Bulldog Blast
September 16, 2020
Lessons Commence!
To ease everyone into this unique school year, the first couple weeks of classes were focused on teachers and students getting to know one another, as well as the nuances of becoming comfortable with remote learning. This week, all classes have more formally begun to focus on academic instruction: students are cracking open their textbooks, assignments are being completed, and positive immersion in the virtual classroom continues reverberate.
As academic engagement and readiness to learn becomes more of a focus, please remember that students should be in their Northwood uniforms each day and be sitting up (not laying down); they should have clear Zoom backgrounds, stay on mute unless called upon, and maintain appropriate use of the chat during class instruction.
Please also remember that Fridays are asynchronous and students must complete all assignments posted to Google Classroom. Completion of assignments counts as attendance for the day.
Northwood in the News
6th grade student, Rihanna Alicea, as she enters the Simpson Recreation Center in Frankford, ready for a day of school. Click on the photo above to read the accompanying article.
Get Ready for Back to School Night!
Kindergarten Welcome Video
Class Materials and Free Meals Pickup
If you have not yet come by to pick up initial or additionally needed class materials, we will be doing another round of scheduled pickup in the cafeteria tomorrow (Adams Ave. entrance). See below for details:
Thursday, September 17th - 1:00-4:00 p.m.
- K-3 Reading workbooks
- 5th and 6th grade novels
- 8th grade science workbooks.
Again, we have not received our Chromebook shipment yet. We are continuing to speak with our distributor regularly and keeping the pressure on. We are sorry for the delay and will notify you as soon as we can of their arrival.
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Don't forget, we are still providing meals for all! Pick up for multiple meals is taking place at our cafeteria (Adams Ave. entrance) on Mondays and Thursdays between 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m. We hope families continue to take advantage of this cost saving and nutritional convenience.
Virtual Back to School Night: September 24
Back To School night is right around the corner! We are looking forward to seeing everyone's face next Thursday.
The following is the schedule for the evening on Thursday, September 24th:
6:00 p.m. - Schoolwide Webinar Presentation Intro & Raffle
6:30 p.m. - Meet the Teacher Session 1
6:50 p.m. - Meet the Teacher Session 2
Please note the following items on the schedule before BTS night officially kicks off (you will receive an email if these sessions apply to you):
5:00 p.m. - 6th-8th Grade High School Selection with Mr. Whitlach, Upper School Counselor
5:30 p.m. - Parents of English Language Learners (ELL) with Mrs. Hassan, ESOL Teacher (this session is for ELL families only)
Community
"Parent Virtual Cafe" - September 29, 30, and October 1
The topic of these workshops is "Mastering the Balancing Act - Managing Work/Life Responsibilities". Each day is designated for different grade groups. The conversation will be in a relaxed coffeehouse format, and a takeaway toolkit will be provided.
See the first flyer below for more information and how to login to attend via Zoom. While an RSVP is not required, you are encouraged to do so at THIS LINK (Virtual Parent Cafe - RSVP), in addition to sharing more about what you would like to focus on during these workshops in advance.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee
On June 2nd, our CEO shared a letter in response to the death of George Floyd and nationwide cry for systematic reform. She outlined that our response would include deeper work in relation to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion schoolwide commitment.
To that end, we are still seeking parents to join us as our DEI committee launches into goal and vision setting. We would love to hear your perspective and expertise to help us inform this critical work. The commitment would tentatively be virtually joining our DEI committee on the second Fridays of each month between 2-3:15 p.m. Please email Amy Hollister - ahollister@northwoodcs.org if you are curious about this work and are ready to join us! We would like to identify parents by September 24th.
CORA Services - September 16 (Tonight)
CORA's Clinical Services is hosting a parking lot "Open House" TONIGHT (Wednesday, September 16th) from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. They will be connecting with the community to promote wellness and spread the word about some of their counseling programs for children and families.
The event is located at 8540 Verree Road. All food and activities are free: there will be a food truck, a family exercise class, games, mental health screenings prizes, etc. Follow CORA Services on Facebook and check out the second flyer below for more information.
Back-to-School Series for Parents and Caregivers - Wednesdays in September
Powered by Transform for Tomorrow and Remake Learning Days Across America, these free online Wednesday workshops have been going strong throughout September. CLICK HERE to see the topics for the next three sessions; tune in at 7 p.m. TONIGHT for "Ready to Partner: 5 Steps for a different kind of school year for families and schools".
Student and Parent Surveys
Student Wellness Survey
This survey will be administered in October and November as well. Its purpose is to take a "temperature check" and assess that students' needs are being met, along with making sure they are feeling supported by at least one staff member during virtual instruction.
Parent Remote Learning Survey
Now that we are almost three weeks into the school year, we understand and recognize that there are aspects of the experience that are successful, as well as areas that are in need of improvement.
We believe that the partnership between our families and the school is essential for success; therefore, we will be sending out a survey on September 23rd to gather your input in an effort to make improvements. In the interim, please know that our principals, teachers, and staff are here to help you navigate through this experience and provide assistance.
Important Dates to Remember
Wednesday, September 16 - Board meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 24 - Back to School Night
Monday, September 28 - School is closed for Yom KippurConnect with Northwood
Website: northwoodcs.org
Location: 4621 Castor Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone: (215) 289-5606
Facebook: facebook.com/Northwood-Academy-Charter-School-153041454730750/
Twitter: @northwoodcs