NES Parent Newsletter 8/18/25

Dear NES Families,

We are so grateful for your partnership in making our first week of school such a success! Our students came to school smiling, ready to learn, and eager to be part of our NES community.

Thanks to your cooperation and support:

• Parent drop-off and pick-up went smoothly. (It will continue to get quicker as students learn the routines!)

• Buses arrived on time and students quickly settled into their classrooms after breakfast.

• We saw very few tardies—an exciting improvement from last year!

• Most importantly, our school was filled with happy, engaged students from the first bell to the last.

Your encouragement at home and patience with routines help set our students up for a great day. We appreciate you for working with us to make North Elementary a safe, welcoming, and joyful place to learn.

If you showed interest in being a part of PTO/SAC or a volunteer, we are beginning to reach out to make contact and offer any assistance needed or answer any questions. We look forward to you being an integral part of NES success!

Here’s to keeping the positive momentum going as we dive into the school year!

With gratitude and positivity,

August:

8/18 - 8/29: PM1 Testing window begins for all grade K-5

8/19: 5th Grade ELA FAST

8/20: 4th Grade ELA FAST

8/21: 3rd Grade ELA FAST

8/26: 5th Grade Math FAST

8/27: 4th Grade Math FAST

8/28: 3rd Grade Math FAST

8/28: Picture Day

September:

09/01: No School/Holiday

09/07: Grandparent's Day

09/10: Progress Reports

09/11: Night of the Stars (invite only)

09/12: Early Release Day

09/15: No School/Teacher Plan Day

K-2 Students test in smaller groups for shorter amounts of time. Please make sure your child is here and on time daily as they may be in a group being tested throughout the two week window.

3-5 students have scheduled testing days. Please make sure your child is here and on time daily in order to perform at their best! Any student checked out during the assessment is not allowed to resume the test at a later time/date, so please plan accordingly for any appointments or early checkouts.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at NES you will need to apply through the Okeechobee County Schools website. This link leads to the open positions available for Okeechobee County Schools. You will choose the option to "Search Current Job Openings". Once that page opens it will look like the screen below. You will then look for the Assignment Description "Volunteer" and the Location that lists the school you are volunteering at. Once you are approved through this process we can make arrangements for you to volunteer on NES campus.

Reminder, volunteers do not always have to work with students! If you are interested in volunteering to help with administrative tasks like laminating, cutting, copying, etc. or helping out with special events, please let us know! We are working to build strong family and community relationships and would love your involvement at NES to support staff and students!

Type in your address to find your bus stop for each school you may have a student attending. If you are attending on a zone waiver, bus transportation is not provided.

Click below for the NES Student-Parent Handbook. Printed version is available in the front office upon request.

Breakfast :

Monday - pancakes, poptarts, and cereal

Tuesday - sausage biscuit, donut holes, and cereal

Wednesday - cinn swirl, poptarts, and cereal

Thursday - Pbj, yogurt parfait, and cereal

Friday - chicken sliders, poptarts, and cereal

Lunch :

Monday - Cheesy Queso Pull-Apart, chicken & mozz sand, Snack box

Tuesday - Taco, grilled cheese

Wednesday - chicken patty on bun, hot dog on bun

Thursday - Shepherd's pie, ham & cheese sand

Friday - Fiestada Pizza and Pbj

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.

By accessing FortifyFL, students can provide a description of the threat, share pics and videos and optionally submit their contact information.

Click the button above to access the online reporting link.

🎉We are loving our new app! ✨Access documents, news updates, and even emergency notifications, right from your pocket. Download for Android https://aptg.co/hJj62B Download for iPhone https://aptg.co/b6Km3j

NES Mission Statement:

Driven by our love for kids and passion for teaching, we provide a safe, structured, and joyful space where every child feels connected, cared for, and empowered to learn. Through collaboration and purposeful planning, we make learning fun, build strong foundations, and prepare students for their futures.

NES Vision Statement:

At NES, every student is known, loved, and empowered in a joyful, trusting community that builds strong foundations for lifelong success.

NES Core Values

Connection • Community • Safety • Growth