North Star News
December 2022 - We Reach! We Rise! We Shine!
Mark Your Calendar
12/13 PTC Meeting in the Cafeteria from 6-7 p.m.
12/15 Last Day for SUN Fall Session
12/21-1/3 Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
1/4 School Resumes (late start Wednesday)
Principal's Message
Dear North Gresham Families,
Winter break is fast approaching! Here are a few reminders for the remainder of the school year and as we head into 2023:
- We do have school on Monday, 12/19 and Tuesday, 12/20. Winter break begins on Wednesday, 12/21.
- We return to school on Wednesday, 1/4. It is late start that day, so doors open at 9:15 a.m. and school begins at 9:35 a.m.
- Attendance is integral to the success of your student, so please get your students to school everyday and on time.
- With that being said, there is a lot of illness going around. Please keep your student home if they're sick and call the school to excuse their absence.
- If you move at anytime during the year, make sure to update your address with the office.
- We've seen significant improvement with dismissal traffic, and we ask that you continue to follow all signs and directions of staff, as well as not coming too early in an effort to keep cars off of the street as much as possible.
- Don't forget that if you need to checkout your student early to do so before 2:45 p.m. If you arrive after, you will be asked to wait in the parent pick up line until 3:05 p.m. for dismissal.
I hope that you enjoy plenty of family time and stay healthy and well during the winter break. I'm looking forward to the new year to see the continual growth and progress of our North Stars.
Sincerely,
Shawnda Sewell
Principal
PTC & Book Fair News
Hello North Star Families,
Fall Fundraiser:
Orders are expected to arrive on Friday, December 16th. Further details will be sent out through ParentSquare next week. If you have any questions or concerns about your order, please email us at northgreshamptc@gmail.com.
Next PTC Meeting - Tuesday, December 13th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Our meetings are held in the cafeteria. Please join us!
Don't forget to to scan your grocery receipts using the Box Top App (After you scan the receipt, click on the STAR “Credit”, and put in your child’s teacher’s last name to give Credit to that teacher. Yes! We will have competitions.)
You can also give back with Smile.Amazon.com (North Gresham Grade School Parent Teacher Club) and Fred Meyers Community Rewards (North Gresham Parent Teacher Club). All funds go back to the school and support our students!
Counselor's Corner
50 Winter Break Activity Ideas
Multnomah County Mental Health Services
My best wishes for peace and wellness for all of our students and families!
Solen Chu
News From Mrs. Huelsman
Dear North Families,
We are proud of our multicultural and multilingual community of learners at North and celebrate many languages spoken by our students! As you know, we have a wonderful DLI program where students learn different subjects in Spanish and English. In addition, Ms. Chu and I have been including Spanish and Russian language lessons in our morning announcements for students that we share with them every Monday. We introduce new phrases twice a month, review what students have already learned, and encourage them to practice with each other, us, and their family members! Thank you for practicing with them! Gracias! Спасибо!
SUN News
Our last day of our fall SUN session is Thursday, 12/15.
SUN winter registration packets have been sent home. Forms are due Friday, 12/9. If your student is accepted into SUN (we have limited openings), you will receive a note or phone call. Our winter SUN session will begin on January 17th and end on March 9th. Please feel free to contact the SUN office at 503-258-4737 or the SUN cell at 503-560-2855 with any questions. You can also reach me by email at: marilya@mfs.email.
Have a wonderful winter break!
Marilyn Arellano
SUN Site Manager
ParentSquare
For more information and helpful tips, click here.
When Should I Keep My Student Home?
If your student has any of the symptoms below, please keep them home:
- New Cough - May return after symptoms improve for 24 hours (no cough or well-controlled cough)
- Difficulty Breathing - May return after symptoms improve for 24 hours (breathing comfortably)
- Sore Throat - May return when symptoms improve for 24 hours
- Vomiting or Diarrhea - May return when symptom-free for 48 hours
- Fever of 100.4 or greater - May return when fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication
- Rash - May return when the rash is gone or with orders from a doctor or school nurse
- General Illness - If your student is feeling unwell in general and you feel it will interfere with their learning, please keep them home until they're feeling better
If your student tests positive for COVID-19 or any other contagious disease such as measles, mumps, etc., do not send your student to school. Please call the office for further directions and a return-to-school date.
Please report any student injuries, such as a broken limb, recent surgery, etc., and provide the school with a doctor's note stating that the student is clear to be at school and that it outlines any limitations such as not participating in P.E., recess, etc.
All medications must be checked in at the office by a parent or legal guardian. Medications are kept locked in our health room, and are not to be sent to school with students and/or kept in the classroom. This includes over-the-counter medications such as cough drops and Tylenol.
If your student has an underlying health condition, such as diabetes, seizure disorder, asthma, severe allergy, etc., please call the school. We want to make sure we are able to support and treat your student's health in accordance with their doctor's orders.
Reminders from the Office
Contacting the Office
You can reach the office staff by calling our school at 503-661-6415, Monday-Friday 8:15 a.m. (9:15 a.m. on Wednesdays) to 4:00 p.m. You can also email our office team at any time. Nina Thomas at thomas82@gresham.k12.or.us, and Yuli Nolasco at nolasco8@gresham.k12.or.usAbsences
Please call in your student's absence before 8:35 a.m. (9:35 a.m. on Wednesdays). Leave a message by selecting option 1 if you call outside of school hours. Please let us know your student's first and last name, teacher/grade, and the reason for the absence. Students not present by 8:35 a.m. (9:35 a.m. on Wednesdays) will be marked absent. Students that arrive late will receive a tardy slip, and their absence will be adjusted in the system to a tardy. Automated attendance calls go out and you may receive a call if your student arrives after the calls are made.
Changes of Transportation
If your student will go home differently than normal, please contact the office to make the change. Dismissal is a very busy time, so we appreciate you calling no later than 2:00 p.m. to make any changes.
Early Pick-Up
If you need to pick your student up early from school, please do so before 2:45 p.m. Dismissal is very busy, so if you arrive after 2:45 p.m. you will be asked to wait until dismissal time to get your student.
ParentVue
Register for ParentVue to view your student’s attendance, grades, and make changes to your contact information. If you need assistance with setting up ParentVue, please call the school at 503-661-6415. You can also email our secretaries at thomas82@gresham.k12.or.us or nolasco8@gresham.k12.or.us. Visit the ParentVue web page to login or sign up: https://www.gresham.k12.or.us/domain/2446.North Gresham Elementary School
Website: www.gresham.k12.or.us/nges
Location: 1001 Southeast 217th Avenue, Gresham, OR, USA
Phone: 503-661-6415
Facebook: facebook.com/NorthGreshamElementary
Twitter: @NorthGresham_ES