Northwood Hills News
March 27, 2025

Northwood Hills News is the school newsletter written by campus leadership. You'll find important dates and information about upcoming activities including evening events, school-wide assessments, and RISD area events. The newsletter will go out via email on Thursdays of each week. Please ensure your email addresses and phone numbers are up-to-date in Focus so that you receive each week's updates in a timely manner.
A Note From Mrs. Smith
NHE Families,
Happy Spring! Thank you to all who attended Open House last week. We had a great turnout, and I know the students loved getting to show off all of their hard work. We love having parents in our building and want to see more of you! We are excited to welcome you into our school as volunteers! Once you've completed the required background check, there are many ways you can contribute to our school. You can assist teachers with cutting activities, help with lamination, stuff Tuesday folders, open car doors in the morning, or shelve books in the library. Your support makes a huge difference, and we greatly appreciate your time and involvement. If you're interested in volunteering, please click the link below or contact the school office for more details on how to get started!
If you have not already registered for the 25-26 school year, please make time to do so. We want to ensure your student's spot is reserved. At NHE, we are committed to supporting your child’s growth and development. We value the trust you've placed in us, and we want to continue serving your family with dedication and care. We look forward to partnering with you in the continued success of your child and are excited to see them grow!
Best Regards,
Jenni Smith
Principal
Coming up @ NHE
Please be aware of the upcoming events at NHE!
March 29 - NHE PTA Auction & Gala
March 31 - I Know What To Do Day - Shelter
April 2 - Paraprofessionals Appreciation Day
April 3 - Class Picture & Individual Picture Day
April 4 - Librarian Appreciation Day
April 7-11 Spring Book Fair
April 7 - 11 - National Assistant Principal Week
April 7 - College Colors Day
April 8 - Goodies in the Garden 7:20-8:00
April 8 - Roman Cucina Spirit Night
April 10 - Fine Arts Night 5:00-7:00
April 12- NHE PTA Future Falcons Egg Hunt 9:00-11:00 am
April 15 - 3rd-6th grade STAAR Reading Assessment
April 16 - 3rd-6th grade STAAR Reading Make-ups
April 17 - Early Release @ 1:10
April 18 & 21 - No school, Student and Staff Holiday
Need Help With 2025-26 Enrollment?
Richardson ISD enrollment for the 2025-26 school year is now open online. Returning families will need a Snapcode to enroll, which was emailed to parents on Feb. 24.
RISD is offering in-person enrollment help labs in each learning community for new and returning families through the end of the school year:
Every Tuesday (Mar. 18 - May 20)
RISD Academy - 13630 Coit Road - 4-6 p.m.
Every Wednesday (Mar. 19 - May 21)
Apollo Junior High - 1600 Apollo Rd. - 4-6 p.m.
Forest Meadow Middle School - 9373 Whitehurst Drive - 4-6 p.m.
Every Thursday (Mar. 20 - May 22)
Richardson Heights ES - 101 N. Floyd Road - 4-6 p.m.
(No session on April 17)
See the full calendar with all in-person enrollment help events across RISD.
Currently-enrolled families may also contact their current school with any enrollment questions.
Career Day Volunteers Needed
Summer Opportunities
6th to 7th Grade Summer Acceleration Courses
6th Grade Families-Our 6th graders have an option to take PE or Health in the summer for a fee. Just a reminder that all students must take 1 year of PE or Athletics in 7th or 8th grade. Health is a required course in high school for graduation. The window to register for summer acceleration classes begins April 1st and ends May 2nd. Check out the Junior High Programs Acceleration section on the following site:
2025 Summer School
Parents, please check your email to see if you received an invitation to RISD summer school. This is a valuable opportunity to reinforce key concepts, improve academic skills, and ensure continued progress for the upcoming school year.
We strongly encourage you to sign your students up for summer school, as it will provide them with the support they need to succeed. Please take a moment to complete the registration process at your earliest convenience.
If you have any questions or need assistance with registration, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or our assistant principal Mr. Bell.
Capturing Kid's Hearts Focus for March
Courage
Spring Book Fair is April 7-11
Volunteers, we need you to help run the cash register. Signup at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040848ACAA29A2F49-55512655-spring
Parents, you’re invited to join the shopping spree during your superstar student’s class library time! And don’t miss the fun at Goodies in the Garden on Tuesday, April 8 from 7:15-7:55; the Book Fair will be open for all your literary treasures! Remember, every book you snag helps our school thrive!
The Book Fair will also be open during Fine Arts Night on April 10.
Afterschool Tutoring Information
Students who are invited to attend tutoring will receive a permission form. Bus transportation is provided for tutoring. If your child brings home a tutoring invite, please make it a priority to have them attend. We are committed to closing instructional gaps and providing the support necessary for each student to meet their growth goals.
Tutoring Dates:
April 1, 8
Upcoming Assessment Dates
STAAR Dates:
April 15: STAAR RLA (grades 3-6)
April 16: Make-up STAAR RLA (grades 3-6)
April 23: STAAR Science (5th grade only)
April 24: Make-up STAAR Science (5th grade only)
April 29: STAAR Math (grades 3-6)
April 30: Make-up STAAR Math (grades 3-6)
*Please avoid scheduling any doctor's appointments or out-of-town travel on these dates. We want every student to have the opportunity to show what they can do on these important state exams.
After School Club Information
School Supplies On Sale Now
Click below for more information
Field Day: May 16
Dear Parents,
We hope you are excited for Field Day at Northwood Hills Elementary on Friday, May 16! We will need a number of volunteers to assist with making this event a fun and special day for our students. You may sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A45AEAF28A2F49-55817767-field#/
Please be aware that no spectators will be permitted at Field Day unless they are signed up to volunteer. This is to ensure the safety of our students and the smooth operation of the event. As a reminder, all volunteers must complete a background check through Voly at least two weeks prior to Field Day. If you haven't done yours yet, please complete it as soon as possible here: https://risd.voly.org/
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation to make this event a memorable day for our students!
-Northwood Hills Elementary PTA
PTA Clothes Closet Garage Sale on April 5.
Future Falcons
Attention Future Falcons! We have lots of fun events coming up this Spring and would love for you to join us! Please let me know if you can attend or would like to be included on our email list! Also don't forget to follow us on Facebook at NWH Falcons & Friends!
Partners Programs
Hey Guys!
Grab your partner and get registered. Link below.
https://www.bigsixfoundation.com/
Big Six Foundation, founded in 2014 as a Dad’s event, was sold at an Elementary School auction to help raise money for the PTA. We asked ourselves, if we could do this at our school, could we raise the bar and get other schools involved to create a sense of community between our ISD partners? www.bigsixfoundation.com
DETAILS:
Same as years prior we need 20 teams of 2, 40 players total, to compete. The event will take place on Friday, May 9th, 2025 at Soccer Spectrum in Richardson.
Northwood Hills Elementary is guaranteed a minimum donation to our PTA if we field 20 teams. It is a tax-deductible donation of $99 to play. There are also party passes available for $50 for non-players.
Recap of last year:
12 Schools – Raised a total of $56,710
Each full school received $5,189
First Place $7,189
Second Place $6,189
Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
April is Autism Awareness Month
RHS Eaglettes Spring Mini-Clinic
April 5th 9am-12pm w/Parent Show-Off at 11:30am
Online registration- $40
Pay at the door- $50
Grades K-5 will learn a fun dance
Grades 6-8 will get a drill team prep session
If registration is paid online, attendees will receive a goodie bag, snack, water, and a t-shirt!
Helpful Parent Resources
- Create a Focus account – RISD provides electronic access to a student’s attendance, grades, and other information via the Focus school software system. . https://web.risd.org/focus/
- Please go to RISD Voly to fill out an application. Please make sure you select NHE as your school. This process needs to be completed every year!
All of RISD will be utilizing Talking Points for classroom communication. Please download the free app to get started communicating with your child's teacher!
You can find more information online at this link
Download SchoolCafe app – RISD’s school cafeteria payment system is called SchoolCafe. https://www.schoolcafe.com/
Download RISD Mobile Parent app – Access student information, view the latest news, receive important alerts, review 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 via the RISD Mobile Parent app.
District Links
Focus Parent Portal
Library Opt-Out Program - Elementary
SEL Opt Out 2024-2025
Lunch Visitors
Beginning next week, visitors are welcome to join their students for lunch. Here are a few reminders when planning to visit for lunch.
- Due to space in our cafeteria we are asking that parents who wish to have lunch with their child do so only once per week.
- Arrive before your child's scheduled lunchtime.
- Bring your ID to be screened at check-in. You will be given a visitor badge to wear at all times while on campus.
- Visitors should sit at the designated visitor table with their child and are not permitted to sit at the class cafeteria tables.
- Lunch visitors may eat lunch with only their child. Friends will not be permitted to join another parent for lunch.
- We request that visitors follow a no-cell phone policy to ensure student privacy and quality time with their child. Taking pictures or videos in the cafeteria that include any other students or staff is not permitted.
- When your child’s lunch period is over, visitors should exit the building from the front or office doors. Lunch visitors should NOT walk their child back to class.
- If a visitor who is not a parent or guardian comes to eat lunch with a student, we must have permission ahead of time from the parent or guardian or they will not be permitted to eat with the student.
These guidelines may need to be adjusted from time to time. Updates will be communicated as needed.
NHE Recurring Links and Information
NHE Volunteers & Visitors
Safety and security is a top priority for us. You must complete a background check yearly if you will be volunteering for ANY school activities. Please go to RISD Voly to fill out an application. Please make sure you select Northwood Hills Elementary as your school. Again, this process needs to be completed every year!
All visitors must show a government-issued ID every time you are either visiting school or volunteering and will need to have a Verkada Badge. The great thing about our new system is that you can use the QR Code from home in the morning, and your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive. Please wait to access the code until 7 am the day that it is needed so that the badge doesn't time out. This is a requirement for any activity we will have during the school day.
Before entering the building, you will need to push the doorbell. Our office staff will ask how they can help you before letting you in. This is a requirement for everyone even if our office staff knows who you are. We appreciate your support and patience with this process.
Parents and Families On Campus
With the increased need for security on all campuses, NHE will continue to use Verkada to sign in all visitors on campus. If you plan on visiting campus, please make sure to bring your driver's license to the front office to be scanned by our RAPTOR system.
During occasions when we have a big event, we will send out a QR code ahead of time for you to complete to help speed up the check-in process.
If you plan to volunteer on campus, please complete the additional background check with VOLY. It is best to complete the VOLY application as soon as possible. VOLY requests can take up to 72 hours to complete. Please call the Northwood Hills office for any help needed with completing VOLY. Sign up to volunteer at risd.voly.org
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