Steve Minard, Principal

Kristi Bast, Secretary

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

North Godwin Elementary fall Parent and Teacher Conferences will held this week; October 14 -- October 18, 2024.

Students will have an altered schedule this week as follows:

Monday, October 14 (normal school day)

Tuesday, October 15 (normal school day)

Wednesday, October 16 (normal school day)

Thursday, October 17 (EARLY DISMISSAL with parent pick up beginning at 1:30 PM; final bell at 1:45 PM)

Friday, October 18 (HALF DAY OF SCHOOL with parent pick up beginning at 11:30 AM; final bell at 11:45 AM)

Please be sure to arrive on time for your scheduled conference/s. It is important to keep your scheduled time, as our teachers and translators have very full schedules to accommodate every student family. Thank you for your understanding!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024 - EARLY DISMISSAL

Parent pick-up begins at 1:30 PM; buses depart when the final bell rings at 1:45 PM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2024 - HALF DAY

Parent pick-up begins at 11:30 AM; buses depart when the final bell rings at 11:45 AM

North Godwin Elementary is hosting a CoW (Code Together, Grow Together) STEM coding club beginning Tuesday, October 22, 2024. It will be held over Tuesday from 3:15 PM to 5:00 PM through March 25, 2024. There are only 20 Spots available in this club. Interested candidates need to sign up early!

District Cookbook Recipe Request

We are so excited to start a new project this year with our Godwin families and gather and share recipes!

We hope to receive recipes from our students, families, teachers, staff, community members and any one else that feels connected to our incredible district! We are excited to highlight the uniqueness and diversity that spans across our district and what better way to share than food!

Please fill out the information in the link below and submit your special recipe!

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. Thank you!

Kai'Lynn Sanders, 4th Grade (Mrs. Richardson) and Adiline Winchel, 3rd Grade (Mrs. Winer), happy participants in the TEAM 21 after-school program!

Mark your calendars! North Godwin Elementary will host our annual STEM Family Night on Thursday, November 14, 2024 from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM. This is always a VERY fun night full of exciting, hands-on activities for families involving science, technology, engineering and math. We hope to see you there!

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:

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Wednesday, December 11. 2024

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

October 17 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM -- P/T Conferences

October 18 ~ 1/2 day of School @ 11:45 AM -- P/T Conferences

October 30 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

November 13 ~ Early Release @ 1:45 PM

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

Parents and Guardians,

By now you should have received your student's initial photograph packet or proof. If you are unsatisfied with the photo, you can send it to school with your student on RE-TAKE DAY. They will present it to the Geskus Photographers, which will signal that you want a RE-TAKE.

If your child was absent on our original picture day, they will be photographed on October 24. We will also photograph any NEW students who have enrolled since September 6, the date of our original photo day.

If you need a new order form for RE-TAKE Day, simple let your student's teacher know, or call Mrs. Bast in the office. We do have a few extra ordering forms. Parents can also order their students's photos online at: https://www.geskusphoto.com/

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/