Northrop News
December 22, 2017
In this Issue:
- Note from the Principal
- Volunteering at Northrop
- Construction Update and photos (click on each picture to enlarge)
- What is Site Council?
- Northrop PTA Update
- Book Check Out at Northrop: Update from Ms. Laura
- 5th Grade Families: Sanford Middle School is ready to welcome you!
- School Tours
- Is your email address correct?
- Northrop News Update
- Northrop At-A-Glance Link
- Upcoming Events
A Note from the Principal
The energy in an elementary school in December is out of this world. :-) We are so incredibly fortunate to work with your child(ren) each day. We wish all families a relaxing Winter Break and a Happy New Year!
Just as a reminder, Minneapolis Public Schools Winter Break begins on Monday, December 25 and is through Friday, January 5. Students return to school on January 8, 2018 and our staff will be eager to greet them!
As we look ahead to January at Northrop we will make it our “re” month, as in the month we reteach our expectations, renew our relationships, restore our hopes, and refresh our goals. I am excited and optimistic for all the learning that lays ahead of us in the new year. We will continue to seek excellence in all we do at Northrop Community School.
We wish all families a wonderful winter break. Thank you to our school community for your continued support of our students, families, and staff. Please contact our front office or me with any questions or suggestions.
Kind regards,
Amy
Volunteers Needed at Northrop!
We would also appreciate volunteers in our lunchroom to help with cleaning tables and opening packages for students during our lunch times. Our cafeteria is open from 11:00 AM-1:30 PM. Please contact Ms. Kylie in our front office at 612-668-4520 or email Kylie.Pieczonka@mpls.k12.mn.us to learn more or express interest.
Please consider reaching out to your child's teacher or a specialist to see if they could use an extra hand or help with a specific project.
Thank you to everyone that helps our Northrop students and teachers!
Construction Update
Slow but steady progress is the name of the game with construction projects! We are excited to see concrete floors and sheetrock walls going in on our lower garden level. Unfortunately, we did recently learn that we are about 4-6 weeks behind the Phase 1 Project (kitchen and lunchroom) schedule due to structural work that needed attention. With an older building, the engineers and contractors seek as much information as they can before construction begins by gathering old building plans and looking into walls and floors as much as possible. That said, there are often unknowns that can delay the work. Our new timeline for students eating in our new lunchroom is in the 2nd week of March. Our current lunchroom will remain open until we are able to use the new space. Phase 2 (new Art and Music classrooms) is not affected by this delay and has a completion date at the end of May, 2018.
See below for lots of pictures of our progress! Click on each photo to enlarge.
Hallway
Wall facing playground (former Music room)
Serving Area and Office Space
Walk In Freezer
New Lunchroom
Wall and Doors to New Playground
What is Site Council?
Northrop’s Site Council includes faculty, staff, and elected parents from all sections of the school. Members act as liaisons to the greater Northrop community. Over the course of their two-year terms, they attend meetings, evaluate data, and help develop school policies with the principal. In order to gather input from the community on critical issues, the Site Council will reach out using a variety of methods including surveys (e.g., the school budget) so all perspectives can be considered. In this way, the entire Northrop community can work together to provide our kids with a safe, nurturing, and effective environment that supports ALL students' academic development as well as their growth as confident, compassionate people armed with the tools they need to reach their goals.
Member’s contact information can be found on the Northrop website: http://northrop.mpls.k12.mn.us/site_council and we are working to add our meeting agendas and minutes there as well. Please reach out to any Site Council member if you have a question or concern.
Northrop PTA update
The Northrop Parent Teacher Association (PTA) believes when a parent is involved in their child's school, all children benefit. All parents and staff are encouraged to get involved in the PTA. The PTA provides support to Northrop's teachers and staff both financially and through volunteer hours, as well as school-wide social and cultural events. Sign up for our email list here. For your reference, our 2017-2018 general information sheet includes background information, meeting dates and fundraising information.
During the first week of December, the PTA sponsored a food and fund drive benefiting The Sheridan Story. All total, Northrop Elementary students and families collected 1,080 pounds of food - This equals 900 meals! Lookout for additional volunteer opportunities with the Sheridan Story in the New Year!
Upcoming PTA Events:
Tuesday December 26, 2017, is Northrop Day at Parkway Pizza (4349 Minnehaha Avenue). 5% of all sales for the day are returned to the PTA.
Thursday, January 4, 2017, is Northrop Night at the Cardinal Bar and Restaurant (2920 East 38th Street) from 4pm-10pm. Let your server know you are there for Northrop and 15% of your sales are returned to the PTA.
Our next meeting is Thursday, January 11, 2017, at 6:30 pm in the Media Center. We have planned a short introduction to the myOn reading program that the PTA helped purchase using funds raised during Give to the Max day. Childcare is available in the gym beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Volunteer Opportunities!
We are seeking a volunteer to organize a fundraiser at the Snapology Discovery Center, let us know if you would like to put this together, should be easy and lots of fun!
Last year's Northrop Night Out was a huge success at DuNord Craft Spirits, raising over $5,000 through a silent auction for the PTA! Jill Carlton and Lisa Hudson will be co-chairing this adult-only fundraising event but need help planning the event and gathering donations from the community! The first planning meeting will be held after Winter Break—or email the PTA at Northroppta@yahoo.com and we will pass along your contact information or donation ideas!
Chairperson (or persons) needed for Rally around Northrop, a fun school/community event held in late May/June. This event usually involves a fun run, food trucks, entertainment, community tables, and bounce houses. Let us know if you are interested in leading or helping with this fun event!
Yearbook Photos! Please email photos you take on field trips, at school events or while volunteering in classrooms to northropyearbook@gmail.com and include the classroom and short description of the activity in the subject line!
Chinook Books
Northrop PTA still has Chinook Books for sale--here is the order form. Mobile only book is $15 and Book with Mobile is only $22. These make great gifts and pay for themselves easily with only a few uses! Check it out here. Feel free to use the form or just send a note and a check with your child and we will get the book/card to you.
Book Check Out at Northrop: Update from Ms. Laura
Book checkout has begun! Harry Potter, Wimpy Kid, Junie B and Jack and Annie are flying off the shelves! While Northrop students are busy exploring new books that interest them, they’re also choosing old favorites to take home and read.
New books will be added to Northrop’s collection throughout the school year. If you have book suggestions for our library, please let me know.
E-books can be accessed through Northrop’s website, http://northrop.mpls.k12.mn.us, then scrolling down to “student resources” on the left-hand side of the webpage. Capstone is also a site available to Northrop students. The link to these interactive e-books is http://www.mycapstonelibrary.com. The username for all students is “MPSNorthrop” and the password is “ebook”.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the book checkout process or what to do if your student just can’t find their book. Feel free to send a note with your student or email me at Laura.Schwartz@mpls.k12.mn.us
Do you know a family looking for an elementary school for the 2018-2019 school year?
5th Grade Families: Sanford Middle School is ready to welcome you!
Welcome to Sanford! We are excited to begin the middle school journey with you while your student is in 5th grade. Sanford is a vibrant and welcoming school with about 970 students in grades 6-8. The construction on our new wing is finished, & we are enjoying the new spaces.
Sanford’s 6th Grade Information Night for incoming families is coming up on Wednesday, January 10th from 6:00-7:30pm. This is the first week after winter break. Please join us to learn more about what’s happening at Sanford. We will start with a short presentation in the auditorium at 6:00pm, then will give time for families to tour the school, meet and talk with teachers, students & administration, and get a feel for Sanford.
We know coming to middle school is a huge transition, and the best way to feel confident about it is to see it first-hand. We also invite prospective families to come tour Sanford during the school day & see us in action. Our family liaison, Mara Bernick, can be reached at mara.bernick@mpls.k12.mn.us or 612-668-4914 to schedule a time to tour.
Sanford is a fantastic school, and I look forward to welcoming your students to Sanford in 6th grade next year. Please contact me at 612-668-4901 or emily.palmer@mpls.k12.mn.us with any questions at all.
Dr. Emily Lilja Palmer, Principal
Northrop Newsletter update
Is there something you want to hear more about? Do you have an idea for a story? We want to hear from you!
The newsletter currently has two co-editors, Principal Amy and Kate Seager, a 1st and 4th grade parent. Please email us if you have ideas for stories or would like to join our team. You can contact us at northropwoodducks@gmail.com
Is your email address current?
Please double-check that your email address is current in the parent portal. We use your email address to communicate with you, through phone and email in School Messenger. Having a current email address is vital to school communication!
To verify or change your email address, use School Messenger's Contact Manager. For more information on how to use Contact Manager, see the MPS School Messenger page, and follow the instructions under Change your preferences.