North Star News
May 2022 - We Reach! We Rise! We Shine!
Mark Your Calendar
5/2-5/6 Teacher Appreciation Week
5/11 Nurse & Health Assistant Appreciation Day
5/13 C&I Day, NO SCHOOL
5/16-5/20 PTC Spring Book Fair
5/18 PTC Book Fair Family Night 5-7:30 p.m. in the Library
5/17 PTC Virtual Meeting 6:30 p.m.
5/30 Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL
6/2 Last Day of SUN
Principal's Message
Dear North Gresham Families,
In the last two years as the principal of North, I have seen our teachers navigate the challenges of teaching during a pandemic. From online learning to hybrid classes and back to in-person instruction, all with admirable dedication to their students and families. I am grateful to work with such an amazing staff, and am grateful for everything they do. Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2nd-6th. Please join me is sharing your appreciation for our SUPER STAR teachers at North!
Sincerely,
Shawnda Sewell
Principal
Virtual Music Concert
This May is the first concert at North Gresham since the pandemic! To keep the community safe, it will be a Virtual Concert.
Each class from 1st Grade to 5th Grade have selected a couple songs and dances to share with their family and friends in a virtual concert setting. Links to the exclusive video will be shared with North Families, so that they can see what every class has been working on this school year. Families can expect the concert to air before the end of the month. If you have any questions about the concert, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Miss Roedel - Music Teacher
PBIS with Mrs. Reed
For the month of May, we are practicing our last Happy Habit, #7 - Sharpen the Saw. Sharpen the Saw means to have balance in your life. There is a story of a man who was sawing down a tree and not making a lot of progress. When a passerby asked him why he didn’t stop sawing to sharpen his saw, he remarked that he was too busy sawing.
Habit 7 reminds us that we are more productive when we are in balance- body, brain, heart, and soul. Just like the four tires on a car, if one area is being ignored or overused, the rest will feel the results. For younger children, the car analogy is one they understand; a car could not go on fewer than all four tires. Explain the parts of each person (body, brain, heart, and soul) and how important it is to take care of each part to make them all work better.
Counselor's Corner
Dear North Gresham Families,
Over the last few weeks we have noticed an increase in conflict due to rumors being spread between some students. We are doing our best to directly address those as they come our way, however we would really appreciate your collaboration in this matter. If possible, could you please share this simple yet very intentional message with your children?
Before we speak or share a rumor, let's consider the following:
T-is it true?
H-is it helpful?
I-is it inspiring?
N-is it necessary?
K-is it kind?
We appreciate you and all you do to support our efforts in making sure our students feel happy and welcome at North.
Sincerely,
Mr. Diaz and Ms. Chu
SUN News
Hello North Stars!
First, the SUN team wants to acknowledge and appreciate the patience NGES SUN families have shown us during our recent bouts of illnesses and low staffing. As a team, we are grateful for the support of our community and are happy to be getting back to regular schedule!
We have hired two new, amazing Activity Leaders and look forward to resuming programming as originally scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays once they have finished onboarding. Keep an eye out for introductions coming soon!
NGES SUN is hiring for multiple Activity Leaders! Do you have a hobby you wish you could commit more time to? Do you enjoy teaching and love kids? Becoming an Activity Leader might be a great fit for you! Please visit this link for more information:
Sincerely,
Michelle Reid
SUN Site Manager
From Our PTC
PTC’s Spring Book Fair week will be May 16th to May 20th. Students will have the opportunity to shop the book fair during their classroom time slot and open times during the week. We will also be open to families on Wednesday, May 18th from 5-7:30 p.m. in the school library. Come and shop our Buy One Get One FREE Spring Sale!! Proceeds go to the school library.
We also have our last monthly virtual meeting on Tuesday May 17th. Please join us from 6:30-7:30 pm. Video call link: https://meet.google.com/spn-geym-evb. We are looking to vote in next year's PTC board. If no one steps up for next year, then the PTC will be closing. If you are interested, please email Heather at northgreshamPTC@gmail.com.
Questions? Email Heather at NorthGreshamPTC@gmail.com. Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NorthGreshamElementaryPTC & our website at www.northgreshamptc.com.
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 Smile.Amazon.com (North Gresham Grade School Parent Teacher Club) and Fred Meyers Community Rewards (North Gresham Parent Teacher Club). All funds go back to the school and support our students!
North Library News
Happy May North Star Families!
Parents often ask: how can I encourage my student to be a stronger reader? As we start dreaming of long summer days I like to make a some recommendations to parents.
When we cook we often follow a recipe, which means we are reading! Thrift stores often have cookbooks on their shelves, or even finding a simple recipe online can be a great way for everyone to keep their reading skills sharp. Encourage your youngest chef to look for something tasty the whole household can try!
There are many, many stories that have been turned into visual stories, whether it be a simple video, tv show, or movie. Knowing that there is something to watch, in addition to reading, is sometimes just the motivation a student needs to open the book!
Never underestimate the power of graphic novels, a.k.a. comic books. Although the format is different, the written word remains the same. Many students that are overwhelmed by a lot of words on one page will gladly read something that comes with a lot of pictures. Embrace it!! Studies show that this format creates the same strong reader that a ‘regular’ novel does and strong reading skills is the goal.
Finally, I often surprise people when I mention magazines. Just like cookbooks and graphic novels, it is the physical action of reading the word that matters more than what format it takes. Magazines also have the added benefit of covering just about every topic out there! From quilting to kittens and everything in between, magazines can be a great way to keep your student engaged in the written word.
Whatever medium you choose, happy reading!!
Mrs. N
Register for Kinder 2022/2023!
Registration
Kindergarten registration is open for the 2022/2023 school year! Please register by June 1st. A child must be 5 years of age by September 1, 2022 to enter kindergarten. All registrations are done online. Click this link to register.
The following documents are required for registration. Please have them ready to upload when registering online:
- The student’s original birth certificate
- Proof of residence, such as a utility bill or rental agreement
- Immunization records
Would you like your child to be bilingual? Next year North Gresham is starting its third year of Dual Language Immersion (DLI)! This program is open to incoming kindergarten, first, and second graders. Click on this link for more information and to apply click here.
If you know of a neighbor who may have a student entering kindergarten in the fall, please pass this information along.
North Gresham Elementary is on TikTok!
Please note that our school account is meant to be a fun, safe place for our families and North community. All follow requests and comments are monitored. Any bullying, discriminative, or other inappropriate comments will be deleted and user will be removed.
Class Treats & Balloons
We strongly encourage snacks and treats be peanut-free due to the potential of a peanut allergy. Some classes are completely peanut-free due to known severe peanut allergies. It's best practice to check with your child's teacher before bringing treats to school to make sure to avoid any ingredients, including peanuts, that a student may be allergic to in their class, and to let the teacher know when you'd like to bring treats. You can then drop treats or snacks off at the office.
Balloons cannot go on the school bus due to safety issues, so if your student rides a bus after school, please avoid bringing balloons and/or have an alternate plan to pick up the balloons at the end of the day.
Reminders from the Office
Contacting the Office
You can reach the office staff by calling our school at 503-661-6415, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can also email our office team at any time. Nina Thomas at thomas82@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 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.
Changes of Transportation
If your student will go home differently than normal, including if they will not attend SUN after school, 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 Student Pick-Up
If you want to pick your student up early, we encourage you to do so before 2:30 p.m. Dismissal gets very busy, and this will ensure that you don't have an extended wait due to dismissal traffic, etc. When picking your student up early, please ring the bell at the front doors. The front office will buzz you into the lobby and have you sign your student out for the day.
Remind App
Sign-up for the Remind app to keep in touch with your student’s teacher! No matter where you are or what you’re doing, get important school updates right on your phone. More information and sign-up here.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 thomas82@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