Northwood News

Dear Northwood Families,

The first day of school is almost here, and we can't wait to welcome our Unicorns back for another amazing year! At Northwood, Learning is Always in Season, and we're excited to begin a year filled with growth, discovery, and memorable experiences.

Our teachers return to campus at the end of this week to learn together, prepare their classrooms, and put the finishing touches on creating welcoming learning environments where every child will feel valued, challenged, and inspired.

We hope you'll join us for Meet the Teacher on Thursday, August 13, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. This open house is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child's teacher, drop off school supplies, explore the classroom, and get ready for the first day of school. While you're here, you can also pick up your dismissal tag, purchase a Northwood T-shirt, join PTA, and visit with our staff.

While you're on campus, be sure to stop by Popsicles on the Playground hosted by our Specials teachers! It's a fun way for students to see our amazing PE, Music, and Library teachers, reconnect with friends, make new ones, and kick off the school year with a sweet treat.

On Monday, August 10, you will receive a phone call or email from your child's teacher introducing themselves and welcoming your family to their classroom. Teacher assignments will also be available that day in Skyward Family Access. We are currently finalizing class lists, so we appreciate your patience as we thoughtfully prepare for a successful school year.

One important change for this school year is our school lunch program. Free lunch will no longer be available to all students. Only students who qualify through the district's meal application process will receive free or reduced-price meals. Please be sure to review the information below and complete the required application as soon as possible if you think your family may qualify. Completing this process before school begins will help ensure there are no interruptions to your child's meal benefits.

The first day of school is Monday, August 17, and we are excited to begin another wonderful season of learning together.

This newsletter contains important information about the start of school, as well as policies and procedures that will help our year run smoothly. Please take a few minutes to read through everything and bookmark this newsletter so you can easily refer back to it throughout the year.

Thank you for partnering with us as we help every child learn, grow, and thrive. We are grateful to be part of your family's educational journey and look forward to an incredible year together because at Northwood, Learning is Always in Season!

Thank you for your continued support,

Mrs. Harper
Principal

Important Meal Update for the 2026-2027 School Year

Please note that all students will receive FREE BREAKFAST this school year.

Lunch will no longer be free unless your child qualifies for free or reduced-price meals.

To determine eligibility, familes must complete a Free & Reduced Meal Application each school year. Even if your child qualifed last year, a new applice is required annually.

You can complete the application online here: https://www.schoolcafe.com/NorthEastISD

Please complete your applicaiton as soon as possible to avoid any interruption in meal benefits.

First Day of School - Monday, August 17

In order to ensure student safety only parents of students who are new to Northwood will be allowed to come into the building. Everyone will be required to present an ID and receive a visitors' badge. You can pre-register and let us know that you plan on coming, by completing THIS google form. This will help get you into the building more quickly. You can also let us know on Meet the Teacher Night by checking in at the front office to present your ID and let us know you are coming. Either of these methods will allow us to pre-print your visitor's badge so that you will only have to present your ID to check in and get your badge, rather than waiting for it to print. Please allow extra time if you plan to do this.

After the first day of school, we ask that you drop your child off and let them go to class on their own. We will have student safety patrols and many staff members to greet your child and make sure they go to the right place.

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. These tags will be distributed at Meet the Teacher Night. If you are unable to come to meet the teacher, you will need to come in on the first day of school and present your ID to get your dismissal tag. 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

There 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.

Visitors to Campus

All visitors to campus will be required to present an ID and receive a visitor,s 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.

Northwood News