Navigator News

UPCOMING DATES

March 11 (Wed): Bingo Night!, 6:00-7:30

March 18-20 (W-F): NO SCHOOL, Conferences/Work Day

March 23-27 (M-F): NO SCHOOL, Spring Break

Principal Message

Dear North Star Families,

Last week was incredibly difficult for our school community with the passing of our beloved student, Tegen Crooks. He was, and continues to be, a source of joy, strength, and inspiration to us all. The outpouring of love and support for our students, staff, and families has been truly remarkable. We are so grateful for our North Star community - thank you for surrounding one another with such care and compassion.

Culture of Care

Courage has been the focus of our 4C’s, and Tegen showed us what it means to live with courage every single day. We are holding his family close and will share ways our community can support them in the coming weeks. For now, we simply ask that you continue to keep them in your hearts. If you have not yet watched the video that shares Tegen’s story, we encourage you to take a few moments to do so - his spirit continues to inspire all of us.

Joyful Exploration

Field trips are in full swing across all grade levels! These experiences provide wonderful opportunities for students to learn, explore, and create lasting memories together. Recent and upcoming trips include performances such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Shrek, visits to the High Desert Museum and La Pine State Park, and a trip to the Tower Theatre. Our Green Team even traveled to the State Capitol in Salem last week!

Academic Growth

Spring conferences are right around the corner. Please be sure to sign up with your child’s teacher if you have not already done so. We look forward to connecting with you and celebrating the growth and progress your child has made this year.

Thank you for continuing to care for one another and for the strength you bring to our school community each day. Tegen’s spirit of courage and kindness will remain a lasting part of North Star.

With gratitude,

Beth Martin

PTO Happenings!

Upcoming PTO Dates

March 11: Family Bingo Night at North Star

Find details, RSVP links, and volunteer sign-ups at northstarelementarypto.org/events

Read-A-Thon: Thank you so much to every student who logged minutes and to every family who shared donation pages and supported our school. 350,000+ reading minutes logged. That's a North Star record! You showed up in a big way and it truly means a lot. Over the coming weeks we will be working on getting prizes rolled out, and we are planning a recognition assembly in Spring to celebrate our top readers and classes.

Screen Free Week: I hope your family had fun unplugging! A reminder to have your student turn in their Screen Free pledge card. Make sure they write their teacher's name on the card before turning it in to the PTO mailbox. The class with the most screen free days wins a root beer float party, so get those cards in!

Bingo Night: Wednesday, March 11, from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. This is a great family night out and it also benefits the Bethlehem Inn. Here is what you need to know:

Kid Prizes: We are collecting gently used toys for bingo prizes! Students can start bringing donations to school now. We will have bins out front to collect them. On Bingo Night, kids who win get to choose a new-to-them toy. Please only bring items in good condition.
Adult Prizes: There will be an adult prize table featuring gift cards and fun swag.
Entry: If you are able, please bring a donation item for the Bethlehem Inn to use as your entry into Bingo Night. You can find a list of needed items https://bethleheminn.org/inkind/

Want to help make the night run smoothly? Sign up to volunteer here.

Yearbook Orders are Open! Order Deadline: April 17, 2026 | Cost: $30 per book

Yearbooks are a wonderful way to celebrate the year, and this year each book includes two pages your student can customize just for them! Custom pages can be created after your order is placed, and yearbooks will be delivered to students at school in June. We also need your photos! If you have captured any great moments from school events or activities this year, please share them here.

To order, create a Treering account or log in to your existing one. Just make sure "North Star Elementary School" appears at the top of the signup page. Purchase link here

Questions or want to help? Reach out to info@northstarelementarypto.org.

Missoula Children's Theatre!

Mark Your Calendars! Missoula Children's Theatre will be at North Star Elementary May 4-9 to put on a play with 50-60 of our students in the cast. Students will audition and practice after school throughout the week with two culminating performances. We can not wait for this experience to come to life at our school! You can find more information and FAQs HERE.

Volunteer Background Check

If you are interested in going on a field trip with your student’s class, or think you may be interested in the next few years, please fill out a volunteer background check! It takes 48-72 hours to clear, and is valid for two years. Please consider filling this out! If you have not filled it out, or it hasn’t yet cleared, you will not be able to go on a field trip or volunteer with your student’s class. There will be no exceptions.

https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/organization/volunteer