North Star Weekly Communication

Mission: North Star is a caring community that helps children grow.

Vision: North Star will be recognized as a school that inspires a love of learning.

Core Values:

• Respect for All
• Supportive Community

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nesZrgZQhFc

This Week:

• August 31: First Student Day for students in 1-5 (Kindergarten: A-L)
• August 31: Kindergarten: A-L
• September 1: Kindergarten: A-L
• September 2: Kindergarten: M-Z

• September 2: Instrumental Music Night at Richardson Park 6:30pm (Details below)

• September 3: Kindergarten: M-Z
• September 4: Schools Closed, Offices Open

Thinking ahead:

• September 7: Schools and Offices Closed
• September 8: All kindergarten students report to school
• September 9: Picture Day (Details below)
• September 9: Instrumental Music Night at Brandywine Springs 6:30pm (Details below)
• September 17: RCCSD Board Meeting, 7pm, Cab or Zoom.
• September 24: NSE Back to School Open House 6:00pm

Please take note of our school hours of operation:

8:50-9:00 a.m.- Car rider drop-off begins.

• Please stay in the line along the curb next to the sidewalk.
• Staff members will open car doors.
• Students should exit from the passenger side of your vehicle.
• Use the car line and do not park and walk your child to the sidewalk to ensure everyone’s safety in our busy parking lot.
• You may not pass cars that are still unloading children.
• All cars will stay in line to exit the lot.
• Car riders will have an opportunity to go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast if they wish to do so.

Bus riders enter the building.

Bus riders will have an opportunity to go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast if they wish to do so.

9:05 a.m.- Instructional day begins.

Students are considered tardy after 9:05 a.m.

3:50 p.m.- Car rider and bus rider dismissal begins.

• Please follow the lines and remain in your vehicle.
• Each family is assigned a car tag number.
• All families must pick up their car tags from our main office prior to the 1st day of school.
• This number must be displayed on the rear-view mirror of your vehicle.
• If you are not able to pick up your car rider tag before the first day of school, we ask that you write your student's name on a piece of paper to display for staff on duty. This makes for a quicker retrieval of your student.

4:00- 4:05 p.m.- Buses depart.

The staff at North Star maximize the instructional time during the day. We ask that you limit late arrivals and early dismissals. Students are considered late after 9:05 a.m.. While early dismissals are discouraged, the latest time that early dismissals will be honored is 3:15 p.m.

Other items to note:

● Please note that all early dismissals must take place before 3:15 p.m. and no transportation changes will occur after 3:00 p.m. We encourage you to choose whether your child will be a car rider or a bus rider for the school year and discourage changes except in case of pre-arranged schedules or emergencies.

Please access the link below to become a member and order spirit wear:

https://nspta1.givebacks.com/

From the desk of Dr. Joy Campbell:

We are excited to welcome your child/children back to school. In an effort to ensure we have accurate information regarding your transportation plan for the year, please complete the Google Form linked here: https://forms.gle/QuTErHGSNT4jPRU7A

You will only need to complete it once, even if you have multiple children here at North Star. Thank you for your help with this!

Car rider families,

If your child is a car rider, please help them to learn their car tag number and/or write it on the back of their lanyard. This will help staff members during afternoon dismissal to ensure that students safely and quickly get to their cars.

In addition, if you are new to North Star or our carline procedures, please take a moment to watch this important video: https://bit.ly/3TQz1vt

NSE Families,

For your convenience, I have included our Letter Day calendar and Specials Rotations so that you will be able to determine when your child has Gym, Art, Library, Music, and Guidance. Your child's classroom will have a different specials class depending on the letter of the day. Please check the letter day calendar first and then review the related arts schedule. Please reach out if you need any clarification.

Letter Day Calendar:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xwYng-MInG5sdwX3ASG26T6NYwtnjAZbRiTZvqIWKN0/edit?usp=sharing

Specials Rotations:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LZ2wVanSjnR8AtRBg4iotGxu66Q5FCvUX9V0in5lm4U/edit?usp=sharing

Exciting news for our families!

We know many of you have enjoyed using Remind to stay in touch with your teachers over the last few years. To make our community even stronger, Red Clay is adopting ParentSquare as our new home for teacher communications.

ParentSquare offers all the features you enjoyed in Remind, plus new tools to keep you informed and involved via email, app notifications, voice calls, or text.

Getting started is easy. An account has been automatically created for you using the contact information you provided in Infinite Campus. We invite you to activate your ParentSquare account today. Download the free mobile app, set your password, select your language and notification preferences, and let the communication begin!

Why You’ll Love ParentSquare:

• Receive instant updates from teachers via email, app, or text.
• Choose to receive posts as they happen or bundled in one daily communication called Digest
• Easily view school photos, calendars, and important announcements
• Read and reply in your preferred language with automatic translation
• Send direct messages to teachers and staff

To get the most out of ParentSquare, we encourage you to download the free mobile app, available for iOS and Android. To learn more about ParentSquare, visit redclayschools.com/parentsquare

Instructions for setting up your account

Setting Up on a Web Browser

1. Visit the ParentSquare website.
2. In the Register box, simply enter the email or cell phone number you shared with your child’s school.
3. Click Get Started.
• If you are still having trouble signing in, contact the school's main office. Your contact email or phone number may be incorrect in our system. The school's main office staff can update your contact information.
4. Follow the prompts to confirm your account, and you're all set!

Setting Up with the Mobile App

1. Download the ParentSquare app for your iOS or Android device.
2. Open the app and enter the email address or phone number associated with your school account.
3. Tap Continue.
• If you are still having trouble signing in, contact the school's main office. Your contact email or phone number may be incorrect in our system. The school's main office staff can update your contact information.
4. Follow the easy steps to confirm your children and contact details.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn the exact location of your child’s bus, and what time it will arrive at their stop? Red Clay has an app for that! WheresTheBusTM allows families to follow progress of the bus before it arrives at the student’s assigned stop. Knowing when the bus will arrive translates into peace of mind for parents. Mornings are less hectic and stressful for families when you eliminate the bus stop rush and uncertainty of wondering when the bus will arrive. Families can minimize waiting outside in inclement weather while enjoying more family time together.

The app also always parents to see in real-time where and when their student checked on the bus and off. Allowing parents to know that the student has arrived at school in the morning and returned home in the afternoon.

Please access the link below for registration information:

Where’s The Bus Info

Bus Information

Please note that bus stop locations and pickup times may be adjusted this week as we finalize routes for all students needing transportation. Please confirm that you have up to date bus information in the Infinite Campus Family Portal.

• Log into Infinite Campus.
• Click More.
• Click Transportation to view your child's assignment.
• Click Show More in the Announcements box for additional updates.

Need additional help? You can watch this brief Video Tutorial or visit our Infinite Campus Family Support Page.

Live Bus Tracking

We encourage all families to use the Where’s The Bus App, which provides up-to-the-minute live location tracking for your student’s bus on your phone.

Important Reminders

• 1-Mile Rule: Bus transportation is not provided for students living within 1 mile of their assigned school.
• Must Be Met Students: All Pre-K, Kindergarten, and designated "Must Be Met" students must be greeted at the bus door by an authorized parent or guardian unless a waiver is on file.
• Student IDs: Students will check in and out on the bus by swiping their ID card or typing their Student ID (lunch number) into the keypad.

Address Changes & Support

If you have moved or need to change your daily transportation method, please contact your child's school directly to update your records.

For all other questions, please check our Transportation FAQ Page or call the Transportation Office at (302) 322-0251 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM).

Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to get every student to and from school safely!

Please access the link below for our breakfast and lunch menus:

https://bit.ly/45Eig9q

Please see the attached memo, application, and claim form for the Voluntary Student Accident Insurance Program for SY 2026–2027.

For your convenience, I have also included link to our website where the application and claim forms are available.

https://www.redclayschools.com/departments/health-wellness/health-services-forms-and-policies

In keeping with our healthy school initiative and the District’s commitment to providing a safe learning environment for students with food allergies, individual student birthdays will not be celebrated with food. Please do not send food items (ie: cupcakes, cookies, Rice Krispie treats, candy, chips, etc.) in with your child, as they will not be distributed. Bags with party favors that have items such as pencils, erasers, fidgets, stickers, etc., are acceptable as an alternative to treats. School-wide, birthdays will be acknowledged through morning announcements. If you are having a private party, please do not send invitations to school unless the entire class is invited. We thank you for your attention and compliance with our policy.

NSE Families,

Please access the link below to review Red Clay's cell phone policy with your children. Thank you for your attention:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11WydFyqpZ5JX9YlNS_Mcwy8k89wE9VT8EYADl3u-cng/edit?tab=t.0

NSE Families,

Please access the attachment below to review our NSE Family Handbook.

Please access the attachment below for Red Clay's Student and Family Handbook.

Need to go back and locate previous weekly newsletters for information? Here is a link to access them throughout the school year:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14sZfRlhoUkpGIXbOsKlwX_nMAz8aZgiJbWLNQfnbsM0/edit?usp=sharing

Kai Coders is returning to North Star Elementary for the 2026–27 school year with after-school Tech-Focused STEM programming. The program runs in 8-week sessions that align closely with the school marking periods, giving North Star Bears the flexibility to try other activities throughout the year or continue with Kai Coders and explore a new STEM theme each session. The first session, Wild Tech: Create Your Own Critter, will have students exploring coding, creative design, and simple circuitry while creating their own one-of-a-kind creatures. Programs are available for grades 3–5 on Tuesdays and grades 1–2 on Thursdays. Families can learn more and register at www.kaicoders.com.

These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Red Clay Consolidated School District. The Red Clay Consolidated School District has neither reviewed nor approved the program, personnel, activities, or organizations announced in this flyer. Permission to distribute this flyer should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement of the program by the school district. The Red Clay Consolidated School District shall be held harmless from any cause of action or claim filed arising out of the distribution of these materials, including all costs, attorney’s fees, and judgments or awards.

Email: jason.martin@redclay.k12.de.us
Website: https://www.redclayschools.com/northstar
Location: 1340 Little Baltimore Road Hockessin, DE 19707

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Sx4iLPjjSP1aD5K9
Phone: 302.234.7200