December 2022 Northtowne News
Inside: School news, Zoo Night, COSI, Community Help & More
PBIS Mission Statement
I am prepared and ready to learn.
I will be respectful, responsible and focused.
I will make choices that focus on teaching and learning.
My hands are for helping, NOT hurting.
And my words are for encouraging.
I will be the best ‘me’ I can be.
December Important Dates
December 8 - COSI Clap-Out! 3:15 PM
December 10 - Family Resource Night at the Columbus Zoo Wildlights 6:00-8:00 PM
December 15 - Family event: Gingerbread House Contest at Northtowne 5:30-6:30 PM
December 20 - 30-minute early release; all school dismissal at 3:00 PM
December 21-January 3 - No School; Winter Break
January 4 - School resumes
Looking forward: January 25 Northtowne will have a school picture day. We are expecting flyers from the photographer with additional information on pricing. Pre-payment for photos is necessary and online ordering will be available.
You can keep up to date with the District wide school calendar by clicking here or using the button below.
Attendance Email
Morning Drop Off
Please stay with your child prior to 8:30 a.m. and/or when there is no adult supervision. For the safety of your child, please wait until a staff member is outside.
Children should not be dropped off before 8:30.
Dress for the Weather!
If you need any assistance with getting the necessary outerwear for the Ohio weather, reach out to Family Ambassador Sarah Bowman. She will get the details of your needs and connect you with Northtowne Elementary or community based resources to help.
The Lost and Found has a large number of jackets and coats already accumulating. If your student has lost of any of these items at school please contact the classroom teacher or Family Ambassador Sarah Bowman for assistance with attempting to locate items.
Contact the Family Ambassador at: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or you can call or text 614-859-9654
Principal’s Corner -
Hello Families, Caregivers, and Students,
December and cold weather have arrived. Did you know that at least 15 religious or cultural celebrations fall within the month of December?! Our school is so multicultural that I would guess that many, if not most, of these events are observed by one or more families at our school. I would like to wish happy and meaningful celebrations to all those who participate in any of the many December observances.
With December also comes our Middle of Year (MOY) testing. Students will be testing during this first full week of December. I'm sure our teachers have already mentioned to, please, be sure your student(s) get a healthy breakfast, either at home or free from the school cafeteria. All year, breakfast at the school starts to be served at 8:30 AM. We are hoping for strong signs of continued learning and growth from our students. Please remind your student(s) to put their best effort into this MOY testing.
Wellness Week/Autumn Break is in our recent past and we know students are already looking forward to the Winter Break. Before those highly anticipated two weeks of no school, we do have a fun family night planned. Please, join us the evening of December 15th for a Gingerbread House building contest! We are sure to have a lot of fun as families work together to build houses from graham crackers and icing.
I hope all of our Northtowne Knights will have a safe and fun Winter Break!
Mr. Taylor
Congratulations!
Ms. Barron, our instructional assistant in Special Education Pre-K, has happy news. She will be getting married December 20th! Join us in wishing her many congratulations!
Family Gingerbread House Contest
Show off your skills with building and architecture at our Family Gingerbread House Contest! Join us from 5:30 - 6:30 PM to build and decorate a small gingerbread house. Northtowne will supply graham cracker and icing for the house structure, as well as basic candies for decorations. If there is a special candy a family wants to be sure to have for the decorations, they can bring some of their own supplies too.
Building a gingerbread house almost never goes exactly according to plan! Sometimes even making a plan can be challenging when you are working in a group. This family event will be a chance for students to practice Portrait of a Graduate traits such as adaptability, communication, creativity and critical thinking.
Gingerbread houses that win the contest will go on display at the school until Winter Break! Classrooms with a student who has a winning house will also get a hot chocolate party!
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022, 05:30 PM
Northtowne Elementary School, Northtowne Boulevard, Columbus, OH, USA
Spotlight on 2nd Grade
- Reading lessons have focused on the concept of open and closed syllables. For anyone who has forgotten or was not taught to read with the same method, an open syllable is one where there is a vowel at the end of the syllable. Nothing comes after the vowel, as in no, my, and we. It is called an open syllable because the vowel is “open”—that is, nothing comes after it except open space. In open syllables, the vowel says its long sound. A closed syllable has a vowel followed by a consonant. Examples include cap, sit, and up. It is called a closed syllable because the vowel is “closed in” by a consonant. In closed syllables, the vowel usually says its short sound.
- Writing has focused on ways to more fully express ideas. Families may notice that sentences are getting longer or more complex. Students are also starting to learn how write a paragraph of sentences all about the same idea. These skills will be needed next year as 3rd graders.
- Math lessons are giving even more chances to practice reading a comprehension. Why? Because 2nd graders are working on word problems. Ask your student to explain how to tell if a word problem needs to be solved with addition or with subtraction. Students are also working on skills for graphing in math.
From the Guidance Counselor
We welcome back Mr. Dickerson following the birth of his daughter!
During December and into January, our guidance supports for social emotional learning (SEL) will focus on small group work. Small groups really help with being able to show students how the SEL topics can be used in their real life, day to day experiences. Small groups also provided better opportunities for students to begin to try out and practice the strategies that are being discussed. The small groups will be focused on topics such as conflict management, critical thinking, goal setting, and emotional regulation.
- Conflict management: The way we identify and handle conflicts fairly and efficiently. The goal is to minimize the potential negative impacts that can arise from disagreements and increase the odds of a positive outcome.
- Critical thinking: The process used to observe, gather information, draw conclusions on the information, communicate ideas and problem solve.
- Goal setting: The process of deciding what active steps to take to achieve your desired outcome.
- Emotional regulation: The ability to appropriately manage and respond to an emotional experience.
Notes from Nurse Brandi
Measles symptoms are fever, runny nose, cough, rash and red eyes. Call your doctor or Columbus Public Health (614-645-1474) if you have symptoms. Anyone wanting or needing an MMR vaccine, please contact Nurse Brandi mailto:bzeiter@columbus.k12.oh.us. Columbus Public Health will come to the school to vaccinate students or make other arrangements directly with your family.
As we head into cold and flu season, please remember to encourage students to wash their hands often, cover their coughs, drink lots of water and get plenty of rest. Parents, if your child is not feeling well, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea or vomiting please keep them home. Thank you for helping to keep everyone safe and healthy!
Grateful for Family Involvement
Thank you so much for your support and involvement with your child’s learning. Whether it’s conferences, attending the family meetings, or a quick chat throughout the day, we appreciate your involvement and efforts to build the lines of communication between home and school.
Report cards/grades will be available in the Parent Portal. If you need help accessing the Parent Portal please contact our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman. She can even link families to interpreters (Bilingual Engagement Liaisons or BEL) to help with understanding the Parent Portal set up process. Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or you can call or text: 614-859-9654🦁🐊 Pathway Express at the Zoo! 🐅🐘
Pathway Express arrives at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium in December with FREE admission and parking every weekend throughout the month for a celebration of holiday magic. Starting December 12th Admission is FREE every day! Join families from across CCS and experience one of Central Ohio’s most cherished traditions - Wildlights. In addition to creating memorable moments under the millions of lights and festive displays, students and families are invited to explore the incredible animal habitats home to more than 600 species from around the world.
Families must register for the free tickets in advance. Check your email and Parent Portal inbox for a message with links to registration site. If you are unable to locate the message, please contact our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman for assistance. sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us; call or text 614-859-9654. Calling or texting during Winter Break will ensure a faster response to requests for assistance.
Families are also invited to join CCS and partners for our monthly Family & Community Resources Day on December 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., and the event will feature:
Free admission to Wildlights;
Free Winter Coats for Students;
Holiday-Themed Giveaways;
New Book Bundles;
And More!
TRANSPORTATION - DECEMBER 10TH ONLY
Transportation is available from the following locations on December 10, 2022
NORTH
Northland High School
1919 Northcliff Drive, Columbus, 43229
SOUTH
South High School
1160 Ann Street, Columbus, 43206
EAST
Walnut Ridge High School
4841 E. Livingston Avenue, Columbus, 43227
WEST
West High School
179 S. Powell Avenue, Columbus, 43204
Pick up at 4:45 pm
Drop off at 8:45 pm
SPECIAL GIFT FOR ALL COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS 5TH GRADERS AND THEIR FAMILIES!
You're invited to become a COSI member for FREE! Thanks to the generosity of the Robert Weiler Company, COSI is proud to offer a complimentary one-year COSI Family Membership to Columbus City Schools 5th Grade Students and their families.
You're invited to give your family the gift of science learning with year-round visits to COSI. It's simple! To sign up for your free membership:
- Visit cosi.org/CCS5 to fill out your application form.
- Visit cosi.org for hours, directions, member benefits, FAQs, and policies.
It’s absolutely FREE and absolutely FUN! Your COSI FAMILY MEMBERSHIP includes
- Free year-long admission to COSI.
- Free reciprocal admission to 360+ science centers worldwide.
- Invitations to member previews and events.
- Discounts on parking, Science2Go Gift Shop, and the Atomic Café.
Upcoming Virtual Family Engagement Sessions:
Virtual Family Engagement Sessions are typically scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 6:oo p.m. Sessions rotate through various topics. Scheduled topics are:
FUTURE SESSIONS
- Thursday, December 8, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Pathway Express Stop #2: Columbus Zoo Wildlights
- Tuesday, December 13, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Literacy Fun for the Holidays
- Tuesday, December 15, 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Session Topic to be determined
- Tuesday, December 20, Thursday December 22 - No Sessions
- Tuesday, December 27, Thursday December 29 - No Sessions
Click here to find out what the upcoming session topics will address.
Click here to join the sessions directly starting at 6:00 p.m.
Does your schedule not allow you to join the sessions live? No problem! Past sessions are recorded and posted on the Virtual Family Engagement Session Library in case you are unable to attend.
Christmas Toy Giveaway
This event will take place 12:00 noon - 3:00 PM. No registration, identification or income verification is needed to receive toys.
Saturday, Dec 17, 2022, 12:00 PM
Eldon & Elsie Ward Family YMCA - YMCA of Central Ohio, Woodland Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
Winter Reading Challenge
Columbus Metropolitan Library is bringing back for a fourth year its Winter Reading Challenge, in which students can earn prizes just by reading over break. A twist on CML’s Summer Reading Challenge, Winter Reading Challenge aims to keep reading skills strong when students are out of school over the holidays. From Dec. 1 through Jan. 31, K-12 students can register in person at CML’s 23 locations throughout Franklin County. Those interested can learn more at columbuslibrary.org.
The annual program challenges students to track their progress as they read for 20 days and complete five activities on their game boards. Examples of game board activities include “Read a book about a famous person,” “Read a book with a magical creature,” “Tell a staff member about a book you read” and many more. Just for signing up, students will receive a bookmark, mechanical pencil, eraser and sticker. Students who complete the program will earn a book they can keep, as well as a drawstring bag.
The closest Library Branch to Northtowne is the Karl Road Branch. 5590 Karl Rd, Columbus, OH 43229
Childcare During the School Breaks
Recreation and Parks "Schools Out" Program - Thanksgiving and Winter Break Now Registering
Youth need opportunities for fun, engaging enrichment experiences when school is out. Columbus Recreation and Parks Department’s Schools Out program opens recreation centers for extended hours during Columbus City Schools upcoming fall and winter breaks.
Ohio ACE
The Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) educational savings account program provides funds for students and families to use on various enrichment and educational activities, including tutoring, day camps, music lessons, study skills services and field trips.
Parents and guardians can apply through the Ohio Department of Education for a $500 educational savings account to be used to pay for services that help their child learn a social/emotional skill or provide them with an academic opportunity to make up for a learning loss that occurred due to Covid-19. Income verification is required. Qualifying parents and guardians will receive an email from Merit International, Inc. notifying them of their award, and inviting them to accept their digital access credential, or “merit.” This credential will be used as the login for the Ohio ACE app.
Local Matters Veggie Van: Partnering for food access throughout Columbus
Veggie Van is a mobile grocer and food education program on wheels. We partner with schools, places of worship, and other community organizations to create a consistent range of fresh food access points throughout the city.
Reliable access to healthy food is key to increasing food security and preventing diet-related disease. Veggie Van brings affordable, convenient food access to neighborhoods across Columbus. To ensure all customers can shop at Veggie Van, we accept cash, credit, SNAP/EBT, Produce Perks, and more. We invite you to order from our year-round mobile market for all your fresh, local-when-possible produce, shelf stable items, and meal kits!
Northtowne's Resource Center
If there is information that you need, but don't see available, please reach out to our Family Ambassador, Sarah Bowman. She will be happy to help you locate services to meet your needs. mailto:sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us or 614-859-9654
Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter.
Send a note to let us know what you thought, make suggestions or ask a question. We would love to hear from you. Please send a note to your child’s teacher or send a message.
Contributors:
Austin Taylor, Principal
Phone: 614-365-5488
Fax: 614-365-5487
Email: ataylor4@columbus.k12.oh.us
Sarah Bowman, Family Ambassador
614-859-9654
Email: sbowman@columbus.k12.oh.us
Susan Bryant, Building Coach
614-365-5488
Email: sbryant9569@columbus.k12.oh.us
Frank Beickelman, Grant Provider
614-365-5488