Bulldog Blast

📓 Please see below for all related PSSA reminders and expectations. The PSSA is state-mandated, and participation by all students in grades 3-8 is required by federal law in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

📓 Friendly reminder, Wednesday, April 10th school will be closed in observance of Eid al-Fitr.

📓 All students of Northwood will receive a free Northwood T-Shirt for Field Day. Please complete this form to secure a shirt for your child. Please complete a separate form for each child! All submissions are due April 12th. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Alexis for support. amohamad@northwoodcs.org

📓 Save the Date! Big Smiles Dental Mobile will be at our school on May 28th to provide dental cleanings and much more. Sign ups occurred during parent-teacher conferences. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Alexis (amohamad@northwoodcs.org) and she can help sign you up!

NACS is in the running for a FREE FUN DAY sponsored by D. Richardson Productions including moon bounces, a live DJ, character mascots, and more for our Northwood bulldogs!

To cast a vote you will need to FOLLOW the IG page @drichprod and LIKE our school’s Instagram post. Please share with your family and friends!

Below is the direct link to the voting page for convenience:

https://www.instagram.com/drichprod/

If you are interested in voting using your mobile phone, please scan the QR code on the flyer below

T H A N K Y O U !

Dear Northwood Academy Parents and Guardians,

We are writing to inform you that students in grades 3-8 will be participating in the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) between April 23 and May 2, 2023. The PSSA is an important tool that provides critical information about the academic progress of your student(s). Individual student scores help teachers identify a child’s strengths and areas for growth, which in turn allows teachers to personalize a child’s instruction to best support their growth.

The PSSA is state-mandated, and participation by all students in grades 3-8 is required by federal law in English Language Arts and Mathematics. In addition, students in grades 4 and 8 will take a Science assessment. During the assessment period, it is very important for students to attend school daily.

Parents may help their children prepare for the assessments by encouraging them to get plenty of sleep the nights before and providing them with a good breakfast on the mornings of the assessments. Parents can also reassure their children that these assessments will give students an opportunity to demonstrate their learning and to help teachers plan for the best possible means of instruction moving forward. In addition, please remind your child(ren) of the importance of positive behavior during testing. We will work closely with our Deans to ensure that any disruptive behavior is addressed, which could result in a student’s removal from the testing setting. Per state guidelines, if this occurs, it will result in the child not being able to return to that section of the test, and we will be forced to turn the test into the state to be scored as is.

Please review the information for parents and guardians that was prepared by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. You can find that information included in the weekly Bulldog Blast. Take the time to read all of the included information, so that you will fully understand the state testing program.

Lastly, please read the below schedule carefully as we are adopting a noon dismissal format this year for testing.

For transportation-related questions please contact our Director of Operations, Mr. Jones, at cjones@northwoodcs.org

For Special Education-related questions please contact Director of Special Education, Ms. Leite, at eleite@northwoodcs.org

Please reach out by April 17th with any questions or concerns, so that we have the proper time to respond and react before the start of testing.

The Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program (LEAP) offers K-12 out-of-school programming in Neighborhood Libraries. This programming fosters an inclusive, informal learning environment for children, teens, and families, with accessible learning activities that build on life skills, Maker philosophies, and wellness concepts.

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/leap

Check out their upcoming event! This is a FREE event for the community and will include special performances, job resources, programs, and home repair service information available!

WHEN? April 27th, 12:00 pm- 3:30 pm

WHERE? Overington Park, 4600 Leiper Street ( 4 min. drive/ 12 min. walk from NACS)

Saturday, April 20 | 10:30am-12:30pm

Tacony Creek Park: Tabor Rd and Olney Ave

Philadelphia 19120

Join Olney Culture Lab in partnership with the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford watershed for a Revival Walk (Philly Celebrates Jazz Edition) through Tacony Creek Park in Olney to honor the sun, wind, trees, birds and nature. Mama Carla will share stories illuminating the history of jazz as well as our place in community with one another and our natural environment.

Created by dance artist/activist Lela Aisha Jones during the height of the pandemic, Revival Walks brought healing, solace, and joy to participants, as facilitators lifted up Afro-centric practices to rebalance our relationship with the natural world.

Mama Carla will be joined by jazz instrumentalist Marcell Bellinger, who will improvise music and sounds in the jazz idiom in concert with the natural environment. Participants will also assist in removing trash along the way as an act of reciprocity to this important natural space.

REGISTER HERE

If you have not done so already, please consider signing up to get essential weekly alerts from us via the school Remind app

Remind is a free, safe messaging app that keeps Northwood Academy families up to date with what’s happening in the classroom and school. Additionally, our weekly Bulldog Blast is sent out via Remind, along with other timely announcements throughout each week. Please sign up for our Remind notifications to stay on top of important updates from teachers and receive school-wide updates in real time.

Create a Remind account to receive Northwood's schoolwide alerts!

1. Go to remind.com/join/nacsnews (or download the free iOS or Android app)
2. Click Sign Up
   
3. Provide a full name, email address, and password
4. Choose your role
5. Follow the instructions to start using Remind

To sign up and receive alerts via text message, text @nacsnews to the number 81010 and select the appropriate role.

Note: Each teacher has a different class code for their individual classes. Please contact your child's teacher to receive this information. Take note, not all teachers have a separate Remind classroom.

If you have followed the above instructions and are still having difficulties or not receiving NACS information please reach out to the Remind Help Desk for further assistance https://remind.ada.support/chat/

Open Registration will take place Monday-Friday 3-8pm, beginning Monday 2/26/24.
When: Monday - Friday
July 1 - August 16, 2024 (no camp 7/4 & 7/5)

Time: 9AM – 3PM (Before and After camp care available)

Cost: $50 per week or $325/total encampment ($20 non-refundable registration fee required at registration)

Ages: 6-12. No child can be 13 before 7/1/24. 6 year old’s must have completed Kindergarten to attend camp.

Space is limited. Contact Heitzman for more details!
Call: 215-537-3244, e-mail heitzmanreccenter@phila.gov

If you and your family lack fixed, regular, or adequate housing (for example, living in a shelter, transitional home, or even doubled-up with other people) due to loss of housing or economic hardship, you may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which ensures educational stability for students experiencing homelessness.

To learn more about the rights of eligible families, click here for a brief video.

If you qualify for rights under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, contact our school social worker at dominiqueharris@northwoodcs.org for more information.

Are you or someone you know in need of housing, food, health, and safety services? Please check out these resources from Project HOME: Where To Turn Guide.

Please review Northwood's Homeless Students Policy here: McKinney-Vento Policy.

APRIL:

April is Arab American Heritage Month and Autism Awareness Month!

• Wednesday, April 10th, Eid al-Fitr- School Closed

• Friday, April 12th, Tree Trails (Grade 7 Field Trip)
  

• Earth Day - April 22nd

All students K-8 will have a NOON dismissal due to PSSA testing: 4/22-5/3

More events to come!

Website: northwoodcs.org
Location: 4621 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 289-5606
Facebook: facebook.com/Northwood-Academy-Charter-School-153041454730750/
Twitter: @northwoodcs