April 14, 2023

CALENDAR DATES

April 18 - Northwood Kindergarten Round-Up

April 21 - All Pro Dads

April 24th-28th - Literati Spring Book Fair

April 28 - PTA Blooming Mornings

May 3-5, 9-11 - GA Milestone Assessments

May 12 - Field Day

May 18 - Talent Show

May 19 - Artist Day

May 25 - Last Day of School/5th Grade Promotion Day

Key News For Explorer Families

It’s been a wonderful week – the STEM Day activities that took place throughout the building today were phenomenal. The students engaged in activities that allowed them to work together, make hypotheses, experiment with different approaches and ideas, and draw conclusions through analysis. Thank you to Ms. Evangelista, our CST, for preparing and organizing the day; and for our staff for guiding all our Explorer scientists.

If you’ve had a chance to drive through campus this week you may have noticed that the sidewalk lights are fully installed and functional. I’m grateful to the district for recognizing the need to improve upon the lighting outside and spearheading the project. For now, the lights will be on from 8pm-8am but have the functionality to adjust with the seasons.

Check your email for the voting links for our Northwood School Governance Council. It doesn’t take but just a moment to click through the election process. Voting takes place from April 12 though the 19th.

With gratitude,

Heather Rucker

Principal

Kindergarten Explorers

The kindergarten students all enjoyed our field trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Each class had their own tour guide. We learned about the fruits and vegetables that grow seasonally in Georgia and were able to see many of them starting to sprout in the "Edible Garden" section. We toured the orchid house and were amazed by the varieties and colors. The day ended with a picnic next to Piedmont Park.

Fifth Grade Explorers

Fifth graders didn’t skip a beat and have dived into their new science unit on chemical and physical changes. While mixing baking soda and vinegar in a balloon, students observed the many signs that a chemical change occurred. These young scientists also made predictions on how to use various tools to separate mixtures, including sand, gravel, rocks, iron, and water. We are excited to explore more about physical and chemical changes through these hands-on experiments!

Northwood Monthly Awards - March

Awards are one of the many wonderful ways we have to recognize and celebrate our Explorers at Northwood. Here is a link to this month's award recipients. Congratulations!

March Awards

Be Bold, Be Heard, Be Seen in the Northwood Talent Show

In line with our school's vision of celebrating all student successes, we are pleased to announce that Northwood Elementary will host its fifth annual talent show. The talent show gives students in all grades a chance to showcase their abilities normally seen and practiced outside the academic classroom. This year, the talent show will be LIVE and ON STAGE!

If you would like your student to participate; and for more information please click the link below. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 21st. We look forward to celebrating all our incredible students and their talents.

Northwood Annual Talent Show

Literati Spring Book Fair: Volunteers Needed

We are having a Literati Spring Book Fair April 24th-28th. This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase books for summer reading while supporting teachers and the media center! Please save the date and take a moment to sign up as a volunteer. All volunteers will receive 20% off your purchase. 2022-2023: Northwood Media Center's Literati Spring Book Fair (signupgenius.com)

Book Fair Volunteers: Greet visitors, run the register, remind customers about Literati Kids Book Clubs, help students and visitors find books, restock products and displays, and assist with the setup and takedown of the book fair itself.

Media Center Volunteer: Greet visitors and assist students checking out books. Please only sign up if you have been trained.

Is Your Child Leaving Northwood Elementary?

Please help us prepare for the 2023-24 school year by letting us know if your current Kindergarten through 4th grade student will not return to Northwood Elementary in August. The withdrawal process is easy. Simply email the completed withdrawal form that is attached at the bottom of this newsletter to Mary Lou Fleming flemingml@fultonschools.org.

There is no need to re-register returning students.

STUDENT SUCCESS SKILLS STUDENT INVENTORY

FCS message for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade parents:

The Student Success Skills Inventory is used to measure student growth across Student Success Skill standards as a result of ReThink Ed lessons. Students complete the inventory by indicating if they almost always, always, sometimes, or never apply the skills being taught in the areas of Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Competence, Collaborative Problem Solving, Reflective Learning Strategies, and Sense of Belonging. The SSS Inventory is about 15-20 items and is administered to students in the Fall and Spring. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. Students complete the SSS Inventory using the Illuminate platform.

Spring Inventory Administration: April 17, 2023 – April 21, 2023

If you have any questions about the SSS Inventory, please contact your school’s Student Success Skills Champion. Parents can choose to opt their student out of the inventory. To opt out, parents must submit a written request to the school principal.

Please click the link for more information. Student Success Skills - Parent Packet

Georgia Milestones Promotion Information for 3rd and 5th Grades

Northwood would like parents of 3rd and 5th graders to have information about the Georgia Milestones promotion requirements. Please see the attached letter below from Fulton County Schools.

Get Ready for Georgia Milestones

What can I do to help my child prepare?

Be certain your child gets plenty of sleep and has a healthy breakfast.
Be certain your student is at school on time, so they are not worried about being late.

Remind students that cell phones and smart watches will be collected and stored in the secure testing room during test administration times. It’s best for students to leave them at home if possible.
Please have students bring their fully charged device every day.
Get information and practice using this link: Georgia Milestones Resources (gadoe.org)
Experience the online testing session using this link: http://www.gaexperienceonline.com/

What happens if my child is absent?

There will be rolling make-ups throughout the testing window. Please do not send your child in if they are sick.

Can visitors be in the building?

During GMAS testing, we will not be allowing visitors in the building before 11:30 am, and there will also be no lunch visitors these days.

MISSING SOMETHING?

Parents, please encourage your students to check regularly for lost items in the Lost and Found. Please mark all student belongings clearly with the child’s name so that it can be identified. Unclaimed items are donated to local charities after the last school day of every month. April’s date is Friday, April 28th.