THE BEST

March 31 - Spring Pictures

March 31 - PTA Dining for Dollars - From the Earth

April 3 - STEM Day

April 6-11 - Spring Break (No School)

April 17 - All Pro Dad

April 20 - PTA Campus Service Day

April 29 - May 1, 5-8 - GA Milestones Assessments

Northwood staff got to jump-start this Friday with delicious donuts, a sweet treat donated by the Blumenfeld family. This afternoon, Centennial High School coaches and players from their football and flag football teams came to work with fourth- and fifth-grade students during specials. Mr. Pearch and Mr. Konigsberg, Mrs. Dahl, and Mrs. Katzin joined Coach Miller, Coach Oran, and many Knights players to work with our Explorers at a variety of skill stations. The elementary-to-high-school connection was on display as everyone worked hard, learned new skills, and had fun!

Many of our fifth-grade TAG students spent the start of this week at Tybee Island with Mr. Asher, Mrs. Sotola, Mr. Chaffer, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Katzin, and the staff from the Georgia Burton 4‑H Center. They explored, adventured and participated in great hands-on learning experiences.

We have another full week until Spring Break, and it will be packed with lots of learning and fun! Next week, we will welcome a visit from The Science Machine, as well as celebrate STEM Day on Friday, April 3. Enjoy the spring weather—March Madness continues, and the MLB season begins!

Fondly,
Heather Rucker, Principal

Over the past few weeks, students have been exploring Georgia heroes and their lasting contributions. Our learning began with Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, and her impact on opportunities for girls. We also studied Jackie Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., focusing on how they helped break barriers and create positive change. Most recently, students learned about former President Jimmy Carter and his influence on Georgia and the nation. The pictures above are highlights of student projects that reflect their learning and connections to these inspiring Georgia heroes.

Third grade had a blast on their field trip to the Dunwoody Nature Center! In science this year, students have learned all about different soil types, rocks and minerals, and erosion, weathering, and deposition. At the nature center, students were able to get their hands dirty (literally!) as they explored different soil types. They also performed the Mohs hardness test on different minerals. Finally, they went on many nature walks to spot erosion, weathering, and deposition in the woods. Although it was a chilly day, students left with big smiles and warm hearts!

Spring individual pictures and class pictures will take place this Tuesday, March 31st. Order forms were sent home with your students earlier this month.

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

We are excited to offer optional Field Day T‑shirts for students this year. Purchasing a shirt is not required to participate in Field Day, but it is a fun way for students to show school spirit.

Cost: $14 per shirt

Grades K–4: Blue and red shirts

5th Grade: Neon shirts

If you choose to purchase a shirt, additional ordering information is included below. Thank you for your support!

K-4 Order Form

5th Grade Order Form

If you have any questions please reach out to either Allison Bauer bauera@fultonschools.org or Jessica Gardella gardellaj@fultonschools.org

Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon RSVP Link

The Student Success Skills Inventory is used to measure student growth across Student Success Skill standards taught by teachers. Students complete the inventory by indicating if they almost always, always, sometimes, or never apply the skills being taught in the areas of Self Awareness, Self-Management, Social Competence, Collaborative Problem Solving, Reflective Learning Strategies, and Sense of Belonging. The SSS Inventory is about 15-20 items and administered to students in the Fall and Spring. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. Students complete the SSS Inventory using the Illuminate platform.

SPRING ADMINISTRATION: March 30, 2026 – April 17, 2026

QUESTIONS? If you have any questions about the SSS Inventory, please contact your school’s Student Success Skills Champion, Jennifer Weeks at weeksj@fultonschools.org.

Inventory Opt Out: Parents can choose to opt their student out of the inventory. To opt out, parents must submit written requests to the school principal.

What can I do to help my child prepare?

• Be certain your child gets plenty of sleep and has a healthy breakfast.

• Be certain your student is at school on time, so they are not worried about being late.

• Remind students that cell phones and smart watches will be collected and stored in the secure testing room during test administration times. It’s best for students to leave them at home if possible.

• Get information and practice using this link: Georgia Milestones Resources (gadoe.org)

• Experience the online testing session. See below for more details, and use this link: www.gaexperienceonline.com

What happens if my child is absent?

• There will be rolling make-ups throughout the testing window. Please do not send your child in if they are sick.

Can visitors be in the building?

• During GMAS testing, we will not be allowing visitors in the building before 11:30 am; and there will also be no lunch visitors these days.

Georgia Experience Online

Georgia Experience Online is a practice site that can be used for students to learn more about the structure and content of the Georgia Milestones Assessment, experience online testing, and practice using online testing tools. Parents are welcome to explore this site and use it to practice with your child.

Please note that the EOG Test Practice site will have ELA and Math questions while the EOG Study Guide for Students and Parents only focuses on Math and Science (5th grade only).

Below you will find an attachment with directions and the link to access the site. Please contact your child’s teacher or our CST, Danielle Evangelista if you have any questions.

We have successfully launched our new system called PickUp Patrol to help us track dismissals. PickUp Patrol provides families with a convenient way to make changes to your child’s dismissal plans and helps ensure that students are accurately dismissed each day.

If you haven't signed up, please email Mrs. Lorraine Robertson at Northwood's front desk, robertsonl1@fultonschools.org, and she will resend the registration email from PickUp Patrol with a link to set up your account. Moving forward, this is the only way to make dismissal changes. Please note that dismissal requests will no longer be accepted via the Northwood Dismissal email, teacher inboxes, or paper notes.

The parent portal is free to parents and can be accessed from your phone or computer. The link in your registration email will be live for 48 hours. As soon as you receive it, please log in and confirm your child’s default plan.

If you have any questions, please first check the PickUp Patrol Parent Guide & if you need additional assistance, please reach out to Mrs. Robertson, robertsonl1@fultonschools.org.

The Northwood Foundation is seeking a couple of new members to join our team! Our mission is to raise funds for innovative programs and facilities that enhance the educational experience and opportunities for students and faculty, thus enhancing the quality of life for the greater community. As a board member, you would play a vital role in our school community by coordinating and attending the annual Fun Run events and overseeing the stewardship of donated funds.

If you are passionate about supporting our students and faculty, we would love to hear from you. Interested parties should send a short biography to northwoodfoundationga@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

What is a School Governance Council?

The purpose of a School Governance Council (SGC) is to provide parents, school staff, and community members with a leadership role through monitoring and implementation of the strategic plan.

What is the commitment?

All School Governance Council members serve two-year terms. Time commitment varies from school-to-school, but expect 2 to 3 hours per month which includes meetings, trainings, and school and community events.

When are the 2026 elections?

Candidate Declaration: February 2 - March 27

Voting: April 22 - April 29

Where to declare candidacy?

Visit the SGC website and click on Elections for a candidate guide and/or declaration. Elections - Fulton County School System

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 pick up things dropped on the floor.

We can help you celebrate your child's birthday with his/her classmates by offering the purchase of ice-cream for $1.00 per child. Please go online and add money to your child's GENERAL LUNCH account based on the number of students in the classroom. Then email your child's teacher and our Cafeteria Manager, Chisthal Austin, at austinc4@fultonschools.org to let us know what date you would like to celebrate it. We will take care of the rest!

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. March's date is Tuesday, March 31st.

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.

The Dining for Dollars crew is back with another opportunity to send a percentage of every purchase back to Northwood at From the Earth. Kick back and let From the Earth do the work!

Where: From the Earth

Location: 1570 Holcomb Bridge Road

Date: Tuesday, March 31st

Time: 4pm-9pm

Don't forget to mention Northwood!

Campus Service Day Volunteer Link

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.

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