NES Parent Newsletter 2/02/26

Dear NES Families,

Thank you for attending our Generations of Readers event and taking time to read with your student! We had a wonderful time celebrating Literacy Week together and continuing our work to build a lifelong love of reading for all of our students.

As a reminder, please be sure to schedule your APTT appointment for the week of February 9th (see dates/times below for each grade level) if you have not already done so. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about your child’s progress, participate in a meaningful data chat with your student, and visit the Book Fair together.

If you are an approved volunteer and would like to help with the Book Fair, Kids Heart Challenge, or our Love for Literacy event, please contact the front office—we would love to have your support.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for supporting literacy at our school!

With gratitude and positivity,

Due to extremely cold temperatures predicted for Monday, February 2nd, Okeechobee County Schools will excuse absences for students who are not in attendance. Student safety is our priority - please bundle up and use your best judgment. Updates will be shared through school messages and District channels.

February:

2/4: Progress Reports

2/9-2/13: Book Fair (Parents can visit the book fair with their student after their APTT meeting!); Quarter 3 PBIS Mini Bash for eligible students

2/9: 5th Grade and 1st Grade APTT (individual meetings by appointment only - more info to come)

2/10: 2nd Grade and Kindergarten APTT (individual meetings by appointment only - more info to come)

2/11: 3rd Grade and 4th Grade APTT (individual meetings by appointment only - more info to come)

2/11: Group Picture Day

2/12: Kids Heart Challenge; Love for Literacy event 5:30PM-7:00PM

2/13: Early Release Day; STEM Day; SRO Appreciation Day

2/16: No School/Holiday

2/23: School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

2/27: 4th Grade Field Trip

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! SAVE THE DATE for 2/9-2/13 and get your reader psyched to pick out their own books! Create your child’s Book Fair eWallet starting on January 19th so they can shop cash-free, worry-free, and independently! It’s easy to set up and easy for others to contribute funds! Start here: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/northelementaryschool.

North Elementary School Families,

I am excited to help create a community of lifesavers and invite you to join us for this year’s Kids Heart Challenge!

Sign Up Today

Be the first to sign up under our school: North Elementary – Kids Heart Challenge.

Families who sign up will receive a wristband just for joining the team.

You can also sign up by downloading the free AHA Schools app for iPhone or Android.

Our Big Goal

This year, our goal is 100% of our families learning Hands-Only CPR. It only takes a few minutes to learn and can make a life-saving difference in an emergency.

Why Participate?

• Raise funds to help kids with special hearts

• Complete Finn’s Mission: Finish all 7 steps, learn Hands-Only CPR, and be entered to win two Super Bowl tickets!

School Incentives

• If 50% of our families sign up, our school earns a $500 gift certificate for physical activity and recess equipment.

• We will host a Kids Heart Challenge Field Day on Thursday, February 12th.

  • To attend the Field Day event, students must donate at least $5 to the American Heart Association.

Student Rewards

• Really awesome prizes with a minimum $5 donation

• $50–$74 raised: Prizes + Entry into to Slime Challenge- Get to slime a teacher

• $75 or more raised: Prizes + Entry into to Slime Challenge-Get to slime administration

On January 6th, students were sent home with a Kids Heart Challenge donation form. Please place all donations you receive in the envelope provided and return it to Coach Hackett. Extra forms are available in the front office if needed.

Let’s work together to build a healthier school and create a community of lifesavers. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm—we can’t wait to get started!

Coach Hackett - North Elementary School

Okeechobee County Schools is inviting families, staff, and community members to participate in our School Start Times Survey. Your feedback will help guide the district in determining whether adjustments should be made to elementary and high school start times.

Florida law now requires school districts to shift middle and high school start times later in the morning, unless a report is submitted outlining how students, employees, families, and community members may be affected and what they believe about the change. This survey is a critical part of that process.

Research continues to highlight the importance of adequate sleep for middle and high school students, and later start times may support healthier sleep patterns. However, any potential change also comes with important considerations, including transportation logistics, multiple school levels riding the same bus, impacts on after-school activities, athletics, and family or student work schedules.

Under the proposed model being reviewed, elementary schools would begin earlier than middle and high schools, making community input especially important.

💬 Your voice matters. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and help shape this important decision for our district.

Lunch:

Monday- BBQ pork / Chicken bites / yogurt plate

Tuesday- cheesy queso pull-aparts / Salad / Pbj / grilled cheese

Wednesday- chicken & mozz sandwich / Bosco sticks / yogurt pl.

Thursday- Shepherd's pie / Sandwiches / Chef / Pbj

Friday- pizza / chicken patty on bun / Fish sandwich

We now have an online option to pay for these shirts in RevTrak, the link is below.

This is the mockup for the school jerseys similar to our staff shirts that some of you requested for students. These will be sold as pre-orders only, the RevTrak link is below. These DO NOT have a name/number on the back. The cost of these shirts will be $25. If you are paying with cash, the amount must be EXACT CHANGE turned in to the front office. Orders are currently open and we will run the preorder for 2 WEEKS prior to ordering and will reach out once we receive the order.

Click below for the NES Student-Parent Handbook. Printed version is available in the front office upon request.

🎉We are loving our new app! ✨Access documents, news updates, and even emergency notifications, right from your pocket. Download for Android https://aptg.co/hJj62B Download for iPhone https://aptg.co/b6Km3j

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

By accessing FortifyFL, students can provide a description of the threat, share pics and videos and optionally submit their contact information.

Click the button above to access the online reporting link.

Systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees. Bullying includes instances of cyberbullying, as defined in Section 1006.147(3)(b), F.S. Bullying may include, but is not limited to, repetitive instances of teasing, social exclusion, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, theft, harassment, public or private humiliation, or destruction of property. If the physical harm or psychological distress is not the result of systematic or chronic behavior, evaluate for Harassment.

SESIR Bullying must include 3 elements: It must be 1) repeated; 2) intentional; and 3) involve a power imbalance.

Examples

• Student uses a cell phone to take a picture of a student using the bathroom at school and shares it electronically.
• Student repeatedly spreads nasty rumors at school about another person.
• Student repeatedly teases another person in a mean way, calling him/her inappropriate names, making fun of his/her appearance, or the way he/she talks, dresses, or acts.

Non-Examples

• Student calls another student an inappropriate name once.

For more information visit: https://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/sesir-discipline-data/bullying.stml

NES Mission Statement:

Driven by our love for kids and passion for teaching, we provide a safe, structured, and joyful space where every child feels connected, cared for, and empowered to learn. Through collaboration and purposeful planning, we make learning fun, build strong foundations, and prepare students for their futures.

NES Vision Statement:

At NES, every student is known, loved, and empowered in a joyful, trusting community that builds strong foundations for lifelong success.

NES Core Values

Connection • Community • Safety • Growth