North Star News - Family Edition

It is my pleasure to welcome back new and returning families to a great year at North Elementary School! I am excited that you are a part of our amazing learning community where parents, teachers, and students work together to build our team. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your children. Our skilled and devoted staff are already planning and preparing for your child(ren). Our hard working custodians have spent the entire summer thoroughly cleaning the facility, and our much appreciated office staff is preparing for new families. We are looking forward to this school year with anticipation and excitement.

If you have not downloaded the CHPS app on your phone, please do so now. You will have quick access to campus & district current information and notices, along with updates for the 2023-2024 school year. Also, remember to visit our website and social media platforms regularly for current news and upcoming events. Because a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child(ren)’s education, we want you to be involved in school, volunteer when available, and communicate with your child’s teacher as needed with any questions, concerns, or celebrations! Our educators are easily accessible via email, and will communicate with you in a timely manner. Home/School partnership is the reason North Stars continue to excel.

I’m honored to serve as the principal of North Elementary School. It is great to be a part of a community where students, educators, and parents care for each other and strive to build meaningful relationships that support academic and social-emotional growth. As your principal, it is important to me that everyone stepping through our doors is excited to be here! This attitude enables us to meet the challenges of academic excellence in a positive, fun, and nurturing environment. My door is always open and I welcome your input. Please feel free to call or email me to discuss any concerns you might have throughout the school year. I am looking forward to working with you and your family.

Mrs. Watkins and I , as well as our entire staff are eagerly anticipating seeing you all very soon!!

Candy Llewellyn, Ed.D.

Principal

804-524-3430

candy_llewellyn@colonialhts.net

Please make sure that you have your car tag if you are picking your child up in the afternoon. We ask that you stay inside of your vehicle. Children should enter the vehicle on the passenger side (closest to the sidewalk) to avoid them being in the way of oncoming cars.

If you do not have a car tag, please come to the front office to show ID and complete the paperwork for the car tag.

If you will be walking to pick up your child, please pick them up at the main entrance of the school. Someone will call the children from the building to meet you.

If your child rides a school bus, please make sure that someone is at the bus stop to meet children in grades PK - 2. Students who are in grade 3 or older do not have to be met by an adult at the bus stop.

We ask that if you must pick your child up early that you do so BEFORE 2:30 p.m. After 2:30 p.m. it is challenging to get the children up early with all of the other dismissal things going on. If you arrive after 2:30 p.m. you may be asked to wait until normal dismissal.

The 2023-2024 school day will be 8:30 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. Students may enter the building at 8:10 a.m. and proceed straight to their classrooms. Dismissal will start at 3:05 p.m. and be staggered by grade level.

Friday, September 1 - Monday, September 4 - Labor Day holiday (no school)

September 14 - Scout Information Evening @ 6:30 p.m. at NES cafeteria

Monday, September 18 - Picture Day

Thursday, September 21 - First interim reports sent home

Tuesday, September 26 - School Board Meeting @ 6:30 PM at CHPS Tech Center

October 17 - PINK OUT for Breast Cancer Awareness

October 20 - End of the first nine weeks

October 30 - First report cards sent home

Good attendance is important for elementary students because it helps them establish a routine, build a strong foundation for learning, and develop good habits. Regular attendance ensures they don't miss out on essential lessons and social interactions, contributing to their academic progress and overall growth.

Attending school regularly allows students to receive consistent instruction and engage with lessons. Missing school can result in gaps in their learning, making it harder for them to keep up with the curriculum.

Elementary school lays the foundation for essential skills like reading, writing, and math. Regular attendance ensures students have ample opportunities to practice and refine these skills.

School provides a vital social environment where students interact with peers, develop friendships, and learn to work in groups. Regular attendance helps children build social skills and develop emotional intelligence.

Attending school regularly helps children establish a routine and understand the importance of punctuality. This discipline can carry over to other aspects of their lives and set them up or success in the future.

Good attendance allows students to form stronger relationships with teachers. Teachers can better understand individual learning styles and provide tailored support when students are consistently preset.

Attending school teaches children responsibility and accountability. They learn that commitments are important and that they need to fulfill their obligations.

Developing good attendance habits at an early age can lead to lower absenteeism in later years of education. This can have a positive impact on long-term educational outcomes.

Consistent attendance facilitates better communication between families and teachers. Families can stay informed about their child's progress and any challenges they might be facing.

Obviously, families should keep children home if they are sick as it is crucial to their well-being and the well-being of others. This helps prevent the spread of illness and ensures that they have the necessary time to recover and rest before returning to school. It is important to speak to Nurse Kelly if you have questions about your child returning after an illness.

It is important for students to be in school every day. However, if your child is ill, please keep them home. We do require a doctor or parent note following any absence - even if you called the school office. We want all of our Stars to be successful and in order for that to happen we need them at school each and every day. If possible, please do not schedule vacations during the school year.

Remember if a child misses more than 2 days of school per month (even for excused absences) that equates to 18-20 days over the course of the school year - making them chronically absent.

Please be mindful that our school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and students who arrive after 8:30 a.m. are considered tardy.

If you drop your child off after 8:30 a.m. --> You must park and walk your child in to sign them in. This is a change from the way we have done this in the past.

1- Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

2 - Be honest.

3 - Be respectful to others.

Please review these rules with your child. If we adhere to these rules we will have a great year!

Breakfast and lunch will be served daily to all students at no cost.

School menus can be found HERE.

If your child will be bringing his/her lunch to school, please help them so they are able to open juice boxes or other containers they bring in their lunch. We have adults on hand to help but if the students can open things themselves, it makes lunch go smoother!

North Elementary will be served by the same buses as last year - Bus 1, Bus 3, Bus 5, Bus 7, and Bus 11. As we head into September we anticipate our bus times will regulate and there will be fewer late buses. We appreciate north families being patient and flexible as we get schedules settled.

Please remind your child(ren) of proper bus behavior. Students are not to be up moving around at any time while on the bus. They should sit with their back against the seat and their feet in front of them - free from the aisle. Riding the bus is a privilege and can be revoked if inappropriate behavior is exhibited.

Please make sure that students are dressed appropriately for the weather and for play. Students have recess every day and they should wear shoes that are comfortable and safe (sneakers are preferred).

Shorts, skirts, and dresses should be no shorter than fingertip length (about 3 1/2 inches from the knee). Students are not to wear cropped tops or shirts that reveal their midriff. Tank tops, halter tops, or tops with spaghetti straps should not be worn. Jeans with holes are permitted, however the holes must not be above 3 1/2" above the knee. House shoes/slippers are not allowed.

Students are not to wear hats, caps, or hoods of any kind inside of the building or on the bus.

Introduction

Hello Everyone, I am Kristal Cherry, the new school counselor at North! I’m so excited to be here. I am looking forward to a great year! Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I am happy to support students and families any way that I can :)

Character Trait of the Month!

This month’s focus is Respect. One way to think about Respect is “seeing value in all people and things & treating them with care.” Many people feel Respected in different ways. We hope this month inspires discussions with your family about what Respect means to you and how you can

practice it together! Respect is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Kind. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like perspective-taking, conflict resolution, and leadership.

Anti-Bullying Note

Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance where the behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. In order to help us prevent bullying here at North Elementary we would love it if you could talk to your student about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Please let your student know bullying is unacceptable at North Elementary. Encourage your student to speak to a trusted adult if they are being bullied or see others being bullied when it FIRST happens. Some of the trusted adults in our building are the principal, assistant principal, school counselor, school resource officer, and any teacher/staff member.