Northwoods News
A Message from Principal Nixon--Week of November 30, 2020
Dear Northwoods Families,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and that you are feeling rested and rejuvenated! With that in mind, it's time to get back to reality. Please assist your child in making the necessary mental, emotional, and physical preparations for the return to school tomorrow.
As a reminder, all K-3 students participating in Plan B will return to school tomorrow. Additionally, 4th and 5th grade students in Cohort 2 will rotate in for face-to-face instruction this week (Nov. 30th - Dec. 4th). 4th and 5th grade students on Cohort 3 will return during the week of December 7th.
Please take a few minutes to read through the information below. Have a wonderful week!
Respectfully,
Joe Nixon
Principal
We know that this holiday season may look different for your family this year due to several reasons, please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can support your child's social and emotional needs during this time!
Please remember to fill out a counselor slip form below or email one of us at nhelton@wcpss.net or jhenderson2@wcpss.net.
Sincerely,
Nikki Helton & Steve Henderson
School Counselors
Important School Information
Cancer Awareness Week/Spirit Week:
The week of November 30th - Dec. 4th is Cancer Awareness Week. WCPSS will be "going pink" on Tuesday, December 1st in recognition and support of cancer awareness. We will be doing a school-wide Spirit Week (complete with "Pink Day") this week. Please see the flyer below for more information.
Yearbooks/School Pictures:
Parents wishing to have their child's picture to appear in the 2020-21 yearbook must sign up for a time slot to have his/her photo taken by the photographers at Strawbridge. Due to logistical concerns and constraints with file type/size, we will not be accepting pictures from home for the yearbook. Parents do NOT have to purchase a photo package to participate.
To help accommodate families who missed the first picture day, we are hosting an additional picture day this Wednesday, December 2nd. Please use this link to sign up for a time slot. Photographers will be onsite all day and will adhere to all required safety & social distancing guidelines.
WCPSS Virtual Academy Spring Registration for Elementary Schools is Dec. 2-9:
The registration window for spring semester Virtual Academy opens on December 2nd and runs through December 9th. I highly encourage ALL families (regardless of what the directions say) to complete the survey so that your child is guaranteed a spot in VA for the spring. The registration window will allow:
- Currently registered WCPSS Virtual Academy students the opportunity to return to in-person instruction during the spring semester;
- WCPSS Virtual Academy students registered for fall only to continue in the WCPSS Virtual Academy for the spring semester; and
- Students who are not currently registered for the WCPSS Virtual Academy the opportunity to register for the spring semester
For more information about the WCPSS Virtual Academy, please visit www.wcpss.net/Virtual-Academy.
Remote Learning Day--Dec. 11th:
This is a friendly reminder that Friday, December 11th is a state-mandated remote learning day for ALL students. Our teachers have prepared asynchronous activities for students to complete that day. An attendance assignment will also be posted so that we know which students to mark present.
FYI: Form Required to Receive Winter Break Meal Bundles:
Daily curbside and bus deliveries will not be operational from Tues., Dec. 22nd to Jan. 1. Child Nutrition Services will be offering free meal bundles that will be distributed Mon., Dec. 21 from 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. at select distribution sites. The Winter Break Meal Bundle will include eight breakfasts and eight lunches. One meal bundle per child. You do not have to be a WCPSS student to receive meals, only 18 years of age or younger to qualify. The meals will be provided at no cost. Complete the Winter Break Meal Bundle Form by Fri., Dec. 4.
Stay Home When Sick:
Effective immediately, if a WCPSS student or employee does not pass the health screening or if they stay home or are sent home because they are experiencing a symptom of any illness, their household members must also stay home. This means that any WCPSS student or employee living in the same house must quarantine for 14 days. The household members may return sooner than 14 days if the person experiencing a symptom of illness receives confirmation of an alternate diagnosis or a negative PCR/Molecular test.
New AIG Teacher:
I'm happy to announce that Ms. Casey, who served as our AIG teacher during the 2019-2020 school year is stepping back into that position for the remainder of this year. AIG services for currently identified 4th and 5th grade students will resume tomorrow (November 30th).
Carpool Procedures
To help increase traffic flow on our campus as well as to reduce traffic congestion on Chapel Hill Road during our arrival and dismissal times, our campus has been designed with two carpool lanes. If you plan to drop off or pick-up your child via carpool, we ask that you observe the following rules:
- Incoming traffic should queue in both carpool lanes (pictured below).
- Follow the Chick-fil-A method of alternating vehicles (left side, right side, etc.) when merging at the designated merge point.
- Be patient and give grace. Allowing other vehicles to merge in front of you won't significantly impact your wait time.
- Have your child's car seat positioned on the passenger side of the vehicle so that we can safely screen and unload from the safety of the sidewalk.
- To help carpool run more smoothly, please make sure your child has his/her backpack, lunch, and water bottle ready so they can quickly exit the vehicle after their screening.