Northwoods News
A Message from Principal Nixon--February 28, 2022
Northwoods Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful, albeit cold, weekend! As many of you have seen and heard on the news, there have been important changes to our district's masking policy as well as other COVID-related restrictions that will go into effect in the next few days. I've outlined those changes for you below.
Please take a few minutes to read through the news and information below. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at jnixon@wcpss.net or 919-460-3491.
Upcoming Events:
- Tuesday, March 1st--First Day of Women's History Month
- Monday, March 7th - Friday, March 11th--NES Book Fair
- Monday, March 7th - Friday, March 11th--Social Worker Appreciation Week
- Sunday, March 13th--Daylight Savings Time Begins
- Thursday, March 17th--St. Patrick's Day
- Friday, March 18th--Teacher Workday
- Monday, March 28th--Teacher Workday
- Monday, April 11th - Friday, April 15th--Spring Break
Respectfully,
Joe Nixon, Principal
School Information
Scholastic Book Fair:
The Scholastic Book Fair returns to Northwoods in person March 7th-11th! All sales directly benefit the Northwoods Media Center, providing funds for new books and supplies. Please review the Book Fair Letter that was sent home on Friday, and check our Book Fair Website for updates. Information for VA families can be found here.
Able to volunteer? Sign-up for a date/time to assist.
Welcome, Mr. Black!
Please join me in welcoming our new music specialist, Paul Black. Mr. Black will begin at Northwoods tomorrow, March 1st!
National Women's History Month Resources:
National Women's History Month begins on March 1st. Our students will be learning about a variety of important female leaders, artists, athletes, politicians, advocates, etc., and their many contributions to our society during the month of March. Below, I've included a compilation of Women's History resources that our teachers will be incorporating into their classroom instruction throughout the month of March.
March 6th - 12th is National Severe Weather Awareness Week:
National Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 6th - 12th. All WCPSS schools will take place in a statewide tornado drill on March 9th at 9:30 AM. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, students will NOT be moved into hallways as they would in past tornado drills. Rather, teachers will verbally explain to students what to do in the event of an actual tornado incident.
Single-Subject Acceleration (SSA) Information:
The spring nomination window for SSA will open on March 21st and run through March 25th. Parents may nominate their child for SSA during that time by emailing Ms. Casey at mcasey@wcpss.net. Prior to nominating a student, parents should review this SSA Information Document to determine if SSA is a good fit option for their child.
Parent/Guardian ID Required for Student Check-out:
As a reminder, all parents/guardians must show a valid ID (driver's license, passport, etc.) to a member of the front office staff when checking out a student early. This process is in place to ensure that students are being picked up by approved adults only. To add an additional adult to the approved pick-up list for your child(ren), please contact Crystal Hartzell at chartzell@wcpss.net.
COVID-19 HEALTH/SAFETY UPDATES
Updated COVID-19 Restrictions:
As most of you have already seen on the news, the Wake County School Board voted last week to make masking optional for students, staff, and visitors. This change will take effect on/before March 7th, depending on whether the NC Legislature overrides Governor Cooper's recent veto of Senate Bill 173. Additionally, the CDC and DHHS announced several changes to their policies which will allow schools to remove restrictions in a number of areas. For more information about which restrictions we are removing, please see this presentation.
Sign-Up for Voluntary COVID Testing:
Our school, in partnership with MAKO Medical, will begin offering weekly, on-campus COVID-19 testing for students and staff on Tuesday, February 8th. COVID-19 testing is an effective way to reduce transmission, especially when layered with other measures.
We strongly recommend all families participate in this free program. Participation helps safeguard the entire school community and gives you information to help you keep your children healthy.
Participation in the program is voluntary. A parent or guardian must register any K-12 student under 18 years old in order for a COVID-19 test to be administered. Pre-K students who attend school within K-12 school buildings are eligible for the state-approved vendor testing with Mako. However, Pre-K students who attend school outside of K-12 school buildings are not eligible for the state-approved vendor testing with Mako.
The testing is simple: Trained MAKO Medical staff quickly and gently swab students’ noses. They place all the swabs in a single tube (that’s the pooling step). The samples in that tube are then tested as a single sample, using one test. If a positive test is received, everyone in the “pool” will return to school the next day to take another test to identify the person who tested positive for COVID-19. Learn more about pooled testing.
Update Addresses:
If your family has moved recently or since the beginning of the school year, please send our data manager, Crystal Hartzell, an updated proof of address (gas, water, or electric bill). Bills can be scanned and emailed to her at chartzell@wcpss.net
PTA Information
Parents--we are in need of individuals to assist with the spring book fair, which will run from March 7th - 11th. If you are able to help, please use this Sign-Up Genius link to sign up for a date and time that you are able to assist. As a reminder, all volunteers are required to first complete the WCPSS Volunteer Registration process, which must be done on school grounds. If you have not already done so, please stop by the school during normal business hours to complete the volunteer registration process. Thank you so much for your help and support!!