así como de nuestro programa de kinder. Nuestras escuelas ofrecen maestros dedicados y certificados para garantizar que su hijo tenga un buen comienzo hacia un futuro brillante.

Nuestra plataforma de registro en línea estará disponible el 1 de abril, pero hasta entonces, visite nuestro sitio web en www.springisd.org/prek para obtener más información. Si tiene alguna pregunta, no dude en comunicarse con Jennifer Bassett, coordinadora de prekínder, en jbassett@springisd.org.

Pre-K and Kindergarten students participating in Bilingual and ESL programs are invited to an engaging summer experience where students will learn various topics and increase their listening, speaking, reading, and writing proficiency. It is a full day Pre-K and Kindergarten

Summer Program. Bus transportation will be provided from the students' home campuses. This program is open to students participating in the Bilingual-Dual Language Program or the ESL program, and will be held June 10 through July 10. For more information, please contact Kathy Heinze, Multilingual Programs Coordinator at kheinze@springisd.org.

4th-5th Grade Parents,

Visit this link to access Spring ISD's Middle School Education Planning Guide:

https://www.springisd.org/epg

The final parent lunch visit of the year will be Friday May 24th.

Parents,
Due to space limitations in the cafeteria, we can only admit *two guests per student* for Friday lunch visits. "One guest" equals an adult, a younger sibling, an infant, or a child in a stroller (which takes up space).

Additionally, we want to remind you the lunch schedule has been slightly revised:

Pre-K & Kinder - 10-10:30am

1st grade - 10:30-11:00am
2nd grade - 11:05-11:35am
3rd grade - 11:45am-12:15pm
4th grade - 12:15-12:45pm
5th grade - 12:50-1:20pm

Other policies/procedures:

-If bringing food, provide food for your student only--other students may have allergies or other health issues.

-While visiting families can join together, we cannot have students join another parent when their own parent is not present.

-Please do not remain in the cafeteria once your student has left; if you are waiting to have lunch with an older student after dining with a younger student, please return to the front office until the older student's lunch time. (For Example, if you have a 1st and 3rd grade student, please do not remain in the cafeteria during 2nd grade lunch time).

-If you arrive more than 10-minutes after the beginning of your child's lunchtime, we will not be able to admit you.

-For safety reasons, please do not remain outside the cafeteria and view students playing at recess; visiting parents are checked into our system for a 30-minute period, and should head back to the front desk to check out once lunch is over.

-We have noticed many parents checking out students after lunch. It is important they they get their academic instruction on Friday afternoons, so encourage you to let them remain in school unless it is for an appointment.

Thank you for understanding!

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Padres de Northgate,

Debido a limitaciones de espacio, solo podemos admitir *dos invitados por estudiante* para las visitas de almuerzo de los viernes. "Un invitado" equivale a un adulto, un hermano menor, un bebé o un niño en un cochecito .

Además, queremos recordaros que el horario de almuerzo ha sido ligeramente revisado:

Pre-K & Kinder - 10-10:30am
1st grade - 10:30-11:00am
2nd grade - 11:05-11:35am
3rd grade - 11:45am-12:15pm
4th grade - 12:15-12:45pm
5th grade - 12:50-1:20pm

otras políticas/procedimientos

- Si traen comida, favor de traer comida solamente para su estudiante -- Otros estudiantes pueden tener alergias o otros problemas de salud.

- Cuando venga a comer con sus hijos, no es permitido invitar a otros estudiantes que no sean sus hijos a sentarse con ustedes al menos que uno de los padres de ese estudiante esté presente.

- Cuando su estudiante termine su almuerzo, usted no puede quedarse en la cafetería esperando por el hermano(a) mayor. Después de comer con su hijo menor, favor de regresar a la oficina hasta que sea hora de la comida del siguiente estudiante. (Ejemplo, si tiene un estudiante en 1er grado y en 3er grado, no puede quedarse en la cafetería durante el almuerzo de 2do grado)

- Favor de ver el horario de almuerzo al final de este correo, si usted llega más de 10 minutos después que haya empezado el almuerzo de su hijo(a) no se le permitirá entrar.

- Por razones de seguridad, no se quede afuera de la cafetería viendo los estudiantes jugando en receso. Los padres están permitidos en el sistema solamente para venir a almorzar.

- Estamos notando que muchos papás se llevan a los estudiantes después del almuerzo. Es muy importante que ellos terminen el día con toda la instrucción académica de la semana. Les pedimos que los dejen en la escuela a menos que tengan una cita médica.

¡Gracias por entender!

Parents,

Our hard-working morning duty staff have been noticing important safety issues with student drop-off:

1. We have parents speeding through the parking lot and putting others in danger; please drive slowly and cautiously.

2. Please make sure to stop before the white crosswalk; do not stop on top of it, or speed through it.

3. If you are dropping off your student in the morning between 7:35-8am, we highly recommend that you stay in your vehicle and use the designated drop-off lane, instead of parking and walking your student into the building.

4. If you are dropping off late after 8am, you will then need to park and escort your student in for late check-in; the drop-off lane will be closed. Please try to have your student here before 8am so they don't miss any instruction.

Thank you for your help!

[UPDATE] Parents, please note the new email address to email transportation changes to: sruiz14@springisd.org

-School doors open at 7:35am and announcements are at 8am. Students dropped off after 8:05 (tardy bell) are late to school and will need to be checked in by a parent or guardian.

-Cut off time to pick up students is 2:30. If you need to make a transportation change, please send a note with your student or e-mail sruiz14@springisd.org before 2:30. We do not take transportation changes by phone.

-You may view the drop-off/pickup map by clicking on the following link: https://www.springisd.org/Page/1832

Car Riders

-If your child is in grades Pk-1, you will drop off and pick up your child on site B (the parking lot for the gym and cafeteria.)

-If your child is in grades 2-5, you will drop off and pick up your child on side A (the parking lot in front of the building.)

-If you have children in multiple grades, they will be with the youngest child on the corresponding side for dismissal.

-During the car-rider dismissal, parents must remain in their vehicles.

-Please do not stop your vehicle at a crosswalk. Also, please follow staff instructions on how far to pull up along the curb. Finally, please do not drop off your student in the parking lot; we understand your time valuable but it is important for safety that you join the car line and drop them off properly.

Walkers

-Students who walk home, may be picked up at the designated parent pick-up in front of the PK playground. PK to 2nd grade students will not be allowed to leave campus on their own, they will only be released to a guardian or parent.

Bus Riders

-Buses will pick students up in parking lot B, in front of the cafeteria and gym. Buses arrive between 3:15 and 3:25.

-Please remember that bus drivers cannot release Pre-K and Kindergarten students at a stop without visually confirming that a guardian is present. Parents should have the 5-digit pin number of any PreK or Kiner student.

-If bus riders of any grade do not make it off the bus at their stop for any reason, the bus driver will bring them directly back to school when they finish their route, and the student will need to be picked up by a family member.

Parents,

If you are not getting text messages about late buses and other school matters, your phone number may have been opted out. To ensure you are receiving text message from Northgate Crossing and Spring ISD please follow these steps:

Text START to "60680" for non-emergency messages.

Text START to "54968" for emergency messages.

We at Northgate Crossing are unfortunately aware of some of very late arrival times of some of some bus route, both AM and PM, and we completely understand the frustration for parents. We do send parents text messages each afternoon about late buses; however are unable to send morning text alerts about late pickups, as we are not provided access to that information.

Spring ISD transportation is in charge of bus times, and they are currently struggling with a driver shortage, resulting in many drivers having to do additional high school routes before they pick up elementary students. For any scheduling issues you encounter we encourage you to reach out to Spring ISD transportation at (281) 891-6490.

Parents,

It is important for us to communicate with you, but we unfortunately cannot always accommodate "walk-in" meeting requests. If you would like to meet with any principals, administrators, teachers, the counselor, other staff, etc., please make sure to contact us in advance to schedule a meeting so that we can best serve you. Thank you for understanding.

Visitors

All visitors to Northgate Crossing are required to check in at the front office and provide a valid government-issued picture ID. A visitor’s badge will be issued and you will be able to enter the building or check a student out for the day.

Volunteer form/background check

Parents and guardians will be invited to campus activities to observe, participate and/or volunteer. A volunteer form and background check are required for activities throughout the year, such as classroom parties and volunteer opportunities. Please complete the form as soon as possible to allow time for processing. If you are interested please fill out the form here: https://www.springisd.org/Page/970

Parents,

Click this link to access the 2023-204 Spring ISD instructional calendar:

https://www.springisd.org/cms/lib/TX01918331/Centricity/Domain/4/2023-24.pdf

Healthy food fuels better learning for students. For the 2023-24 school year, Spring ISD will offer free breakfast and free lunch to ALL students in every school, along with free supper to students involved in after-school programs at many of our campuses. Each campus will offer a la carte items for purchase at meal times. These items may be purchased with cash or the student’s meal account. This year, students will have the option to scan the barcode on their ZPass card or enter their PIN.

In addition, students who pack a lunch from home can utilize our “Pick 3” program, which allows them to come through the cafeteria line and grab three items for free: a hot or cold fruit, vegetable and a milk. With Pick 3, we hope to take away some of the burden of packing lunches and provide ready-to-eat sides for students to “bulk up” their lunch with healthy options.

Our trained chef works with our dietitians on developing kid-friendly and kid-tested menu items that our students actually enjoy and will eat.

Menus are available on the district website but also at www.SchoolCafe.com, which offers complete nutritional information and an easy way to add money to your child’s meal account and manage the account balance. Sign up using your child’s student identification number.

Have questions? Visit: www.springisd.org/nutrition or call 281-891-6445. Remember, download the Spring ISD mobile app, and you can receive account balance notifications on your phone.

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Los alimentos saludables fomentan un mejor aprendizaje para los estudiantes. Para el año escolar 2023-24, Spring ISD ofrecerá desayuno y almuerzo gratis a TODOS los estudiantes en cada escuela, junto con cena gratis a los estudiantes que participan en programas extracurriculares en muchas de nuestras escuelas. Cada escuela ofrecerá artículos a la carta para comprar a la hora de comer. Estos artículos se pueden comprar con efectivo o con la cuenta de comida del estudiante. Este año, los estudiantes tendrán la opción de escanear el código de barras en su tarjeta ZPass o ingresar su PIN.

Además, los estudiantes que empacan un almuerzo de casa pueden utilizar nuestro programa "Elige 3", que les permite pasar por la línea de la cafetería y tomar tres artículos gratis: una fruta, verdura fría o caliente y leche. Con "Elige 3", esperamos eliminar parte de la carga de empacar almuerzos y proporcionar guarniciones listas para comer para que los estudiantes "llenen de volumen" su almuerzo con opciones saludables.

Nuestro chef capacitado trabaja con nuestros dietistas en el desarrollo de elementos de menú probados y aptos para niños que nuestros estudiantes realmente disfrutan y comerán.

Los menús están disponibles en el sitio web del distrito, pero también en www.SchoolCafe.com, que ofrece información nutricional completa y una manera fácil de agregar dinero a la cuenta de comidas de su hijo y administrar el saldo de la cuenta. Regístrese con el número de identificación de estudiante de su hijo.

¿Tiene preguntas? Visite: www.springisd.org/nutrition o llame al 281-891-6445. Recuerde, descargue la aplicación móvil de Spring ISD y podrá recibir notificaciones de saldo de cuenta en su teléfono.

Practicing safe gun storage protects our kids, prevents accidents, and keeps our guns out of the hands of criminals. Together, we can keep ‘em safe, Texas! Learn more about the Texas Department of Public Safety’s effort to Keep ‘Em Safe at SafeGunStorageTexas.com.

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Practicar el almacenamiento seguro de armas protege a nuestros niños, previene accidentes y mantiene nuestras armas fuera del alcance de los delincuentes. Juntos, podemos mantenerlas seguras, Texas! Aprende más sobre el esfuerzo del Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas para mantenerlas seguras en

https://safegunstoragetexas.com/es/safe-gun-storage-spanish/

23437 Northgate Crossing Blvd.

Spring, TX 77373

Phone: 281-891-8780

Fax: 281-891-8781

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