Northridge Elementary Weekly Blast

April 13 to April 17, 2026
Important Dates
Apr 24 - No School -Teacher Professional Development Day
Apr 27 - No School - Teacher Comp Day
Apr 30 - Wellness Night
May 08 - Popcorn Friday
May 08 - Breakfast with Buddies
May 13 - SAC Meeting
May 14 - 4th Grade Colorado Play
May 21 - Field Day
May 22 - 3rd Grade Business Day
May 28 - Graduation Day (6th, 5th and Kindergarten)
May 28 - Family Picnic and Last Day of the School Year
May 29 - No Students (First Day of Summer)
Graduation Updates - 4 guests per graduate
Health Room Request
Our Health Room is looking for donations of gently used sweatpants, leggings, and hoodies in various sizes for both boys and girls.
Accidents, spills, and mud happen—having these items on hand helps our students get back to class quickly and comfortably. If you have any outgrown items at home that are still in good condition, please consider dropping them off at the front office. Thank you for helping us keep our students warm and dry!
Looking for Volunteer Opportunities at NRE?
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new Volunteer Coordination Website! We know your time is precious, so we’ve created a "one-stop-shop" designed to make supporting our school simpler than ever.
Whether you have an hour to spare or want to lead a major event, this platform allows you to:
Browse at a Glance: See all upcoming opportunities across the entire school in one organized list.
One-Click Sign-Up: No more digging through old emails or paper flyers; just click, claim your spot, and you're set!
Our community is powered by the incredible energy of our families. We invite you to head over to the new site today to see how you can help make Northridge Elementary an even better place for our students!
Author Visit
Field Day Coming Up
NRE Wellness Night
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a Wellness Night for students and families on April 30th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. This event aims to promote self-care, emotional well-being, and healthy habits in a fun and interactive way. Throughout the evening, we’ll have various stations and activities focused on mindfulness, relaxation, healthy habits, and emotional support. It’s a great opportunity to learn new ways to support mental and physical health as a family.
We are looking for parent and community volunteers who would like to host a booth or activity during the event. If you have a skill, hobby, or area of expertise related to wellness—whether it’s art, yoga, nutrition, or mindfulness—we’d love for you to share it with our school community!
If you're interested in volunteering or have ideas for a booth, please reach out to Halie Snider at hsnider@dcsdk12.org. We look forward to working together to make this a memorable and valuable event for all!
Potential Booth Ideas Include:
- Mindfulness and Relaxation Stations
- Crafts/DIY projects (e.g., calming jars, positive affirmation cards)
- Movement and Active Play Stations (e.g., yoga, dance breaks)
- Nutrition and Healthy Snacks
- Mental Health and Self-Care Education
- Creative Expression (e.g., art or music stations)
Think Tank April Update
PTO Pulse
PTO In Action
New PTO Board Members Needed!
PTO is searching for some NRE parents who are interested in serving the community as a PTO Board Member for the 26/27 school year. PTO Board Members serve from May to May. We are still in need of 1 new Co-Communications Officer, 2 new Co-Vice Presidents and 1 new Co-Treasurer. Please email PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com if you are interested in learning about the opportunities! It’s a great way to get involved at NRE!
iPad or other Tablet Donation Request
PTO is looking for an older iPad or tablet to use at events when we need to collect credit card payments. If you have one at home that you’re no longer using, please consider donating it to the PTO If you’re willing to donate, please email PTOpresidentNRE@gmail.com.
“Treasure Box” Donations
PTO is willing to help you clean out your toy bins! We are collecting small toy items to restock our prize “Treasure Box”. Think of small toys your kids might get as prizes from Chuck-E-Cheese, birthday party favors, valentines, etc. Items might include: rubber duckys, bouncy balls, fidgets, unused stickers or temporary tattoos, unused pencils/erasers, slinkies, etc. If you’ve got some items you’d like to recycle, please donate them to PTO! It is a win-win, you have less clutter in your house and PTO saves money by not needing to buy new prizes! (Although, we can’t promise you that those prizes won’t end up back at your house at some point!) Drop off your items at the office anytime. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
FREE Rockies Tickets!
The PTO now gets free Rockies tickets for select 2026 games—and they’re available to NRE families at no cost! To get a shot at tickets, make sure you're opted in to PTO text messages. When tickets are available, you’ll get a text with instructions on how to request tickets. Tickets will be given out on a first come, first served basis. Not signed up yet? It only takes 10 seconds— click here.
We have given away 111 tickets to the NRE community so far for games in April! Don’t miss out on the chance to score tickets for games in May - opt in to text messages today! Tickets for April 21 are still available if you are interested!
Plus, PTO texts keep you in the loop with all the important reminders and updates. Stay connected and don’t miss out!
Silent Auction
The annual PTO Silent Auction is open and will run until 8pm tonight! Place those bids!! There are some amazing items up for grabs! Check out the auction site now!
SweetPlay Family Night Out
It’s finally here!! The SweetPlay Northridge Night combined with our annual Silent Auction Event is tonight, April 17th from 5-8:30pm.
We will be at SweetPlay (formerly Candeeland!) for a private event for Northridge Families - celebrating our school and community! A buffet dinner is included with admission, along with open play, organized games and tons of fun with friends. You’ll also be able to visit the in person portion of the silent auction (also available online) hosted in the double party room, and bid on exciting items.
There are still tickets available, please visit this link for all details and to register for last minute tickets, walk-ins are also welcome!
Restaurant Nights
Local restaurants host “spirit nights” where a designated portion of the proceeds from your order will be generously donated back to NRE PTO. All you have to do is mention NRE when ordering. It’s a win-win-win: you get a night off from making dinner (or treats), local restaurants get our business, and PTO receives a donation. Stay tuned for more dates - we are adding more to the calendar all the time!
4/14/26: Freddy's
4/21-4/23/26: Texas Roadhouse (10066 San Juan Way, Littleton 80127)
4/28/26: Panda Express
5/7/26: Red Robin
5/19/26: Mici Italian
5/28/26: Mod Pizza (all day), McDonald's (11am - 2pm), Kona Ice (10am-12pm)
Volunteer Opportunities
NRE has a new volunteer site to see all available volunteer opportunities. Please check it out here! Specifically, you can find information about the following volunteer needs we have:
Breakfast with Buddies - Pick up the donuts, coffee, or breakfast tacos. Help us set up on May 7 after school. Help us clean up.
Restaurant Nights Chairperson - Setup restaurant nights for the summer and all of next school year. You can do this any time it works for you!
Ongoing Fundraisers
Celebrate Your Artist!
Do you have piles of amazing art from your student at home and nowhere to display it!? Would you love to have it all in a beautiful and convenient book to enjoy? Plum Print has given Northridge the opportunity to support our school while we transform our children’s artwork into custom books! Not only will they donate 20% of the sale back to Northridge but they have also provided a $25 off code for us! Please take a look at the flyer below and use the code NORTHRIDGE when you place your order. This will give you $25 off your order and send 20% back to NRE!
NRE SWAG!!
NRE PTO is partnering with a company called “Mostly For Nerds” (MFN) to provide NRE Swag! You can now purchase tshirts, hoodies, hats, etc. MFN is also generously donating $5 per item sold back to NRE PTO. More items will be available in the future, and if you have a request for items that you’d like to see available, please let us know. Check out the online store now!
Paint the Rock - Reserve the Rock to celebrate a special occasion. First sign up for your date here, then make your $20 donation to PTO through MySchoolBucks.
Additionally, PTO has volunteers who are willing to paint the rock for you if you’d like! Follow the steps above, then email PTOpresidentNE@gmail.com to inquire about volunteer availability. When we find a volunteer who can paint for you, then you can make an additional $50 donation to PTO.
King Soopers - Did you know!?
King Soopers donates back to the community through their Community Rewards Program. There is no cost to families to participate and it takes 1 minute to link your King Soopers account to NRE PTO! We are really hoping to take full advantage of this great community partnership! See the very easy steps in the flier below.
...
A Note from Principal Lehnert
Dear Northridge Families,
Can you believe that it is already mid-April??!! The time is flying by, but we still have a packed schedule to finish out the year. Be sure to check out the important dates at the top of this newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!
CMAS: That’s a Wrap!
We have officially reached the finish line! Aside from a few small make-up sessions, CMAS testing is complete. I am so proud of our students for their focus and stamina over the last few weeks.
Teachers have been celebrating with their students. I’ve seen some donuts and other treats shared. The teachers are excited to celebrate too. We are having a potluck "Dip Party" next Thursday. Teams will be bringing in all sorts of delicious dips and dippers to share in the lounge. Honestly, we’re all pretty excited! It’s going to be a "chip-per" afternoon, and we can’t wait to dip into the fun! Teachers like to have fun too!
Know-Brainer Success!
Speaking of hard work, I want to give a massive shout-out to our two teams of students who represented Northridge at the Know-Brainer district competition last weekend!
Know-Brainer" is a popular academic competition (similar to a "Battle of the Books" or a "Knowledge Bowl") specifically designed for elementary and middle school students. It is a fast-paced, buzzer-style trivia competition. Think of it like Jeopardy! but for kids, where teamwork and quick reflexes are just as important as knowing the answers.
Our students truly showed up and showed out, placing 2nd and 4th overall in the region. We are so proud of how they represented NRE—congratulations to our brilliant competitors!
A Legacy of Excellence: Celebrating Mrs. K!
I am overjoyed to share some incredible news with our community. Our very own Andrea Klingler (Mrs. K) has been honored with the Nancy Intagliata - A Legacy for Nancy Award!
This award was created in loving memory of Nancy Intagliata, a devoted long-time educator who believed deeply in the power of "paying it forward." The organization, A Legacy for Nancy, works to champion teachers and school staff members who have shown incredible strength and dedication to their students while navigating the personal impact of a cancer diagnosis—either their own or that of a loved one.
The Legacy Award is a $2,500 gift meant to honor those who, like Nancy, continue to be "heroes in our schools" despite the challenges they face. Anyone who has stepped into Mrs. K’s world knows that she embodies this spirit every single day. Her resilience, her heart for her students, and her commitment to Northridge are truly inspiring.
Please join me in congratulating Mrs. K on this well-deserved recognition. We are so lucky to have her "Legacy" growing right here at NRE!
Upcoming Short Week & Staff Development
Just a reminder that next week is a bit shorter than usual! There will be no school for students on Friday, April 24, or the following Monday, April 27.
While the kids are enjoying their extra-long weekend, our teachers will be hard at work. We’ll be spending time on-site preparing for the busy end-of-year season, as well as traveling to Mountain Vista High School for a special presentation by Superintendent Erin Kane and some valuable professional development.
Tonight: Sweetplay & Silent Auction!
Don't forget—tonight is the big NRE Night Out at Sweetplay from 5:00–8:30 PM! I’ll be there for a good portion of the excitement, and you can bet I’ll be glued to my phone watching the final minutes of the Silent Auction. Please brave the weather and join us for some community fun—it’s always such a blast to see the kids playing and the parents connecting.
A Personal Note
On a quick personal note, my husband and I have finally decided to take the plunge and invest in a camper! We have been talking about this for a long time, and we are so excited to spend this weekend checking out all the different options . Wish us luck as we try to agree on a layout that we both love and that fits our budget! :)
Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing smiling faces on Monday!
Smiles,
Erin
Stone Mountain Outdoor Edventures
Register Today for Stone Canyon Summer Camp!
Looking for fun, engaging, unplugged summer activities for your child this summer? Consider Stone Canyon's Summer Camp programs! Join us for a summer of fun, adventure, and friendship. Find registration links and more information here: https://www.stonecanyonedge.org/summercamp
Located in Larkspur, we offer week-long Overnight Camps for 9-15-year-old campers and 3-day Day Camps (including transportation to/from camp out of Castle Rock) for 6-9-year-old campers.
Update From the District...
How to Receive Emergency Messages from DCSD
Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and click on the “person” icon in the top right-hand corner of the page. Navigate to “Contact Preferences” and review your contact information. If you see an incorrect phone number or email, please update it in Infinite Campus, or contact the registrar at your child’s school to request an update.
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Resources
Below is a list of resources, should you have a concern that a loved one (or yourself) may be experiencing behavioral changes, mood swings, depression, or suicidal thoughts over the break.
Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to the child or others
988 - Suicide and Crisis Hotline
Call or text “988” any time, 24/7 for free, confidential support.
Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)
Trained Crisis Counselor Hotline: (844) 493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255
Chat online (open from 4pm-12am daily): Click Here
Walk-in Locations (open 24/7): Location List
Information About Types of Services and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado Crisis Services
Douglas County has an anonymous reporting system available at all times. Anyone with a concern for someone’s well-being or safety can use Safe 2 Tell (1-877-542-7233) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
