Norris News!
A weekly update from campus...
October 4, 2018
What a fast but amazing week at Norris!! The 21-day Challenge started on Monday! We are thrilled to have almost 100% of our students signed up to participate. Coach Burleigh, Coach Jeanes and Coach Roberts have been working with our students to encourage better nutrition and the importance of developing lifelong healthy eating habits. Hopefully your children are talking about why it is important to make healthy choices. Be on the lookout for a 21-day Challenge survey that will be emailed to you on November 5th! Also, remember students do not have school on Friday or Monday.
Enjoy your long weekend!
Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Tobey
Norris Mission Statement
Upcoming Events
October is FISD Principal Recognition Month!
October 5: Staff Development Day - No School for Students
October 8: Columbus Day Holiday - No School
October 9: 5th grade CogAT Testing
- Choir Rehearsal; 7:15 am
October 10: 5th grade CogAT Testing
- National Walk to School Day
- Chick-fil-a Spirit Night; 4:00-9:00 pm @ 121/Custer Rd.
October 11: 5th grade CogAT Testing
- Choir Rehearsal; 7:15 am
- 3-5 Drum Fit; 7:15 am
- 4th Storytelling Field Trip
- Popcorn Friday
- Norris Now; 2:10 pm
October 15: K-2 Drum Fit; 7:15 am
- Coffee with Administrators; 8:00 am @ Norris Library
- Lego Robotics Club; 2:55-3:55 pm
October 16: Choir Rehearsal; 7:15 am
- Multicultural Parade; 8:05-8:25 am @ Norris Front of School Sidewalk
- Diverse Abilities Day (During Specials)
- Multicultural Night; 6:00 pm
October 17: Master Builders; 3:00-3:45 pm
October 18: Choir Rehearsal; 7:15 am
- Diverse Abilities Program for Students - "Yes You Can" (During School Hours)
- DI Parent Meeting; 6:00 pm @ Sonntag Elementary
October 19: PTA Reflections DUE
- Student Showcase Performers Form DUE by 5:00 pm
- 3-5 Drum Fit; 7:15 am
- Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
Norris Staff Member of the Month
Congratulations to the Norris Staff Member of October, Kristen Buhler! Ms. Buhler helped open Norris as our welcoming receptionist, and she previously was an AP secretary at Maus Middle School!
The staff member who nominated Ms. Buhler shared that she always has a smile on her face and greets EVERYONE (parents, students, and staff) with warmth. She is on top of things and often has a task completed before even being asked to help! She understands the Norris community and supports us all! Basically, she is just amazing! Thank you, Ms. Buhler for living out the Norris commitment to strengthening relationships and collaborating with others!
COOLER WEATHER IS COMING...
It will start getting cooler in the mornings soon. Because of this, we ask that you keep in mind the following:
- The carpool line will get increasingly longer on cold mornings, so please plan accordingly. Don't forget that you can drop students off starting at 7:10 am. As a reminder, students should be in their class ready for the day when the bell rings at 7:45 am.
- Please be sure to send a jacket on cool weather days, and make sure they are labeled with your student's name.
Coffee with Administrators
Please join us October 15th at 8:00 am for Coffee with Administrators! This month, we will be discussing district-wide social emotional initiatives such as Make your Move and Character Lab. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the research based character strengths that are taught and strengthened throughout the instructional day. Moreover, parents will have the opportunity to view “Make Your Move” in action and learn strategies for how to model, discuss, and celebrate these strengths at home. We hope you will join us!
Mark your calendar for the Coffee with Administrators dates for this school year:
- October 15th at 8:00 am
- December 17th at 12:00 pm
- February 25th at 8:00 am
- April 15th at 12:00 pm
Multicultural Night & Parade
Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 16th at 6:00 pm for our Multicultural Night! To embrace the many different cultures represented at Norris, we are encouraging families to research a country other than their own with their children. The list of countries we will be presenting that day are: India, Pakistan, South Korea, Brazil, Nigeria, Australia, United Kingdom, Guatemala, Singapore, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, USA, Germany, China and Italy.
As you and your child research a country, consider what the traditional dress is for that country. On the 16th, your child is invited to dress in the culture of their choosing. That morning, we will have a "Parade of Countries" and students who dress up, will walk the hallways of Norris in the traditional dress of the country they chose to represent. As we finish walking the halls, we will exit the door to the far left of the main entrance and walk the parking lot over to the cafe where we will re-enter school. Parents are invited to come watch the "Parade of Countries" from the parking lot. You won't even have to check in at the front desk! We anticipate the student parade to last from about 8:05 am to about 8:25 am.
Then that evening starting at 6:00 pm, we invite all the Norris families to come walk the counties being displayed. Passports will be handed out as you enter and we encourage every family to get their entire passport stamped! We hope to see everyone on the 16th of October!
Fall Student Showcase Night
Come out and support our talented Norris Knights! Students will be dancing and singing! We would love to see all families come out and enjoy the show!
All attendees will be eligible for a door prize. Make sure to save the date – November 1st at 6:00pm. Thanks for supporting our students and all of their hard work and dedication!
If your student would like to sign-up as a performer in the November 1st Showcase Night, the following form needs to be completed by October 19th at 5:00 pm: https://goo.gl/forms/4jM2t0thOcYCpVME3
Cafeteria News
Sign up for Master Builders (2nd-5th grades)
Do you love to build and problem solve? Are you in 2nd-5th grade? Then sign up for Master Builders!
This club will encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity as students are presented with a task or challenge and must come up with a way to solve it.
Master Builders will meet on Wednesday once a month. These dates are as follows:
October 17th, November 14th, January 23rd, February 20th, April 10th, May 8th
Follow the link below to register:
DI Parent Awareness Meeting
Counselor's Corner
October is Self-Control
As a district our October focus is on the character strength Self-Control. See the informational flyer below.
Parent Coffees
Our area counselors have created parent information nights that all parents are welcome to attend. Here are the upcoming events:
October 1: Happy Healthy Families Series with Kid Approved Pediatrics: Social, making connections, bullying @ Elliott Elementary 6:00-7:00 pm
- RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSep67sksXpes-AV0hiZOvGYioAU2M7YkEUBprfJiz8Qi00bLQ/viewform
October 15th: Internet Safety @ Elliott Elementary from 6:00-7:00 pm
- RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSep67sksXpes-AV0hiZOvGYioAU2M7YkEUBprfJiz8Qi00bLQ/viewform
November 5: Happy Healthy Families Series with Kid Approved Pediatrics: Learning succeeding at school @ Elliott Elementary from 6:00-7: 00 pm
Mentors Wanted
Norris elementary is looking for mentors! If you are interested in signing up, please complete the form below and we will be in touch! Mentors will meet with their students once a week for 30 minutes. Please make sure you have a completed background check on file before applying!
Mentor Form:
Link for background check information:
http://www.friscoisd.org/about/resources-and-information/background-checks
Laura Sladky
Norris Counselor
PTA News
Class Party Money Due!
We are still collecting for class parties! This year, we used 1 form to collect PTA membership dues, class party dues, & Popcorn Friday money. We are asking for $9 per student to cover all the parties for the year. If you have not paid your child’s class party dues yet, please use the below form & send to school (cash or check made out to Norris Elementary PTA). You can also join PTA for $10 at the same time to help support our upcoming programs. If you would like to sign your child up for Popcorn Friday’s, it’s $6 for the rest of the year. Room Parents are looking forward to planning classroom parties! Thank you for your support!!
http://norrispta.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Norris-Elementary-PTA-Quad-Form.pdf
Popcorn Friday
Our next Popcorn Friday is October 12th! Please send $1 in an envelope labeled with your child’s name, teacher & grade by Wednesday, October 10th. Or, send $6 to pay for the rest of the year! (Above form can be used for Popcorn Friday’s too).
Walk to School Day
We are celebrating Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 10th & invite all students to walk to school as part of living a healthy lifestyle!
Room Parents Still Needed!
We are still missing some Room Parents! If you are in one of the below classes, please consider volunteering as a Room Parent. It’s a lot of fun, & you’ll get to work as a team with other Room Parents in your grade to plan parties for your child’s class. The classes needing 1 more Room Parent are: Brommer, Vandercook, George, Bickham, & Conn. If you’re interested, please contact Amber Wilson at roomparentchair@norrispta.org.
Fun Run
Parents! This year’s main fall fundraiser is the Fun Run! It’s a two-week program that kicks off with a Pep Rally on October 22, 2018. Families will then gather pledges for every lap your student runs (30-35 laps), and we’ll celebrate at the Fun Run on November 2nd. With our big goal of raising $20,000 for (Enhancing the literacy libraries by purchasing valuable guided reading book sets, purchasing integral classroom resources and curriculum materials, and providing students with educational programs throughout the school year.) Donations will go toward our students and provide them with materials needed to make their education the best experience possible. So please help our school by reaching out to sponsors. Also, all families are invited to come out and cheer on your student at the Fun Run! Thank you for your support!
Looking to Volunteer?
If you would like to serve on our PTA Board this year, the following positions are open: Carnival, Healthy Lifestyles, Council Delegate, Environmental, & Parliamentarian. Please contact Lisa Giseburt at president@norrispta.org if you are interested or would like more information!
If you have completed your background check, please see the below volunteer opportunity: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c48acad2aa1f49-popcorn
Background checks must be completed before volunteering at school. Please complete a background check at https://www.friscoisd.org/about/resources-and-information/background-checks
To stay up to date on all PTA news and activities, like us on Facebook @NorrisPTA, check us out on Twitter at NorrisPTAFrisco, and go to our website at norrispta.org.