Bulldog Blast

📓 Northwood Academy will be closed for Spring Recess Monday, March 25th- Friday, March 29th. Classes will resume on Monday, April 1st.

📓 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.

📓 COMMUNITY CHECK-IN: TONIGHT, from 5:30-6:15 PM join us on Zoom to discuss all upcoming NACS happenings and the upcoming PSSAs. RSVP to curbano@northwoodcs.org.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84146362196 Meeting ID: 841 4636 2196

📓 AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS: We are very excited to open our third (and final) trimester after-school clubs. CLICK HERE to view meeting date and time details.

Third Trimester After-School Clubs- Spring 2024

• Spring Volleyball Club (5th-8th)
• Spring Soccer Club: Skills and Drills (5th-8th)
• Dance Club (2nd & 3rd)
• Gimp/Bracelet Club (1st-3rd)
• Basketball Intramurals (4th-7th)
• Intro. to Cheer Club (5th)
• Robotics Club (3rd & 4th)
• Keys 4 Life Club (7th & 8th)

📓 Save the Date! May 28th Big Smiles Dental Mobile will be at our school on May 28th to provide dental cleanings and much more. We will be posted at the school entrance for sign ups during today and tomorrow’s conferences. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Alexis (amohamad@northwoodcs.org) and she can help sign you up!

Upper School Drumming (Grades 6th-8th)

**5 slots remaining**

When? Tuesdays, 3:30pm-4:30pm

>> NACS LANDING PAGE <<

>> REGISTER HERE <<

Additional Contact:

Teacher Cody Messersmith, M.Ed. (he/they) Lower School Music Specialist, cmessersmith@northwoodcs.org

Settlement Music House Onsite Instructor: Dr. Barudin, jeffrey.barudin@settlementmusic.org

Please see below for all new NACS hires! Stay tuned for bios. and pictures, thank you!

Mr. Christopher Jones, Director of Operations

Ms. Theresa Robinson, Nurse

Mr. Corey Bishop, 8th grade Social Studies

Northwood Parents and Guardians,

if you or someone you know is considering a career change, searching for a new job, or looking to network with employers for future career opportunities, please attend our upcoming community career fair on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 from 10am until 1pm!

This event is open to the entire community so please share the attached flyer with anyone who may be interested.

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)

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.

There are several awareness months celebrated in March — though the five that often get the most attention include Women's History Month, National Reading Month, Disability Awareness Month, Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, and Kidney Month.

• Wednesday, 3/20, K-8 Career Day

• Wednesday, 3/20, Bi-Monthly Community Check-In
  

• Friday, 3/22, 4th-6th Incentive Trip (SKATE-PLEX)

• Monday, 3/25, Holi

• Sunday, 3/31, Easter Sunday

• Ramadan is expected to begin in the evening on Sunday, March 10, 2024 and end on Tuesday, April 9, 2024
  

APRIL:

April is Arab American Heritage Month and Autism Awareness Month!

• Friday, April 5th, 7th & 8th grade field trip, Selma viewing and panel discussion at The Ambler Theater (rescheduled from 3/8)

• Monday, April 8th, 5th grade field trip (Philadelphia Zoo)

• Tuesday, April 9th, 3rd grade field trip (Philadelphia Zoo)

• Tuesday, April 9th, 1st grade field trip (Legoland rescheduled from 3/1)
  

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

• Earth Day - April 22

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