North Godwin News
Week of February 27, 2023
Steve Minard, Principal
Kristi Bast, Secretary
Telephone (616) 252-2010 and Fax (616) 252-2011
Welcome March!
There is an age-old saying that if March enters as a lion it will leave as a lamb. It means the weather at the start of the month will not be like the weather at the end of the month. If March starts with wild weather like a lion, it will end with mild weather like a lamb. Sometimes March begins mild and ends wild.
The “in like a lion, out like a lamb” saying may hold sometimes, the Farmers' Almanac explains, because March is typically when we see the transition between winter and spring. This year's spring equinox – the first day of spring for the Northern Hemisphere – falls on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 5:24 PM.
MARCH IS READING MONTH!
March is designated as Reading Month!
Reading is a key component of education and professional development. It is also a popular recreational activity that has immediate and long-lasting health benefits. Scientific studies have associated reading with increased cognitive function, memory, vocabulary, empathy and decreased levels of stress. Reading before bed can help improve sleep quality and may also help to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.Reading something every day increases knowledge, develops personal and professional skills and gives each of us more chances for a successful career.
Literacy skills and a lifelong love of reading begin at birth. Parents and families play an essential role in developing children’s early reading skills as their first teachers.
According to the National Commission on Reading, “The most significant factor influencing a child’s early education success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.”
Reading aloud to children increases their vocabulary, promotes language skills, strengthens cognitive development and creates a special bond between the reader and child. Parents, families and providers can work together to promote essential reading skills in young children.
We encourage our families to READ TOGETHER during the month of March! Please join us for Family Reading Night on March 2 from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM! TALK to your children about favorite book selections, and visit a local library! Reading is the most important foundation for learning!
Kindergarten Round Up for the 2023-2024 School Year will be held this week on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at West Godwin Elementary!
West Godwin Elementary is located at 3546 Clyde Park Avenue SW in Wyoming.
A parent or legal guardian must be present to register a child for Kindergarten. The following documents are required for enrollment. Please be sure to have them with you at enrollment:
Child's original, state-issued birth certificate
2 proofs of residency for RESIDENTS (utility bills, lease, mortgage, etc.)
OR
1 proof of residency for those seeking to apply for SCHOOL OF CHOICE
1 parent photo ID
Child's immunization record
Please call 616-252-2030 for more information!
North Godwin Girls on the Run 2023
Our North Godwin Girls on the Run Team gets underway this week beginning on Monday, February 27, 2023.
WHEN & WHERE: Our team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays after school from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM at North Godwin. The first meeting will be on Monday, February 27, 2023 in the reading room here at school. There will be a brief, mandatory parent meeting after the first practice on Monday, February 27, 2023 at 5 PM!
Our team will still practice on Early Dismissal days, but the practice time will be altered to start earlier. All details will be on the Girls on the Run calendar, which will be provided to each participant.
Our 2023 North Godwin Elementary Girls on the Run Coaches
Miss Lindsey Summers
Miss Cierra Lowe
Ms. Lindsey Geerling
Mrs. Hannah Eichhorst
Miss Morgan Smith
What is Girls on the Run?
"Unlocking Power & Potential"
Girls on the Run has fun, evidence-based programs that inspire all girls to build their confidence, kindness and decision making skills. Dynamic lessons instill valuable life skills including the important connection between physical and emotional health.
Girls on the Run inspires girls of all abilities to recognize their individual strengths, while building a sense of connection in a team setting. Volunteer coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development to enable girls to adapt to whatever comes their way. At the end of the season, the team completes a 5K together, which provides a tangible sense of accomplishment and sets a confident mindset into motion.
FAMILY READING NIGHT THIS WEEK!
Early Release on Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Feeding America Food Truck on Monday, March 13, 2023
Godwin Heights High School
Main Entrance
4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Please bring your own bags, if you have them! Thank you!
NORTH GODWIN SPRING MUSIC CONCERT -- Tuesday, March 21, 2023
DATE: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
LOCATION: Godwin Heights High School Auditorium
TIME: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
We hope to see you there!
4th Grade
Mr. Sterken's classroom
3rd Grade
Mrs. Krepps' classroom
ASD Paraprofessional
Mrs. Harrald's classroom
4th Grade student
Mrs. Tidey's classroom
5th Grade student
Ms. Meyers
5th Grade teacher
Staff Premier Substitute and Girls on the Run Coach
North Godwin "Big Orange" Floor Scrubber
We are thankful for our school custodians who keep our building and grounds clean and neat, in a safe manner that meets school standards.
Mr. Dan Allen (days)
Mr. Kevin Kimbrell (evenings)
Mr. James Collins (evenings)
SPRING PARENT & TEACHER CONFERENCES
Monday, March 27, 2023
Normal school day with dismissal at 3:15 PM
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Normal school day with dismissal at 3:15 PM
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Early Dismissal for all students!
Parent pick-up begins at 1:30 PM
Buses depart and the final bell rings at 1:45 PM
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Half Day of school for all students!
Parent pick-up begins at 11:30 AM
Buses depart and the final bell rings at 11:45 AM
Friday, March 31, 2023
NO SCHOOL
SPRING BREAK 2023
Friday, March 31, 2023
NO SCHOOL
Monday, April 3, 2023 -- Friday, April 7, 2023
NO SCHOOL
Classes resume as normal on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Kent Intermediate School District Caregiver Opportunities
In preparation for upcoming events, especially their "Surviving to Thriving" presentation, we have been asked to share the Kent Intermediate School District's Caregiver Newsletter with our families. Here is the link: Kent ISD Caregiver Newsletter
The newsletter includes registration details for all events occurring through the remainder of the year.
The newsletter includes:
- Special Education for Parents: What Every Parent Should Know (February)
- Parent Collaboration Series (February-June)
- KDL Story Time: Different by Heather Avis (March 1st)
- Surviving to Thriving (March 23)
Kent County Community Action SURVEY!
Attendance Policy
The normal attendance expectations for any given child in the Kent County Intermediate School District are as follows:
> that a child miss not more than 10 days of Excused Absences for the entire school year,
> that a child have no Unexcused Absences for the entire school year
> that a child have not more than 5 Tardies combined with Leave Early check-outs per semester.
> that a child have no Suspensions for the entire school year.
Godwin Heights Public Schools are held by law to report tardies and absences in excess of the guidelines listed above to the Kent Intermediate School District Office of Truancy and School Attendance-State Law Enforcement Division.
The primary rationale for positive attendance is the strong relationship between student attendance and student achievement. Chronic student absences reduces even the best teacher's ability to provide learning opportunities. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career. A recent study looking at young children found that absenteeism in kindergarten was associated with negative first grade outcomes such as greater absenteeism in subsequent years and lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge.
Poor attendance has serious implications for later outcomes. High school dropouts have been found to exhibit a history of negative behaviors, including high levels of absenteeism throughout their childhood, at higher rates than high school graduates. These differences in absentee rates were observed as early as kindergarten, and students who eventually dropped out of high school missed significantly more days of school in elementary school than their peers who graduated from high school.
North Godwin Elementary
Email: bast@godwinschools.org
Website: www.godwinschools.org
Location: 161 34th Street Southwest, Wyoming, MI, USA
Phone: 616-252-2010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthGodwin/