Culbreth Middle Shares Their Musical Talent With Us.

Culbreth Middle School Band and Orchestra students shared their talents with us this morning as they introduced the many instruments available to learn at the middle school level.  Mr. Berryhill, Band and Ms. Corrie Franklin, Orchestra introduced their groups as well as their programs.

Please click on the links below to enjoy some of the wonderful pieces they shared.

Piece 1

Piece 2

Piece 3

Piece 4

We Love Our Librarian Mrs. Cole!

Our very own Mrs. Cole has been honored as one of nine librarians nationwide by the American Library Association from the almost 1,100 nominations, to receive the award in 2016. Only three recipients represented elementary school libraries – including Ms. Cole. Each honoree received a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a travel stipend to attend the “I Love My Librarian Award” ceremony and reception in NYC, hosted by the award sponsor, Carnegie Corporation of New York.

“Kat Cole is a shining example of an extraordinary school librarian,” said Nancy Zeman in her nomination for the award. “She helps all students in this diversely populated school build literate lives by creating opportunities to identify as readers by encouraging curiosity and exploration through literature. I have been particularly impressed with her work with underserved students within the school community and with her dedication to encouraging those children to build a positive literacy identity. One of the things that sets her apart is that her reach goes beyond her school as she advocates for best practices in library services at not only her school but also at the school district level to ensure all students have equal access to resources and services.” 

Principal of Northside Elementary, Coretta Sharpless said, “Ms. Cole’s overall mission is to keep literacy and the library a focal point in the school. In order to do this, she ensures that staff members know and understand the critical role the library plays to equalize the playing field in education and how important it is that all children across the school have access to the library and its resources at point of need. She shares school-wide circulation and library usage data with staff to illustrate the importance of library use and academic growth. In addition, she helps cultivate a love of literacy across the school.”

Many friends, parents, staff, family members have shared love congratulatory wishes via social media. Just a few who express how we feel about our very special librarian include:

Destiny Lynn Turner -  Congratulations! You truly are an exceptional librarian and support to both the students and teachers you work with. You really deserve this and I'm so happy for you!

Emily Pratt - That's amazing Kat!!! You're so deserving. That big heart of yours making a difference for so many kids...😘

Kate Champion - What an honor to be recognized for this award in the New York Times!!! You have worked hard and are very deserving. I am so very proud of you!!!

Rebecca Henderson Denton We deserved Kathryn! Thank you for sharing and for ALL you do for children in your community. You are loved by many!!

Please take time to click on the photo above to read Mrs. Cole's reflection on this honor and her trip to NYC!

Mrs. Cole has arrived back to Northside Elementary and is readying for the upcoming Book Fair. She returned to find that the staff and students had taken time out to create a WELCOME HOME banner for Mrs. Cole and hung it in the library to show their love and gratitude.

We do indeed love our Mrs. Cole!

View the Longest Mannequin Challenge ever! Compliments of NES Staff & Students

Always willing to use current trends to support learning and community, our students and staff participated in what may well be the longest mannequin video ever!  Throughout the school day, our videographer traveled through classrooms, hallways, inside and out catching our students thinking, learning and growing. Take a look! Just click on the pic!

The newest edition of The Compass is out!

(Click to read the newest edition)

Here it is! Another great edition of our very own student written newspaper, The Compass.  With an editorial by Meyari, a write up of the Glow Dance by Catherine, drawings and illustrations, a student poll, a poem and the answer the question we all want to know, "What's the first event in the Winter Olympics?", it's as close as a click on the pic above.  Enjoy! and thank you Mrs. H-C for supporting the process from beginning to end.

Art & Read Night at Northside!

On Wednesday, December 7th from 5:00-7:00,  Northside will be having an Art and Read Night! This is a night for Northside families  to celebrate the arts and visit the school wide Book Fair. Come and join to check out new student artwork on display, participate in a community art project, see a musical presentation by our Navigators, and listen to read-alouds by your favorite Northside Teachers. We’ll see you there!

1st Graders' Pet Rocks share Science Facts

Please take time to view Ms. Hatcher's first grade class' "Something About Rocks" videos.  After studying about rocks in Science they used the Yakit Kids app to create infobits about rocks as told.....from rocks! It was such fun.  Way to go Scholars. Check it out on our Youtube Channel by clicking on the pic above. 

Art Studio Highlights and Updates - Offered by Ms. Alder Keene, Art Teacher

Navigator Showcase: 

This year the annual Art and Music Navigator Showcase (an evening dedicated to celebrating the arts at Northside) will be held in early spring so that both art and music can be fully represented. We will be having a small art exhibition in conjunction with the opening of the Book Fair on December 7th from 5:30-7:30. This will be an 'Art and Read Night' and will consist of displayed student art, a collaborative art activity for families and multiple read-alouds (and of course the Book Fair)! 

'Spread Love' Northside Mural: 

Beginning this week, navigators are collaborating to create a mural showing their love for the Northside community! The objective is to build an understanding that art can be made by a group of people to express a common feeling or idea. Each student is designing a heart on paper or fabric that will be compiled and mounted on a large piece of foam core and displayed. At our Art and Read Night, families will have an opportunity to add onto the 'Spread Love' mural.

Art on Display at CHPL: 

Check it out! ​​Ten of our second graders have landscape artworks on display at the Chapel Hill Public Library this month. Using warm and cool colors, students captured time of day, temperature and added personal details. Each one is unique to the artist who created it. 

Instagram:

Remember, you can follow all the latest art happenings on the Art Studio's Instagram @nesartstudio

It's Mrs. Sharpless!

In case you missed the front page of our District website, here is a great video introduction of our favorite CSCCS Principal, Mrs. Coretta Sharpless. Just click on the photo above!

Free Energy Kit!

Now that we have received our first $250 let’s keep the momentum going. If you have not ordered your free energy kit offered by Duke Energy, go to www.myenergykit.org or call 1-855-386-9548 to make your order.  Remember, for every 100 families who order, Northside receives $250. Currently we need 500 sign-ups by December 31st in order to qualify for the $2500 grand prize.

Community Giving Opportunity here at Northside Elementary

Each year, our school community joins together to provide gift cards to local grocery stores for Northside families who feel the extra burden of providing meals during the holiday break. We are delighted to continue this tradition. Through Friday Dec. 2nd  the PTA will be collecting monetary donations for our Northside Families in Need Program.  Checks made payable to Northside PTA can be sent in an envelope labeled “PTA-FIN donation” with your child to school. All donations are tax deductible and will directly benefit Northside families.  Any questions?  Please contact Gretchen Yonish at gmyonish@gmail.com

NOVEMBER is PICTURE BOOK Month

Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November. As part of this celebration, Our Northside library will post each day about a note-worthy book that would be a great addition to our NES classroom repertoires. The library will specifically speak to books that have been recently published within the last two years that are worth knowing and loving. To learn more, visit http://picturebookmonth.com/
To follow our library's daily post:
https://www.smore.com/jqch2-picture-book-month

Congratulations! Northside Elementary Step Team (NOTM) Wow!

BIG SHOUT OUT..... The NOTM STEP TEAM! They paired up with the Zeta Phi beta sorority, competed and won the 2016 UNC Step show Friday evening. The girls did a great job and put Northside on the map! To view the winning competition, click on the following link,  https://youtu.be/bGMgipF4oIQ.  


Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was created to directly affect positive change, raise consciousness, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achievement, and foster greater sense of unity among its members.  In collaborating with Northside Elementary's Navigators on the Move Program for stepshow, members of the Omega lota chapter sought to use this as an opportunity to spread that vision to a younger generation.  Through this experience they wanted to stress not the physical skills of performance but also life skills of endurance, persistence, confidence, and cohesion. It's through such efforts that they hope to continue to influence more community-conscious, action-oriented legacy.  
-- Mr. Jay   

4th Graders learn about landforms using the NCSU Augmented Reality Sand Table

(Click on the Pic to view a short video)

NCSU Sand Table supports
4^th Graders' learning about Landforms

What are the 3 major landforms found in North Carolina?  What causes erosion?  Why does rain in one location cause flooding in another?  These are just a few of questions our eighty 4^th graders investigated while playing in the sand - the sand that comes in the Augmented Reality (AR) sand table on loan to Northside Elementary School from The Center for Aquatic Ecology Department of North Carolina State University. The AR sand table is used as an education outreach tool built and supported by a grant awarded from Burrough’s Wellcome Fund.

The sand table uses a computer projector and a motion sensing input device (a Kinect 3D Camera) mounted above a box of sand.  As a visitor interacts with the sand in the box, the Kinect detects the distance to the sand below, and a visualization of an elevation model with contour lines and a color map assigned by elevation is cast from an overhead projector onto the surface of the sand.  As visitors move the sand, the Kinect perceives changes in the distance to the sand surface, and the projected colors and contour lines change accordingly.

Rainfall occurs when an object like a hand is sensed at a particular height above the surface of the sand.  The virtual rain appears as a blue, shimmering visualization on the surface below.  The water appears to flow down the slopes to the lower surfaces.  Real models of have been used to base the depiction of water flow.

The AR sandbox’s strongest appeal is the fact that it entices young and old to get involved.  While the concepts and scenarios are kept simple for the younger kids, one can still discuss contour lines, mountains, piedmonts, valleys, damns, watersheds and basic water flow.  The learning experience can include discussions of landforms, elevation, and best land management practices such as retention ponds and swales.  Processes such as erosion, tectonics, and glaciation can even be visualized.  These elements are all principles of geomorphology, hydrology, earth science and environmental studies.

Newest edition of - The Compass - Hot off the Presses!

Look for the first edition of the 2016-2017 school year of our school newspaper on our Northside home website.  You'll find it front and center - at the bottom of our school website.  It's called ""The Compass" and it's filled with art, writing, opinions, facts and very funny jokes.  Check it out today!

2nd Annual Book Pumpkin Contest is back!

    Our 2nd annual book pumpkin contest is back! We are looking forward to the creative ideas our staff and students have in store this year and which book characters will show up in the form of a pumpkin!
Click on this link, http://tinyurl.com/NESPumpkins, o este, http://tinyurl.com/NESCalabazas, for the guidelines.

     Pumpkins are to be delivered to the library Monday, October 23 and picked up Monday October 31.  All classes will have an opportunity to peruse the pumpkins and vote on their favorite.  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sPWaP5kSoVN4G-G1FAsyyTf6pq47sT7zM9-Ak6wyR5Q/edit

    To see last year's creative ideas, check out this link: 

https://www.facebook.com/NESlibrary/photos/?tab=album&album_id=642532125889833

Order Your Free Energy Kit!!

Now that we are eligible for our first $250 let’s keep the momentum going. If you have not ordered your free energy kit offered by Duke Energy, go to www.myenergykit.org or call 1855-386-9548 to order to make your order.  Remember, for every 100 families who order, Northside receives $250.

iNavigate's Fall Glow Dance!

The time has come for iNavigate's Fall Glow Dance. The Glow Dance will take place on October 28th 2016 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the gym.All K-2 students must be accompanied by their legal guardian. The cost of the Glow Dance will be $3 per student.This year at the dance we are doing something new. We will be collecting perishable items for our table program.

Northside Spanish Classes Compete for the GOLD!

Spanish Classes Go For the GOLD!

Mrs. Quick's 4th grade class WINS!

Included in our first of the year activities, Northside Elementary School students participated in a keen competition in Ms. Rivera's Spanish classes.  Learning and following classroom rules, staying in the target language and participating were a few of the events in which the students competed.  Mrs. Quick's 4th grade classroom came in 1st Place!  Many thanks to Mrs. Quick for the beautifully done video!

 

2016-2017 School Supply List Available

The School Supply List for the 2016-2017 school year is available. You can access the list HERE or by clicking on the link posted under Quick Links on the Northside Elementary School Website.

The supply list is available in English, Spanish, Karen, and Burmese. Paper copies of the list are available in the main office at the school.

Northside Art News: Our Timeline!

During the last few weeks of the 2015-2016 school year the 5th graders created a permanent art installation with the assistance Steve Nally, a Senior Associate with Moseley Architects. In art class, each student created a decorative ceramic tile depicting symbols that represent Northside's rich history.  Before creating their pieces, 5th grade classes collaborated with Northside alumni and the Jackson Center to gain an understanding of our community's history through the civil rights movement and integration. The personal narratives from the Alumni influenced the final tile designs. As a result, each tile within the timeline helps to connect the past with the present. Principal Coretta Sharpless, Assistant Principal Michael Brown, and other teachers contributed tiles to the timeline, too.

These 5th graders are transitioning to middle school in the fall, but they left a lasting mark at Northside.

-Submitted by Alder Keene, NES Art Teacher

School Pictures Available for Purchase Online

NES families interested in purchasing school pictures from 2015-2016 school year may do so online through August 1, 2016.

To place an order:

1. Visit https://vando.imagequix.com/W97T89W
2. Enter the teacher last name for the password.

If you have questions, please contact the photographer directly at honorrollportraits@gmail.com or 919-819-2889.

Congratulations to our Box Tops Competition Winners!

Congratulations to Ms. Coleman’s 2nd grade classroom for winning Northside’s Box Tops for Education competition.  Students in Ms. Coleman’s class earned $189 this year for Northside.  Ms. Cooley’s 4th grade class came in second, earning $127.

Both classrooms will celebrate their success with lunch catered by Jersey Mike’s Subs from the Chapel Hill North shopping center.  If you visit Jersey Mike’s, be sure to thank the owner and staff for their support to Northside!

For the 2015-16 year, the school community earned a total of $1700 in Box Tops submissions.  The Northside Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) allocates the money in support of things like teacher supplies, student field trips, and various school events.  Please keep saving those Box Tops and Sam’s Club receipts throughout the summer for the 2016-17 school year.

-Submitted by the NES PTA

Family Marathon Participants Cross the Finish Line

During the month of May, Northside students were encouraged to focus on physical fitness by running and walking to participate in the first Northside Family Marathon.  Students logged the miles they ran or walked at home in order to track their progress toward the 26.2 mile marathon goal. Many students ran and walked along with their families to work toward the goal.

On Friday, May 20, 2016, fifty-eight students who met the running goal, completed the family marathon by running the last 1.2 miles here on the school grounds. Participants made two full laps around the school grounds to accomplish the 1.2 mile goal and were rewarded at the finish line with a medal and other prizes.

Northside is grateful to Fleet Feet of Carrboro and i9 Sports of Chapel Hill for sponsoring this activity.

STEM Day 2016 at Northside

Northside Elementary School hosted STEM Day on Friday, May 20, 2016.  During the day, students across the school participated in hands-on activities and demonstrations that emphasized the application of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in our world.

The school staff and students are grateful for all of the guest scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians that visited to share their knowledge and make STEM Day 2016 a great success!

CLICK HERE for a video highlighting the happenings of the day.