Northridge Elementary Weekly Blast
October 20 - October 24, 2025
Important Dates
Oct 22 - SAC Meeting
Oct 27 - 29 - 6th Grade Outdoor Ed
Oct 31 - Halloween Parade and Class Parties
Bus Cancellations
Route #58: Northridge/Mountain Ridge/Mountain Vista
Halloween Costume Parade Information
Get ready for some festive fun! We are excited to announce our annual Halloween Parade for all students. This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to celebrate together.
Parade Details:
Date: Friday, October 31st
Time: The parade will officially begin at 8:45 AM.
Route:
Students will exit their classrooms through their outside classroom doors.
They will then walk along the back of the school building to the sidewalk that leads towards the playground.
The parade will continue around the path surrounding the playground.
Students will then return to the school sidewalk, walking between the mobile classrooms and the garden.
Finally, all students will walk around the north side of the school to the front of the building and re-enter through the main entrance to return to their classrooms.
Costume Guidelines:
Arrival in Costume: Students are encouraged to arrive at school in their costumes on parade day!
Change of Clothes: For safety and comfort during the rest of the school day, all students will need to change into regular school clothes after the parade concludes. Please ensure your child brings their school clothes to change into.
Permitted Costumes: We want this to be a fun and appropriate event for all ages. Therefore, we kindly request:
No blood, gore, or excessively scary themes.
No toy weapons of any kind (swords, guns, knives, etc.).
Parent Viewing:
Parents are welcome to line the parade route (along the sidewalks and playground path) to cheer on our students! Please be mindful to stay on the designated viewing areas to ensure a clear path for the parade.
We can't wait to see all the wonderful costumes and share in the Halloween spirit!
Smiles,
The Northridge Elementary Team
PTO Pulse
PTO In Action
King Soopers - Did you know!?
King Soopers donates back to the community through their Community Rewards Program. Through September 30th, there were 45 families enrolled in the program to direct their King Soopers Community Rewards to NRE PTO. Between January 1 and September 30, the rewards generated by those 45 families totaled over $2200!! That is FREE and EASY money for NRE! There is no cost to families to participate and it takes 1 minute to link your King Soopers account to NRE PTO! Let’s double the number of families enrolled by January 1 and really take advantage of this great community partnership! See the very easy steps in the flier below!
Upcoming Events
Charleston Wrap: Holiday Gift & Wrapping Paper Fundraiser
New to NRE this year, a holiday gift & wrapping paper fundraiser! Check out this catalogue with several options to get you ready for the holiday season. If students choose to participate in this fundraiser, prizes will be awarded for reaching sales goals. 40% of sales come back to NRE PTO! Use Organization ID 29822 when you register! Haven’t ordered yet? Don’t worry! The deadline for the fundraiser has been EXTENDED to October 31st! There are some really great items available for purchase at very reasonable prices - consider doing some of your holiday shopping early and a portion of the proceeds will come back to NRE!
Enberg Photography Fall & Holiday Mini Sessions
Last year, Enberg Photography donated over $700 to NRE PTO! Book your fall or holiday mini session now, and know that 50% of your $100 photo mini session will come back to NRE! Book now here! They are very flexible with scheduling and very generous in their donation back to NRE - please consider booking family photos with this wonderful company!
Veterans Day Celebration Breakfast: Tuesday, November 11
Join us for a special Veteran's Day Breakfast on November 11! We invite all families to celebrate and honor our veterans with a morning of food, fun, and community. Bring your loved ones and show appreciation for those who have served. Time: 7:45 AM - 8:30 AM. Location: Gym. RSVP is required - please respond here by November 6.
PTO General Assembly Meeting
All are invited to attend the next PTO General Assembly meeting on Friday, November 14th from 8:45-10:15am in the NRE Library. Share your ideas for NRE, find ways to get involved, and celebrate all that’s happening in our community. Bring some friends, free snacks!
Holiday Shop: Friday, December 5th
The PTO Holiday Shop is a fun event for kids during the school day where they get to shop for small gifts for their family/friends. Common items for sale in the past have been keychains, jewelry, candles, soaps, etc. Most items available for purchase should cost between $2-$10. Interested in being a vendor? Email PTOmemberALNRE@gmail.com for more information.
PTO Community Appreciation Event: Breakfast with Buddies
Save the date!! All NRE students are invited to bring parents, guardians, grandparents, or any special guests to Breakfast with Buddies on Tuesday, Dec 16, from 7:45–8:30 AM in the NRE Gym.This free event is our way of saying thank you for the amazing support you have given the NRE PTO this year! RSVP will be required to help plan and a link will be sent out soon!
Restaurant Nights
Local restaurants host “spirit nights” where a designated portion of the proceeds from your order will be generously donated back to NRE PTO. All you have to do is mention NRE when ordering. It’s a win-win-win: you get a night off from making dinner (or treats), local restaurants get our business, and PTO receives a donation! Stay tuned for more dates - we are adding more to the calendar all the time!
11/13/25: Fujiyama
11/14/25: Desert Donuts
11/14/25: Kona Ice 3:00-4:00 at NRE
11/20/25: Red Robin
Volunteer Opportunities
Fall Event Committees - PTO is forming committees for our spring events. If you would like to help plan the Family Bingo Night, the Family Dance, or the Auction please reach out so we can get you plugged in! PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com
Setup & Clean up for Veterans Day Breakfast - Signup coming soon. Volunteer needs will be on 11/10 after school from 3:30-4:30 and 11/11 from 8:30-9:00. Even if you can only stay for part of the time your help will be greatly appreciated!
Setup & Clean up for Holiday Shop - Signup coming soon. Volunteer needs will be on 12/4 after school from 3:30-4:30 and 12/5 from 4:30-5:30. Even if you can only stay for part of the time your help will be greatly appreciated!
Setup & Clean up for Breakfast with Buddies - Signup coming soon. Volunteer needs will be on 12/15 after school from 3:30-4:30 and 12/16 from 8:30-9:00. Even if you can only stay for part of the time your help will be greatly appreciated!
Ongoing Fundraisers
Paint the Rock - Reserve the Rock to celebrate a special occasion. First sign up for your date here, then make your $20 donation to PTO through MySchoolBucks.
Additionally, PTO has volunteers who are willing to paint the rock for you if you’d like! Follow the steps above, then email PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com to inquire about volunteer availability. When we find a volunteer who can paint for you, then you can make an additional $50 donation to PTO.
School Accountability Committee
Most Recent Meeting:
September 17, 2025
Upcoming Meeting:
October 22, 2025 4 - 5:15pm
A Note from Assistant Principal Armijo...
Dear Northridge Families,
I am thrilled to introduce myself as your Assistant Principal here at Northridge, and I'm already loving being part of this wonderful community!
A native of Pueblo, Colorado, I bring 15 years of experience in education to the school. My career has given me a wide range of experience, having taught 1st, 3rd, and 4th grades, served two years as a Dean of Students at the elementary level, and spent two years as an Assistant Principal in a middle school setting.
On a personal note, I've been happily married for over 15 years and I have four children: two biological and two step-children.
This is my first year at NRE, and I am genuinely enjoying getting to know the amazing staff, dedicated students, and supportive families. I'm excited to grow and be a meaningful part of the NRE family!
This week eight of our dedicated educators attended the annual Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (CAGT) Conference, where they gained new insights and strategies to support our gifted learners! CAGT is a leading advocacy organization committed to supporting the unique needs of gifted children. This professional development opportunity equipped our teachers with a toolkit of advanced strategies to ensure our highest-achieving students are challenged and engaged. CAGT conference attendees learned to use Curriculum Compacting to skip mastered material, implement Acceleration for advanced content access, apply Depth and Complexity to promote higher-order thinking, employ Tiered Differentiation to vary instruction, and provide Affective Support for gifted learners' unique social and emotional needs, including those who are Twice-Exceptional (2e).
Today, our Student Council’s Donuts and Dinosaurs event brought over 200 excited students together for donuts, discovery, and a little dino-sized fun! Students got up close with reptiles, arachnids, and other cool critters—combining tasty treats with hands-on learning and curiosity.
Don't forget to check for all the important information regarding our upcoming Halloween Parade! Details cover everything you need to know, including specific costume guidelines, safety rules (no masks or weapons, please!), and the schedule for the event. Reading this information ensures a fun, safe, and smooth experience for all our students!
I hope everyone has a nice and relaxing weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday!
Joyfully,
Tessa Armijo
Assistant Principal, Northridge Elementary
Discovery Info Night
Interested in applying to Discovery? The DCSD Elementary Discovery Program is a center-based gifted program designed to meet the needs of highly advanced gifted elementary school students (grades 2 - 5) who require intensity of instruction and acceleration beyond what can reasonably be expected from gifted programming and services provided through a regular education classroom. Discovery is a district program that is located at Northridge.
Come learn about the program and how to apply! Northridge will be hosting an informational night on Monday, November 3 from 5 - 7 p.m. in the NRE library. The district Gifted and Talented department will be giving a presentation and answering questions, and NRE Discovery staff will also be there!
From the District...
How to Receive Emergency Messages from DCSD
Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and click on the “person” icon in the top right-hand corner of the page. Navigate to “Contact Preferences” and review your contact information. If you see an incorrect phone number or email, please update it in Infinite Campus, or contact the registrar at your child’s school to request an update.
Lunch Room Volunteers Needed
Your friendly Nutrition Services would love some additional help next week. They are still working on hiring another person and could use our help in the meantime! They know these are busy weeks for everyone, but please consider signing up for a shift...or two! :)
Thank you so much!
Bus Cancellation Schedule - 2025-2026
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Resources
Below is a list of resources, should you have a concern that a loved one (or yourself) may be experiencing behavioral changes, mood swings, depression, or suicidal thoughts over the break.
Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to the child or others
988 - Suicide and Crisis Hotline
Call or text “988” any time, 24/7 for free, confidential support.
Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)
Trained Crisis Counselor Hotline: (844) 493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255
Chat online (open from 4pm-12am daily): Click Here
Walk-in Locations (open 24/7): Location List
Information About Types of Services and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado Crisis Services
Douglas County has an anonymous reporting system available at all times. Anyone with a concern for someone’s well-being or safety can use Safe 2 Tell (1-877-542-7233) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.