Happy Sunday Northlake!

I hope you have all enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend. I sure do wish the weather would have cooperated on Friday, this is perfect weather for a movie night. We have rescheduled movie night and will try again on March 7th! We had a short week this week, but had picture day and 4th grade took a wonderful field trip on Friday. We also started a new incentive system in the cafeteria. Ms. Walker spent Wednesday in the cafeteria with the kids to give an overview of everything and I think the kids are all excited. We could really use some volunteers to come help monitor the cafeteria. If you have time during the week, please see the sign up below.

This week we will have our second round of CIAs. Please be sure your kiddo's get a good night of sleep and get to school on time to set them up for success.

• Kindergarten - 2nd Grade - Reading and Math
• 3rd - 5th Grade - Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies

Here's to a great week ahead!

Ms. Kellagher

I'd like to take a moment to recognize all of our Veterans. I know we have several parents and loved ones who have served to protect our country. I am so thankful for all of you and your service. Teachers will be talking to students tomorrow about the importance of Veteran's Day. Ms. Walker will be working with teachers on a project to make cards and letters to send to our troops for the Holiday season.

A few weeks ago one of our parents, Meredith Domingue came to visit 3rd Grade. She has two sweet boys that attend NLE. Last year, when her son Kenny was in 2nd Grade, she was deployed to Iraq. She was there for several months and came home in September. Mrs. Domingue came to visit 3rd grade and shared about her experiences while she was deployed. She brought some pictures to share and talked to students about what her days looked like and shared a little bit about her job while she was there. Last year, students in Mrs. Swanger's class wrote her letters and she was able to answer some of the questions they had, including what the food and weather were like in Iraq. We are so happy you are home safe and sound Meredith!

Students had pictures taken on Thursday. Parents should receive an email from Legacy Photos when galleries are available for viewing. If you do not recieve an email, you can use the information on this flyer to access your child's pictures.

We are looking for parent volunteers to help monitor students during lunch in the cafeteria. If you have some time or flexibility in your schedule please consider giving an hour or so each week. I am attaching a sign-up link below. Once we have our group of volunteers together, Mrs. Walker will host a training, so we can go over campus expectations with you. Consistency is key and we want to be sure you have the tools you need to help things run smoothly in the cafeteria.

Our annual Multicultural Night will be held on Thursday, November 21st from 5:00-7:00. We will start in the cafeteria with some performances and then families will have an opportunity to walk through the main hallway and learn about some different cultures and traditions by playing games and sampling some delicious food! We need your help! We are asking families to bring a dish to share. This can be from your culture or simply a meal that is special to your family. PTA will provide the tasting cups and spoons, you just need to bring and serve the dish you decide to share. Please use the QR code below to sign up for a dish to share.

PTA will be hosting a Friends-Giving Sign and Go. You can find more information on the Northlake PTA website. Please sign up online if you are interested in attending. Tomorrow is the last day to reserve your spot!

4th Grade went to Greenwood Hills on Friday to participate in a Disability Awareness program called To Be Like Me. Students are able to learn about and meet people with different disabilities. And, they also get to participate in some different simulations that allow them to see what it may feel like to have a disability or difference. This is always a wonderful experience for our 4th graders. Please be sure to talk to them about this experience and find out what they learned about. You can learn a little more about the To Be Like Me program by clicking the link below.

5th Graders were invited to a popsicle party on Wednesday with Ms. Kellagher. All 5th graders received a ticket to the party three weeks ago and if they showed great behavior and didn't lose their ticket they got to come have some fun and have one of the best popsicles ever.

I am working with PTA to prepare for our annual December to Remember calendar for the NLE staff. I always build a calendar with some fun activity or theme for each day of December. Some days are more for teachers and some days are for kids too! PTA will be providing a breakfast for our staff one morning in December. They will also be giving each staff member a gift card. We are asking each family to donate a gift card or two to help ensure each staff member receives at least one gift card.

Here's how you can help:

• All gift cards should be for $10.
• Favorite places include White Rock Coffee, Starbucks, Jersey Mikes, Chick-fil-A, McDonalds, Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
• All gift cards should be brought to the front office and placed in the PTA gift card box.
• Do not write any teacher or student names on the gift cards.
• We will be collecting gift cards between now and December 6th.

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 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.

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 grades. We will not send a home paper copy of your child's report card. So, please be sure to sign up for an account soon!

The Golden Ticket store is coming soon! This is one of my favorite Northlake traditions. As we begin preparing to set up the The Golden Ticket Store, we need your help! If you have any new or gently used items that you think would be a great item for the store, please be sure to bring them to the front office. Many of you have been so generous in the past and have donated new items as well. The best selling items include any games, dolls or toys. Soccer balls and basketballs are a favorite too. I always use this as an opportunity to regift some items that I may not have used over the past year or don't need. I also take advantage of some Black Friday deals and get a few new toys or games. We appreciate any donation to our Golden Ticket Store. The more gifts we have, the more golden tickets we can give to our kids. If you have any questions about how to help, please reach out to Anita Sorenson at anita.sorensen@risd.org.

Richardson Reads Day is November 22nd. Students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite story book character and if they can bring the book to go with their character, even better! We have a few fun things planned for the day, including a story book character parade and a school wide reading time. More information to come soon!

The district has updated the Elementary Dress Code. Please be sure your students are dressed appropriately for school each day. Please let me know if you have any questions.

We will are ready for lunch visitors! Please be sure to read through the following rules in order to keep the cafeteria running smooth and safe.

• No siblings, due to limited space on the stage.
• You may eat with your child only.
• Please do not take any pictures while visiting for lunch.
• When you are finished with lunch, please check out through the main office. Parents may not go back to class with their children to visit.

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 your 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 our Student Data Specialist, Mrs. Logan at pam.logan@risd.org.

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 the link below 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.

We are so fortunate to have a wonderful PTA. They have been working so hard already this year! PTA has helped with school supplies, spirit wear, Back to School Night, Reflections, etc. Our Garden Committee is planning Phase II of our NLE Garden and the Carnival Committee is planning for our annual NLE Fall Carnival later this month. Please be sure to check out their website for different ways you can help out. You can also reach out to Amanda Hinders at Preseident@NorthlakePTA.com for more information about PTA.

We need your help! We are working hard to grow our PTA membership. It costs $10 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!

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.

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 and patient as we all get used to these new measures. As you enter the building, please 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.

November 14 - PTA Board Meeting - 6:00

November 18 - Book Fair this week

November 21 - PTA Meeting and Multi-Cultural Night 5:00-7:00

November 22 - Richardson Reads Day

November 25 - 29 - No School