THE BEST

May 5-8 - GA Milestones Assessments

May 7 - Dining for Dollars: Whit's Frozen Custard

May 8 - All Pro Dad

May 13 - Talent Show

May 14 - Chorus Concert

May 15 - Field Day

May 18 - K and 4th Grade Class Parties

May 19 - 1st and 5th Grade Class Parties

May 20 - 2nd and 3rd Grade, and AU Program Class Parties

May 21 - Last Day of School/5th Grade Promotion Ceremony

Week one of Georgia Milestones testing is complete. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders finished the three days of ELA testing. Next week will continue with math for 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and science for 5th grade only. Thank you for making sure the students arrive at school on time, well rested and ready so show what they’ve learned!

This week was also Cafeteria Appreciation Week, and we enjoyed recognizing the Northwood café team that works hard to prepare breakfast and lunch daily!

The calendar has turned to May and that means we’ve reached the last month of school. May will be filled with fun events and activities – make sure to look at the events listed below so you can mark the dates on the calendar and review the details for each.

Fondly,

Heather Rucker, principal

The 3rd grade TAG students are enjoying their newest unit, Brainiac. They have taken several assessments to identify if they are right vs left brained as well as various personality traits. They are also learning about the functions of the different parts of the brain and how they can help us. The students recently created a 3D model of the brain using salt dough. They will eventually paint these models and update their keys to showcase six major parts of the brain and what each of them controls in our body.

Awards are one of the many wonderful ways we have to recognize and celebrate our Explorers at Northwood. Please see the attachment below for the March award recipients. Congratulations!

Northwood Elementary is hosting its annual Field Day on Friday, May 15th, 2026, and we’re seeking parent volunteers to help facilitate the events. Only parents that are on campus in a volunteer capacity will attend to support Field Day. Parents will be assigned a station and will not rotate with their child.

• Session #1: Grades 1, 4, 5, and AU will have Field Day from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM.

• Session #2: Grades K, 2, and 3 will have Field Day from 11:45 AM to 1:45 PM.

Please click on the link below to volunteer and help us create a fun and memorable Field Day experience for all our students!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DABAD28ABFC1-63234994-2026#/

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Northwood PTA, Northwood Foundation, The Blumenfelds (Method Real Estate Advisors), and everyone who made our teachers and staff truly feel special for Teacher Appreciation Week. We appreciate all that goes into pampering us and providing such a wonderful week-long event.

What can I do to help my child prepare?

• Be certain your child gets plenty of sleep and has a healthy breakfast.

• Be certain your student is at school on time, so they are not worried about being late.

• Remind students that cell phones and smart watches will be collected and stored in the secure testing room during test administration times. It’s best for students to leave them at home if possible.

• Get information and practice using this link: Georgia Milestones Resources (gadoe.org)

• Experience the online testing session. See below for more details, and use this link: www.gaexperienceonline.com

What happens if my child is absent?

• There will be rolling make-ups throughout the testing window. Please do not send your child in if they are sick.

Can visitors be in the building?

• During GMAS testing, we will not be allowing visitors in the building before 11:30 am; and there will also be no lunch visitors these days.

Georgia Experience Online

Georgia Experience Online is a practice site that can be used for students to learn more about the structure and content of the Georgia Milestones Assessment, experience online testing, and practice using online testing tools. Parents are welcome to explore this site and use it to practice with your child.

Please note that the EOG Test Practice site will have ELA and Math questions while the EOG Study Guide for Students and Parents only focuses on Math and Science (5th grade only).

Below you will find an attachment with directions and the link to access the site. Please contact your child’s teacher or our CST, Danielle Evangelista if you have any questions.

Northwood is proud to be an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) school. AVID Elementary equips students with the foundational skills and mindset needed for future success. Our staff is focused on enhancing instructional consistency, fostering a college and career readiness mindset, increasing student engagement and building organizational and study skills.

As part of this, each week Northwood will be focused on one goal as a school. Be sure to ask your child about it!

Next week's AVID goal is: to continue to work hard and show what I have learned during the last few weeks of school.

Beginning April 1, families can complete census verification through Infinite Campus Online Registration. Fulton County Schools requires families to review and update their emergency contact information each year. For safety and security purposes, we ask that all updates be completed prior to the start of the upcoming school year.

Please click the link below to view the flyer for instructions on how to update your Explorer’s emergency contact information in Infinite Campus.

Infinite Campus Online Registration

We have successfully launched our new system called PickUp Patrol to help us track dismissals. PickUp Patrol provides families with a convenient way to make changes to your child’s dismissal plans and helps ensure that students are accurately dismissed each day.

If you haven't signed up, please email Mrs. Lorraine Robertson at Northwood's front desk, robertsonl1@fultonschools.org, and she will resend the registration email from PickUp Patrol with a link to set up your account. Moving forward, this is the only way to make dismissal changes. Please note that dismissal requests will no longer be accepted via the Northwood Dismissal email, teacher inboxes, or paper notes.

The parent portal is free to parents and can be accessed from your phone or computer. The link in your registration email will be live for 48 hours. As soon as you receive it, please log in and confirm your child’s default plan.

If you have any questions, please first check the PickUp Patrol Parent Guide & if you need additional assistance, please reach out to Mrs. Robertson, robertsonl1@fultonschools.org.

The Northwood Foundation is seeking a couple of new members to join our team! Our mission is to raise funds for innovative programs and facilities that enhance the educational experience and opportunities for students and faculty, thus enhancing the quality of life for the greater community. As a board member, you would play a vital role in our school community by coordinating and attending the annual Fun Run events and overseeing the stewardship of donated funds.

If you are passionate about supporting our students and faculty, we would love to hear from you. Interested parties should send a short biography to northwoodfoundationga@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

We can help you celebrate your child's birthday with his/her classmates by offering the purchase of ice-cream for $1.00 per child. Please go online and add money to your child's GENERAL LUNCH account based on the number of students in the classroom. Then email your child's teacher and our Cafeteria Manager, Chisthal Austin, at austinc4@fultonschools.org to let us know what date you would like to celebrate it. We will take care of the rest!

This year, with the new lunch system, our school community has the capability to create a Cafeteria Principal Account Fund. This account would be used to fulfill any meal costs for students that reach an account balance of zero. We often have families and extended family members that ask if or how they can pay off lunch balances or support our students in this way, now the process of doing so is easy!

Should you be interested in adding to the Cafeteria Principal Account Fund, just send a check or cash to school in an envelope to Ms. Cristhal Austin, our cafeteria manager in training, and notate that the funds go to the Principal Fund. Please reach out to Ms. Austin, austinc4@fultonschools.org, if you have any questions.

The Fulton County School Nutrition Program is dedicated to serving all students nutritious, safe and customer acceptable meals in support of academic achievement. Click the link below to see what thery are serving up today.

Nutrition.fultonschools.org/MenuCalendar

Parents, please encourage your students to check regularly for lost items in the Lost and Found. Please mark all student belongings clearly with the child's name so that it can be identified. Unclaimed items are donated to local charities after the last school day of every month. May's date is Thursday, May 21st.

The Infinite Campus Parent Portal provides quick and easy access to information for all enrolled students in their household. Find grades, attendance, assignments, schedules, ID numbers, school announcements and more. If you haven't already joined, please do so today as Fulton County Schools is transitioning to managing everything via the portal.

For more information, access the Parent Portal Booklet for Infinite Campus here.

The Dining for Dollars crew is back with another opportunity to send a percentage of every purchase back to Northwood!

Where: Whit’s Frozen Custard of Roswell, 1570 Holcomb Bridge Rd. Unit 605, Roswell, GA 30076

When: Thursday, May 7th

Time: 4-8pm

Don't forget to mention Northwood at checkout!

Michelle Levine, Assistant Principal

Together We SHINE!

Email: NorthwoodAttendance@fultonschools.org
Website: https://northwood.fultonschools.org/
Location: 10200 Wooten Road, Roswell, GA, USA
Phone: 470-254-6390
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthwoodElementaryPTA/
Twitter: @FCS_NWES or @NWES_Principal