Northwoods News
A Message from Principal Nixon--July 27, 2021
We are moving quickly towards the start of the 2021-22 school year. Over the last few weeks, we have been carefully planning for our various beginning of year events for students and families, and I'm excited to now share that information with you.
Within this newsletter you will find specific information about the following topics:
- Kindergarten Staggered Entry
- Open House/Meet the Teacher (in-person and VA)
- Class Rosters
- School Supplies
- NES Student/Parent Handbook
- NES PTA Information
I encourage you to review the information in this newsletter slowly and carefully, as many of the dates, times and details are differentiated for Virtual Academy and/or in-person learning. Additionally, please review and mark your calendars for the important events listed below.
Upcoming Events:
- Friday, August 13th--VA Schedule Shared
- Saturday, August 14th--Campus Beautification Day (Volunteers Needed)
- Tuesday, August 17th--Class Rosters Posted at Northwoods
- Wednesday, August 18th--Welcome Letters Sent to Families
- Thursday, August 19th--1st-5th Grade Open House/Meet the Teacher (Last Names A-M) In-Person Only
- Friday, August 20th--1st-5th Grade Open House/Meet the Teacher (Last Names N-Z) In-Person Only
- Friday, August 20th--Virtual Academy Open House/Meet the Teacher & Material Distribution
- Monday, August 23rd--First Day of School/Kindergarten Staggered Entry
- Tuesday, August 24th--Kindergarten Staggered Entry
- Wednesday, August 25--Kindergarten Staggered Entry
- Thursday, August 26th--Kindergarten Open House/Meet the Teacher
We will be hosting a campus beautification day on Saturday, August 14th. We need volunteers to help move picnic tables, spread mulch, pull weeds, etc. Please consider donating some of your time so that our campus can look its best for the first day of school on August 23rd. I look forward to seeing you there!
If you have any questions about any of the information within this newsletter, please don't hesitate to contact us at 919-460-3491.
Respectfully,
Joe Nixon, Principal
Kindergarten Information (In-Person Students Only)
Staggered entry letters were mailed home this week. Please pay special attention to your child's assigned Staggered Entry date. He/she will only attend school on his/her assigned staggered entry date during the first week of school.
Kindergarten students assigned to the Virtual Academy will also participate in staggered entry. Information and links to join the virtual classroom will be shared during the week of August 16th.
Kindergarten Open House/Meet the Teacher:
Our Kindergarten Open House/Meet the Teacher event will take place on Thursday, August 26th. To maximize safety and limit the spread of COVID-19, we will be conducting two Open House/Meet the Teacher sessions, based on last name. Families should only attend at the time that corresponds to your last name. Details are below.
5:30 - 6:15 PM --Last Names A-M
6:30 - 7:15 PM--Last Names N-Z
Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, we must restrict the number of visitors in the building at one time. Therefore, we will only permit parents/guardians of school-aged children to enter the building for Meet the Teacher. We ask that grandparents, other relatives, and all non-school-aged siblings remain at home.
Class Rosters:
Kindergarten class rosters will be finalized on the morning of Thursday, August 26th. Kindergarten teachers will send a welcome email message to each family on his/her roster by early afternoon on the 26th. At that point, our rosters will be considered finalized and I will not honor requests for changes.
School Supplies:
Student supplies should be brought to school during your family's designated Open House/Meet the Teacher time. Please DO NOT send supplies, other than the ones listed in the Staggered Entry letter, to school during staggered entry.
Grades 1-5 Information (In-Person Students Only)
1st-5th grade class rosters will be finalized by Tuesday, August 17th and lists will be posted on the front doors of the school, at the bus loop doors, and on the rear playground doors by the morning of Tuesday, August 17th. Families are welcome to park and review the lists at that time. Be advised: once published, class lists are considered final and I will not accept requests for changes. Classroom teachers will also send a welcome email to each family on his/her classroom roster on August 18th.
1st-5th Grade Open House/Meet the Teacher:
Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, we are required to limit the number of visitors in the building. So that we can maximize safety, we will be conducting Open House/Meet the Teacher events according to each student's last name. Open House/Meet the Teacher events will take place on the mornings of Thursday, August 19th, and Friday, August 20th. For more information, please review the details below.
School Supplies:
Student supplies should be brought to school during your family's designated Open House/Meet the Teacher time.
Virtual Academy Information
All students in the Western Area Virtual Academy will follow a common Virtual Academy schedule. The schedule will be shared with you on Friday, August 13th as part of a general welcome message from all western area principals.
Virtual Academy Class Rosters:
Rosters for students participating in the Virtual Academy will be finalized by Tuesday, August 17th. Each VA family will receive a welcome letter from his/her assigned VA teacher on Wednesday, August 18th. Due to the limited number of VA teachers across the district, I cannot guarantee that each child participating in VA will be assigned to a Northwoods teacher. The welcome letters will also include information about the VA schedule, general VA expectations, links to join the virtual classroom, and an invite for a virtual Open House/Meet the Teacher event.
Virtual Academy Open House/Meet the Teacher:
All students (K-5th) participating in the Virtual Academy are invited to participate in one of two virtual Open House/Meet the Teacher sessions on Friday, August 20th. Information is below. A link to join each session will be shared with you prior to the event.
8:00 - 8:30--Last names A-M
8:30 - 9:00--Last names N-Z
Q1 VA Material Distribution:
All VA families should plan to pick up Q1 student materials via carpool on Friday, August 20th from 12:00 - 1:00 PM.
Chromebooks for VA Students:
Virtual Academy students who have not already been issued a district Chromebook will be issued a Lenovo Chromebook and will be available for pick-up at Northwoods on Friday, August 20th from 12:00 - 1:00 PM. If your child has been issued an HP Chromebook, please return it (with the cord) and we will exchange it for a new Lenovo Chromebook. Students who already have Lenovo Chromebooks will keep those devices and do not need to bring them to the Meet the Teacher event.
Other Important Information
Breakfast & Lunch for 21-22:
Breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost to students for the 2021-22 school year. While the district may be able to offer free meals to all students, it is very important for eligible parents to complete a meal benefits application because this data enables schools to obtain funding to provide other important educational resources to benefit students. Other benefits that are issued directly to families that have applied and are eligible for meal benefits may also be available (such as the P-EBT cash benefit). Beginning July 1, 2021 parents can complete a meal benefits application online at myschoolapps.com. Paper applications will also be available at all schools. More: www.wcpss.net/free-reduced-meals.
21-22 Before/After-School Care Options:
Before and after-school care will be available for students onsite at Northwoods for the 21-22 school year. The before-school program will be managed by Northwoods staff as it has been in the past. However, the after-school care program will be managed onsite by the Taylor Family YMCA.
Before-School Care Applications:
Applications will be available during our Meet the Teacher event in August. Details about our Meet the Teacher event will be shared in the coming weeks.
After School Care Registration:
Families in need of after-school care services may register on the Taylor Family Website. Registration is currently open.
Student Supply Lists:
Student supply lists for the 2021-2022 school year have been posted on our website. They are also attached to the bottom of this newsletter for your convenience.
PTA Information
Northwoods Families,
Our PTA is looking for interested parents/volunteers to fill the following roles on the PTA board. Filling these roles is critical to ensuring that we maintain a strong and supportive PTA presence at Northwoods. Your interest and participation are greatly appreciated!
- President
- Treasurer
- VP of Fundraising
- Staff Appreciation
- Garden Lead
- School Picnic
- Yearbook
- Cultural Arts
- And many more
If you have any questions about these roles and responsibilities, please let us know.
The easiest way to reach someone is by emailing us northwoodspta@gmail.com. You can also visit our website at https://www.northwoodspta.com/ for more information!!