It has been such a joy to see all of our students back in the building and settling into the school year. The energy in the classrooms and hallways is contagious, and I have loved seeing students reconnect with their peers and teachers. Reading and math lessons are underway, and students are quickly getting back into the rhythm of school routines.
This month, we are also wrapping up our fall benchmarking. These assessments give teachers valuable information about each student’s current strengths and areas for growth. With this data, we can provide targeted instruction and support to help every child succeed.
I’d also like to take a moment to highlight the importance of school attendance. Every Day Counts! When students attend school regularly, they build strong habits, deeper connections, and more opportunities to learn.
Did you know?
- Families are the #1 influence on student attendance.
- Half of the students who miss 2 - 4 days in September are likely to miss more than a month of school.
- Building good routines (bedtime, morning prep, and consistent schedules) helps students show up ready to learn.
Thank you, Northside families, for making Every Day Count! Your support and partnership fuel the strong sense of pride and spirit we share as Team Northside. Together, we are building a school community where every student feels connected, supported, and ready to learn.
Go Team Northside!
Nicole Ruegsegger
Interim Principal
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As you know, the City of Monroe is currently in Phase 1 of road construction which includes closures on 31st and 32nd Avenues—streets that directly impact traffic patterns around Northside Elementary. To ensure the safety of our students and families, Northside staff, Monroe PD, and city officials have worked together to develop a temporary drop-off and pick-up plan for the upcoming school year.
We ask all families to use utmost caution when driving near the school and in our parking lot. Your patience, understanding, and cooperation are greatly appreciated as we work through these changes together.
Morning Drop-Off
- Suggested traffic route: Parents should come down 29th Avenue to access the drop-off lane.
- Buses will enter on 30th Avenue.
- Parents will enter through the blue driveway and turn right.
- Follow the yellow line through the parking lot to the designated drop-off area.
- After dropping off, turn right again and follow the red line out the other driveway. All vehicles must turn right onto 8 ½ Street to exit.
- Parking is available at the fairgrounds if you wish to park and walk your child to school. (Thank you to the Fair Board for this partnership!)
- Enter through the main fairground entrance.
- Once parked, please assist your child in crossing 29th Avenue at 10th Street.
- Students will walk up to the crossing guard to safely reach Northside.
Afternoon Pick-Up
- No regular after-school pick-up is allowed in the parking lot unless you have special permission from the principal.
- Parking around the school is very limited.
- Buses will load along 8 ½ Street at dismissal.
- Parking is available at the fairgrounds. Enter through the main fairground entrance.
Crossing Guards & Crosswalks
- Crossing guards will be stationed at two designated intersections for student safety.
- Please do not allow your child to cross 8 ½ Street without a crossing guard.
- Note: Crossing guard locations have been moved to the intersections of 30th Avenue and 29th Avenue.
Below you will find a map showing the traffic flow, parking areas, and walking routes.
We know these changes may feel inconvenient, but safety must remain our highest priority. Thank you for your cooperation, flexibility, and commitment to keeping our Northside students safe.
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School Hours
Breakfast Begins 7:30 a.m.
1st Bell 7:50 a.m.
School Begins 7:55 a.m.
Monday-Thursday Dismissal 3:10 p.m.
Friday Dismissal 1:10 p.m.
Breakfast, Lunch & Snack Breaks
· Monthly breakfast and lunch menus are available on the district website.
· The cost of breakfast for grades K-5 is $1.80
· The cost of lunch for grades K-5 is $3.00
· Breakfast is open to all students beginning at 7:30 a.m. each school day. When finished with breakfast, the students will go to their homeroom or the playground.
· If your child brings a cold lunch, please include healthy, nutritious options.
· Milk & Snack Break: Each grade level determines the best snack/milk break time. Students will have the choice of white (2% and low fat) or chocolate milk. In most grade levels, students will need to bring in a snack. Healthy snacks that do not include a lot of sugar are encouraged; cookies or candies are not allowed. Examples of appropriate snacks include dried fruit, fruit, pretzels, crackers, cheese, or vegetables.
· Students taking cold lunch may purchase a milk for $.60. Students may bring money to purchase milk daily or it can be deducted from your child's lunch account.
· Food Service payments can be turned into the Northside office or online through eFunds in Family Access. Please note there is a fee when paying online.
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- We strongly encourage all fees to be paid online if possible or to have your checks made out and ready to be dropped off in the office.
- Student fees are due no later than October 1. These fees cover the cost of consumable materials and book rental/ apps for the year. Fees not collected by October 1, will be forwarded to our district office to begin a collection process.
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Here is a calendar of what we will be learning about in SELF class this month. K-3 will begin the Growth Mindset and Goal Setting unit. 4-5 will begin the Problem Solving unit. |
If your child is struggling with a task, offer encouragement using a growth mindset phrase like “You can do this” or “Keep trying.” This helps build their perseverance. When a problem arises—big or small—model how to stay calm so they can think more clearly. Then, guide them in identifying the problem before jumping into solutions.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions!
-Ethan Anderson, School Counselor
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School mornings can be crazy, especially at the start of a new school year . . . . but they don’t have to be! Here are a few tips to help make your mornings a little less stressful.
- Make wake up calls more pleasant: Set the alarm to your child’s favorite song. Wake up with snuggles versus loud voices.
- Follow a routine: Try a checklist or picture task sheet with every activity your child needs to complete before leaving for school. This will also foster independence.
- Make clocks visible: Clocks in every room can help with time management. It also gives a visual for “Out the door at 7:30”.
- Prep the night before: Take care of showers/baths, pack backpacks & lunches, & pick out clothing the night before to save time in the morning.
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Pictured - (L-R)
- Gracie Samon, Special Education Teacher
- Sarah Harrison, First Grade Teacher
- Ethan Anderson, School Counselor
- Robert Brugger, Educational Assistant
- Makenzie Wuebben, Third Grade Teacher
Not Pictured -
- Ann Doyle, Educational Assistant
- Cheryl Keene, LMC - At Northside on Tuesdays & Thursdays
- Jeff Moorman, Reading Interventionist - At Northside in the afternoons
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Families must keep the office updated with changes in phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and emergency contacts throughout the school year. |
Important building and district communication will be sent to parents and guardians via ParentSquare messaging system. There is an app available for ParentSquare. |
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- Make sure to accept the invitation from your child’s teacher from Class Dojo! Families are able to send messages directly to the teacher and be able to see pictures, updates, and reminders from the live feed.
- Families will have the ability to communicate via Class Dojo with teachers (classroom, specialists, specials teachers) and the office staff (secretaries and principal).
- Office staff will continue to use Dojo to communicate all school information, reminders, updates, celebrations with parents and guardians.
- Parents/Guardians that choose not to use Dojo will likely miss information about classroom events, pictures, and updates.
- Although Dojo is our main tool for school events and updates, please call the office directly if your child will be absent or there are any changes to after school pick up arrangements. This is helpful in the event of subs in the classroom and/or confusion at then end of the day.
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The Parent-Teacher Organization is a group of Northside parents who work to build our school community, support our teachers, enrich learning opportunities, and improve our facilities and educational resources. We hope you will join us! Members are able to participate in as little or as much as your schedule allows. Any help is appreciated!
The PTO helps to fundraise to support the school, including:
- New student t-shirts
- Teacher classroom requests
- Field trip bus costs
- Large building projects such as library shelving
- Teacher and staff appreciation
Many Ways to be involved!
- Attend PTO Meetings
- Held at Northside at 6pm on the third Monday of each month
- Help plan for and organize events throughout the year.
- Volunteer to help at events
- Donate items for events
- Donate items to classrooms
Upcoming Events:
- First PTO Meeting: Monday, September 15th, 6pm Northside Library
- Family Reading Night: Thursday, October 16th
- Papa Murphy’s Fundraiser: December 1st
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We will have fun dress up days coming up in October. Stay Tuned! |
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