North Star Weekly Communication

What an incredible first week of school! Walking through the halls and visiting classrooms this week, nothing brought us more joy than seeing so many smiling faces, bright eyes, and eager learners ready to kick off a brand-new year.

A special shoutout goes to our newest little Bears—our kindergartners! They did an amazing job getting acclimated to their new routines, learning their way around the building, and filling our classrooms with so much energy and curiosity. We are already so proud of how brave and independent they were.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our parents and guardians. Your patience during arrival and dismissal, along with your commitment to ensuring your children were rested, prepared, and ready to learn, made this transition smooth and successful. We truly couldn't do this without your partnership.

If this week was any indication, it is going to be a fantastic school year filled with growth, community, and learning. Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us!

Sincerely,

Dr. Campbell and Mr. Martin

NSE Families,

Please consider helping our students look their best for Picture Day on September 9th! If you are interested, please access the link below to sign up. We greatly appreciate your support!

Date

09/09/2026 (Wed.)

Location

NSE Gym

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054FA8AF23AB9-65570126-picture

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:

• September 4: Schools and Offices Closed

• September 7: Schools and Offices Closed
• September 8: All kindergarten students report to school
• September 8: PTA Meeting in the library at 7:00 or join the meeting via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/gwv-avam-dvo
• September 9: Picture Day (Details above)
• September 9: Instrumental Music Night at Brandywine Springs 6:30pm (Details below)

Thinking ahead:

• September 17: RCCSD Board Meeting, 7pm, Cab or Zoom.
• September 24: NSE Back to School Open House 6:00pm
• September 29: NSE BYOP and Hayride 6:00-8:00 (Details below)

IT’S TIME FOR YOUR ANNUAL UPDATE!

A successful school year starts with staying connected! Families can now complete the 2026–2027 Annual Student Information Update through the Infinite Campus Family Portal.Take a few minutes to make sure we have the most current information for your student, including:

Parent/guardian contact information

Mailing address

Emergency contacts

Student health information

Preferred language for family communications

Already have an Infinite Campus account? Simply log in and select Annual Update / New Student Registration to get started.

Need an account? Check your email from August 17 for an activation message from Red Clay. An automated email will be shared every Monday until you create an account.

PLEASE DON’T SKIP THIS IMPORTANT STEP!

Accurate information helps us stay connected with your family and ensures we can best support your student throughout the school year.

Get instructions and complete details here.

*Please note emergency information must be updated in order for a child to attend field trips! Take care of this today! Don't delay!

Let’s start the year connected and ready to move Forward Together!

Purchase timed tickets here: https://www.givebacks.com/causes/nspta1/events/0b27fe8960

Interested in being a part of our first big family event of the school year? WE NEED YOU!

We love our parent volunteers and we would love to have you! Please access the link below and sign up for a slot that works for you. Thank you for your time!

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/409054FA8AF23AB9-51400460-byop

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

https://nspta1.givebacks.com/

Join the PTA meeting via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/gwv-avam-dvo

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