Northlake Notes

Hello Northlake Families,

Whew! Last week was a busy one! Each day brought something special and warmed my heart. On Tuesday, we got to celebrate all of our wonderful volunteers. The NLE staff put together a delicious breakfast. We got to spend some time visiting with several parents and volunteers. We can't thank you enough for all you do to help Northlake and are so lucky to have you. On Wednesday, we got to celebrate our graduating seniors. We had 31 Northlake alumni come back to walk the halls, have breakfast and play one last game of Silent Snowball in the Gym. I'm so proud of these kids, they are all going to do great things. Ms. Anderson, the principal from Wallace came and met with our Bilingual Team and she visited classrooms to meet students and welcome them to Wallace. We will miss all of our Bilingual families so much, but they are in good hands and and they are ready to be Wallace Wolves next year. Our students in Pre K - 5th grade got to participate in Moving On Up day, where they visited the next grade level to get a taste of what next year will be like. Several students were invited to the 7 Up Club party on Thursday! So many students worked so hard to increase their MAP scores by 7 points to earn an invitation. It was such a fun party. We ended the week with our 9 weeks assembly, where we got to recognize our amazing students for all their hard work!

We still have one more week to go! Up next, 5th and 6th grade graduation ceremonies, garden days and our Self Manager party. Don't forget that Friday is an early release day with dismissal at 1:00!

:) Ms. Kellagher

Northlake Team came together and hosted a Volunteer Breakfast to thank all of our amazing volunteers, parents, and community members that make Northlake a better place.

Thank you for always taking us to the Next Level of Excellence!

Wallace Principal, Tonya Anderson, Northlake Administration, and members of the district Multi-Language Department joined the Northlake Dual Language Team in a "Farewell to Northlake and Hello to Wallace" supper at the Northlake Lounge. While we are so sad to see our Dual Language Team move to another campus, we are excited for the opportunities for growth this means for our Dual Language families at a campus where multiple dual language sections can be opened and have the opportunity to collaborate and share.

We LOVE you!!

PK - Lisset Wyatt & Marilyn Herrera

K - Edith Fernandez

1st Grade - Denise Garcia

2nd Grade - Yvette Alvarado

3rd Grade - Sally Olibrice & Janeth Pena

4th Grade - Elizabeth Cerda

BIL Aide - Abigail Gomez (staying at NLE in a different role)

Thank you Miguel Garcia for hosting us with delicious tacos.

This week was 4th Grade's turn for the Lake Highlands Rec Center! 5th Grade went to the Perot Museum and explored 6 stories of science. The Choir also sang all around the district and played at Nickelrama as an end of year hurrah.

Many of our grade levels, such as 2nd and 3rd, made good use of the great weather and went outside for their learning, using chalk to learn math facts and enjoying screen free time.

With only one week left, our teachers continue to fill the last days of school with fun, engaging and highly interactive activities.

• In Art, Ms. Tovar had students collaborating on end of year signage.
• PE had students moving and grooving.
• Kinder continued their marathon of mystery readers and ABC days.
• In Ms. Baker's class, students completed a Who Was project based on the popular WHO HQ book series. Groups got to pick a celebrity to read about and take notes on. Then they made a poster and shared their expertise about that person with the class.

On Friday, our homerooms all visited one another to ask questions and share sage advice about moving on to the next grade level. Classes were paired up and able to visit the grade above them and host the grade below them. Using AVID methods such as socratic seminar and philosophical chairs, students shared their TOP 5 things to know for their current grade level and asked questions of those in the grade above.

Thank you to our ILT, Helen Chaney, Kay Ford, and our AVID Site Team for spearheading this project. And thank you to our classroom teachers for facilitating the lessons and making it all happen.

Northlake AVID Site Team 23-24:

PK-Lisset Wyatt

K-Grace Yau

1-Markie Lambert

2-Olivia Swanger

3-Alexia Pullen

4-Elizabeth Cerda

5-Grace Beaudet

6-Joel Gonzalez

Advanced Learning Teacher-Lucy Castellanos

Resource Teacher-Cori Robarge

Specials-Marlise Bridges

Instructional Leadership Team-Helen Chaney & Kay Ford

Admin-Kylee Wall & Mary Kellagher

District Support-Whitney Hawkins, Stefani Spoon & Josh Eason

PTA Representative - Lauren Solomon

Shout out to all of our students who grew on their MOY (middle of year) MAP scores to their EOY (end of year) MAP scores in either Reading, Math or both!

Thank you to PTA for providing the sodas and chips for the parties.

Thank you to ILT, Kay Ford and Helen Chaney, for facilitating this project!

Congratulations to all the students that received certificates at the 4th Nine Weeks Assembly for the categories of:

• Cocoa Cup - given by the Specials Team: Art, PE & Music
• Heart Health Fundraising - Silly String & Pie-Face Winners
• Perfect Attendance
• A & A/B Honor Roll
• Most Academic Growth
• Hard Working
• Self Managers
• Character Traits

• March- Perseverance

• April- Courage

• May- Trustworthiness
  
  

Check out all the honorees in these slideshows:

K-2 Assembly Slideshow

3-6 Assembly Slideshow

Thank you to our performers:

• The Northlake Choir, directed by David Gulick & Kevin Cho
• The Lake Highlands Highlandettes

Thank you to our Northlake PBIS Team, led by Vladimir Amador, for planning and facilitating these activities.

Thank you to our amazing Northlake PTA for funding our PBIS Team every year.

Northlake PBIS Team 2023-24:

• PK/ECSE-Angele Bohling
• K-Mariah Elizondo
• 1st-Christy Burr
• 2nd-Riley Shipley
• 3rd-Emily Hohnstein
• 4th-Sarah Fisher
• 5th-Cassie Cardwell
• 6th-Brooke Baumgartner
• Specials-David Gulick
• Instructional Leadership Team-Allison Horner
• Counselor-Anita Sorensen
• Administrators-Kylee Wall & Mary Kellagher
• District Support-Jerod McDaniel
• Northlake PTA

Our Northlake Alumni showed up and showed out! They wore their caps and gowns and were clapped down the hallway by our PK-6 students. Then it was time for photos. After that, in the cafeteria, our seniors got to see an old Announcements circa 2018 and a slideshow from their time at Northlake. While they enjoyed breakfast (thank you PTA for the tacos), they also read letters they wrote to their future (now present) selves and that were stored in a time capsule. The morning ended with a Northlake tradition - silent snowball versus the seniors. With football greats, Deonte Dean and Chima Njoku in the group, they were tough to beat, but 5th Grade (along with some help from Coach Manhkong) were able to take out our seniors with their sheer numbers and competitive spirit.

Thanks to ALL my amazing Northlake Associated Press members!

Please use the QR Code in the flyer or click this link to order school supplies for next year. These will be delivered to your child's classroom. Thank you PTA!

https://bit.ly/Supplies24-25

Save your child's seat for the 2024-25 school year!

Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year is available online using a PowerSchool registration account.

• Returning students can use a Snapcode to enroll.
• Enrollment for returning students will require a “snapcode” that was emailed to current parents on February 26.
  
• New students will need to complete the entire enrollment.
• Please click here for more information about the enrollment process and what documents are necessary to complete enrollment.
  

Contact your current (2023-24) RISD school for questions or assistance with enrollment, including help submitting necessary documents.

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 this link 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.

The district has implemented a new intercom and a new system for checking in and out as a visitor or volunteer and for checking students in/out of school. Please be patient as we learn this new process together.

• Be sure to bring a valid ID each time you come to school.
• Students that arrive after 8:05 MUST have an adult sign them in. Northlake staff members may NOT do this for you, so please be sure that walkers are getting to school on time.

In the interest of safety & security, every visitor to a Richardson ISD campus must present a valid form of identification and be processed for 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. As you enter the building, 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. Thank you!

With the advent of spring, comes a little spring fever. Dads Club & PTA are asking volunteers to join in to provide support in the lunchroom and at recess.

If you are interested in volunteering in the lunchroom or at recess, please use this link to sign up. Be sure you have completed the background check via risd.voly.org.

Thanks, Dads (and Moms) ! We appreciate you. ❤️👨👩

If you would like to hear more about Dads Club, please reach out to Brad McCutcheon at DadsClub@NorthlakePTA.com.

Reminder that no crocs or "croc-like" shoes are allowed at school. Many croc-related incidents end up in the Nurse's clinic. Please do not make us have to be the "crocs police", as this rule is part of our district Elementary Dress Code. Please be sure your students are dressed appropriately for school each day. Thank you for your help keeping all our students safe! 👟

Please be sure that children are supervised at all times whether at the Audelia Public Library or the playground next to it. There have been injuries that have happened from students playing without guardian supervision. Please remind your children that if they are walkers, they should be walking straight home from school. The librarians do not supervise students, so please do not allow your children to go to the library without an adult.

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 you 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 lorrie.ford@risd.org.

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 labeled with child's name, grade and homeroom teacher, 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.

To have your child's name added to the marquee for their birthday for just $10, please use this link to the PTA website. www.northlakepta.com/birthday-marquee

The district policy is that grades are not printed and sent home; however, you may view your child's grades on the Parent Portal in Focus. If you have not signed up for a Parent Portal Account, please see the information below.

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 grade.

web.risd.org/focus/

There are no lunch visitors for the last week of school.

Happy Summer!

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.

We are so fortunate to have a wonderful PTA. They have been working so hard all year.

If you are interested in volunteering in the lunchroom or at recess, please use this link to sign up. Be sure you have completed the background check via risd.voly.org.

Please be sure to check out their website for different ways you can help out. You can also reach out to Amanda Hinders at President@NorthlakePTA.com for more information about PTA, or if you would like to hear more about Dads Club, please reach out to Brad McCutcheon at DadsClub@NorthlakePTA.com.

We need your help! We are working hard to grow our PTA membership. It costs $8 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! https://www.northlakepta.com/

May: Mental Health Awareness Month & Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage American Month

May 20 - 40 Book Pie-face Celebration

May 21 - 6th Grade Field Trip

May 22 - 5th & 6th Graduation Rehearsal

May 23 - 5th Grade Graduation & 6th Grade Field Trip

May 24 - 6th Grade Graduation, 5th & 6th Grade Clap Out, & Early Release Day/Last Day of School

May 25-Aug 12 - Summer Vacation 🌞

August 13 - First Day of School 2024-25