April, 2015 Newsletter

April 2015
Volume 7, Issue 3
Northwest Elementary
The Nighthawk
16438 Hutchison Road, Tampa, FL 33625
(813) 975975-7315 - http://northwest.mysdhc.org/
A Hillsborough County Public School
The Principal’s Corner
Don’t look now, but we are now in the LAST 9 weeks!! Before you know
it, discussions about homework will turn to discussions about summer
camps and vacations. As we all know time flies!
It is always wonderful when we can recognize the accomplishments of
our students. I want to highlight and acknowledge Braden S. who successfully made it to the final round of the Tropicana Speech Contest. To
put this achievement in perspective, there are more than 14,000 fourth
grade students in Hillsborough County. Braden was one of eight fourth
grade finalist that competed in front the Superintendent at the school
board building on March 16th. We are very proud of Braden and to be
able to say that he is the second Northwest student to make it to the
Tropicana Speech finals in the last three years. Congratulations to
Braden, his parents, and Ms. Wootton and Ms. Turner—his teachers!
As I’m sure that you have heard in the news, education across the nation
and here in Florida has changed. We have new state standards and a
new assessment (FSA), but rest assured that our Northwest students are
up for the challenge and will continue to excel. In fact, I can share some
of the growth and accomplishments that our students have made this
year. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students exceeded the district’s average
and rank in the top tier of Elementary schools on the most recent math
formative assessment. Northwest ranks in the top 20 of the school district in Istation usage. Northwest will continue to strive for a level of excellence to prepare students to be successful both now and in the future.
Attendance counts!!! I know that most grades have completed their
standardized testing and that students often have a more relaxed feeling
after the testing is done…and that is a good thing. However, please remind your child that we will continue to work hard and every day is important. One of the trends we have noticed is that once testing is done,
our attendance slips. Our goal is to have at least 96% attendance rate
every day! Please make sure your child is only absent when he or she is
sick or if you have a family emergency. Let’s make it a family goal to end
the year strong and being at school every day is a great step towards accomplishing that goal!!!
Bryan Quigley, Principal
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
It is hard to believe that we are in the 4th 9 weeks and the end of the year is in
sight!!
A big HOORAY to the grade 1-4 students and teachers for surviving the SATs
and FSA assessments!! The students were well rested, prepared and present in
mind and body! As a reminder here are the testing dates we are looking forward
to next:
FSA Computer Based Testing Reading Grade 5
April 13th – 17th
th
April 14
SAT Testing Grade 3
FSA Computer Based Testing Math Grade 5
April 20th- 24th
FCAT Science Grade 5
April 27th – 28th
Please use these dates and plan accordingly. Studies show that students test better when they are in a familiar environment. By being absent during one day of
testing it does throw off their testing schedule and could impact their scores. We
understand that emergencies arise and do not encourage students to come to test
when they are sick. However, we do hope that if possible, our attendance will be
excellent during the testing days.
On the days of testing please do not plan on signing out your students early.
Once a student is signed out of a testing session they may not start that session
again. I highly encourage you to keep the testing dates in mind when making
any appointments for your student. If your student is sick, please keep them
home. We would rather the students return the next day feeling 100% than come
to school at 50% and not perform to their highest capabilities.
Though these are important assessments, it is key to remember that none of
these tests determine a student’s success in their grade level. We do not want to
overstress the students into thinking everything hinges on these scores. It is critical for them to know that we just want them to always do their best.
We have introduced the Last Minute Club again to encourage students to always
make every minute count, not only on testing days but in day to day learning as
well. First one finished does not mean that you are the best. Paced and steady
will win the race. Encourage your students to underline where they find their
answers in reading, reread text, show their work in math, form a plan in reading
responses, reread what they write on written work and never ever think they are
complete. During each test session students will have the opportunity to earn a
ticket toward the Last Minute Club party. We are still in the planning mode of
that event, but if it is anything like last year’s, it will be a huge motivator.
If you ever have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 975-7315.
Christine Cheng, Assistant Principal
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
Northwest Elementary School
Page 3
NIGHTHAWK NEWS
Northwest Elementary PTA
16438 Hutchison Road, Tampa, FL 33625
Dear Nighthawk Families,
First, I would like to “thank
thank you”
you all for your continuing support. I am grateful for the commitment our students and families show in participation at our many events. Our January General PTA meeting was a fun night! The Talent Show was amazing and very popular with the
kids! Night Out with the Nighthawk Nights continue to be a big success. I love to see all of our
families attend and connect. It is what truly makes our spirit nights worthwhile. The restaurants we partner with make it a priority to give us their best. Thank you to Lee Roy Selmon’s
(N.Dale Mabry), Johnny Rockets, and McDonald’s (Ehrlich Rd) for everything they do to better
our experience. We especially loved seeing all of our teachers, assistant principal and principal
helping out at McDonalds. They are the BEST! Our last spirit night will be Thursday April
30th at Skateland.
Happy spring! There is still much to do in these last nine weeks of the school year. Most of
the testing has been completed and we are very proud of all of our nighthawks! They did an
amazing job! We look forward to enjoying the rest of the school year. On our calendar we have a
Sno cone day, skate night, Mother-Son Night, Teacher Appreciation week, and more!
Planning for 5th Grade banquet is continuing! Our coordinators have been working very
hard with volunteers and area businesses to make this afternoon outstanding. If you have a
business and would like to help with any donation or your time, please email Silvia at
mah_harrison@hotmail.com. Our volunteers work very hard and dedicate hours of their time to
make it the best. Thank you to all those 5th grade parents who are pitching in.
The week of May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week. I encourage you to spoil your teachers.
Our teachers put in countless hours at the school, outside functions, trainings, meetings and at
home. This is one of the reasons our school is very special and is rated an “A” school. There
are many ways to show your teachers you care and appreciate them. In the next few weeks be
sure to look for other suggestions from your homeroom representatives.
Let’s keep going strong for these next few months and enjoy all that it has to offer!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Cardamone
Northwest PTA President
SAVE the DATE!
Next PTA General Meeting is
Tuesday, May 19th.
Congrats to our
Volunteer of the
Year!!!
AMY THORNE
Yearbook looking for more pictures.
Send them to
heather.a.turner@gmail.com
Page 4
Northwest Elementary School
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
NIGHTHAWK NEWS
Northwest Elementary PTA
Junior Achievement
These classes still need parent to
teach Junior Achievement. 5th
Grade: Mrs. Cerra, Mrs. Jones, and
Ms. Crews. 3rd Grade: Mrs. Decker.
Now Hiring!
PTA is looking for creative, helpful
and insightful leaders to join our board
for the 2015-2016 school year.
Materials and lesson plans are provided. The kids LOVE it!
Contact Jennifer at
Ashchoquette83@gmail.com
nwepta.president@gmail.com
PTA designated parking spots are for
PTA board members.
Our Board is kind enough to work for
free. Please be respectful and leave
these spots available.
Homeroom
Representatives:
Next Homeroom Representative Meeting is Tuesday, April
21st@ 8:15am in the cafeteria
Contact: Susan Lange:
sjfromsa@gmail.com
We Deliver Award
Hillsborough County Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the We Deliver Award. For the
past 9 years, the district, in partnership with the Hillsborough Education Foundation, has honored an employee who has gone above and beyond to deliver excellence to our students. This year, we are looking for
someone who has gone the extra mile while dealing with their own personal, life changing struggle - maybe
they have remained dedicated to our kids while caring for a sick family member, or dealing with their own
illness.
Anyone can nominate a district employee for the award - community members, employees, parents, students. The winner will receive a check for $10,000 and the honor of representing so many deserving employees who model what this award is all about. To learn more about the qualifications for We Deliver, or
to nominate an employee go to our website: ~www.sdhc.k12.fl.us and type We Deliver in the search box.
Nominations will be accepted until Friday April 17.
District officials as well as staff from the Education Foundation will have the opportunity to surprise the winner in early May.
Northwest Elementary School
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
Page 5
Procedural News & Notes
Early Release MONDAYS
Please remember that EVERY MONDAY is an early release day. Students
are released at 1:15. And remember to let your child’s teacher know in
writingif he/she will be going home a different way on any day.
***CAFETERIA REMINDERS***
Please remember that there is no adult supervision prior to 7:30 AM. Breakfast begins at
7:30 AM. Cafeteria doors remain locked until that time. You place your child in danger if
you drop them off before 7:30 AM. To ensure the safety of your children, please do not drop
students off until breakfast is served.
Cold & Flu Season
Cold season is upon us. Our goal is to make the
school a healthy, safe place for both students
and staff. Please remember the following: We
will call you immediately if your child becomes
ill during school hours. Your help in arranging
for your child to be picked up AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
after receiving our call is greatly appreciated.
We ask that you not send your child to school if any signs/
symptoms listed below are present:
• Vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours.
• Fever within 24 hours.
• Sore/red throat.
• Persistent coughing/sneezing.
• Red, watery eyes.
• Rash.
• Earache, drainage from ear.
• Excessive mucus from nose, particularly greenish/
yellowish mucus.
Your child may return to school as soon as all signs/symptoms
are gone, or when your physician provides a written statement
indicating your child is ready to return.
Thank you for working with us on this matter.
Our newsletter is also
available online at:
http://northwest.mysdhc.org
School Check-In
Please remember about the signin system. Any student arriving
late to school must be accompanied into the office by an adult.
Absent Children
Please advise us of your child’s absence as
soon as possible. The district is initiating
phone calls for absent children at 10 AM. If your
child is going to be absent, PLEASE remember to
call the absentee phone line at 975-7315 and press
option 1 before 10 AM.
**Please see reminder on page 7 about district policy regarding excused and unexcused absences.**
Page 6
Northwest Elementary School
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
Cool Kindergarten
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Super Second Grade
!! !!
! " #
$ % & !
!!
' ! & ! ( !
' ! ( This is the beginning of our final 9 weeks in
2nd grade. The students have now finished the
SAT-10 standardized testing. We are so proud of
all of our Northwest 2nd graders. Our students
used the skills they have practiced all year to show
their Northwest Best Effort. The students hard
work and effort will be rewarded with a celebration later this spring. More information will be
sent home soon.
We want to encourage our students to continue
working hard. We will be reading everyday and
will continue to celebrate our continued growth as
readers with a Spring Reading Plan. More information will be sent home soon.
In math, students should continue to practice
their addition and subtraction facts as well as
begin learning their multiplication facts for 3rd
grade. Skip counting practice will help students
begin to understand multiplication.
Your help at home
will continue to enhance the learning of
our Northwest 2nd
graders as we begin to
prepare for their success next year. Thank
you for all you do to
help at home.
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
Northwest Elementary School
Page 7
Fabulous Fourth Grade
Terrific Third
Grade
3rd graders worked so
diligently on their FSA
Testing! We are proud
of them! All that hard work will pay off. Now
we are ready to PARTY at the Last Minute Club
festivities.
Parents, we are in the home stretch as 3rd
graders. Please make sure your child has his/
her supplies replenished. Pencils, erasers, scissors, glue, and crayons. We are still hard at
work.
The 3rd grade Multiplication Bee will be
coming up soon! Practice those facts girls and
boys. Will you be the fastest multiplier in your
classroom to be able to compete with the other
classroom winners?
Spring is in the air! We
can hardly believe that we
are in the final grading period of the school year. Time
flies when you are a busy 4th grader.
Fourth grade teachers want to give a shout out to
the children who gave their best effort completing
the standardized FSA Writing, Reading, and Math Sessions. They were well prepared and used all the test
-taking strategies that were practiced. We look forward to see the results of their hard work.
Fourth graders participated in a wonderful opportunity attending a field trip to Upper Tampa Bay
Park. The children actively discovered this intertidal
estuary as part of studying Florida ecosystems. They
were able to wade in the brackish water and gather
various marine species. Our knowledgeable guide
provided information as to the flora and fauna of the
habitat. We want to thank all the chaperones who
got "mucky" with us. This sure was a field trip to remember!
Be sure your child is getting enough sleep and
eating nutritiously. We will be preparing your precious ones for the next grade level so there is a lot
more to do at school in the weeks ahead.
Reminder Regarding Absences
The following is a reminder of the district policy regarding excused/unexcused absences (from the student handbook.)
Examples of excused absences include:
• an illness of the student or a medical or dental appointment; six (6) or more absences within a 9 week grading period, may require a doctor’s statement by school officials;
• an accident resulting in injury to the student;
• a death in the immediate family of the student;
• an observance of an established religious holiday. Documentation of the religious affiliation of the student may be required by
school officials. If the religious holiday observance cannot be identified as a traditionally well-known day such as Rosh Hashanah,
school officials should require a note from the parent and a letter from the leader of the faith organization stating that the day, if
celebrated, would result in an absence. If the letters are submitted, the absence should be excused and also recognized as an
established religious holiday that does not impact any attendance incentives including exam exemptions;
• pre-planned absence for a personal reason that is acceptable to the principal or designee. A parent must make the
request in writing to the principal or designee at least three(3) days prior to the date of the absence. The parent will be
notified of the decision. Vacations, other than on non-student days, must be pre-approved.
• a subpoena by a law enforcement agency or a required court appearance;
• an emergency for a reason acceptable to the principal/designee for an emergency such as:
• severe weather conditions;
• a major personal or family problem;
• fire, flood, or other major damage to the home;
• an accident on the way to school; or
• a breakdown of the school bus (failure to pick up the student).
• under certain conditions, students may apply to be released for a maximum of one hour per day for religious instruction at an off
campus site . For further information, the parent should contact the principal.
Unexcused absences include absences that:
• are caused by truancy of the student;
• are caused by an out-of-school suspension
Page 8
Northwest Elementary School
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
Art Works
The 1st and 2nd graders have been expanding their knowledge in the elements of line,
shape, color and texture while developing pattern based compositions. We've also incorporated the principles of contrast and rhythm into our lessons. Currently we are
working on self portraits, and plan to include experiences in printmaking and 3 dimensional form as we head into the final quarter of the year.
Our 3rd grade students have been focusing on the element of color and the property of
value. The medium of tempera paint has been employed to affect the value of a color by mixing various tints
and shades. We will also be exploring self portraits, monoprints, and drawing 3 dimensional forms this quarter.
Grades 4 and 5 are exploring the principles of balance, rhythm, movement, and pattern through the mediums
of drawing and painting. We are employing the elements of line, color, shape, form, space, and texture in our
compositions. During this quarter we will be using the mediums of paint, printmaking, and clay to further our
understanding of the elements and principles of art.
Music Notes
Our biggest news this month is that one of our students won the state
VSA (Very Special Arts) award for the month of March! I nominated a very
deserving student, Danielle K., for this award, and she won. She will be
recognized and presented a trophy by one of the VSA state representatives as soon as a date and time is set.
Our Spring concert date has been changed from April 28th to June 1st,
2015 at Sickles High School at 6:30 p.m. Please have your student there
by 6:00. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade chorus will be performing. Please
check to see if your child has returned their permission slip to perform in order to reserve a place on
the risers.
With nine weeks left in the school year, I can hardly believe how fast it has flown by. Our students in grades 1-3 have been working on the xylophone and the piano. Hopefully, if you ask your
first grader to play the C scale on the piano, they can find C and play the scale with the correct fingering:-) Grades 1 and 2 recently finished learning to play their Valentine’s song on the piano.
I’m sure you know what instrument the 4th graders are working on if you have one! The recorder
does not have the best sound unless played softly. Please encourage your child to remember to
bring their recorder to class.
Our fifth graders have learned to play the G scale on the baritone ukulele as well as picking,
plucking and strumming chords. If you have a guitar at home, our baritone ukuleles have been
tuned the same as the top 4 strings on the guitar. We’ve had the pleasure of having a guest guitarist, Thomas Coffey, who came in and gave our students a few lessons too! His daughters went to
Northwest quite a few years ago.
If you have an electric keyboard that is not being used and would like to donate it to our music
department, we would love to have it.
Thank you for helping us have a wonderful year! Please remember that learning to play instruments and sing requires discipline and teaches your child work habits, gives them a feeling of self
accomplishment, and is great exercise for their brain.
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
Northwest Elementary School
Page 9
Media/Technology News
Belinda Pope, Media Specialist/Technology Resource Teacher
Reading & Battles & Bowls, Oh My!
Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are immersed in reading their list of
battle books. Fourth and fifth graders have been enjoying book discussions at their battle lunch bunches with Mrs. Pope, Mrs. Bugg
and the fifth grade teachers. Battle teams will be forming in April
and preparing to battle in May.
Students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade have been enjoying book lessons with Mrs. Pope using this year’s list of books on the Florida Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award list. Students will be voting for their favorite book in April. The list and activities can be found at:
http://www.flreads.org/Book_Award/childrenftpage.htm
Our second graders will be participating in the FRA Bowl after they read all eight titles. These
would be great books to check out from the public library and re-read with your second grader.
Mrs. Pope and Officer Vito presented four Internet Safety rules through a video and an interactive
game with our students who attended the Northwest Cyber-Safety night on March 5th. Students
who return their signed Internet Safety Rules Pledge will receive a prize. For information or to
watch videos and play games from this program, link to:
NetSmartzKids.org.
Do you want your child to practice reading & comprehension skills?
Try all the new titles on MyON & AXIS360 ebooks.
Navigate here for further info:
http://galesites.com/menu/index.php?loc=doem
Coming Soon: NTV (Northwest News and Technology Crew) applications will be distributed to interested fourth graders for our 2015-2016 Crew Members! Mrs. Pope is looking for technical crew
members and on air personalities who are on time (7:30AM) and love working with technology and
presenting important school news to our entire community. If you are interested, see Mrs. Pope for
next year’s application.
Exciting Technology News!
Our school recently went through the district refresh for technology and gained
one new Lenovo laptop and wireless projection device for each teacher. The students are now able to utilize the HP elitepads that were formerly used by the
teachers. The boosterthon fundraiser purchases enabled the school to purchase
a new set of computers for our primary and all classrooms now have a minimum
of 3-4 desktop computers.
Media Volunteers Needed – to help with battle practices, circulate books,
assist students in finding books, technology troubleshooting and help with
shelving or processing. Any hours are appreciated! We love early morning
and end of day volunteers! If interested, please call Mrs. Pope at 813-9757315. (Note: You must have an approved SERVE Volunteer application on
file for this year. See Mrs. Furman in our front office for that application).
Page 10
Northwest Elementary School
April 2015 Volume 7, Issue 3
School Advisory Council
The School Advisory Council has 2 more meetings
left - each one is important to the improvement of
Northwest.
The final meeting dates are 4/23 and 5/28 at 3 PM
in the media center. We are looking for new
members to join next year! If you would like to be
a part of SAC and are interested in participating
during the 2015-2016 school year, please contact
Torrie Wootton, SAC Chairperson. Please call the
school or send her an email @ torrie.wootton@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
Dads’ Club
The Dads’ Club needs more attendance at monthly
meetings; we average about 15-20 dads and their
children. These individuals make a big impact on their
children and their school. We meet on Tuesday or
Thursday nights once a month to show our school spirit, to emphasize
the importance of education and that our school is important to the
family as well as the child. So come out to the next meeting on April
23th at LEE ROY SELMONS. We’ll either have a craft or game for the
kids to do and the “official” information is pretty short – we really like
to just have some time to hangout with dads and the kids!
If you haven’t been part of the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade FatherDaughter Dance it’s amazing. This past February was another amazing
event that really holds a lot of memories. The dance was February 13th
and the DJ got all the “ole” guys on the dance floor.
Please sign up to be on the email list to receive news and information on upcoming events. Don’t forget to check out our calendar located in the main office.
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
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
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
Bryan Quigley, Principal
Jennifer Cadamone PTA President
Jennifer Covell, Editor
Location: Tampa, Florida
Distribution: 650
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