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Firebird News
Phoenix Elementary School
April 2021
Dear Phoenix Families:
Thank you for everything you do each day to support your child's learning. WE are encouraged by the parent support that we receive from you. The April newsletter provides many reminders and updates so please take a few minutes to review the contents.
The last trimester of the school year will include NDSA testing for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. We will administer the tests April 12 thru April 28th and 4th grade only May 4 & 5 for Science. Please do your best to make sure you explain to your child the importance of these state tests. Families of distance learners you have received an email regarding testing dates and times, more information is in the newsletter. Please contact the school office if you have any questions.
Reminder to our distance learning families that you are to remain distance learning until the end of the 2020/2021 school year per the decision by the District.
A special thank you to our custodians, Rolf, Janine and Heather for all that they do to keep the students and staff safe by all the extra cleaning they do in our school and having it looking good throughout the year.
Kevin Ohnstad, Principal
Phoenix Elementary School
Grand Forks Public Schools
Dates to Remember
April 12 - April 17
Book Fair in the Phoenix Library
April 14
Early Release - 1:30 pm
April 14
ArtWise elementary Art show begins at the Columbia Mall
Exibition Dates April 14 - May 2 (More info on flyer in newsletter)
April 27
Kindergarten Round Up
4:00 - 6:00pm (scheduled appointments contact the office at 746-2240)
April 28
Early Release - 1:30 pm
Spring Book Fair!
We’re having a Book Fair—April 12th through 22nd!
April is School Library month, Poetry month and this very week is National Library Week so what better time to have a Scholastic Book Fair?!
As always, the safety and well-being of your child is our priority. We will be taking extra precautions to host a safe, socially distanced Fair at our school. While cash and check will still be accepted, we will also have a cashless way to shop the fair. Book Fair eWallet is a safe and secure alternative to cash, featuring contactless checkout. Simply create an account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute by sharing through email or social media. When your child comes in to shop, we will be able to look up their eWallet in our system. Students will be able to shop the Fair during their regular Library check out times.
Fair flyers and information will be sent home this week, as well as SeeSaw communication starting this Friday, April 9th!
To check out the interactive book flyer, view the virtual fair, and set up your eWallet, please visit: bit.ly/phoenixfair
spring Enrollment
Enrollment for next fall will be done electronically.
Current Students- Please log into your PowerSchool Single Sign On account and update your information. After assuring your information is current, please hit submit.
If you do not have a PowerSchool account set up yet, please reach out to the school.
New students will register online. Please contact us with any questions!
Please let us know if you will not be attending Phoenix next fall.
Online Registration for the 2021-2022 School Year!
All registrations are now done online for all grades.
Online enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year is once again available for Grand Forks Public School students. This process replaces some of the paper forms sent home at the beginning of each school year. You will use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access the Registration link. If you have not already completed the online registration process, please follow the directions below to complete the online enrollment. Thank you.
How do I get started?
If you have not already done so, you will need to create a PowerSchool Single Sign-On Account that links all your school-age children to the same account. If you need the information to set up your account, please contact the school office.
Visit https://grand-forks.ps.state.nd.us/public/ and log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal. From the Parent Portal:
Select the student you wish to register along the top
Select the Enrollment/Registration 21-22 Icon on the left side of the screen.
Agree to the terms and conditions
Click Begin Forms
For schools that have bus routes, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be able to sign up for regular route busing for the 2021-2022 school year while completing registration on PowerSchool. There is an August 11, 5 p.m. deadline for registration for transportation. Dietrich Bus Service will contact those who sign up in mid-August with specific information. Those who miss the deadline will not be guaranteed immediate ridership. If you complete the signup and require a change to your information at a later date, please contact your respective schools’ administration staff to update any information.
Individuals requesting transportation beyond August 11 will be required to utilize the signup on Grand Forks Public Schools website, which will be active on August 12. Registration using that process will not guarantee immediate ridership.
I can’t remember my login for the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
If you aren’t able to retrieve your login credentials using the “Having trouble signing in?” link on the Sign In page, please contact your school directly for assistance logging into the Parent Portal.
Do I have to answer all the questions?
Mandatory questions are marked as "required".
What if I make a mistake?
If you would like to make a change prior to submitting the form, you can either navigate back to the page using the “Prev” and “Next” buttons or if you are on the Review page click on the underlined field. If you have already submitted the form you will need to contact your student’s school so they can make the changes for you.
I’ve completed the form, now what?
Once you have finished entering your information click “Submit.” This will send all of the information you’ve entered to the school. If you cannot click on this button you will need to make sure that you have answered all required questions.
What if I have more than one student in the district? Do I need to do this for each child?
Yes, you will need to provide information that is specific to each child. We recommend that you complete and submit one form and then start another. This will allow you to “snap” (or share) selected family information, which saves you time.
Help! I’m on the form and I’m having technical difficulties.
For technical support, visit our PowerSchool Community help center or click “Help” from any form page.
NDSA Distance Learning Testing Sites
- NDSA ELA: Phoenix Elementary Door 1on April 19th and 20th from 3:30-5:30
- NDSA Writing: Phoenix Elementary Door 1 on April 21st from 3:30-5:30
- NDSA Math: Phoenix Elementary Door 1 on April 22nd and 23rd from 3:30-5:30
- NDSA Science: Grade 4 Phoenix Elementary Door on April 27th from 3:30-5:30
- NDSA Makeup for all tests: Phoenix ElementaryDoor 1 on April 27th from 3:30-5:30
Students will need to wear a mask and bring a fully charged Chromebook, headphones, pencil and a water bottle with them to each testing session. The tests are not timed and can take anywhere from 1 - 3 hours depending on the subject area. Please make sure students know who to call when they are finished.
Under state law, parents can direct school districts not to administer any state test or state assessment required in accordance with section 15.1-21-08 in ND Century Code. This form (Click on this link: Parent Directive) should be completed to withhold the administration of a student assessment. Each assessment and subject require a separate form (one for NDSA ELA, one for NDSA Mathematics, and if applicable to your learner NDSA Science). Please complete the form and submit it to the principal by Friday, April 8th.
If you have any questions regarding the test or the information that is being sent to you about how your student will be participating in this test or opting out, please contact Teresa Orr at 701-746-2240.
Kindergarten Registration
Incoming Kindergarten Families-
It’s time for kindergarten pre-registration! In order to help better prepare for kindergarten registration, which will be held later this spring, we would like you to take a few minutes to complete our online pre-registration form. This Google Form (http://bit.ly/39nNPbg) will allow us to capture information so we can begin your student’s enrollment now and cut down your waiting time at registration.
If you have any questions, please contact us. Thank you!
Kindergarten Roundup Information
Phoenix office will be contacting upcoming kindergarten families soon to set up your appointments.
If you haven't registered your child for the incoming 2021-2022 school year, please contact Teresa in the office at 746-2240 asap, so we can schedule a time at Round Up.
We are looking forward to meeting all the new kindergartener's and their families in person this spring!
If you know of any families in the Phoenix neighborhood who have a child turning five before August 1, 2021, please inform them of pre-registration. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s education, please give me a call.
Reading Connection
Parents Lead
Parents LEAD
Parenting isn’t always easy, especially in today’s world. The good news is there are steps you can take to help protect your kids as they grow older. Effectively monitoring your kids through every stage in their lives is one important way to reduce their risk of becoming involved in potentially harmful situations or engaging in risky behaviors. Start monitoring your kids early on, in ways that are age-appropriate. In fact, the earlier you begin monitoring, the easier it will be to continue as your kids get older and the more they’ll expect it from you. How do I monitor my kids? Visit www.parentslead.org.