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Northwood Hills News

March 27, 2025

Northwood Hills News March 27, 2025
NorthwoodHills NewsMarch 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 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

NHE Volunteer Opportunities

Coming up @ NHE 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? 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.

Visit the RISD enrollment website to learn more about the enrollment process and enroll your student.

Every Child. Every Day. Reserve your seat today. Feb 25: Enrollment Opens for 25-26 School year. March 31: Elementary Magnet Applications Due. May 31: Last day to enroll with snapcode. August 12: First day of school! https://www.risd.org/enroll

Career Day Volunteers Needed Career Day Volunteers Needed

Sign up HERE to Volunteer by April 4th

Summer Opportunities Summer Opportunities

6th to 7th Grade Summer Acceleration Courses 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:

https://web.risd.org/summerlearning/program-overview/

2025 Summer School 2025 Summer School

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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 Capturing Kid's Hearts Focus for March

Courage Courage

Spring Book Fair is April 7-11 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 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 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 After School Club Information

Click Here to Join PTA

School Supplies On Sale Now School Supplies On Sale Now

Click below for more information Click below for more information

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NOR013 COLOR.pdf
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NOR013 SPANISH COLOR.pdf
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Field Day: May 16 Field Day: May 16

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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. PTA Clothes Closet Garage Sale on April 5.

Future Falcons 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 Partners Programs

Hey Guys!

Grab your partner and get registered. Link below.


https://www.bigsixfoundation.com/

Home | Big Six Foundation

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 April is Autism Awareness Month

Autism Awareness Month

Autism Awareness Month

Autism Awareness Month - March 19th, 2025 by Meagan Crouch | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for educators, businesses and more

launch secure.smore.com

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!

Link to register.

Helpful Parent Resources 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.


  • Support our amazing school by joining the NHE PTA!

District Links District Links

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Focus Parent Portal

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Library Opt-Out Program - Elementary

https://web.risd.org/studentservices/social-and-emotional-learning/
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SEL Opt Out 2024-2025

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RISD Graduate Profile

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Parent Information

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RISD Student and Parent Handbook

NHE Breakfast & Lunch Menu

Lunch Visitors Lunch Visitors

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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.

24-25 NHE Lunch Schedule

NHE Recurring Links and Information NHE Recurring Links and Information

2024-2025 NHE Family Handbook
Click to view NHE Bus Route
NHE Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
How to Upload Your Attendance Excuse for Focus

NHE Volunteers & Visitors NHE Volunteers & Visitors

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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.

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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

Click Here to Fill Out the Voly Form
Students and staff are encouraged to wear their favorite college  colors or college shirts on the following dates this year:   Tuesday, September 3rd  Monday, October 7th  Wednesday, November 6th  Monday, December 2nd  Tuesday, January 7th  Monday, February 3rd  Monday, March 3rd  Monday, April 7th  Monday, May 5th
NHE News Archive
Click here to view previous editions of the Northwood Hills News
Northwood Hills Elementary
https://schools.risd.org/NorthwoodHillsES/

Want to Sign Up for This Newsletter?

Got this newsletter as a forward and want to sign up to receive future editions? Please click here to subscribe. Please note that parents of currently enrolled RISD students and current RISD employees are automatically sent newsletters from RISD and their school. It’s not necessary to subscribe. Parents or staff who wish to receive news from other RISD schools may subscribe using the link above.


This newsletter was sent through RISD’s Blackboard system, and current parents should be aware that unsubscribing from Blackboard messages at the link at the bottom of this message may prevent parents from receiving future messages from their child’s school.

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