January Extras
January came and, especially with all the days off school, is about to be gone! We still wanted to get a few reminders, updates, and save the date requests out to our families before February. Take a look below to see what's happening.
School Spirit Wear Sale
Spirit wear, or clothing that shows the school you support/are affiliated with, is popular in US culture. Northtowne Elementary has coordinated with a company that is providing us with a spirit wear online storefront. A portion of the sales will come back to Northtowne as a fundraiser.
Don't miss your chance, orders can be placed through January 31st! When ordering remember to select "DHE Customs" pickup before completing the order. Selecting the "DHE Customs" pickup option will save you the shipping costs. Your items will be sent to Northtowne Elementary and we will sort and send home your order with your student.
Please note this sale is entirely on-line. Do not send money to school with your student as we will not be able to make the order for you. The on-line site accepts payments by credit card, debit card, and the Mastercard/Visa branded gift cards (you can purchase these at grocery stores)
See the Dentist at Northtowne Elementary!
The School Smiles on-site dental program provides on-site dental care at our school for ALL students that signup to participate. The dental team is a state licensed dentist and dental assistant. The dental team will set up inside our school and they accept Medicaid, private insurance, offer self-pay rates and grants through their foundation. Registration is now open online at: www.schoolsmiles.com/student-signup with over 100 languages to choose from when completing the online form.
School Smiles will be providing dental services for those who have registered in advance on Friday, February 9th.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be present at the appointment?
No, you are not required to be at the appointment. We operate just like a private practice except with the convenience of having our equipment on wheels and bringing the services to the child’s school.
What all will be done at the appointment?
The registration form gives us consent to do the following at the first dental visit: Exam, Prophy, Fluoride, X-rays, Sealants, and Restorations. If you only want certain services, you can include that on the registration form. We also reach out with additional treatment consents as needed so that all treatment can be completed at school.
What is the cost for signing up my child?
If you have Medicaid, there is no cost to you and will be covered at 100%. If you have private insurance, the same deductible/copays apply the same as any other dental practice. If you do not have dental insurance and select the self-pay rate it is $49 for each visit.
What if I have both primary insurance and Medicaid?
If you have more than 1 insurance, Medicaid will always default as the 2nd insurance option—therefore we have to have the primary insurance details in order to see your child. Medicaid’s website also tells us if there is another plan but not the details so if we don’t have it available we will reach out before we can schedule your child.
Will you be coming back to the school?
Every school is different and depends on their schedule; however we do strive to return every 6 months.
Will I be notified of how my child’s visit went and if anything else is needed?
A report card is always sent home with your child after the visit and you can always call our office at 855-497-6453. We are also setting up parent portals so you can have access and communicate via text, this will be available in the Fall 2023 and details will be sent out on how to signup for this.
My child was recommended additional treatment, what are the next steps?
The consent forms needed were sent home with your child, please sign and return to your child’s school—we will also send a text with a link to sign the consent online. We will work with the school on a return date to get your child seen.
Why is my child that signed up not being seen?
Our most common reasons for a child not being added to the schedule is that they were seen by another practice and per insurance is not eligible or that we have tried reaching the family to get insurance and/or payment details and haven’t been able to reach them.
What if my child turned in their form late?
No problem. Please always send in the registration forms to the school and we will do everything we can to process them as quickly as possible to get added on the schedule.
What if a child turned in their form after the dental visit?
No problem. Please send your form into the school and we will work on getting another visit scheduled.
What is the best form of communication?
- Paige Williams, Insurance Specialist Payment, Insurance questions: pwilliams@schoolsmiles.com
- Nicole McKinney, Patient Coordinator Dental records request, questions regarding visit: nmckinney@schoolsmiles.com
- General Email: contactus@schoolsmiles.com Main Line 855-497-6453
Start Making Summer Plans Now!
The Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair
SUMMER CAMPS for ALL AGES, PAID INTERNSHIPS, WELLNESS EXAMS, VACCINES, FREE FUN.
Columbus City Schools wants to help you find the right summer opportunities for your child.
Join us for the 2024 Summer Opportunity and Engagement Fair on Saturday, February 10, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch downtown.
Spotlighting many of the different summer programs, camps, internships, volunteer hours, and employment opportunities for grades PreK-12, special education/adaptive, gifted, and English language learners.
- 50+ Community Partners
- Workshops
- On-Site Translators
- Giveaways
HEATSHARE and Other Assistance Programs
HEATSHARE Administered by the Salvation Army, is a fuel fund that combines customer, employee and company donations to assist families in paying heating bills. This winter the fund has $750,000 available for families. For more information, please use the Salvation Army link below.
For a full list of heating assistance programs working with Columbia Gas, see link below.
Free COSI Memberships Are Still Available for Families of 5th Graders!
Are you a 5th Grade Parent? Get a FREE COSI Membership Today!
Give your family the gift of science learning with free year-round visits to COSI! Thanks to the generosity of the Robert Weiler Company, COSI is proud to offer a complimentary one-year COSI Membership to Columbus City Schools 5th Grade students and their families. This is an amazing opportunity for all families in our school district with a 5th grader in the house!
It’s simple! Sign up for your FREE membership: Visit cosi.org/CCS5 to fill out the application form.
COSI looks forward to welcoming you!