NHES Newsletter
December 1, 2025
Happy December
As we look to the next month and plan for holidays, time with loved ones, and celebrations, we wish you safe, healthy, and joyous "adventures"...whatever that may look like for your family!
It's important for children to understand and express their own family’s traditions and beliefs. This time of year also gives us an opportunity to encourage the exploration of other cultural traditions and beliefs. This can be a fun learning experience for everyone in the family! Learning about holidays and traditions in addition to the ones you celebrate as a family can help expand your child’s understanding of other cultures. This also helps to lead to fewer stereotypes. A great way to introduce your child to their diverse world is through books, food, and visiting the many cultural centers and museums in our area. There are many resources also on the world wide web!
Here are a few of the celebrations happening around the world during this time of year:
- Las Posadas: December 16, 2025 - December 24, 2025
- Hanukkah: December 14, 2025-December 22, 2025
- Winter Solstice: December 21, 2025
- Christmas: December 25, 2025
- Boxing Day: December 26, 2025
- Kwanza: December 26, 2025-January 1, 2026
- New Year’s Day: January 1, 2026
There are endless videos on Youtube that briefly describe holidays like the ones listed above. Here is one link that defines many of them for children: Winter Celebrations Around the World
Although this time of year provides many opportunities to introduce another culture, we certainly don’t need to limit the exploration to these few months! Weekends, school vacation breaks, and our extended summer break are great times to travel and explore the other resources mentioned above. Opportunities to learn and explore other cultures build both cultural awareness and sensitivity. It also helps our children value diversity and accept and show kindness to others and build empathy.
As we head into the last several weeks of 2025, please keep in mind:
- EVERY school day is important!
- While we value celebrating with students, instruction & learning is paramount during this time; unit assessments will occur before winter break & mid-year benchmark assessments will take place when we return from break.
Reminder: Winter Break begins on Saturday, December 20th...
school is in session during the week of December 15th-19th!
Last Day before break!!
Friday, December 19th
SPECIAL DISMISSAL:
TK/K @ 12:20 pm
1st-3rd @ 12:40 pm
4th-6th @ 12:45 pm
december focus: empathy & giving
In addition to our Shark PRIDE, we are focusing on traits to build strong character in each of our students! During this precious season we are focusing on Empathy & Giving.
Empathy is being able to know how someone else is feeling, even when you aren't in the same situation. Empathy is the first step in having positive relationships because it helps us understand and relate to others. Empathy has two parts: shared emotion and seeing other perspectives.
Teaching our students the Spirit of Giving and showing them the importance of thinking of others help children grow into productive and loving members of our world. Here are some ways to promote the spirit of giving for our sharks:
- Pay it forward with small acts of kindness.
- Volunteer with time & energy.
- Donate unused or gently used items.
- Give to a cause or charity.
If you are interested in some children’s literature to read with your students, here are some titles related to Empathy & Giving:
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena
- Most People by Michael Leannah
- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
- Save Me A Seat by Sarah Weeks
- One by Catherine Otashi
- We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio
- I Am Human: A Book About Empathy by Susan Verde
- I Walk with Vanessa by Keascoet
- The Monster Who Lost Its Mean by Tiffani Strelitz Haber
- Hey Little Ant by Phillip & Hannah Hoose
- Empathy is My Superpower by Bryan Smith
- What is Given from the Heart by Patricia C. McKissak
- Strega Nona's Harvest by Tomie dePaola
- It's Mine! by Leo Lionni
pta's pajama game night: this thursday 12/4
shark fun run 2025
Check out the WEEK 4 video & challenges!
Message from our Shark Fun Run Committee:
We are still feeling extra thankful to our Sharks for working so hard these last few weeks to raise over $54,000for our school! We are one step closer to reaching our goal of $100,000. Let's keep going!
Thanks to all our Sharks for sending emails to friends and family through mybooster.com these last few weeks. The classroom that sent the most emails, and winner of a hot chocolate party will be announced at Flag Deck on Friday!
This week, our Sharks are talking about what it means to be INDEPENDENT! This goes right along with our Week 4 and Week 5 challenge to get outside and ask your community to support our amazing school.
Week 4 Challenge: Raise $100 for your school and win the 4th collectible key chain, plus a chance to win a Chick-fil-A party for you and 5 friends!
Week 5 Challenge: Turn in your completed blue "Pledge Tracker" form to the front office and win the 5th collectible key chain. Plus EACH donation equals a chance to win a Target gift Card!
If you misplaced your pledge tracker form, no problem. Teachers will be sending new forms home this week which can be turned in anytime between now and next Friday December 12th.
Huge thanks to all of our Shark families for your incredible generosity these past few weeks! Your support is essential to the success of our Fun Run Donation Drive, and ensures our Foundation & PTA can continue to provide essential resources and programs to ALL of our Sharks.
Thank you, and as always, GO SHARKS!
NHES Holiday Concert 2025
Join us as we celebrate our students, music & performing during our annual Holiday Concert!
december to remember 2025
Once again, we are finding the JOY & POSITIVITY at NHES! During the month of December, our staff will be participating in "December to Remember" activities, themed days, and all-around fun. We invite our students to join in for our Holiday Spirit Week during the week of December 15th-19th!!
**Please be sure everything is school appropriate.
A.C.E. classes begin this week!
Check out the A.C.E. brochure & register asap! Classes begin THIS WEEK.
hope for the holidays 2025
Let's celebrate school spirit each week...
Here at NHES, we love celebrating our community, school spirit & positivity!
T-Shirt Tuesday
Wear positive apparel like a t-shirt with a message of kindness, gratitude, encouragement, or positivity every Tuesday
Spirit Wear Wednesday
Show your Shark PRIDE by wearing NHES spirit wear, school colors (red, blue and/or white), or shark gear
Shark House Friday
Wear your Shark House colored t-shirt on Fridays
Keep an eye out for our Spirit Wear being sold by PTA at Flag Deck!
PTA & Foundation
Charleston Wrap Fundraiser
minted holiday card fundraiser partnership
Pizza & froyo fundraiser: first wednesday of the month
Foundation Sponsorship opportunities
nmusd community
battery recycling contest
Farmer's Market
nhes handbook
For all your general school information needs, take a look at our NHES Handbook on our school website. You can find daily schedules, policies about absences & tardies, information about school lunches & breakfast, dress code expectations, and more!
SHARK PRIDE
go sharks!
Newport Heights Elementary remains committed to being a student-centered, academically challenging, safe and healthy, and positive place for our Sharks to live and learn each and every day by achieving great heights.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, we will be happy to assist you as best as we can!
School Office - 949-515-6970
Terri Clarke, Principal - tclarke@nmusd.us
Angie Miner, Office Manager - aminer@nmusd.us
Jackie Droste, Office Assistant - jdroste@nmusd.us
Elizabeth Aranda, School Community Facilitator - earanda@nmusd.us
#sharkpride
Go SHARKS,
Terri Clarke
Principal
Follow us on Instagram @newportheightssharks
Email: tclarke@nmusd.us
Website: http://newportheights.nmusd.us/
Location: 300 East 15th Street, Newport Beach, CA, USA
Phone: (949) 515-6970