NHES Newsletter

• THANK YOU to our Dance Teacher: Mrs. Giles for providing dance instruction & fun experiences for our sharks over the past 11 weeks...she's on to her next elementary school assignment!

• Congratulations to Mrs. Messner for being recognized at the Orange County Teachers of the Year banquet last week - Mrs. Messner was chosen as NMUSD's Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2024!!

Check out the WEEK 2 video & challenge!

Special Message from our Shark Fun Run Committee:

Great job getting registered for our Fun Run Donation Drive! We have over 300 Sharks registered on mybooster.com, and have already raised almost $20,000 for our school, WOW!

Congratulations to Mrs. Pherrin’s class for winning our first 100% registration challenge and earning 10 minutes of extra recess!!!

Remember, that even if you participated last year, you still need to login to mybooster.com and update your information in order for your registration to count and to start earning prizes! We understand there may have been some miscommunication about this, so we are extending the extra recess challenge through the end of next week!

PLUS, the week 2 challenge kicks off today! Students who have received a donation of any amount will be awarded the 2nd of 6 collectible keychains PLUS the top 5 classes with the most participation will win a PJ & donut day for their class!

Keep up the great work everyone, go Sharks!

Newport Heights Elementary has been named a 2025 CA Honor Roll recipient, being recognized by Educational Results Partnership for high academic achievement and continuous improvement across all student groups!

AND Newport Heights Elementary was recognized at last week's NMUSD Board Meeting as being the only-THE ONLY!-elementary school to show growth for 4 consecutive years in both ELA & Math on the CA Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, the annual state test for 3rd-6th graders.

These successes are made possible by our incredibly dedicated teachers & staff, the grit and perseverance of our students, and the undeniable support by our PTA and Foundation. Congrats to all, we are so proud! TOGETHER FOR SUCCESS AT NHES.

Check out the A.C.E. brochure & register asap! Classes begin December 2, 2025.

Thank you for continuously supporting our students at home by teaching and encouraging them to show their Shark PRIDE everywhere, every day. At Newport Heights, we focus on the different character traits of our Shark PRIDE each month. For the month of November, our focus will be on I for Independent.

You can promote your student’s independence by providing opportunities to take risks through everyday activities. As they get older, they will gain more confidence about trying new things and making their own decisions. We’ve learned that students need time and encouragement to learn independence through trial and error.

November is also National Gratitude Month. Having gratitude gives us the ability to shift from focusing on the negative to appreciating the positive. Research has shown that gratitude can enhance our moods, decrease stress, and drastically improve our overall level of health and wellbeing.

If you are interested in some children’s literature to read with your students, here are some titles related to Responsibility and Gratitude:

• Journey by Aaron Becker
• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnet
• Sunday Chutney by Aaron Blabey
• The Dark by Lemony Snicket
• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

• Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman

• Dog In Charge by K.L. Going

• Rules by Cynthia Lord

• Thank You, Mr. Faulker by Patricia Polacco

• Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

• The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

• The Magic Fish by Freya Littledale

• Thanks A Million by Nikki Grimes

• Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks by John Bucchino

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 being sold by PTA at Flag Deck!

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