Northridge Notebook Newsletter
October 2026

Important upcoming dates
October
Sept 28-Oct 2-School Spirit Week
7- Chess Club 2:30-4:00 PM
8- Chess Club 2:30-4:00 PM
9- Fire Safety Training (1st/2nd/3rd Grade)
9- Chess Club 2:30-4:00 PM
12 - Picture Retake Day
13- PTO Meeting at 6:45-7:45 PM in cafeteria
14-Book Fair Opens
19- Parent Teacher Conferences will be held 2:45-6:45 PM
20- Parent Teacher Conferences will be held 2:45-6:45 PM
20- Last day of the Fall Book Fair 2:45 PM -6:45 PM
22- NO SCHOOL - Admin Convention Days
23- NO SCHOOL - Admin Convention Days
29-Fall Festival-5:00-6:30 PM (PTO Sponsored Family Event)
Looking ahead into November
1- Turn your Clock Back 1 hour
10- PTO Meeting at 6:45 PM in cafeteria
11- NO SCHOOL- Veteran's Day
13-End of Trimester 1
20-PTO Movie Night
26 & 27 - NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Holiday
Message from Ms. Mertz
As we wrap up the month of September and head into this new month, I wanted to celebrate the great turn out at our Back to School Bash on Thursday, Sept. 17th. Thank you Northridge families for coming out and enjoying the evening with us. A special thank you to our PTO, volunteers, and Northridge staff for coordinating this fun night for our school and to Family Fare for the donation of food items for this event. There was much joy and excitement by all and close to 500 people were in attendance. Congratulations to the grand prize winners, the Matthews family and the Stecher family, for winning the family fun game night bundles!
Our next school events are just around the corner...The NOR PTO meeting on October 13 @ 6:45 PM where we will host our Annual Title 1 Fall Review meeting & Conference Nights on October 19 & 20. Steps for signing up for conferences are available later in the newsletter. We hope to see you there!
Shine bright!
Parent-Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Northridge will be using PTCFast, an online scheduling tool, to make conference sign-ups as simple and convenient as possible this year.
To schedule a conference with your child’s teacher(s), please click the link below or enter the web address into your browser:
🔗 https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Northridge_Elementary_School
Conference Dates
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Monday, October 19th | 2:45–6:45 p.m.
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Tuesday, October 20th | 2:45–6:45 p.m.
If you do not have internet access, please contact the office at 701-323-4210 and we will be happy to help you schedule a time.
Book Fair
The Book Fair will run from October 14th–20th. Please see the flyer below for times.
Century Homecoming & Northridge Spirit Week
In celebration of the Century High School Homecoming Week, Northridge Elementary will have our own Spirit Week-September 28-October 2. Check out the many ways you can show your Northridge Spirit!
Back to School Bash
Back to School Bash
A huge thank you to everyone that joined us for our Back to School Bash! We had such a great time celebrating the start of another school year with our Northridge Superstars!
We also want to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to our Families that won our Grand Prizes! We hope you enjoy them!
Thank you to all of our families, staff, volunteers, and supporters who helped make the evening so much fun.
School Pictures
School pictures were taken on September 23rd and retakes will occur on October 12th.
Go to shop.jostenspix.com and Create an Account to view them. If you have already created an account, go to Log In. If you cannot see your student's current photos, use Event Code: FE367826
School Store Program
We want to personally thank all the families who have already participated in our SchoolStore Program. We are currently at 65% participation! While there is not a need to purchase anything with this program, students may receive a book buddy wristlet after submitting eight emails using the program's QR code. Any funds received from the program go toward student and teacher resources.
Chess Club
Fees can be turned in to the office at Northridge School or to Mr. Wolf on the first day of camp. Checks should be made out to Todd Wolf. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wolf at 701-426-3768 or Northridge secretary, Brandi Sonneson at 701-323-4210.
BPS Bond Referendum 2026
Last month, the school newsletter highlighted the impact on Northridge if the BPS Bond Referendum is passed on November 3, 2026. Below, you will see the impact on our feeder schools, Horizon Middle School and Century High School. If you'd like to learn more about the bond, please click here.
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Northridge PTO
Happy Fall, Northridge Families!
Hello Northridge Families!
First, we want to extend a big thank you to everyone who attended our first PTO meeting of the year. Your support, ideas, and participation are what keep this organization going! We also want to give a massive thank you to everyone who volunteered for and attended the Back to School Bash, which turned out to be a huge success. We are incredibly grateful for our community sponsors, including a giant thank you to Family Fare for donating all the food, and to the Scheller Family for supplying the water and food boats.
Looking ahead into October, the PTO wants to keep that wonderful energy going with a brand-new event. We are hosting a Fall Festival complete with a baked goods sale, hot chocolate, apple cider, a tattoo shop, crafts, games, and much more! We need a lot of volunteers to pull this amazing event off, so if you are interested in helping, please reach out to the PTO or let the school's front office know. Additionally, the PTO will be hosting a meal for our hardworking teachers during Parent-Teacher Conferences this month. Please be on the lookout for a Sign-Up Genius link soon if you would like to help supply food or items for this staff appreciation meal.
As a quick preview for November, our upcoming events include a fun dress-up week leading up to our highly anticipated annual Family Movie Night, so watch out for more updates soon. Don't forget that our next PTO meeting is scheduled for October 13, 2026, in the Northridge cafeteria beginning at 6:45 p.m. Finally, if you need any new Northridge school gear to show your school pride, you can shop online at any time by following the Northridge Gear Link.
Best,
Northridge PTO
In the Loop with Mrs. Leben
Helping Kids Learn to Regulate Emotions at School
Emotional regulation is a vital skill for children’s growth, learning, and relationships. When kids learn to manage big feelings, they are better prepared to succeed in school and life.
Why It Matters:
- 📚 Supports Learning – Helps kids focus, follow directions, and stay engaged.
- 🤝 Builds Friendships – Makes it easier to share, cooperate, and resolve conflicts.
- 💡 Encourages Problem-Solving – Kids can pause, think, and choose better solutions.
- 🌱 Reduces Stress – Calms worries and frustrations so school feels safer.
- 💪 Boosts Resilience – Helps children bounce back from challenges and mistakes.
- 🌍 Life-Long Benefit – Emotional skills grow with them into adulthood.
How Parents Can Help:
- Model calm behavior during stressful moments.
- Name emotions out loud (“I feel frustrated because…”).
- Teach simple calming strategies (deep breaths, taking a break, counting to 10).
- Praise effort when your child manages big feelings in positive ways.
- Work with teachers to support consistent strategies at home and school.
When kids learn to recognize and manage emotions, they build confidence, strengthen relationships, and create a strong foundation for learning.
Reminders from Nurse Miranda
Flu and cold season is upon us…
Attendance is important but not as important as your student’s health please remember to:
Let your child stay home if they have a fever of 100.4 or higher, don’t have them return to school until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without medication.
Leave your child at home if they have been vomiting or have had diarrhea. Keep them home for at least 16 hours to allow them to gain strength and be ready to participate in school again.
These are just some tips to keep your super stars healthy this FALL.
Student Drop Off Reminders
For the safety of our students and to ensure staff can access their designated spots, we kindly ask that families do not park or drop off students in the staff parking lot before and after school. Please use the designated drop-off and pick-up areas. Thank you for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe and smooth!
Mission Vision and Values
Our BPS Mission: "Empower every learner to thrive."
Our BPS Vision: "Together, our strong relationships build inclusive, collaborative, and innovative environments that create agency and inspire a passion for learning, excellence, and discovery."
Our BPS Values: Inclusion, Excellence, Innovation and Leadership
Secretary to the Principal at Northridge Elementary