The Nighthawk - Northwest Elementary School

June 2015
Volume 7, Issue 4
Northwest Elementary
The Nighthawk
16438 Hutchison Road, Tampa, FL 33625
(813) 975-7315 - http://northwest.mysdhc.org/
A Hillsborough County Public School
The Principal’s Corner
The thermometer says HOT, the rains have returned, and final bell has rung
on the 2014-15 school year…Its summer time! At Northwest there is so
much to be proud of and I want to thank everyone for their efforts to make
this year a success. The students have worked very hard and truly given it
their all. The PTA, under the direction of President Jennifer Cardamone, has
given thousands of hours volunteering at Northwest. From the welcome
back breakfast that the PTA provides the teachers on day one in preplanning,
to the final bell of the year, PTA works tirelessly to support your children
and the staff of Northwest…what an amazing group. A second group that
supports our school is the Northwest Dads’ Club under the direction of Mr.
Prieto and Mike Ferrara. The dads show up in the heat, on the weekends
and work into the night pulling weeds, laying mulch, building the haunted
house or gazing at the stars on astronomy night…they do it all! A huge
thank you goes to our dedicated and hardworking teachers and faculty at
Northwest Elementary. Our students’ success is truly a reflection of their
expertise and effort. The teachers are the ones that make the magic happen
each day guiding and challenging your children. Finally, thank you to all
the parents and grandparents that work so hard at home getting the homework done, checking the agenda, reading with your child, getting them fed,
showered and in bed each night. But most importantly, thank you for loving
your children and emphasizing that education is important. Northwest truly
is a great school because of the joint efforts of all these groups…thanks
again for making Northwest a special place!!!
As you start to plan for the 2015-16 school year, below are some dates to
keep in mind.
August 10th (the week of) parents will be mailed student homeroom placements
August 20, from 6- 8pm will be Northwest Elementary Open House
August 25, the students’ first day of school
August 31, Early Release (all Mondays) 1:15 dismissal time
Have a relaxing, fun and safe summer, and we look forward to seeing everyone on August 20th!
Bryan Quigley
Our Mission:
Northwest Elementary believes that all students are
important individuals. Our
primary purpose is to create a totally positive environment which provides
opportunities for academic
and
personal
success
through the joint efforts of
our faculty, staff and community.
Our Vision:
At Northwest Elementary
we believe that our first
commitment is to prepare
our students to be productive citizens of the twentyfirst century.
Our Purpose:
To inspire children who
love learning and develop
a community of wellrounded individuals who
will be successful and productive citizens.
Northwest Elementary
Bryan Quigley, Principal
Christine Cheng, Assistant Principal
Attendance Phone Line
If your child will be absent
from school, you must notify
Northwest prior to 10 AM on
the date the absence will occur. You can do so by calling
our Absentee Phone Line and
leaving a recorded message.
The answering machine is
available 24 hours a day. The
telephone number is 9757315 option 1.
Please come to the school main
office if you need assistance in understanding the information contained in this communication, or if
you need assistance with any other
school communications.
Si usted tiene dificultad en entender
la información de ésta u otra correspondencia de la escuela, por favor
venga a la oficina principal.
Page 2
Northwest Elementary School
The Assistant Principal’s Corner
"Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back."
Chinese proverb
The year came and went in a blink of an eye! It has been a fantastic year at
Northwest, full of celebrations and change. Thank you to all of the parents and
students that made this year such a great one. As test scores roll in and we are
starting to see a picture of the great gains students have made, I want to remind
families that learning cannot just happen at school.
Research shows that students who do not continue to read or practice basic skills
can regress up to 2 months once the new school year begins. We encourage our
Northwest families to make a conscious effort to make learning part of your
everyday life this summer. Read books, visit the library, go on vacation to new
places, keep journals, write letters, talk and enjoy each other this summer.
I hope that your summer is full of fun adventures and am looking forward to
starting another adventure in the Fall.
Christine Cheng
Assistant Principal
Christine Cheng, Assistant Principal
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
Northwest Elementary School
Page 3
Nighthawk NewS
Northwest Elementary PTA
16438 Hutchison Road, Tampa, FL 33625
Dear Nighthawk Families,
Can you believe it is June? In a blink of an eye the school year is over and summer is upon us.
The 2014-15 school year will soon be a wonderful memory.
In May we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week. The generosity during this time was amazing. Thank you for showing just how much you care for your teachers. Our teachers were very
touched by all that they experienced and received all week. We also held our Mother/Son
“Minute to Win It” game night for grades 3-5. All of the boys who attended thoroughly enjoyed
all of the games and great food.
The 5th grade banquet was a bittersweet day for all those parents who volunteered and dedicated their time in organizing a great afternoon. We had the opportunity to celebrate with all of
our 5th graders as they celebrated the culmination of their elementary years and prepare for
middle school. The many memories made while attending Northwest Elementary will forever
be in their hearts. One day you enter as a kindergarten parent and soon thereafter your child is
in 5th grade. Time certainly does fly fast. Our cafeteria was transformed into a magical place for
a day. It was incredible afternoon. Congratulations to all 5th grade Nighthawks and their parents.
I also have the pleasure of announcing that Mr. Quigley was recognized and accepted the Hillsborough County Council PTA Principal of the Year award. Great job Mr. Quigley! Thank you
for all that you do.
Lastly, I would like to personally thank you all for your participation in making this school year
a great success. We are very fortunate to have the support from our school administration,
teachers and staff. As a new president, I was very hopeful for a great school year. It has surpassed my expectations. I can assure you that I am very
thankful for each and every one of you. If you volunteered 20
minutes or 200 hours this year, I am excited that you took the
opportunity to be part of our awesome Nighthawk family. I appreciate your time and commitment to help make Northwest
Elementary the best it can be.
I hope that you all enjoy the summer and look forward to seeing you in August. Please remember to stay
committed, stay passionate and stay inCongratulations to the 2015-16
volved!
PTA Executive Committee Board Members.
President: Jennifer Cardamone, Treasurer:
Jennifer Waibel, Recording Secretary: Ashley
Choquette, Corresponding Secretary: Michelle
If you are interested in volunteer opportuniWhite, VP of Education: Jennifer Golubeff, VP
ties please email the VP of Education at
of Volunteers: Jennifer Waldhauser and VP of
nwepta.vpeducation@gmail.com or visit our
Ways & Means: Melanie Scionti
website. Several chair positions are still
available and we would love your involvement.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Cardamone, NWEPTA President
Page 4
Northwest Elementary School
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
Nighthawk NewS
Northwest Elementary PTA
Thank you so much for your generous donations to our
school throughout the 2014/2015 school year!
Nighthawks “Caring Clothes
Closet” is now accepting all
gently pre-owned clothing. All
sizes, children and adult, to
benefit our own Nighthawks.
Clothing must be gently
used and laundered. Many
mishaps happen throughout
the day. Please drop off your
donations to the front office.
Thank you for giving to our
fellow Nighthawks!
To keep up to date on PTA events
over the summer
please “LIKE” our
Facebook page
NORTHWEST
ELEMENTARY PTA.
Visit our PTA website at
www.NorthwestPTA.org
for information on how to
become involved, volunteer
opportunities, programs
and fundraisers, forms,
calendar of events and
more!
McDonald’s Ehrlich Rd.
Lee Roy Selmon’s Restaurant North Dale Mabry
Marchello’s Pizzeria North Dale Mabry
1st Citrus Bank Citrus Park
Brickhouse Gym Newkirk Rd.
Stacey’s Gluten- Free Bakery N. Dale Mabry
Publix
Winn Dixie
Chuck E. Cheese N. Dale Mabry
Chick Fil A Citrus Park Mall
Johnny Rockets Citrus Park Mall
Chili's Bar and Grill North Dale Mabry 813-962-3882
PDQ Carrollwood 813-443-8336
CATERED2U 813-362-4667
Pepo's Cafe 3879 Northdale Blvd 33624
Plato Latino 205 E. Bearss Ave, 33613
Awesome Automotive 600 St. Petersburg Dr. E. Oldsmar 34677
Beef O Brady's Northdale 15784 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, 33618
Chick-Fil-A Northdale 15801 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, 33618
Domino's Pizza 17804 Dale Mabry Hwy N., Lutz 33548
Demolition Comics 4149 W. Waters Ave., 33614
Dex Imaging 5109 W. Lemon St. #B 33609
Skate World of Tampa 7510 Paula Dr. 33615
Tampa Bay Skating Academy 255 Forest Lakes Blvd. Oldsmar
34677
The Sports Authority 12601 Citrus Park Dr. Tampa 33625
Qzar 7807 N. Dale Mabry Hwy 33614
Tanya and Matt's Froyo 15742 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, 33618
Genghis Grill 3805 Northdale Blvd. 33624
Airheads 5072 W. Linebaugh Ave. 33624
Vertical Ventures 5402 Pioneer Park Blvd., 33634
Countryside Lanes- 27867 US Hwy 19 N Clearwater 33761
NEW Northwest
T-shirt designs
are on the way!
Look for them at
OPEN HOUSE in
August.
Please continue to save your Box Tops
over the summer. We raised $2500 this
year! You make the difference. THANK
YOU for your help.
Page 6
Northwest Elementary School
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
Cool Kindergarten
Kindergarteners are so excited to be First Graders! They have been working really hard at becoming successful readers and writers. They’ve
learned to be scientists and mathematicians. But best of all… They’ve
learned to be: independent, good thinkers, problem solvers, and great
students.
We appreciate all you’ve done this school year to help your child be successful. Remember to read every day
with your child over the summer!
-The Kindergarten Team
Fabulous First Grade
WOW!!! What a year!!!!!
Your
children
have
brought such joy and happiness into our classrooms. We were so fortunate to have such wonderful families this year
and you will be missed. Your children have
touched our lives in very positive and rewarding
ways.
With summer vacation almost here, we have
listed some ideas to keep skills strong and learning fresh.
 Join the Hillsborough County Public Library.
(Read every day….this summer would be a
great time to choose a chapter book and read
aloud each evening.)
 Keep a vacation journal. (Ask your child to
write about and illustrate a journal page for
each day of vacation.)
 Bake together. (This is a great way to practice
reading and math skills.)
 Practice addition and subtraction facts using
flash cards.
 Have a family game night on Friday and play
board games!
Super Second Grade
This has been a fantastic year for 2nd Grade.
We finished the year preparing for next year
by reading the FRA books and competing in
the FRA Bowl. All the teams did a great job.
Congratulations to Mrs. Leonard’s Class for
coming in First Place. Students should continue to read this summer. Don't forget to utilize
the local public library.
Students practiced their multiplication facts in
math and expanded their knowledge of fractions as we ended the year. Mrs. Crawford’s
class won the Math Bowl here at Northwest.
Remember to use i-Ready this summer for continued practice over the summer.
We are looking forward to next year and
we wish everyone a
safe and restful summer.
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
Northwest Elementary School
Page 7
Fabulous Fourth Grade
Terrific Third Grade
Congrats 3rd graders! You've completed another year of school successfully and are
now ready for the 4th grade. All your hard
work has paid off!
Thank you Northwest parents for all of your
help and support this year. We couldn't do
it without your assistance.
Some things students can do over the summer to be "4th Grade Ready" are to make
sure all math facts are mastered, read regularly. MyOn is available over the summer,
and keep a journal of your reading or daily
activities to practice your writing.
Thanks again and have a happy and safe
summer!!
Fantastic
Fifth Grade
Fifth Graders
enjoyed their
last month of
elementary
school.
We
had a blast at
Busch
Gardens, the Banquet, and all of the last week activities.
Patrols ran wild at the annual Patrol Picnic and NTV bid farewell at their luncheon.
The 5th grade teachers want to wish the
graduates a happy summer and much
luck as they venture into 6th grade!
Wow! This school year was a
blur! Your children have worked
diligently through a rigorous curriculum and they are prepared
for the next step - fifth grade!
Battle of the Books was high
on our priority list this year. Congratulations to all of
the Battle Teams for their outstanding preparation
and performance. The competition was fierce and all
the participants should be recognized for their hard
work. Cristian G., Jenna M., Kendall W., and GiGi A.
from Ms. Rossi's class represented Northwest at the
Area Battle held at the Tampa Convention Center.
They did an outstanding job coming in 2nd place in
our Area. Their teamwork was evident and their drive
for success was at an all-time high! Fourth grade
teachers also want to congratulate all the children
who read and passed the test on each of the required
fifteen Battle Books. We are very proud of our Northwest Readers.
In addition, a big shout out goes to Braden S.
from Ms. Turner's ELA class and Ms. Wootton's Homeroom for making the District Round of 8 children from
throughout Hillsborough County in the 4H Tropicana
Speech. Braden received a special plaque and was
recognized at a School Board Meeting. His topic was
about a day in the life of a dung beetle.
Here are a few tips for summer vacation to prepare for the next school year: Reading is always a fun
and important activity. Reading builds fluency, rate,
and comprehension. Continue to read this summer as
you don't want any progress made this year to be lost
for the next grade level. Research shows that lack of
reading during the summer months will show regression the following year. Remember that readers are
leaders! I-Station is available to students this summer
- your child knows his/her passwords to log-in.
Practice basic multiplication fluency. This could
be done with flash cards. Also, there are several free
websites that offer multiplication fluency. Multiplication and division are building blocks for which 5th
grade curriculum depends.
Standardized tests in the 5th grade are computerized. There are several typing websites to prepare
your child. Once site is typingweb.com.
Fourth grade teachers want to thank all of the
parents that have volunteered for the numerous activities and field trips this year. Without your support, we would not have had such an awesome year.
Your dedication, donations, and time are greatly appreciated.
We wish you a fun-filled and relaxing summer.
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
Northwest Elementary School
Page 9
Media/Technology News
Belinda Pope, Media Specialist/Technology Resource Teacher
Media Volunteers Needed for Next Year– to help with battle practices, circulate
books, assist students in finding books, technology troubleshooting and help with
shelving or processing. All volunteer hours are helpful in keeping our media center
open all day! Training is provided. If interested, please email Belinda.pope@sdhc.k12.fl.us
(Note: You must have an approved SERVE Volunteer application on file for this
year. See Mrs. Furman in our front office for that application).
Fourth Grade Battle of the Books News- Ms. Rossi’s Team won our school competition and went on to the
district competition at the Tampa Convention Center where they placed second in the area! They won
their first round of competition and came in second overall after the last competition. Congratulations to:
Cristian (Captain), Jenna, Kendall & GiGi! These students worked very hard and it showed!
Hillsborough County Summer Reading Information can be found at:
http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/doc/54/library-media-services/about/library-about/
Have a wonderful summer and don’t forget to read some fabulous books!
Music Notes!
Wow, what a year! It went by sooo fast!!
I hope you have noticed a change in the amount of musical knowledge your child now holds in comparison to when this school year began.
Grades 1-3 learned about the notes on the staff, rhythm and how to play it on the xylophone and keyboard. Fourth grade spent the year learning how to read melody lines and play them on their recorders.
Fifth graders went a step further and made chords out of their notes on the staff and played them on the
baritone uke as well as plucking out single note melodies. Our choruses performed 3 part songs with students accompanying them.
Learning how to read and play music has such a powerful impact on people’s lives. It improves the
brain’s ability to reason, compare and create; it builds self- confidence and responsibility. Creating music
releases “feel good” endorphins that make a person’s gloomy day turn into a happy one. There is no better exercise for the brain then to learn how to play an instrument, and it’s good
for all ages!
Have a wonderful summer and enjoy incorporating music into it!
Page 10
Northwest Elementary School
June 2015 Volume 7, Issue 4
School Advisory Council
Northwest would like to thank our 20142015 School Advisory Council members. To the entire faculty, parents, and business partners –
THANK YOU too! Your involvement each year
contributes to the achievement and success of our
school.
SAC is looking for parents who would be
interested in joining SAC for the upcoming 2015 –
2016 school year. We are also looking for businesses that would like to become partners with our
school. For more information please contact Torrie Wootton at torrie.wootton@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
Dads’ Club
The Dads’ Club year may be over but we’re looking
forward to a strong following over the summer
and getting ready for a FULLY loaded year in
2015 – 2016. Our attendance was OUTSTANDING and we hope to gain some new dads for the
upcoming year. We will continue to have our monthly meeting and
alternate our meeting sites from Northwest, Lee Roy’s, and Beef
O Brady’s restaurants.
Our breakfast with parents will be a quarterly event that
will continue into next year’s calendar. We plan to have some
bowling events at the beginning of the year and at a mid-year
point and continue to have our fundraisers. Our golf tournament
is our biggest fundraisers so keep an eye out for these special
events. New and old dads can appreciate some new plans on some
landscape workdays and garden workdays for next year.
The Dads’ Club is always recruiting and trying to get more
dads involved. All dads need to play a big role in the children
lives, but they need to play a big role in their education too. That
is why it is so important to keep the club going and have a lot of
fun in the process. If you are interested in lending a hand or joining the Dads’ Club, please contact Mr. Prieto at 975-7315 or david.prieto@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
County School Board
Susan L. Valdes, Chair
Doretha W. Edgecomb, Vice Chair
April Griffin
Sally Harris
Carol W. Kurdell
Melissa Snively
Cindy Stuart
Superintendent of Schools
MaryEllen Elia
Acting Superintendent
Jeff Eakins
www.sdhc.k12.fl.us
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Bryan Quigley, Principal
Jennifer Cadamone PTA President
Jennifer Covell, Editor
Location: Tampa, Florida
Distribution: 650
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