Good afternoon Northwest Elementary parents and Families!

We have reached the end of the school year and our teachers and students are preparing for their final sendoff on Wednesday, May 31. With that said, I want to take the time to say thank you for making my first year as a principal a memorable one.  As I told my staff the other day, coming to work is my happy place and interacting with your children has been a complete joy. They are all wonderful!

Take the time to spend some time with your children this summer. Go on vacation, play outside, and, of course, keep reading with them. Reading, as I have stated over and over, is one of the single most important things our students can do this summer.   

Again, thank you all so much for a special year. I wish each of you the very best this summer and will see you and your children in our newly renovated school in August! 

Updates

Memorial Day Holiday

• No school on Monday, May 29.

Fifth Grade Graduation and Field Trip

• Graduation, 8-9 a.m.
• Field trip to Gattiland: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Classroom End of Year Parties

• Tuesday, May 30 from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Last Day of School

• Wednesday, May 31 at noon 

Nathan Steenport
Principal
Northwest Elementary

Good afternoon Northwest Elementary parents and families!

Next week, we have several field trips and awards ceremonies to look forward to. Be sure to check the schedules below for your son/daughter's award ceremony or field trip. We would love to see you!

Also, start thinking how you will support your child this summer with reading. As stated in a previous email, reading to your child at least 30 minutes per day in the summer will ensure they will remain on their current reading level or even progress higher! I stress reading because it has so many applications in each subject area. To support, check out your local library as they typically have many fun reading progress, games and activities for your child over the summer that are typically free of charge. Check out the Wells Branch Library webpage for more information.   

Updates

Awards Ceremony Schedule

Tuesday, May 23

Fourth grade:  8 a.m. at NES Cafe

Thursday, May 25

Third Grade: 8-9 a.m. at NES Cafe

Second Grade: 9-10 a.m. at NES Cafe

Pre-K: 1:45-2:15 p.m. at NES Cafe

Friday, May 26

First Grade: 8-9 a.m. at NES Cafe

Kinder: 1:45-2:30 p.m. at NES Cafe

Tuesday, May 30

Fifth Grade: 8-9 p.m. at Cafe

Field Trips

Fourth Grade: Tuesday, May 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

First Grade: Friday, May 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nathan Steenport
Principal 
Northwest Elementary

Good afternoon Northwest Elementary parents and families!

We are extremely excited to announce that two of our staff members received Pflugerville Education Foundation grants! Ms. Wilkinson and Ms. VanHoose’s grant, totaling almost $5,000, will focus on Virtual Reality Bridges and Ms. Ahearn’s grant, totaling almost $5,000 as well, will be used to purchase items for flexible seating. We were told today that these are the first ever to be awarded to Northwest Elementary in the history of the Pflugerville Education Foundation. Please help me in congratulating these educators for their outstanding work! 

Updates

Parent Class No. 3: Paying for College

•  Northwest Elementary, in conjunction with the University at Texas at Austin, will be providing a free class on how you can pay for your children's college tuition. Topics will include filling out the FASFA, applying for scholarships, grants, and more! There are many ways to receive funding for tuition, some free of charge! 

•  This class will be held on Monday, May 15 from 5:30-6:30.  Dinner and childcare will be provided!

•  If interested, please sign up using the following link: http://ow.ly/rfWE30bJEj3

In addition, the final PTO meeting will be held just after from 6:30-7:30. During this meeting, we will conduct elections for next year’s PTO board and Mrs. Douglass, Westview Middle School PTO president, will discuss PTO meetings at Westview. 

Everyone is Invited! Come see The Pfield – and Watch PfISD Students Perform!

PfISD’s new districtwide stadium, The Pfield, is the place to be on Tuesday, May 23, from 6-8 p.m., when there will be a communitywide open house, dedication ceremony and pep rally. Don’t miss it! There will be combined drum lines, bands, cheerleaders, color guard, choirs, drill team, a Parade of Champions and more! PfISD is a community on the move, and this is your chance to be part of PfISD history. The Pfield will host varsity football games and soccer matches, band competitions, as well as other community events. Come check it out on May 23!

For more information: http://ow.ly/bXEn30bJEsW

What: The Pfield Dedication/Pep Rally

When: Tuesday, May 23, 6-8 p.m.

Where: 1440 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville 78660 

End of Year Dance

On Friday, May 19 from 6:30-8:30 we will host our end of year dance. Admission will be $2 and snacks will be sold for $1 each. Hope to see you there!

Nathan Steenport
Principal
Northwest Elementary

Good morning Northwest Elementary parents and families!

We’ve reached the month of May, the last month of school. As a first-year principal I would like to thank each and every parent for making this a memorable year for myself and my staff. I am grateful and honored to have served your children this year.

Beginning next week, our third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students will engage in the final administration of the STAAR test. While the test is not a full measurement of our school, it is an important summative measurement that will provide valuable data for us to use and grow. To support, we ask each parent to ensure each child receives a good night’s rest and a protein rich breakfast. If you choose to send a snack, please send one that does not leave a residue on their fingers as it may hinder the grading of their test document. Thank you in advance for your support!

Based on my observations in classrooms, I know our students are fully prepared to reach his/her potential. We are ready!

Updates: 

Parent Class No. 3: Paying for College

Northwest Elementary, in conjunction with the University at Texas at Austin, will be providing a free class on how you can pay for your children's college tuition. Topics will include filling out the FASFA, applying for scholarships, grants, and more! There are many ways to receive funding for tuition, some free of charge! 

This class will be held on Monday, May 15 from 5:30-6:30. Dinner and childcare will be provided!

If interested, please sign up using the following link: docs.google.com

In addition, the final PTO meeting will be held just after from 6:30-7:30. During this meeting, we will conduct elections for next year’s PTO board. 

New STAAR Report Card

If your child is taking the STAAR test this year (students in grades 3-5 only) the results report generated will look different. Please check out the following link to read or watch the video for more information. The 8-minute video provides a quick and easy way to best understand how your student performed on this year’s test. In addition, dates for release of scores is included.

tea.texas.gov

Pflugerville Education Foundation

Help support education in our community!

The Pflugerville Education Foundation is Putting Education First, and we're selling t-shirts to help us raise funds to give back to our schools.

When you purchase a t-shirt, you will be funding innovative teaching across the Pflugerville Independent School District.

Every dollar donated supports PEF in order to fund PfISD programs such as:

• Innovative teaching grants
• Student achievement recognition
• Campus innovation
• District initiatives

Several T-shirt options are available, so pick your pfavorite and show your support.

Go to this website to donate to the cause and get a T-shirt for you, your family or your whole group: www.booster.com

STAAR Testing May 8-10

As indicated above, we will have the final round of STAAR next week. Below is our schedule. Please note that NES will be a closed campus the entire week. We apologize for any inconvenience.

• Monday, May 8: Third- and fourth-grade Math. Fifth-grade math re-test.
• Tuesday, May 9: Third- and fourth-grade Reading. Fifth-grade reading re-test.
• Wednesday, May 10: Fifth-grade science

Nathan Steenport
Principal
Northwest Elementary

Good afternoon Northwest Elementary parents and families!  

We are finishing up Education Go Get It Week with a door decorating contest. Please see attached photos for some of the best around our school. We’ve enjoyed seeing all of the wonderful activities around school all week!

As we begin preparations for summer, it will be extremely important to work with your teacher for ideas on how to support your student’s learning throughout the summer. Specifically, reading with your child or having your child read for at least 30 minutes each day will keep them at their currently reading level going into the next school year. If children go throughout the summer without reading, they can lose up to 40 percent of their reading level before returning to school in August. That’s almost half a year’s worth! 

Updates

Teacher Appreciation Week (May 1-5)

Next week will be Teacher Appreciation Week. Please take the time to acknowledge your student’s teachers hard work throughout this year by writing them a card or just saying thank you. Each of our teachers have worked extremely hard this year and would greatly appreciate any positive note. 

Luis 'Chico' Portillo Performing Arts Center Dedication

Please see attached for the dedication of the Performing Arts Center at Connally High School. 

Parent Volunteer(s) needed!

We are in need of a parent volunteer that can support with our Literacy library inventory. If you are interested, please let me know. 

Camp Invention

Camp Invention will be in Pflugerville ISD June 12-16 at Caldwell Elementary. Parents can learn more about this camp on our webpage: www.pfisd.net

Kinder Registration for New Students

Kindergarten registration will be held at Northwest Elementary on Thursday, May 4 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for new students registering for kindergarten for the 2017-2018 school year. Please note that the child must be the age of 5 on or before Sept. 1 to register. Please contact the office at 512-594-4400 for more information.

Nathan Steenport
Principal
Northwest Elementary

Good afternoon NES parents and families. I hope you are enjoying this wonderful Friday afternoon.

Our third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students are in full swing preparing for the second round of STAAR from May 8-10. Our staff members are tediously working with small groups of students to ensure they are fully prepared for these days. 

While testing is not our primary focus at Northwest Elementary, we take this time seriously by rigoursly preparing our students to do their very best. Rest assured your students will be fully prepared for testing week.  

We have already seen positive results stemming from our first round of STAAR in March. Fifth-grade received their first round of scores back for both math and reading and, so far, results have shown tremendous progress in reading and with some progress in math compared to these student’s scores last year. 

Those that did not reach standard (Approaches Grade Level) will have another chance during the second round of testing in mid-May. I fully expect all of our students to reach for the stars and do their best from now until then!

On Tuesday, April 18, we also had our second parenting class: a cooking demonstration hosted by the Austin Food Bank.  Each participant learned about the new healthy food guidelines and how to make a healthy snack for their kids. See attached picture for the finished product! 

Our next parenting class, preparing for college, is listed below. 

Updates

Education Go Get it Week (April 24-28)

Students and staff will be celebrating Education Go Get it Week during the week of April 24-28. We encourage all of our students to partake in the daily activities listed below:

• Monday: Northwest Stars love learning: Students and teachers wear red.
• Tuesday: College Dress for Success: Staff and students wear professional clothing.
• Wednesday: College Shirt Day: Wear your favorite college shirt.
• Thursday: Giddy Up for College: Wear western attire.
• Friday: Northwest Elementary is a great place to learn!: Students and staff wear your Northwest Elementary School shirts.

Parenting Class No. 3: How to Pay for College

On Monday, May 15 from 5:30-6:30, Northwest Elementary, in cooperation with the University of Texas at Austin, will host a session on how to pay for college. At this session, participants will learn about:

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application process
• College Prep List
• “Do You Need Money for College” presentation.
• More information will be sent home within the next few weeks with your students.
• Dinner and school-aged childcare will be provided.

Yearbooks on Sale!

Yearbooks are on sale for only $17. The price will go up on May 1 to  $20 so place your order today. Please see attached order form for more details.

Good afternoon NES parents and families! 

We have had an exciting week here at Northwest Elementary. We officially received photos (see below) of what our school will look like after the summer construction renovations. In addition to what you can see in the pictures, we will also receive:

• Updates to the staff bathrooms
• New flooring in the majority of the school (both classrooms and hallways)
• Refurbished cabinets in the teacher’s lounge and nurses office
• Updates in the library (paint and lighting)
• New lighting canisters in main hallways
• New water fountains

We are extremely excited for the much-needed facelift to our school!

Updates

Coffee with the Principal

When: Every Monday morning from 7:10-7:40 a.m. in the teacher’s lounge here at Northwest Elementary. 

Purpose: To discuss anything and everything Northwest Elementary.   

Parent Cooking Class 

Northwest Elementary, in conjunction with the Austin Food Bank, will be providing a free cooking class for all parents on Tuesday, April 18 from 5:30-6:30 at the Northwest Elementary cafeteria.
Each parent will receive a cooking demonstration based on the new heath MyPlate Guidelines. Participants will also receive a bag of goodies that will include measuring cups and more.

Sign-up flyers will be sent home weekly, starting this week. You may also sign up using this Google Sign-Up: docs.google.com

Childcare will be provided.

Northwest Elementary Spring Pfling/30 Year Celebration

We are needing parental support for our Spring Pfling/30 Year celebration.  Below are areas needed for this event. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated for this to be the biggest celebration ever! Please contact our PTO president, Julie, Schwartz, if you are able to support at ms.julie.schwartz@gmail.com

Coming up with Game Ideas for the Event (think carnival games)

• Pie Throwing Contest?
• Water balloons?
• Confetti eggs?
• Ring toss on coke bottles?
• Cake walk?

Gathering Items for Potential Games

• Brainstorming ideas of what can be donated from the community

Decorations

• Balloons / Banner, etc.

Gathering Donations from Community

• Sharla was asking
• Kris was asking

Volunteer Coordinator (this person would make sure all stations are covered throughout the event)

• Ticket Disbursement
• Food Station
• Game station

Putting Together Flyers

• Advertisement for Event
• Asking for Donations for Cake Walk
• Asking for Other Items to be Donated

Taping Tickets for Pre-Sale

• 2 tickets $1
• 50 tickets for $20 (pre-sale only)

30 Year Celebration Dress Attire

If you student would like to join in on the 30 year celebration fun, please see below for what we will be wearing each day next week!

• Monday: Wear Neon
• Tuesday: Wear 80’s Garb
• Wednesday: Crazy Hair Day
• Thursday: Wear Sunglasses
• Friday: Wear Silly Hat

Good afternoon Northwest Elementary Parents and Families!

It’s been a wonderful week of great weather and positive attitudes here at Northwest Elementary. Our staff and student have really enjoyed spending outside this week both while performing academic lessons and, of course, recess. Let’s enjoy the weather before it gets hot!  

Updates

NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, APRIL 14

Coffee with the Principal

When: Every Monday morning from 7:10-7:40 a.m. in the teacher’s lounge here at Northwest Elementary. 

Purpose: To discuss anything and everything Northwest Elementary.  

Parent Cooking Class

Northwest Elementary, in conjunction with the Austin Food Bank, will be providing a free cooking class for all parents on Tuesday, April 18 from 5:30-6:30 at the Northwest Elementary cafeteria.
Each parent will receive a cooking demonstration based on the new healthy MyPlate Guidelines. Participants will also receive a bag of goodies that will include measuring cups and more.
Sign-up flyers will be sent home weekly, starting this week. You may also sign up using this Google Sign-Up: https://docs.google.com
Childcare will be provided.

Northwest Elementary Spring Pfling/30 Year Celebration

We are needing parental support for our Spring Pfling/30 Year celebration. Below are areas needed for this event. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated for this to be the biggest celebration ever! Please contact our PTO president, Julie, Schwartz, if you are able to support at ms.julie.schwartz@gmail.com
Coming up with Game Ideas for the Event (think carnival games)

• Pie Throwing Contest?
• Water balloons?
• Confetti eggs?
• Ring toss on coke bottles?
• Cake walk?

Gathering Items for Potential Games

• Brainstorming ideas of what can be donated from the community

Decorations

• Balloons / Banner, etc.

Gathering Donations from Community

• Sharla was asking
• Kris was asking

Volunteer Coordinator (this person would make sure all stations are covered throughout the event)

• Ticket Disbursement
• Food Station
• Game station

Putting Together Flyers

• Advertisement for Event
• Asking for Donations for Cake Walk
• Asking for Other Items to be Donated

Taping Tickets for Pre-Sale

• Two tickets for $1
• 50 Tickets for $20 (pre-sale only)

Pflugerville Education Foundation is accepting applications for new Board Members (see attachment)

The Pflugerville Education Foundation (PEF) is accepting applications for new Board Members who will bring energy, commitment, fresh ideas, special skills and a passion for student success. One of the most valuable assets of a non-profit is its Board of Directors and PEF is looking to grow their dedicated group. The all-volunteer Board is comprised of individuals representing all facets of the Pflugerville community from every aspect of the district.  If you are someone who wants to get involved and support education, then this is the position for you! The Board is the agency’s governing body, caring for the fiduciary responsibilities of the organization, and ensuring the fulfillment of the mission to help PfISD students reach their full potential. Application deadline is April 24, 2017.

Spanish Emersion Program at RES

Please see attachment for more information.

Nathan Steenport
Principal 
Northwest Elementary

Good afternoon Northwest parents and families!

Our fourth- and fifth-grade students successfully completed the first round of STAAR testing this week. We are very proud of all of their efforts and soon-to-be accomplishments. 

On Monday, I spoke to each class to remind them that their hard work is over (all the work they have done to this point) and all they had to do was do the best they can on their tests. I am confident all of our students made tremendous progress this year!

Updates:

Coffee with the Principal

When: Every Monday morning from 7:10 to 7:40 a.m. in the teacher’s lounge here at Northwest Elementary. 

Purpose: To discuss anything and everything Northwest Elementary.

Northwest Elementary Spring Pfling/30 Year Celebration

We are needing parental support for our Spring Pfling/30-Year celebration. Below are areas needed for this event. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated for this to be the biggest celebration ever! 

Please contact our PTO president, Julie, Schwartz, if you are able to support at ms.julie.schwartz@gmail.com

Coming up with game ideas for the event (think carnival games)

• Pie throwing contest?
• Water balloons?
• Confetti eggs?
• Ring toss on coke bottles?
• Cake walk?

Gathering items for potential games

• Brainstorming ideas of what can be donated from the community
• Decorations
• Balloons / banner, etc. 

Gathering donations from community

• Sharla was asking
• Kris was asking

Volunteer coordinator (this person would make sure all stations are covered throughout the event)

• Ticket disbursement
• Food station
• Game station

Putting together flyers

• Advertisement for event
• Asking for donations for cake walk
• Asking for other items to be donated

Taping tickets for pre-sale

• 2 tickets $1
• 50 Tickets for $20 (pre-sale only)

Parent Cooking Class (See handout)

Northwest Elementary, in conjunction with the Austin Food Bank, will be providing a free cooking class for all parents on Tuesday, April 18 from 5:30-6:30 at the Northwest Elementary cafeteria.

Each parent will receive a cooking demonstration based on the new health MyPlate Guidelines. Participants will also receive a bag of goodies that will include measuring cups and more.

Sign-up flyers will be sent home weekly, starting this week. You may also sign up using this Google sign-up: docs.google.com

Childcare will be provided 

Nathan Steenport
Principal
Northwest Elementary

Good evening Northwest Elementary parents and families.

Our staff and students have returned from spring break rested and ready to go! Over the week I listened to many great stories about our student’s vacations to the coast, visit to the movies, family visited and outdoor explorations. These stories are a constant reminder of not only the importance of rest but, more importantly, time with family and friends. I hope each of you shared similar experiences.

Updates

Northwest Elementary 30 Year Celebration/Spring Pfling

• At our last PTO meeting on Tuesday, March 22, the committee decided on ticket pricing, games, and even a timeline of communication for this event. At this point we greatly need donations for funds or games and volunteers to help create flyers for this major event. Any and all support will be greatly appreciated for this to be the biggest event the entire year! Please contact our PTO president, Mrs. Schwartz at ms.julie.schwartz@gmail.com

• Below are the current details for this event
• Saturday, April 22 from 4-6 p.m. at Northwest Elementary
• Food and candy will be provided for purchase (tickets)
• Possible activities include bounce house, lollipop game, and even a dunk tank with yours truly in it!  
• Ticket pricing will be 2 tickets for $1. A ticket pre-sale event will take place leading up the event for a discounted price.

STAAR Testing 3/28, 3/29, and 3/30

• All fourth and fifth graders will participate in the first round of STAAR testing next week. Below is the schedule for these three days. Please note that Northwest Elementary will be a closed campus, meaning no visitors will be allowed past the front office on these three days. We apologize for any inconvenience.
• Schedule
• Tuesday, March 28: fourth grade writing and fifth grade math
• Wednesday, March 29: fifth grade reading
• Thursday, March 30: Make-up exams 

Parent Cooking Class (See flyer)

• Northwest Elementary, in conjunction with the Austin Food Bank, will be providing a free cooking class for all parents on Tuesday, April 18 from 5:30-6:30 at the Northwest Elementary cafeteria.
• Each parent will receive a cooking demonstration based on the new MyPlate Guidelines. Participants will also receive a bag of goodies that will include measuring cups and more!
• Sign-up flyers will be sent home weekly, starting next week. I will also send a Google Doc for you to sign up as well.
• Childcare will be provided.

POPS Rally

• On Friday, March 31 at 1:50 come celebrate your child’s success during the third nine weeks POPS rally assembly!
• Students will be recognized for:
• Star Pride Award
• A and A/B Honor roll (Second-Fifth Grade)
• Citizen of the Month 
• Perfect Attendance
• AR Goals
• B.U.G. Award (Brining Up my Grades)
• I Did My Best (First Grade)
• Star Student (Kinder/Pre-K)