Northlake Family,

Well, that was short week! Here's another fun fact you all may not know about me, I love a surprise snow day. I feel just like a kid again at the prospect of some snow. It's so beautiful and reminds me of home. I grew up in a small town in Ohio and I loved the snow when I was young. While I don't get outside to play in the snow these days, I sure do like to watch it fall and see it out the window. I hope you all had a chance to get out and play with your kids a little bit. Since we only had a two day week, this is a short and sweet Northlake Notes.

:) Ms. Kellagher

2nd Nine Weeks Assemblies

Friday, January 17th

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade (1:15 - 1:50)

3rd Grade - 5th Grade (2:00 - 2:40)

We like to celebrate our students each nine weeks at the end of the quarter. Due to time restrictions, some recognitions allow students to stand briefly at their spots to be recognized. These students do not come to the stage. These awards include A Honor Roll, A/B Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance, Self Managers and AVID Ambassadors. For other awards, we invite students to come up to the stage to receive a certificate. Some of these include Super Wildcat Winners (Character Traits), Special Wildcat (Specials Award), and Specific Academic Awards (Most Growth). There will be limited seating available and some parents may need to stand during the assembly.

Please use this link below to RSVP if you will be attending one (or both) of the assemblies. Please save this link, you will need to scan the QR code on Friday morning between 8:00 - noon to check in for the assembly. This will allow us to print your name tag ahead of time, so you will not need to check in through the main office. We will have a check in table with all printed name tags at porch 4. Anyone who does not use this QR code to sign in on Friday morning, will need to go through the main office to sign in and get a name tag.

https://forms.gle/F5e33n5c5Pz72BuD8

Here are few pictures from our NLE teachers with their kiddo's (and fur babies) having some fun in the snow! I'm also attaching some pictures that one of our moms sent in of our NLE kids having fun on the library hill.

The cold temperatures are moving in today and we will be below or around freezing each morning. Reminder, we open the building at 7:30 AM. Please do not drop your students off early due to the cold weather and be sure your kiddos are dressed warm and wearing coats this week. We will follow district guidelines regarding outdoor recess with the temperatures each day.

A big thank you to our Dad's Club for cleaning up our front yard this weekend! They raked leaves and cleaned up any bits of trash that blew in with the winter storm. We appreciate you! And, I see a couple of our Northlake Wildcats helping out too! Way to go!

Happy January NLE parents! What a crazy way to start our year…right? I am going to use this space to let you know about some of the things happening with our counseling program at NLE. First of all, I meet with each classroom twice a month. We learned about conflict resolution in December and this month we will discuss the Circle of Control and also friendship and how we can be a good friend and maintain healthy relationships.

For our 5th graders, we will begin learning about Lake Highlands Middle School and what to expect next year! We will be touring the school on January 28th and the counselors will be visiting our campus on February 4th to go over course cards. Parents should watch for more information coming to you this week.

Also, I plan to begin working with students in small groups (possibly during lunch times) to tackle specific issues. The first one will be “Families in Transition” where I will work with students whose families have undergone some changes due to divorce. If you would like for your child to participate in that type of small group, please fill out this google form https://shorturl.at/IJlZN. The groups will last 6-8 weeks and we will most likely meet during lunch. If you would like more information please feel free to contact me at anita.sorensen@risd.org or 469-593-2304.

There are lots of bugs and viruses going around. Please be sure to keep your kiddo's home if they aren't feeling well. If your child is out sick, please send an excuse note when they return so Mrs. Logan can excuse their absences. This is also the time of year that teachers could use some extra hand sanitizer, wipes and tissues for their classrooms. Please reach out to your child's teacher on Talking Points to see if they could use some tissues, hand sanitizer or wipes to help keep their classrooms germ free. I know they'd love your help with this!

Talent show is around the corner! This is one of my all time favorite Northlake events. It's so fun to watch our kids perform and share a talent they love. For those of you that are new to Northlake, Talent Show is open to Pre-K through 5th grade students. Students can sing, dance, juggle, tell jokes, jumprope, etc. The possibilities are endless. Students may do a solo performance or perform with a group. Now is the time to talk to your kids to determine if they want to try out and start planning for Talent Show.

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 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.

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. 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.

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.

January 16th - Virtual PTA Board Meeting - 6:00 PM

January 17th - 2nd Nine Weeks Assemblies

January 20th - MLK Day - No School