November has been a month full of hard work, fun, and some relaxation at Northside Elementary! Students and staff are earning a much-needed Thanksgiving break to rest and recharge. Our NS girls and staff members celebrated months or preparation at their Girls On The Run (GOTR) 5K (picture above), we held our 5th Grade Parent Lunch with record turnout, and successfully completed P/T Conferences! Northside teachers and staff continue to work diligently to engage students in learning and model positive character and integrity. Please thank them for what they do!

At the end of the month, we celebrated our November Monthly Reward! This was an opportunity to reward positive behavior in our school and recognize the efforts of staff and students. Staff and students met in the cafeteria for a DANCE PARTY! It was a ton of fun and students and staff left exhausted from all that dancing.

Please let us know how we are doing. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out.

-Mr. Applequist

December 2 - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

December 6 - Snowman Day - Dress Like a Snowman

December 10 - Elf Day - Wear Red & Green or Dress Like and Elf

December 12 - Ugly Sweater Day - Wear the Ugliest Sweater Ever

December 19 - Holiday Spirit Wear - Wear Your Most Festive Gear

December 20 - Student Dismissal at 12:00 - Winter Break

December 23 to January 1 - WINTER BREAK -NO SCHOOL

Northside has started using a new Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program called MindUP! Through teaching SEL, children learn to manage emotions and understand how to maintain positive relationships with their peers. Each month teachers and staff members teach a lesson out of the MindUP curriculum, which is a research-based curriculum that uses the latest information about the brain to dramatically improve behavior and learning for all students.

Each lesson offers easy strategies for helping students focus their attention, improve their self-regulation skills, build resilience to stress, and develop a positive mind-set in both school and life. Every lesson begins with information about the brain and the importance of deep belly breathing and active listening. Children who understand the MindUP program will learn to self-monitor his/her own feelings and learn to respond to situations appropriately.

(Adapted from the following websites:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/mindup/

https://mindupprogram.weebly.com/about-mindup.html)

Our Northside family book club is just two short months away. Mark your calendars for February! We can’t give away the title just yet, but here’s a clue: The main character is a 5th grader who does everything he can to make school and little more cool for his classmates.