10-15-2020 NSES News

Notes from the Administration

Dear North Springfield Community,

Thank you to all our families who were able to join the PTA and Advanced Academic meetings this week. We enjoyed being able to connect with everyone. Our PTA was able to fund multiple teacher grants and we are so thankful for their support. 

Beginning Tuesday, October 20th we will have students in group 2 returning to the building, our preschool special education classes.  We are excited to have them return, and ask for your flexibility and patience as we work through changes in the coming weeks. We are thankful to be taking steps toward having some of our students back in the building. As additional information is available about other students returning, we will be sharing information through this weekly message.

Thank you for your continued support.

Chad McRae and Leslie Malkowski, Administrative Team

North Springfield Elementary



News from the NSES PTA

The PTA is excited to announce that we have funded all requests for grants that were received this year! A total of $2,824.40 will be dispersed to teachers. The following requests have been approved: enough books for all kindergarteners to have 8-10 books sent home to support beginning reading at various levels; an online library of hip-hop videos and lessons that cover all content areas for the first grade, four class sets of leveled books for guided reading for the first grade; a phonics-based reading program for the second grade along with instructor kits, establishing a class library for a new teacher and adding diverse books for other teachers in the fourth grade; enough Boomwackers, a percussion instrument, for an entire class for music; and supplies for Grow at Home kits for fifty members of the Eco-Club. Thank you for the generosity of parents, teachers and community members over the years! The successful fundraising in the past has made it possible to fund these requests this year- and we have another round of grants in the spring! Please use this link https://northspringfield.new.memberhub.store/store to join the PTA or donate to help us do good things! 


Tech Support for Parents and Students

To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, FCPS has launched a new Parent Technology Help Desk, effective Monday, August 24. The help desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Parents or guardians can call this number for basic tech support with parent accounts, help with FCPS student devices and technical assistance with other FCPS applications. If help desk staff members are unable to solve the issue, they will enter a support ticket on behalf of the parent/guardian to escalate the issue to the appropriate FCPS team. Parents who need help in a language other than English can inform the help desk staff when they call of their preferred language, and an interpreter will join in on the call.

FCPS has also set up Parent and Student Technology Support portal at https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/ to allow older students and parents/guardians to request technology help directly. When a support request ticket is entered through the portal, it is auto-routed to the TSSpec at the appropriate site to expedite service. 


Curbside Library Check Out

Students are now able to check out print books from the school library. Please follow the steps below. Contact Mrs. Madigan (mbmadigan@fcps.edu) if you have any questions.

How to check out print books from the North Springfield Library:

  1. Log in to Destiny Discover and put up to 5 books on hold by 9am Monday morning.
  2. You will get an email (to your fcpsschools.net account) when your books are ready.
  3. Someone can come to school to pick up your books on Mondays (12-2pm) at Door 1.
  4. Make sure you are wearing a mask and standing at a safe distance from the door. Look for your name on a post-it note. 
  5. You have 2 weeks to pick up your holds. After that, the will be made available to other students. If you need more time, please email Mrs. Madigan.

Library Book Return

  1. You still have 3 weeks before books are due, and you can renew items from your Destiny account.
  2. If you need more time and aren't able to renew the books on your own, email Mrs. Madigan (mbmadigan@fcps.edu).
  3. Library books can be returned on Mondays (12-2pm). Place them on the cart marked Library Book Returns outside Door 1 (main entrance). You can also return books from the spring during this time.
  4. Do not touch any other books on the book return cart.

Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home Series

10/22  Challenging Behaviors: Prevention Strategies and Teaching Self-Control

11/19  Challenging Behaviors: ABCs of Behavior & How to Respond

12/17  All Behavior Happens for a Reason: Behavior as Communication        

01/21  Strategies for Increasing Replacement Behaviors 

02/18  Teaching your Children to Follow Directions 

03/18  Effectively Communicating with Your Child 

04/22   Minimizing Prompts and Maximizing Your Child’s Independence