Dear Parents and Families,

Parents and Guardians have the AWESOME TASK of shaping the minds, attitudes, and beliefs of young people. How you demonstrate good character means a lot to your children. They look up to you! Talk to your child about the importance of respect, integrity, and trust. These short conversations can have a lasting impact for years to come. October's Character Trait is RESPECT, and it's Bullying Prevention Month.

• Lead by example by acting with integrity. What parent hasn’t been caught in the trap of, “Do as I say, not as I do?” We all make mistakes as parents, but the best way to teach your child character is to live a life of integrity yourself as much as possible.

• Be specific with your reasoning. When your child has a difficult homework assignment, say, “This is really tough but we’re going to keep working. You can look in this book for answers or ask me for help. You’re being persistent.”

• Offer examples of positive moral behaviors. Use real-life examples, books, and movies to help children develop character to point out positive behaviors and give an explanation to your child.

• Understand that outside influences will affect character development. It’s okay to say “We are friendly to everyone, but we choose our best friends carefully.”

• Talk gently with your child about a mistaken choice, but don’t let her off the hook. Follow up by discussing what to do next time. Small teachable moments will pay off over time as your child becomes an adult with integrity.

SOAR & EXCEL,

Nell Sydnor-Waugh, NES Principal

Congratulations to our Stars of Honor!!! These students have demonstrated kindness, integrity and a strong work ethic. Keeping soaring Eagles!! These students and their families will be recognized at a UNC-Chapel Hill Home Soccer Game and have FREE tickets to attend the game.

• • Fundraiser 1--Double Good Popcorn--September 28-October 13. Collection dates will ONLY be October 6th and October 13.
    

  • Attendance Blitz--September 18-October 20
    

  • October 19-- END OF THE FIRST 9 WEEKS!

  • North’s Sneaker Ball--October 19th 3:30-5pm (Students and Staff--Dress to impress with you FAVORITE sneakers!) Permission slip required.
    

  • October 20th--REQUIRED Teacher WORKDAY

  • October 23rd--School Improvement and Parent Advisory--3:30pm

  • October 23-27--Parent Conferences--Our goal is to have 100% of parents participate! (Teachers will contact you to set up a date and time.)

  • October 31--AWARDS DAY--Time 1:00pm (Grades 2-5)

Celebrate the progress that your child makes--academic, behavior, etc. Try to have littel celebrations to cheer on his/her gowth this year. Progress truly makes a difference, but it is a PROCESS too. Encourage them to have "can do" or "can try" approach to learning new things. Students need to learn PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE---this is a lifelong lesson. Encourage your child to share daily accomplishments and tasks. This opens the door for conversations about learning needs, success, and overcoming difficulties. Review work samples when you can to talk about how your child is progressing and learning each day. It's interesting to see Art Work, Grades, and Assignments over the course of a nine weeks, each semester, and at the end of the school year. The important thing to remember is that children are still learning and GROWING every day!

We're looking forward to an EXCELLENT WEEK. Thanks for helping us improve students' attendance--getting them to school on time, limiting check outs, and writing notes when students are absent. Thanks for ALL that you do! The ATTENDANCE BLITZ will continue through October 9th. There are prizes for individuals and class prizes! Attendance matters! Here are few important dates for the month of OCTOBER! This month's character focus is RESPECT. Talk about what respect means and what it looks like (being considerate of others, showing concern and empathy). October is also BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH!

Let's SOAR AND EXCEL,

Mrs. Sydnor-Waugh, NES PRINCIPAL

Attending school each day and being on time to school are extremely important to a student’s academic development and achievement. Every day a student is in school is an opportunity to learn, build relationships, and access needed support.

Too many absences can cause children to fall behind and make it harder to learn to read. Students are expected to attend school at least 95% of the time. During a 180-day school year, that means students should miss no more than nine days. Each parent/legal guardian is responsible for regular and punctual attendance of any child in their charge within the compulsory age for school attendance. If possible, please try to schedule appointments after school or on Teacher Workdays when students are not in school.

If your child is sick, please send a note. It's recommended that students be symptom free for 24 hours for most illnesses or by the doctor's return date. Medical notes are recommended, especially for consecutive absences. Please contact the school if you have questions or concerns. Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Shull can assist you. We're here to help!

We will give students who have not been tardy or absent during the weeks September 18-October 20 ice cream or a snack each Friday at lunch.