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North Star News
January 2024 - We Reach! We Rise! We Shine!
Mark Your Calendar
1/10 PTC Meeting 4-5 p.m. in room 100
1/11 PTC Family Pajama Movie Night 5:30-8 p.m.
1/15 MLK Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
1/22 SUN Starts
1/23 Slavic Family Night 5-6:30 p.m.
1/25 EKT Kinder Reunion 6-7:30 p.m.
1/26 C&I Day - NO SCHOOL
Principal's Message
Happy January North Families!
We are back and in full swing! We have several family events coming up this month, and we hope you can join us for them. We love to involve our families and make connections between home and school. Your support is integral to the success of our students, and we appreciate you!
I want to briefly remind all families that participate in student drop-off and pick-up to continue to follow all safety guidelines, arrows, and directions from staff. We want everyone to have a safe and smooth arrival and dismissal.
Last month, we added a new North Star Positive Referral program to reward students for exemplary behavior. How does it work? Teachers and staff can complete a North Star Positive Referral card when they see a student demonstrating qualities such as trustworthiness, kindness, generosity, humor, and more. I receive the cards each day, and then the student gets to make a personal phone call home with either myself or Mrs. Reed to share the good news with their family. Each student also gets a treat, and they get to draw a number to enter their class to win a pizza party. I love seeing the students smile when they see they've earned a positive referral, and when they hear how proud their family is of them.
Thank you for your partnership in the success of your student(s).
Sincerely,
Shawnda Sewell
Principal
Immunization Exclusion Day
Immunization Exclusion Day is Wednesday, February 21st. Your child must be up-to-date with their immunizations (or have a completed exemption) no later than February 20th, or they cannot attend school until they are current with their vaccinations. If your student has incomplete vaccination records, you would've already been contacted by both MESD and our school office.
If you need to get your student updated on their immunizations, there are several free clinic locations. Please click the link for details: https://www.multco.us/school/student-health-centers-locations-and-hours
PBIS with Mrs. Reed
For the month of January, we are working on the character trait of Courage. The kid's definition of courage is: Standing up for what you know is right – even when you are afraid and others do not stand with you. Other words for courage are brave and fearless. Courage is an important life skill to learn to help kids now and in their adult lives, because it takes courage to try, it takes courage to fail and then try again, and it takes courage to stand up for their beliefs and values.
Students can display courage by:
- Admitting when they are wrong
- Making good choices when others do not
- Being kind to all, even to those who are unkind
- Asking for help when they need it
- Standing up to peer pressure
- Participating in new activities or learning new skills
How can you you help your student at home? Talk to them about this character trait and share ways they can display it. Praise them for when they try new things, stand up for what is right, and encourage them to not give up even if they make a mistake.
From the Desk of Mrs. Huelsman
Dear Families,
We are proud of our diverse North community and would like to celebrate many cultures, traditions and languages represented by our families. On March 14, we are planning to have a Multicultural Night and would appreciate your input! If you are willing to attend our Multicultural Night and share some information about your culture and traditions, would you please fill out the survey below? It is available in English, Spanish and Russian. Ideas include wearing your traditional clothing, giving a short presentation about your culture, sharing a song or traditional dance, hosting a station with a cultural craft, etc. We are also open to your suggestions. Thank you so much for your input!
Please, fill out our survey here!
Mrs. Huelsman
From Our PTC
Join us for our monthly PTC meeting on Wednesday, January 10th, from 4:00-5:00 p.m.. Spanish translation is available as well as free childcare through our Champions program for children 5+ yrs. You will need to fill out some paperwork, so please arrive a few minutes early if you plan to use the free childcare. Our meetings are in-person at North Gresham in room 100 on the 2nd Wednesday of every month. PTC meeting information will be shared each month via the school newsletter, website, ParentSquare, and Facebook page to confirm the date, time, and location.
Movie Night is coming up! We will be showing the Disney movie Soul (rated PG). Wear your favorite pajamas, bring a blanket to sit on, and enjoy a move in the gym on Thursday, January 11th. Doors will open at 5:30pm, and the movie will start at 6pm. PTC will have concessions and t-shirts for sale.
Mt Hood Movie Theater Tickets will be back soon. We are waiting on final details from Mt Hood Movie Theater still, but they will be showing the first movie starting January 26th. This is a great way to support the school, a local business, and see a family movie at a discount!
Are you interested in helping out with school events? PTC would love to have you! From Book Fair to Movie Nights, we are always looking for more volunteers! You can share your information with PTC here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mM3KS_B431Veg0mfPpCmCn7AnK2IWQkTAE_8FV0UjLs/
Remember, to scan your grocery receipts using the Box Top App (After you scan the receipt, click on the STAR “Credit”, and put in your child’s teacher’s last name to give Credit to that teacher. Yes! We will have competitions.) You can also give back with Fred Meyer’s Community Rewards (North Gresham Parent Teacher Club). All funds go back to the school and support our students!
SUN News
The winter SUN session begins on Monday, January 22nd and ends on Thursday, March 21st. SUN is on Mondays-Thursdays from 3:00 to 5:20 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact us by phone, text, or email.
Thanya Rios, SUN Site Manager
503-560-2855
Ainely Paz, Family Resource Navigator
971- 430 -5855
Slavic Family Night
Join us on Tuesday, January 23rd from 5-6:30 p.m. for our Slavic Family Night! Enjoy traditional food, arts and crafts, and learn about district and community resources. Scan the QR code to RSVP or click this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6SKK8Cf8AatUwmPVNrsgZwwzxOfXRKvjTyBJju5NEBCSrwA/viewform
ParentSquare
For more information and helpful tips, click here.
EKT Kindergarten Reunion
Please join us on Thursday, January 25th from 6-7:30 p.m. for a fun night of food and games. All kindergarten students and their families are welcome! To register for the free event, scan the QR code, or click this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_RMEmW_aQqzKRis9N4EESP0tqQ9exTyF_ux78IiHcGyc0Jw/viewform
When Should I Keep My Student Home?
If your student has any of the symptoms below, please keep them home:
- New Cough - May return after symptoms improve for 24 hours (no cough or well-controlled cough)
- Difficulty Breathing - May return after symptoms improve for 24 hours (breathing comfortably)
- Sore Throat - May return when symptoms improve for 24 hours
- Vomiting or Diarrhea - May return when symptom-free for 48 hours
- Fever of 100.4 or greater - May return when fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication
- Rash - May return when the rash is gone or with orders from a doctor or school nurse
- General Illness - If your student is feeling unwell in general and you feel it will interfere with their learning, please keep them home until they're feeling better
- Positive Covid-19 Test Result - May return when fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication and other symptoms have improved; if vomiting or diarrhea are present, please follow the guidance above; masking is encouraged for 10 days
- Family Member in the Household Tests Positive for Covid-19 - If your student doesn't have any symptoms, they may attend school; if they have symptoms, even if they test negative, please follow the guidance above for the symptoms they display
If your student tests positive for any other contagious disease such as measles, mumps, etc., do not send your student to school. Please call the office for further directions and a return-to-school date.
Please report any student injuries, such as a broken limb, recent surgery, etc., and provide the school with a doctor's note stating that the student is clear to be at school and that it outlines any limitations such as not participating in P.E., recess, etc.
All medications must be checked in at the office by a parent or legal guardian. Medications are kept locked in our health room, and are not to be sent to school with students and/or kept in the classroom. This includes over-the-counter medications such as cough drops and Tylenol.
If your student has an underlying health condition, such as diabetes, seizure disorder, asthma, severe allergy, etc., please call the school. We want to make sure we are able to support and treat your student's health in accordance with their doctor's orders.
Reminders from the Office
Contacting the Office
You can reach the office staff by calling our school at 503-661-6415, Monday-Friday 8:15 a.m. (9:15 a.m. on Wednesdays) to 4:00 p.m. You can also email our office team at any time. Nina Davis at davis239@gresham.k12.or.us, and Yuli Nolasco at nolasco8@gresham.k12.or.usAbsences
Please call in your student's absence before 8:35 a.m. (9:35 a.m. on Wednesdays). Leave a message by selecting option 1 if you call outside of school hours. Please let us know your student's first and last name, teacher/grade, and the reason for the absence. Students not present by 8:35 a.m. (9:35 a.m. on Wednesdays) will be marked absent. Students that arrive late will receive a tardy slip, and their absence will be adjusted in the system to a tardy. Automated attendance calls go out and you may receive a call if your student arrives after the calls are made.
Changes of Transportation
If your student will go home differently than normal, please contact the office to make the change. Dismissal is a very busy time, so we appreciate you calling no later than 2:00 p.m. to make any changes.
Early Pick-Up
If you need to pick your student up early from school, please do so before 2:45 p.m. Dismissal is very busy, so if you arrive after 2:45 p.m. you will be asked to wait outside in the pick-up line until dismissal time to get your student.
ParentVue
Register for ParentVue to view your student’s attendance, grades, and make changes to your contact information. If you need assistance with setting up ParentVue, please call the school at 503-661-6415. You can also email our secretaries at davis239@gresham.k12.or.us or nolasco8@gresham.k12.or.us. Visit the ParentVue web page to login or sign up: https://www.gresham.k12.or.us/domain/2446.North Gresham Elementary School
Website: www.gresham.k12.or.us/nges
Location: 1001 Southeast 217th Avenue, Gresham, OR, USA
Phone: 503-661-6415
Facebook: facebook.com/NorthGreshamElementary
Twitter: @NorthGresham_ES