Northwood News
Sept. 21, 2026
Dear Northwood Community,
It's going to be another exciting, busy week at Northwood!
Last week was such a fun Attendance Awareness Week at Northwood! We had a great time celebrating the importance of coming to school every day and making every school day count. We even had a “Surprise Attendance Day” when everyone who was at school received a fun water bottle sticker! Be on the lookout for more fun attendance surprises throughout the year!
While we love celebrating attendance with a little fun, there is an important reason we encourage our students to be here every day. Showing up matters!
- Less Catching Up: Being in class means students get the lesson directly from their teacher instead of trying to piece it together later.
- Staying Connected: Daily attendance keeps students involved in group projects, classroom discussions, and learning with their peers.
- Building Habits: Coming to school on time each day helps students build habits of responsibility, reliability, and problem-solving that will serve them well long after elementary school.
This Wednesday, September 23, and Thursday, September 24, students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. for parent-teacher conferences. We look forward to connecting with families to talk about your child's progress and celebrate all the learning and growth taking place at Northwood!
Our Book Fair is here! The book fair will be open throughout the school day this week and will also be open during parent-teacher conferences. Be sure to stop by and pick up a book (or two!) to add to your child's home library. There is nothing better than finding a great new book to enjoy!
This week is also the official Big Give! This year, we are raising money for new risers for our stage. Our current risers are in need of replacement, and we would love to provide our students with new, safer equipment for performances and special events. Please consider making a donation and sharing our Big Give fundraiser with your friends and family. Every little bit helps, and together we can reach our goal and make this important improvement for our students. Thank you for supporting Northwood! Click HERE to make your donation now!
As always, thank you for your continued support of Northwood! We are so grateful for the partnership you have with our teachers and staff and for all you do each day to support your child's learning and growth. It truly takes all of us working together to make Northwood such a special place to learn and grow. Thank you for being such an important part of our Northwood family!
Have a great week,
Mrs. Harper
Book Fair This Week
Sept. 21 and 22 open from 8:00-4:00, Sept. 23 and 24 open from 8:00-5:00, and Sept. 25 from 8:00-10:00am.
Sept. 23-24
Students will be released at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, and Thursday, September 24 for Parent-Teacher Conferences.
This is a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with your child’s teacher, learn how they are progressing, and discuss expectations for the year.
DOLLY DAY 9/25
On Friday September 25th, we’re honoring Dolly Parton and her incredible impact on literacy! 📚🩷
Come dressed in your best cowgirl, cowboy, sparkly, or colorful outfit and help us celebrate Dolly in true country style! 👢🌈✨
Bike Rodeo Friday
Get ready to pedal into fun at the upcoming bike rodeo!
The annual Northwood Bike Rodeo rolls into action this Friday, September 25 at 8:30 AM in the front parking lot. Riders should park bikes in the front of the school, and line up with their grade signs. Don’t forget—a signed permission slip is required by the morning of the event, and families can check the form for safety and skill guidelines. The top boy & girl riders in each grade will earn a spot at the Citywide Rodeo, and while riders with training wheels won’t advance, they are more than welcome to join the fun. Parents, come cheer on our cyclists and help make the morning extra special! In case of rain, the Rodeo will be rescheduled. Sign up to volunteer HERE or contact Michelle Fuentes at fuentes.michellet@gmail.com with questions.
Family Engagement for the Week of September 21 - September 25th.
Monday, September 21st 12:00 - 12:30 PM Districtwide "How to find Resources" in English
12:30 - 1:00 PM Districtwide "How to find Resources" in Spanish
Register: Family Engagement Fall Districtwide Trainings
Tuesday, September 22nd 9:00 - 11:00 AM Stress Mangement Session 1
Wednesday, September 23rd - 9:00 - 11:-00 Conversation English in person at Vineyard Ranch Elementary, PLC room
Early Release at 12:30 PM
Thursday, September 24th - 9:00 - 10:30 AM "What Every Family Should Know about Autism"
10:30 -11:30 AM Book Club "The Last Morning" 3rd Section
Early Release at 12:30 PM
Saturday, September 26th - 9:00 - 11:30 AM Project Fairy Tale (3736 Perrin Central Boulevard, Building 1, San Antonio, TX 78217)
For more information, please feel free to contact me.
Elizabeth De La Rosa, M.Ed.
(210) 407-5465
Family Liaison for Northwood/Vineyard Ranch/Wilderness Oak
Northwood Elementary (Monday/Tuesday and Thursday)
News from PTA
September 21-25: Scholastic Book Fair
September 23-24: Early Dismissal for Conferences (12:30 pm)
September 25: Bike Rodeo
Setptember 25: Dolly Day
Need the district calendar? Bookmark this link.
Reflections Art Contest
Reflections has been a staple arts program in many schools for 50 years. Through the efforts of Local PTAs, millions of students have found a creative outlet in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts.
All students are invited to express their creative interpretation of this year's Reflections art competition theme: What My Culture Means to Me
Deadline to submit entries: October 21, 2026!
There are two ways to get your creations (and entry form) to us for judging:
Submit Work Online OR Submit Work to the front office
All entries must be accompanied by an entry form, downloadable here: English | Spanish
To advance beyond the school level, at least one parent or guardianin the students' household must be a member of PTA. Need to join PTA? Do that here.
Students can present work in any or all of the following categories:
Visual Arts
Photography
Literature
Music Composition
Dance Choreography
Film Production
Accessible Arts Division
Questions? Contact Claire (Smalzer) Wolfe CLAIRE.SMALZER@GMAIL.COM
Elevate Your Impact: Join the PTA Today!
Unlock a world of opportunities by becoming a part of our passionate PTA community.
Membership is $8.50 and your involvement is a chance to make a tangible difference in your child's education and school experience.
By joining PTA, you are showing support for your child and their education. There is no obligation to volunteer or take on additional responsibilities (unless you want to!)
Join fellow parents and educators to shape the future, advocate for quality education, and create a nurturing environment where students can thrive.
Amplify Your Voice, Forge Lasting Connections, Enrich Learning Experiences, Drive Positive Change, Shape the Future!
Join the PTA today and embark on a rewarding journey of collaboration, empowerment, and growth.
Together, we can create a brighter future for our children and build a stronger, more vibrant school community.
School Meal Information
For more information on meal payments, you can visit our School Nutrition website.
We know that access to healthy school meals directly impacts student success, so we want to work with you to remove any barriers. Our campus family specialist can offer additional assistance and connect families to food resources at our District food pantry or any of our campus food pantries.
Please reach out to the School Nutrition office at 210-356-9113 or mealapplication@neisd.net with any questions about applying for meal benefits.
Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, Northwood is no longer eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which previously allowed all students to receive free meals. Students will now be charged for lunch unless they qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
If you believe your child may qualify, please complete a Free and Reduced Meal Application:
- Online: Through schoolcafe.com
- Paper: Complete the form included in your child’s First Day Folder
We encourage families to apply as soon as possible so applications can be processed promptly.
Good news! Free breakfast will continue to be available to all Northwood students this school year.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact School Nutrition at 210-356-9113 or mealapplication@neisd.net.
Morning Drop Off 6:50 -7:20 am
- Students may be dropped off no earlier than 6:50am. There is no supervison before this time and students will not be allowed into the building.
- Breakfast is free for all students and is served from 6:50-7:20 am. Students arriving after 7:20 am will need to have breakfast at home.
- Students who arrive before 7:20 will report to the follow locations to wait for their teacher:
- Kinder - 1st grade: K/1 Hallway
- 2nd - 5th grade: Gym
- Teachers will pick up the students at 7:20 and walk them to the classroom.
- The tardy bell rings at 7:25 am, so please allow plenty of time to get to class.
- In order to ensure the safety of all of our students, we ask that parents not come into the building in the mornings. We will make sure that everyone gets to class safely.
After School Dismissal 2:50-3:05 pm
In order to ensure the safety of all our students everyone picking up a student from school at dismissal is required to present an official Northwood Dismissal Tag, whether it is by car or walk up. If you need a dismissal tag, please come to the front office and present your ID. All students will wait inside the building for dismissal which will start at 2:50 pm
Parent Pick Up will line up on the sidewalk near the marquee, with their dismissal tag and wait to be called.
Car pick up will hang their tag on their rear view mirror, line up on Rockhill and turn right into the school driveway. Wait for your child's name to be called and pull all the way forward. Please stay in your car. If you need to help your child with their buckle, please park and walk up.
We understand that this may take a little longer, however, we want to ensure that everyone goes homes safely. Thank you for your cooperation.
School Hours 7:25 am - 2:45 pm
Threre is a change to our school day this year. The tardy bell rings and 7:25 am and the dismissal bell rings at 2:45 pm. Please make plans to get up a few minutes earlier so that your child is in class ready to learn at 7:25 am. Students who come into the building after 7:25 am will be counted tardy and parents will need to come into the office and sign them in.
Visitors to Campus
All visitors to campus will be required to present an ID and receive a visitors badge through the Raptor system in order to come into the building during the school day. This includes on the first day of school. We understand that this may not be convenient, but it is necessary in order to ensure safety.
School Absences
Our goal is for all of our students to maintain outstanding attendance (at least 95%).
The best way to learn is by being present at school and on time, ready to learn at 7:25 am every day! If your child needs to be absent due to illness, please be sure to send a note to school the day they return explaining the reason for the absence. Absences for illness and medical appointments will be excused with a written note. A student can have no more than 18 absences in order to recieve credit for the course/grade level.
Catherine Harper, Principal
Email: charpe5@neisd.net
Website: https://www.neisd.net/northwood
Location: 519 Pike Road, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: 210-407-5400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthwoodNEISD
Twitter: @northwoodneisd