NHES Newsletter

I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break with your sharks!

Spring has sprung and we are looking forward to a fun-filled remainder of our school year together. Scroll down for a look ahead and keep an eye out for upcoming events, activities, and more.

We are grateful for the generosity of our shark families & community! And we are so very thankful for the time, creativity, and hard work our Foundation's Gala Committee & parent volunteers put in to help fundraise for NHES!!

The Shark News Crew's 6th Broadcast is out now!

April is Autism Awareness Month! Autism Awareness month aims to educate people about Autism Spectrum Disorder, promote acceptance and understanding, and support those with autism. It highlights the importance of creating inclusive environments where children on the spectrum can thrive. It's important to remember that our children interact with their peers on the autism spectrum daily at our school, whether you are aware of it or not. Let's emphasize the significance of raising awareness and fostering a supportive community at NHES!

Check out these books you may be interested in reading with your student:

• My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete
• It's OK to Be Different by Sharon Purtill
• All My Stripes by Shaina Rudolph & Danielle Royer
• Uniquely Wired by Julia Cook
• My Friend with Autism by Beverly Bishop
• Nathan's Autism Spectrum Superpowers by Lori Yarborough

You are invited to our annual Spring Concert celebrating our Special Persons Day with Music & Memories on Friday, April 25th!

Sponsored by Newport Heights Elementary Foundation

Performance Schedule

*note: these are approximate time blocks, the concert may be 10 minutes ahead or 10 minutes behind!

8:30 am

Orchestra

8:45-9:15 am

Kindergarten

Check out the information for:

• Yearbook Cover Contest - due Friday, April 18th
• Custom Pages

• Ordering Yearbooks

These last 8 weeks of our school year are filled with fun, community, and learning opportunities! Mark your calendars & stay tuned for updates:

APRIL

• Spring Picture Day - Wednesday, April 16th
• PTA Spring Festival - Thursday, April 17th
• Yearbook Cover Contest deadline - Friday, April 18th
• School Office Appreciation Day - Wednesday, April 23rd
• Music & Memories Spring Concert: Special Persons Day - Friday, April 25th
• ELPAC Testing: K-2nd Grades (EL students) - Tuesday, April 29th-Thursday, May 1st
• CAASPP State Testing: 3rd-6th Grades - Weeks of April 28th + May 5th

MAY

• Awards Assembly - Friday, May 2nd
• School Lunch Hero Day - Friday, May 2nd
• VIP Lunch Date - Friday, May 2nd
• Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week - Week of May 5th-9th
• CAASPP State Testing: 3rd-6th Grades - Weeks of April 28th + May 5th
• School Nurse Day - Wednesday, May 7th
• CAASPP State Testing: 5th Grade Science - Week of May 12th
• Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast - Friday, May 16th
• Open House (early out) - Thursday, May 22nd
• Teacher/Staff-for-the-Day - Friday, May 23rd
• Memorial Day: NO SCHOOL - Monday, May 26th
• School Spirit Week - May 27th-30th
• ELPAC Testing: 3rd-6th Grades (EL students) - Tuesday, May 27th-Wednesday, May 28th
• Awards Assembly & Last Flag Deck - Friday, May 30th

JUNE

• Field Day - Wednesday, June 4th
• 6th Grade Promotion - Thursday, June 5th
• LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (regular school day) - Thursday, June 5th

Tuesday

T-shirt Tuesday

Wednesday

SPRING PICTURE DAY!

Thursday

PTA's Spring Festival @ 5:00 pm

Friday

Shark House Friday

Flag Deck @ 8:00 am

UPCOMING

Spring Concert - Friday, April 25th

State Testing begins (3rd-6th grades) - Week of April 28th

ELPAC Testing (K-2nd grades) - Tuesday, April 29th-Thursday, May 1st

Check out our monthly calendar for all the happenings at NHES!

Heights Happenings: April 2025

Enrollment is open for all NEW student TK-6th grade for the 2025-2026 school year!

*not for currently enrolled students - registration for returning students is in August

We are just over half way through the school year! We want to stress the importance of positive attendance habits when your student is healthy. You can help ensure that students have positive attendance habits by encouraging their on-time daily attendance, providing consistent transportation to school, and helping them maintain positive daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.

Thank you for partnering with us to help students succeed and make the most out of their educational experience. All absences have an impact on students, their class, and their learning.

For more information about chronic absenteeism, benefits vs. negative affects of student absenteeism (even excused absences), and more visit www.attendanceworks.org

Did you know?

• Chronic absenteeism (even excused absences) equates to 10% or more absences at any given time during the school year. Ex. 6+ absences within first 60 days of enrollment.

• Students with positive attendance are 25% more likely to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade than students who are chronically absent.
• 67% of our NHES students have satisfactory school attendance at this time.

Important notes:

• The school office may request a note from a medical office for prolonged absences due to illness and/or after multiple absences due to illness; this is part of our student absence verification in NMUSD.
• Attendance Notifications are automatically sent to students through NMUSD, the purpose of the notifications is to keep parents/guardians informed about school attendance. Absences include excused (ie. illness & doctor's appts.), unexcused (ie. family vacations) and truancy.
• Please review the attendance & tardy sections of our school handbook (beginning on page 12) located on our website.

Here at NHES, we love celebrating our community, school spirit & positivity!

T-Shirt Tuesday

Wear positive apparel like a t-shirt with a message of kindness, gratitude, encouragement, or positivity every Tuesday

Spirit Wear Wednesday

Show your Shark PRIDE by wearing NHES spirit wear, school colors (red, blue and/or white), or shark gear

Shark House Friday

Wear your Shark House colored t-shirt on Fridays

Keep an eye out for our Spirit Wear + Shark House gear being sold by PTA!

For all your general school information needs, take a look at our NHES Handbook on our school website. You can find daily schedules, policies about absences & tardies, information about school lunches & breakfast, dress code expectations, and more!

Newport Heights Elementary remains committed to being a student-centered, academically challenging, safe and healthy, and positive place for our Sharks to live and learn each and every day by achieving great heights.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, we will be happy to assist you as best as we can!

School Office - 949-515-6970

Terri Clarke, Principal - tclarke@nmusd.us

Angie Miner, Office Manager - aminer@nmusd.us

Jackie Droste, Office Assistant - jdroste@nmusd.us

Elizabeth Aranda, School Community Facilitator - earanda@nmusd.us

#sharkpride

Go SHARKS,

Terri Clarke

Principal

Email: tclarke@nmusd.us
Website: http://newportheights.nmusd.us/
Location: 300 East 15th Street, Newport Beach, CA, USA
Phone: (949) 515-6970