I always enjoy sharing good news. Last night, I picked up new basketball rims and nets for our school's gym. A huge "Thank You" to the anonymous Poland resident who donated these basketball items. It is just another example of a Random Act of Kindness. I shared this news with the students and explained ways for them to "pay it forward" in their own act of kindness. It is about treating others kindly and not about receiving the acknowledgement for your kind act.

Tonight at 6:30 is our January PTO meeting. We will be discussing the upcoming Book Fair and re-capping our Winter Fest. We look forward to seeing everyone!

We have been discussing our monthly Character Trait during our morning announcements. The month of January focuses on "Determination". As one of our students explains: "Not giving up when you are in the middle of doing something." The students gave many examples of how they showed determination. Some included: learning how to ride a bike, rollerskating, and multiplication facts. I shared a story of a girl today who showed her determination to go to college after she had an accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. Not only did she attend college, but graduated from Harvard University. Tonight at dinner would be a great time to share your own determination success stories with your child.

Happy New Year! Today we spoke about all the outdoor activities the kids did over break. Many enjoyed sledding, building a fort, and even having snowball fights! Unfortunatley, the students did not go outside for recess due to the cold weather. The temperature, with the wind chill, has to be above 20 degrees. Please keep in mind, that when the temperature is above 20, we will be going outside and the students need to dress for the weather. If you want them to wear boots, I would suggest they bring those in a seperate bag as to not get their papers and folder wet. Our 4th Grade has been introducing the 3rd graders to our indoor Bulldog Fitness Trail. Please ask your child about this if they are in the upper grades.

Our Kindergarten classes were dressed in their pajamas for "Polar Express Day". They brought along their favorite stuffed animal for the ride. They were treated to a reading of the story this morning. Each student enjoyed cookies and milk as they watched the movie. This is one of the favorite days of Kindergarten that helps us get into the Holiday spirit!

A big "Thank You" to an anonymous businessman. He had Nicolinni's Ristorante bake and deliver chocolate chip cookies to the local elementary schools. The students will enjoy these cookies during lunch. It is nice to see the kindness and support from our community.

We had a special performance by the High School Show Choir today. They sang and danced to many of our favorite Christmas carols. Our students even helped with some of the singing! There was a special appearance by "Rudolph" and "Santa". Their performance definitley got us into the holiday spirit! Thanks to the Show Choir for visiting us at North.