THE BEST

February 13 - All Pro Dad

February 16 - Presidents' Day (Teacher Work Day; Students No School)

February 17 - Professional Development Day (Students No School)

February 19 - FCS Board Meeting

March 13 - All Pro Dad

March 16 - Professional Development Day (Students No School)

The sunshine has certainly helped as we bear the brunt of these frigid January temps! Will snow flurries actually fall this weekend? I know we have lots of Explorers wishing for that! Our teachers have been asked to prep for a possible remote day again so be looking for that information in their Blast emails. The District will make a decision later this weekend once they see how it all unfolds. Stay tuned to the FCS website and the Northwood website for updated information throughout the weekend.

This past Saturday, our AMAZING Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl team came in second place in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl competition! Not only did the team win solidly in each of their rounds, but they also represented our school with wonderful sportsmanship. Mrs. Bauer, Ms. Miller, and Mrs. Imhulse were beyond proud to be with them at the competition to watch them excel! Our participants were also lovingly supported by their families. The team has earned the opportunity to complete at the region level, so they’ll be prepping for that event in late February. CONGRATS Northwood!

It is the time of year where our campus recognizes colleagues and submits nominations for this year’s Teacher of the Year. Today, the team had spectacular classroom visits with Ms. Sue Friedrichs (4th grade), Mrs. Annie Jo Landers (kindergarten), and Mrs. Ivelisse Echauz (ESOL). Please join me in congratulating each of our amazing finalists! The announcement of the winner for both Teacher of the Year, and Professional of the Year, will be made during our after school celebration on Tuesday, February 10th.

Thank you to the Centennial High School women’s lacrosse team for braving the cold temps this morning and greeting our students as they arrived. They passed out fliers to all the girls sharing information about the CHS local feeder lacrosse program and opportunities to get involved with the sport.

Parent Survey Update – we’ve only reached 10% of the required survey participation rate, that equates to needing at least 60 more respondents. Please help our amazing school reach our goal! Northwood Elementary Family CCRPI Survey

Fondly,

Heather Rucker, principal

Our first science unit of the semester had students exploring how light and sound travel. We learned that both light and sound are forms of energy that travel in waves. Students participated in several experiments to test the way these waves of energy act in different situations. We looked at reflection and refraction of light. We also explored how different materials affect what we hear. Students had so much fun learning through experiments this unit!

In our Social Studies class, we are researching and writing a report about the decades of the 20th Century. We are learning about the politics, technology, fashion and economy of this period in history. In May, we will have an auction of donated items from businesses we have contacted. From now until then, the students will have opportunities to earn “Decade Dollars” to use at the auction. We earn these “Dollars” by demonstrating responsible behavior, studious work habits, and good citizenship.

Congratulations to Northwood’s Reading Bowl team for winning second place in the 2026 Fulton County School District Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (HHRB) competition. The team, led by Allison Bauer, media specialist, Amy Miller, EIP teacher, and Ryann Imhulse, literacy coach, worked hard to prepare for the competition, and it paid off. They did an outstanding job representing Northwood with their enthusiasm, teamwork, and good sportsmanship.

Northwood's Reading Bowl Team

5th Graders:

Krithvik Gutti

Aarav Manjunath

4th Graders:

Thank you to parents and siblings who came out to support the students, and to Barry Asher, TAG teacher, and Sue Friedrichs, fourth grade teacher, for volunteering. We are grateful for all of them! The team will now advance to the Metro Region HHRB Competition on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Clayton State University.

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

According to the most recent Department of Public Health Statement regarding influenza:

"Flu activity is widespread and severe in Georgia, and cases are likely to increase following the holidays and as Georgians return to work and school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also projects a severe flu season. If you have not gotten a flu shot yet and have no medical conditions preventing you from doing so, the Department of Public Health strongly urges you to take advantage of the health benefits the flu vaccine provides as soon as possible."

We are seeing an increase in confirmed flu cases throughout out building, consistent with what we are seeing across the state. Please read through the attached document. Our teachers will continue to prioritize hand washing and classroom cleaning. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Accidents happen - in the classroom, at recess, at lunch or the bathroom. When our Explorers get messy they often head to the Clinic to get cleaned up. We keep extra clothes on hand for those quick changes. We appreciate donations of all clothing sizes, and are currently in need of girls bottoms - all sizes. If you have any clothing items you'd like to contribute you can send them in with your student or drop them off at the front desk. Thank you!

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 know other teachers' names and greet them in the hall by name.

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. February's date is Friday, February 27th.

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.

Location: Tumbles

Address: 3005 Old Alabama Road, Suite 20

Alpharetta, GA 30022

Date: January 30, 2026

Time: 5-8pm

Cost: $35 per child ($5 back to Northwood)

Register at:

https://johnscreek.tumbles.net/en/camps/#schedules

It’s time to pre-order your 2025-2026 Northwood Yearbook—celebrating our 30th anniversary with this year’s theme: REWIND! Reserve your copy now for just $41.

Click here to order: yearbookordercenter.com/job/26362 — and don’t forget, 5th grade families can purchase a dedication ad to honor their student!

Questions? Email us at Yearbook@northwoodpta.com.

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