NHE News
April 28, 2026

A Note From Mrs. Smith
NHE Families,
I want to take a moment to celebrate a huge milestone: our students have officially completed the final round of STAAR testing!
Walking our hallways today, I was struck by the focus and determination in every room. Our students and teachers have worked incredibly hard all year long, and it truly showed. I am beyond proud of our kids for putting in the effort to "Level Up" and show off everything they’ve learned. Whether it was tackling a tough math problem or analyzing a complex passage, their perseverance was inspiring.
While we are celebrating this victory, we aren't quite at the finish line yet. We have one final round of assessments for all of our K-6 students: the End-of-Year MAP Growth assessments. These help us measure the incredible progress your child has made since August. Please see the specific schedule and details listed in this newsletter.
With only 18 school days left, the calendar is packed with school-wide and grade-level events. Please make sure to check the dates included below and the newsletters from your child's teacher so you don’t miss a thing!
Thank you for your continued support and for partnering with us to make this school year a success. Let's finish strong!
Warmly,
Jenni Smith
NHE Principal
Coming up @ NHE
Please be aware of the upcoming events at NHE!
April 30: Lunch Hero's Day
April 30: NHE Site-Based Decision-Making Committee
May 1: School Principal Day
May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4: College Colors Day
May 6: School Nurse Day
May 8: 5th Grade Science Camp
May 4-14: End of Year MAP Assessment Window
May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4: College Colors Day
May 8: 5th-grade Science Camp field trip
May 12: Career Day
May 13: NHE Talent Show
May 14: Falcon Award Night
May 15: Field Day
May 18: School Speech Pathologist Day
May 19: 6th-grade Kickball and Picnic
May 19: Author Visit
May 20: 6th-grade Field Trip to Pinstack
May 21: PK/Kinder Promotion
May 21: Falcons Take Flight Event
May 21: 6th grade Honors Night
May 22: Last Day of School
May 22: Early Release
NHE Wins RISD Whole Child Campus Award
We are thrilled to share that Northwood Hills has earned the 2025–2026 RISD Whole Child Campus Award! 🏆
Presented by the Richardson ISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), this honor recognizes elementary campuses that go above and beyond to support the whole child — academically, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Throughout the year, our campus earned this recognition by:
✅ Fully implementing the RISD Wellness Policy and Plan
✅ Providing nutrition education and healthy-choice initiatives in the cafeteria
✅ Meeting the 135 minutes of weekly TEKS-based physical education and daily recess for all grades
✅ Hosting wellness events and activities that encourage lifelong physical activity
✅ Supporting mental health, kindness, and anti-bullying awareness
✅ Engaging our families and community through wellness partnerships
✅ Championing staff wellness right alongside student wellness
A huge thank you to our teachers, PE team, counselors, cafeteria staff, PTA, and families for making wellness a cornerstone of our school culture. When we care for the whole child, we set every student up to connect, learn, grow, and succeed!
Summer School Registration Extended to April 30
Did you receive an email invitation for your student to attend Summer School? Don't miss out!
The final day to register is Thursday, April 30. Our summer program is designed to be both fun and engaging, providing a wonderful opportunity for your child to boost their skills and head into the next school year with confidence.
Deadline: April 30th
More Information: https://web.risd.org/summerlearning/elementary-programs/
Questions? Please reach out directly to your child's teacher.
Important Upcoming Assessment
End-of-Year MAP® Growth™ testing window is May 4-14. During this time, students in grades K–6 will take MAP Growth assessments in Science, Math, and Reading. These tests adapt to each student’s responses, giving teachers a clear picture of what your child knows and is ready to learn next. Results will help teachers personalize instruction, set meaningful goals, and track growth across the year. We cannot wait to see how all of our students have grown!
NHE MAP Testing Schedule
5.5.26 | Grades K–6 Reading
5.6.26 | Grades 3–6 Math
5.7.26 | Grades 3-6 Science
5.11.26 | Grades K-5 Spanish Reading
To help your child do their best, please make sure they:
Get a good night’s sleep
Eat a healthy breakfast
Arrive on time to school
Avoid outside appointments during testing if possible
After testing, you will receive a Family Report through Focus that summarizes your child’s performance and growth. For more information, visit NWEA Family Toolkit
NHE Counseling Corner
Library Information
Library Volunteers Needed
Please find a time to come in and shelve books in the library. Every week the library circulates between 1000 and 1500 books! Every little bit helps!
April Sign-up
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090449A8A829ABF85-63312883-april
Spring State Assessment Dates
STAAR Dates:
April 29: Make-up STAAR Math (grades 3-6)
NHE PTA News
Teacher Appreciation Week
NHE is celebrating our wonderful teachers and staff on May 4-8 for Teacher Appreciation Week! Show your teachers some love by sending a note, something from their favorites list, or just telling them how much you appreciate them! Check out the flyer below to see what our PTA is doing for them as well! We LOVE our NHE teachers and we appreciate how hard they work for our kids!
Canes Spirit Night
We have another super fun spirit night coming up!! Mark your calendars for May 14th and head to Canes on Campbell Rd for a night off from cooking! Remember to bring your friends and mention NHE when you check out! Canes will donate 15% of our net sales to our school and every purchase counts!!
Field Day
Field day is coming soon and we need your help! Click the link below for the Sign-Up Genius, and ensure you have completed the volunteer form to be approved before field day. The link for the volunteer form is on the sign up genius if you need it! Thank you for all your support and help in making this event a fun and successful event for our kids and teachers!!
Join our PTA Team!!
We're looking for parents to fill open positions on our PTA! This is a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful impact in our school, support teachers and students, and help organize fun events and programs that enrich our school community. Whether you have a few hours a month or can commit more, your time and talents make a difference! See the open positions below and reach out to NomCom@nhepta.org to learn more and get involved!
Learning Community News
⚽️ Thank you RHS Girls Soccer ⚽️
We’re sending a huge shoutout to the RHS girls’ soccer team for their recent donation of soccer balls to our school. These gifts went to 15 dedicated students who maintained perfect attendance at our Level Up! Twilight Camp this spring. We are so proud of these students for their hard work and grateful to RHS for being such amazing partners in our community.
Elementary Fine Arts Culture Showcase
Tuesday, April 21
5:30 - 7 p.m.
J.J. Pearce HS Auditorium
1600 N. Coit Road
Richardson, TX 75080
In a vibrant celebration of creativity, elementary art and music students unite to highlight cultures from around the world, representing the diverse backgrounds and traditions of RISD.
Bike & Roll to School Day
Join communities around the world to celebrate the benefits of bicycling, walking, and rolling to school!
Recurring Information
We’re Excited to Welcome Lunch Visitors!
Here are a few reminders to help make your visit smooth and enjoyable:
One visit per week, please. This helps us manage space and make sure every family has the opportunity to visit.
Arrive on time. Plan to be here before your child’s lunch period begins.
Bring your photo ID. All visitors must check in at the front office and wear a visitor badge while on campus.
Enjoy lunch at the visitor table. For safety reasons, visitors should sit at the designated visitor table with their child only. Parents may not sit in the cafeteria.
Friends can’t join your table. We know kids love company, but we ask that you enjoy this time just with your child.
Put phones away. To protect student privacy and keep the focus on your child, please avoid phone use, photos, or videos while in the cafeteria.
Head out after lunch. When your child’s lunch period ends, please exit through the front office. Visitors may not walk students back to class.
Permission for guests. If someone other than a parent/guardian plans to visit, we need written permission from the parent ahead of time.
Thank you for helping us make lunch visits a safe, positive experience for everyone. We can’t wait to see you in the cafeteria!
New Volunteer Management System
Before participating in volunteer opportunities in schools and district facilities, all RISD volunteers must complete a background check and an orientation through our NEW Volunteer Management System. We are using Verkada, the same program already in place for visitor management on every campus. Click here to complete your 2025-2026 Richardson ISD Volunteer Application.
Opt-In & Opt-out Preferences - Important Parent Message
Texas legislation requires all parents and guardians to provide clear opt-in and opt-out preferences for their student regarding various activities and services such as:
Available access to health services (all grade levels)
After-school clubs (all grade levels)
Counseling opportunities (K-5 & 7-12)
Library Services (all grade levels)
All RISD parents/legal guardians received an email from the district on Friday, August 22 with information to select your preferences for your student(s) in FOCUS. Please make sure that you check your email, you should have a message from Richardson ISD, with the subject line: Important Parent Message in Regards to Recent Texas Legislation.
Please visit the FOCUS portal and use the newly created page to submit your preferences for each of your children.
If you have additional questions, please submit a Let’s Talk here.
Thank you for helping us ensure a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. We look forward to a great new school year.
Helpful Parent Resources
✅Verify Your Student's Immunizations Are Up-To-Date✅
By law, Richardson ISD must have an immunization record for each student on file. These records should be up-to-date at the time of registration. https://web.risd.org/healthservices/immunizations
🔎Create a FOCUS Account🔍
RISD provides electronic access to a student's grades, attendance, and other information via the FOCUS software system. https://web.risd.org/focus/
📱Download RISD Mobile Parent App📱
Access student information, view the latest news, receive important alerts, review an archive of parent messages sent by RISD, view school menus and lunch account balances, find your bus stop, access student schedules, assignment grades, attendance and more. https://web.risd.org/home/risd-mobile/
🚍Need a Ride to School?🚍
See bus route information and sign up for student transportation: https://web.risd.org/transportation/
🥗Download SchoolCafe App🥗
RISD’s school cafeteria payment system is called SchoolCafe. https://www.schoolcafe.com/
District Links
RISD Graduate Profile
Parent Information
RISD Student and Parent Handbook
25-26 Academic Calendar
✍🏻Front Office Contact Information✍🏻
Jenni Smith, Principal
(469) 593-4333
jennifer.smith@risd.org
Mark Bell, Assistant Principal
(469) 593-4328
mark.bell@risd.org
Martha Menezes, Dean of Students (habla español)
(469) 593-4275
martha.menezes@risd.org
Paige Pendery Counselor
(469) 593-4332
paige.pendery@risd.org, qwendolyn.dixon@risd.org
Crystal Hunt, Nurse
(469) 593-4250
crystal.hunt@risd.org
Sadaf Ramzan, Student Data Specialist/Enrollment
(469) 593-4251
sadaf.ramzan@risd.org
Leslie Ledezma, Executive Assistant (habla español)
(469)-593-4252
leslie.ledezma@risd.org
