Northlake Notes

Hello, Northlake Fam 😄

February is keeping us BUSY! So please be sure to read below for all the upcoming events, current celebrations, and news.

A giant shout out to all of you that came out to support and put together the Northlake garden. To our PTA Garden Chair, Rachel Bennion, thank you, for all your planning and implementation. Working together and supporting one another is just another example of how our community takes us to Next Level Excellence.

By the time this newsletter goes out, we'll either be rooting for the Chiefs, 49ers, or Taylor Swift's flight. 🏈🛩️✈️ Whoever the big winner is tonight, I'm thankful for our Northlake Community and feel secure in the knowledge that here at Northlake, because we've got each other, we've already won. 🥰

新年快樂! Happy Lunar New Year

Kylee Wall 🐉

😮 WOW... that's all I can say to everyone that came out to help put the NLE Garden together. 🌱

Two huge mounds of dirt and mulch were no match for Northlake families of all ages. The garden came together with many hands pitching in after only an hour and a half! No wonder, as Wildcats we say: I am a Wildcat. I CAN do it! I do WHATEVER it takes, every, single, day. Clearly this CAN DO attitude stems from the best bunch of families a school community could ever ask for.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! And BRAVO! 👏🤩

This weekend also brought one of my favorite family traditions growing up - Lunar New Year! Happy Year of the Dragon to you all. My family took advantage of the cold, rainy weather to hang out indoors and eat hotpot, dumplings, and other delicious foods. I hope you all got some quality family time together too this weekend!

Our students spent Friday cleaning up for the new year which fit perfectly with our upcoming AVID WICOR strategy of organization. Don't forget to wear red for luck on Monday. Our teachers will also hand out lucky red envelopes to our students.

Ms. Tovar has continued to keep our interior festive with cultural art. If you would like to support her with putting up art around the building, you can reach her at nellie.tovar@risd.org. Remember that you'll need your risd.voly.org background check cleared before volunteering.

Thank you to PTA for providing the red envelopes for all our students, and thank you to our staff for coming up with fun incentives for the red envelopes. 新年快樂!

From Northlake AVID Elementary to College Scholarships! Way to go, Class of 2024! 🎓

Three of our Northlake Wildcat Alumni were honored recently with signing their official letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college! Read more about them in the Lake Highlands Advocate article National Signing Day 2024 at LHHS.

Deonte Dean– Football, Abilene Christian University (2nd from left in back row of picture)

Miron Magee– Football, Columbia University (center of picture, 2nd row with blue shirt)
Chima Njoku– Football, Texas Wesleyan University (2nd row with white shirt and hat)

Some little known facts about these exceptional young men:

• Deonte has always been a natural leader, even in elementary school, probably stemming from his being a responsible big brother to his younger sister and a protective uncle to his niece and nephews. His kindness and patience are hidden gem qualities that speak to this deep-thinking and charismatic young man.
• Miron was on the first ever video announcements team at Northlake. Whether he was reciting the pledges or creating a marketing video for NLE Carnival, the camera and the people have always loved Miron. This is probably due to the fact that he has always been accepting and inclusive, and he is the first to cheer on everyone around him.
• Chima will be the first to tell you that he could be a bit of a toot in elementary. But his ability to put his mind to something and never give up has stayed with him. This tenacity has enabled him to go far and build success from the potential we have always seen in him.

Deonte & Miron also starred in our Northlake STAAR Prep video: Whatever It Takes, when they were both 6th graders. Check them out on this throwback video on YouTube.

Congratulations to all three of these impressive young men. Good luck to you as you embark on the next leg of your journey in life. We at Northlake feel that it has been a privilege to be a stop (albeit a short one) on your adventures. Please don't be strangers and know that we're always here for you.

Be sure to join us (and tell your senior Northlake alumni buddies) for Northlake's Senior Breakfast and Walk on May 14th @7:30 am. I'm sure there is a crew of 5th/6th graders ready to challenge you all to a game of Silent Snowball!

Just a reminder that all parents helping with Valentine's Day activities on February 14th need to have their background check filled out through risd.voly.org and have RSVPed with their child's teacher.

Please do not bring siblings to help with parties. Thank you for volunteering or sending treats to provide a fun time for all our students.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours! 💗

Hoops in the Highlands is a 3V3 Basketball tournament with a mission to raise money for schools in Lake Highlands. The tournament is for Kinder- 8th grade.

Coach Manhkong has distributed interest forms, and he will organize participating students into teams. If your student would like to be placed on a team, the forms are due back to Coach Manhkong Wednesday, 2/21 with payment. The form also has a field to complete if a parent would like to volunteer as a coach for a Northlake Elementary Hoops team.

The interest form can also be printed with this link Hoops in the Highlands interest form 2024.pdf. Email any questions about signups to Coach Manhkong, william.manhkong@risd.org.

Thank you to Coach Manhkong and Ami Neff for planning, meeting, and organizing Hoops logistics to support our Northlake students.

A big thank you and shout out to our NLE Safety Patrol Team!

Our 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade students show up every cold, rainy, or humid day with a smile and a positive attitude at 7:30 am and 3:05 pm to open car doors and help pedestrians safely across our school's crosswalk.

Thank you, Safety Patrol Team, for showing our community so much leadership and guidance, and a BIG thank you to their fearless leader, Coach Bridges!

Thank you to the Northlake Dads Club for providing us with some cool new cones. We are looking sharp with our fancy new monogrammed pylons!

And thank you, also to all the dads that come help out with traffic in the morning. Next up, Dads Club will be providing support in the lunchroom and at recess.

If you are interested in joining or hearing more about Dads Club, please reach out to Brad McCutcheon at DadsClub@NorthlakePTA.com.

Thanks, Dads! We appreciate you. ❤️👨

Northlake showered our Crossing Guards with love this past Thursday to appreciate them for all they do to keep us safe every day in every weather.

Thank you to:

• Ms. Geneva Davis
• Mr. Herbert J. Burrell
• Mr. Michael Mosco
• Ms. Mary Bonner
• Ms. Laneece Sheltonand

Students wrote letters and cards of appreciation, Drip Drop offered hot beverages, Ms. Cady catered with breakfast tacos and baked goods, and the staff donated funds to provide gift cards to our awesome Crossing Guards.

Northlake students and staff practiced a lockdown drill this past Wednesday.

Prior to the drill, teachers front loaded students through a district lesson that breaks down the expectations and safety components of a lockdown drill.

The district plans four I Know What to Do Days throughout the school year in order to practice and calibrate as campuses on safety drills.

Did you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it can often be prevented. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and its risk factors. Take action to protect your heart by Getting Quality Sleep, Eating Better while Maintain a Healthy Weight, Be More Active, Stop Smoking, Control Cholesterol, Manage Blood Sugar, Manage Stress, Control Blood Pressure and Practice Self Care.

Help your PE Department meet our school's goal of $5,000 and build a better community by having all our students complete Finn's Mission. Join our community of lifesavers during Kids Heart Challenge! The American Heart Association needs our help. Get your first donation today to start earning and collecting the heart hero characters! Download the AHA Schools app or go to www.heart.org/schools and REGISTER TODAY! #KidsHeartChallenge

Thank you to everyone that took the time to appreciate our counselors this past week!

Thank you Anita Sorensen and Sandra Gainey for all you do at Northlake.

Mr. Aleman hosted the annual Bluebonnet Breakfast in the library this week. He treated the crew to all things blue: berry fruit drinks, blueberry yogurt, doughnuts, blueberry pop tarts, muffins and more.

Students that read all of the Bluebonnet books for the year are invited to breakfast in order to vote for their favorite book.

I wonder which book will take home the prize this year? 🥇

NLE collected and donated 1,694 books to the RISD Used Book Fair. WOW!

But the fun isn’t finished yet. Now it’s time to go shopping! Please spread the word. Students will bring home bookmarks that they can use at the Book Fair to pick out a free book!

The Used Book Fair will be open on 2/15-2/19.

Thank you to Ashley Ring, our PTA Used Book Fair chair for all your hard work organizing this!

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/

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. 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!

Parents are welcome to come visit during lunch to eat with their students. We ask that you sign up for a day and time using the sign-up genius. In order to keep students safe and to accommodate everyone, please read through these reminders for visiting Northlake for lunch:

• Sign up for your visit using the Sign Up Genius.
• No Siblings, due to limited space on the stage.
• You may eat lunch with your child only.
• Please do not take pictures of your child while at lunch.
• When you are finished with lunch, please check out through the office. Parents may not go back to class with their children to visit.

bit.ly/NLESpring24LunchSignUp

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.

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.

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

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 $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/

February - Black History Month

Feb 13th - Interim Testing (5th Science)

Feb 14th - Valentine's Day Parties

Feb 15th - College Shirt Day; Early Release Day (ECSE/PreK/Buses 12:50, Walkers 1:00, Cars 1:05)

Feb 19th - No School for Students, Staff Development Day

Feb 20-21st - TELPAS Testing

Feb 22nd - 6th Grade Dallas Holocaust Museum

Feb 27th - Interim Testing (3-6 Reading)

Feb 29th - Interim Testing (3-6 Math)

Feb 29th - Kindergarten Round Up/Paw Prints 6-7pm

March - Texas History Month & National Disability Awareness Month

Mar 1st - PTA Movie Night @Sundown

Mar 4-8th - Texas Public Schools Week & National Public School Breakfast Week

Mar 7th - College/Spirit Shirt Day

Mar 8th - End of 3rd Nine Weeks

Mar 10th - Daylight Savings Ends

Mar 11-15th - Spring Break

Mar 18th - Beginning of 4th Nine Weeks

Mar 21st - College/Spirit Shirt Day & 2nd Grade Field Trip

Mar 22-23rd - Hoops in the Highlands 3v3 Basketball Tournament

Mar 25-29th - Book Fair in Library

Mar 27th - I Know What to Do Day & PTA Meeting/Open House 5:30-7pm

Mar 28th - College/Spirit Shirt Day & 3rd Grade Field Trip

Mar 29th - No School (unless Snow Make up day)