October 2024 Northtowne News

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.

October 7-19 - Panorama Family Survey window

October 16 - Picture Day 📸 See ordering information below

October 18 - No School; Staff Professional Development Meetings

October 22 - End of First Grading Period

October 23- No School; Records Day, grade cards visible in Parent Portal will be finalized by the 26th

Save the date and watch for more information to come: Caregiver Teacher Conferences will be held November 13 and 14 in the afternoon and evening.

Stay up to date! The calendar for the 2024-25 school year can be found here.

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

Hello Families, Caregivers, and Students,

Happy Autumn! The school year is off to a strong start and we are already into the month of October. Students have already completed the Beginning of Year (BOY) testing, they have reviewed the school-wide behavior expectations, and should now be familiar with classroom routines. This month will bring with it the Panorama family survey, picture day, the end of the first grading period, and the full start of our new Northtowne Elementary House System!

The Panorama family survey is a very important tool that Columbus City Schools uses twice each year to get feedback from families to the schools where their student attends. At Northtowne we have a team of staff who review the trends from the responses and make plans that guide opportunities for family engagement. The survey also helps us respond better to needs and areas for growth. Please, plan on completing the Panorama Survey on-line when the District sends the message with the link. The survey will be available in multiple languages.

As you have probably noticed from the Class Dojo posts, we are very excited about unveiling our new School House System. This House System supports our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) activity at the school. A House System is a behavior strategy where students are divided into teams called Houses. The students within each House work together to earn points, support each other, and compete against other Houses. I expect that you will hear from your student about their House assignment and the ways they can earn points.

As always, we have a lot going on at Northtowne, but we are never too busy for our families. If you need assistance or have any questions, please reach out to myself or other staff to let us know!

Wishing you well,

Mr. Taylor

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.

Mr. Dickerson has started Social Emotional Learning (SEL) small groups. He is highlighting two types of groups that he is running this year.

One type of small group is the growth mindset reading group. In this group students are reading stories and books that have SEL themes. Characters in these stories are faced with a range of challenging things that happen to them. Then, they must work through how to respond to the events in ways that allow them to develop their skills. In this small group students get to work on SEL skills and academic reading skills simultaneously.

The second small group type is the role-playing small group. Students with a range of goals (problem solving, emotional regulation, integrity, etc.) work together to explore social situations in a safe (and somewhat fantastical) environment. This particular group has been quite successful in past years. Our students say they love the activity and best of all, they get to work on learning strategies to be successful in social situations.

Flu Vaccine Clinic Coming Soon!

Nurse Cassie is excited to announce that students and staff can get their flu shots, at school, the morning of December 17! Paper forms printed on green paper are going home with students. If you want your student to get their flu shot at school, fill out and return the green consent form. You can also register and give consent online by going to https://redcap.columbus.gov/surveys/?s=99A47HMDK4WTRPXH

Doctor's Offices at Schools!

Nationwide Children's Hospital partners with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to make routine medical care more accessible to students. The closest CCS school with a health clinic is at Northland High School (room 131), just up the street from Northtowne Elementary. Interpreters are available. Schedule an appointment by calling 614-355-2590, option 3. You can also go online to fill out an interest form at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f7e2a504b8114517b1dba0c7faf39089 Services available are:

• Help when sick
• Vaccinations
• Blood work
• Health checkups, including medication management
• Treat asthma, anxiety, depression, and ADHD

Transportation to the School Health Clinics

Do you need help with getting your child transported to one of the school health clinics? Nationwide Children's Hospital also provides transportation to the school health clinics. This service is provided year-round (yes, even in the summer). Complete the transportation intake form at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f7e2a504b8114517b1dba0c7faf39089.

What is Teachers Acknowledging Greatness (TAG)? TAG is an opportunity for teachers to share with caregivers a moment of greatness shown by their student. Did the student participate in class? Did they show improved effort? Were they quiet and attentive? Did they turn in all their homework for that week? Did they simply give it their best? There are many ways to show our greatness and it's about progress, not perfection.

TAG recognitions are returning for this school year! We are proving, every day, that our students make positive contributions to our school community. We are continuing these recognitions all the way through the school year. Be on the watch for your phone call with good news from the school.

Staff Heros Illustrating Northtowne Excellence (SHINE) is an award for our staff that is similar to the TAG awards. SHINE is new for this school year and recognizes that even adults thrive better when they are recognized for their efforts! While staff are able to nominate each other for these awards, the real magic happens when our families get involved too!!

SHINE is an opportunity for staff, caregivers, and students (with the guidance of their adults at home) to share a moment of greatness that was noticed and appreciated. Did a staff member go above and beyond? Were they especially helpful? Were they responsive to your needs or concerns? Even small actions can make a big difference for the people they impact, let’s share these positive moments and appreciation with each other!

To nominate a staff member, fill out the “SHINE” Google Form with the date, your name, name of the nominee, and reason for the SHINE. A SHINE award certificate will be filled out and delivered to the appropriate staff member for each nomination made in the Google Form. The link for the form is here: https://forms.gle/Zhs76dZ6kgLY16DF6

Picture Day is coming! All students will be photographed. If you would like to purchase your student's photo you must do by October 16th. You can fill out the paper order form that is coming home and send it with your student on the 16th or order online. To order online go to https://www.barksdalestorefront.com/store/event_login/ and use access code 0118866IN.

The video below explains about the House System we will be using this year. At Northtowne our four houses will be: Amistad, Altruismo, Reveur, and Isibindi. The House System is an exciting way to create a positive climate and culture for students and staff. Students are celebrated for their efforts through a process that builds character, empowers academic excellence, fosters school spirit, enhances relationships, and promotes a culture of belonging to all.

Friday, October 4 is our day to sort the students into their houses. Ask your student which house they are part of now!!

• Amistad video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O1K4c8_kAQ&list=PL_2FDzZmg2cA5rr4It4GBQnOvOFhJsReK&index=5
• Altruismo video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLkC_5Zj_DA&list=PL_2FDzZmg2cA5rr4It4GBQnOvOFhJsReK&index=2
• Reveur video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crmWIFiOyqc&list=PL_2FDzZmg2cA5rr4It4GBQnOvOFhJsReK&index=1
• Isibindi video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-_ycdOjFyw&list=PL_2FDzZmg2cA5rr4It4GBQnOvOFhJsReK&index=3

Spruce Run turns 50 this year! We are celebrating Saturday, October 19 between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Come join us for this free event!

Spruce Run is the 50-acre Nature Center property owned by Columbus City Schools since 1974. For five decades, our Spruce Run has provided students and educators with hands-on experiences in nature and fostered a love for the environment. During the 50th anniversary celebration you can explore fall activities, go on creek walks, check out the wetlands area, and explore the garden.

Spruce Run is located at: 4175 Sunbury Rd., Galena, OH 43021

There is still time to visit the Veterans Memorial and Museum for FREE as a part of the Pathway Express partnership! Students and their families will enjoy FREE admission now through November 30th, as they explore and honor stories of courage and sacrifice.

This Pathway Express partnership is centered around Global Empathy, a key quality in our Portrait of a Graduate. This means helping students appreciate and connect with different cultures and viewpoints through respect and open conversation. We’ll encourage them to act towards creating an equitable and more inclusive world.

*When entering the museum, families must show their child’s CCS Student Success Card (school ID) and/or give their child’s school and student ID number for free family entry.

Lakeshore Learning Stores are hosting a free event for children and families in October!

Mwa-ha-have you ever created your own wacky sound effects or imagined a monster—and then built it? That’s what our kid-friendly Monster Lab is all about! Craft sound-makers, get hands-on with products that inspire the imagination and gather around for zany monster stories! Guardians, be sure to check in at the event…you might win a $100 e-gift card!

This is a free, walk-in event held at all locations between the hours listed. No reservations needed.

Our Columbus area Lakeshore store is located at:

2148 Polaris Parkway

Columbus, OH 43240

Affordable Housing and Resource Fair

When: Saturday, October 12

10:00am-2:00pm

Where: Whitehall Yearling High School

675 S Yearling Rd

Whitehall OH 43213

More than 50 vendors will be at this event to present everything you need to know about affordable, accessable, and high quality housing and social services in and around Franklin County.

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.

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.

Parents Right To Know Information as Required by the Elementary and Secondary Education

Act (ESEA) (Section 1112(e)(1)(A) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (Section 1112(e)(1)(A)

As a parent of a student attending a school that is receiving Federal Title I dollars, you have the right

to know the professional qualifications of the teacher(s) and instructional paraprofessional(s) who

instruct your child, Federal law required every Title I school district to comply and to provide you

with the requested information in a timely manner.

We are happy to provide this information to you. At any time, you may ask:

• whether the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level

and subject he/she is teaching

• whether the teacher received an emergency or conditional certificate through which state
• what undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.

You may also ask whether your child receives help from a paraprofessional. If your child receives this assistance, we can provide you with information about the paraprofessional’s qualifications.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which was signed into law in December 2015 and

reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1956 (ESEA) includes additional right to know requests. At any time, parents and family members can request:

• information on policies regarding student participation in assessments and procedures for

opting out, and;

• information on required assessments that include:
• subject matter tested
• purpose of the test
• source of the requirement (if applicable)
• amount of time it takes students to complete the test, and
• time and format of disseminating results

Our staff is committed to helping your child develop the academic knowledge and critical thinking

skills he/she needs to succeed in school and beyond. That commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals meet applicable Ohio state requirements.

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: 614-859-9654

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

Email: frankmindfulleducation@gmail.com