Northwoods News
A Message from Principal Nixon--October 11, 2021
First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for coming out to the family picnic last weekend! It was an amazing event and I was thrilled with the turnout. It was great to see so many of our families having a wonderful time. I would also like to send a HUGE thank you to Jill Hopkins and the Northwoods PTA for helping to plan the event!
We were able to capture some great photos of the picnic (special thank you to Rhonda Beese). You may access the photos using this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sMbZYpTNjctNTMvb7
Beyond that, please take a few minutes to read through the information below.
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday, October 13th--Picture Day (In-Person Students Only)
- Monday, October 25th--Quarter 1 Ends
- October 25th - 29th--Red Ribbon Week
- Wednesday, October 27th--Teacher Workday
- Tuesday, November 2nd--Teacher Workday
- Thursday, November 11th--Veteran's Day Holiday (No School)
Respectfully,
Joe Nixon, Principal
The Counselor Corner
Red Ribbon Week:
We're excited to announce our Red Ribbon Spirit Week! It will take place on October 25-29, 2021. Please see all of the events (flyer below) that will take place during October.
About Red Ribbon Week:
Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October in the United States. It began as a tribute to fallen DEA special agent Enrique Camerena in 1985. According to the United States DEA, Red Ribbon Week is the nation's largest and longest-running drug awareness and prevention program.
School Information
Fall Pictures:
Our first picture day of the 2021-22 school year is scheduled for Wednesday, October 13th. This event is for in-person students only. All in-person students will sit for individual/yearbook photos during the day. More information, including order packets, will be sent home in the coming days.
Students participating in the Virtual Academy will have the opportunity to take individual/yearbook pictures on Thursday, November 18th.
Cognitive Abilities Test:
In the Wake County Public School System, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is administered to all students in third grade and fourth grade. The CogAT measures general thinking and problem-solving skills and indicates how well the student uses these skills to solve verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal problems. The CogAT consists of three batteries, one given each day over a total of 3 days.
All 3rd & 4th-grade students at Northwoods will be administered the CogAT on the following dates:
- Wednesday, November 3, 2021
- Thursday, November 4, 2021
- Friday, November 5, 2021
Additional information will be sent home on Friday, October 15, 2021.
Q1 Report Cards:
As a friendly reminder, Q1 ends on Monday, October 25th. Quarter 1 report cards will be sent home on Friday, November 5th. Please make sure you read your child's report card carefully. When finished, please sign and return the manila report card envelope.
Parent/Teacher Conferences:
All teachers are required to offer parent/teacher conferences at least twice during each school year. At Northwoods, our teachers offer conferences after the end of the 1st and 3rd quarters. In the coming weeks, your child's teacher will send out information about scheduling virtual conferences. Though not mandatory, we highly encourage all families to participate in parent/teacher conferences. Translators are available upon request.
Halloween Costumes:
As Halloween approaches, I ask that you please DO NOT send your child to school in his/her Halloween costume. Costumes often contribute to substantial disruptions in the classroom and in the school building, so we no longer allow them on campus.
Toys at School:
As a reminder, students are not permitted to bring toys (stuffed animals, dolls, trading cards, board games, fidgets, etc.) to school unless there is a documented need on a Tiered Intervention Plan, 504 plan, or IEP. This policy is included in our student/parent handbook, which is posted on our website. I would appreciate your support in limiting students from bringing these items to school.
AIG News:
Parents seeking information about Wake County's Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program may visit our new AIG website. Questions about the identification and testing process may be directed to our AIG teacher, Ms. Casey at mcasey@wcpss.net
VIrtual Academy Information
Families participating in the Virtual Academy will have the opportunity to pick up Q2 materials from Northwoods on Wednesday, October 27th from 10:00 AM - 12:00PM. We ask that you bring back Q1 EL texts (see list below) at that time.