BWE News & Notes
Week of January 25-29, 2021
Important Dates
Important Dates

Jan 28 - End of 2nd 9 week Grading Period
Jan 29 - Half Day of School for Students. Dismissal at 1:00 PM. No AFTERNOON KINDERGARTEN
Feb 1 - In-Service day, No School for Students
Jump for the Hills
 
Bradford Woods will be "Jumping for the Hills" once again this year to bring awareness to the work of the North Hills Community Outreach Program. Collectively, last year North Allegheny donated over $34,000 that was immediately available to help families last spring through the Covid crisis. One of the many goals of the project is to replenish those funds and continue to offer support to local families. Students will be jumping rope in Physical Education class to promote healthy living through activity and service to their community. This year the NHCO has provided an online registration and donation program. There will be no envelope collection. If someone would like to make a cash donation, you may send it in to school with a student, but we strongly encourage online participation due to the current pandemic.
Please visit the website to register and donate. Donations will be accepted through the month of February. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Frisco (bfrisco@northallegheny.org) the Health and Physical Education Teacher or the advisor to the North Hills Community Outreach, Erica Cochran (emcochran@nhco.org)
Winter Weather is Here - Dress Appropriately For Recess

With the winter weather upon us, please remember that the students will go outside for recess as long as the temperature is above 20 degrees (We do account for wind chill). Students should have winter coats, gloves and hats as they will be out for the full half hour.
Upcoming Half Days

There are two scheduled half days for students during the 2020-2021 school year. The first half-day is scheduled for Friday, January 29. School hours for the first half day are:

  • Grades 1-5 - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  • AM Kindergarten - 9:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 
  • PM Kindergarten students will not report on January 29

Students in grades 1-5 will have lunch before being dismissed.

The second half-day is scheduled for Thursday, April 1. School hours will be the same for the second half-day, except PM Kindergarten students will attend school 9:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. and AM Kindergarten students will not report.
Nurse Notes
Flu Shot Information

Time for your flu shot. Here are some facts for you about flu shots from the CDC. This can help you make the right decision for your family. Stay Safe and Stay Healthy!
Counselor's Corner
District Updates
Launching Into Kindergarten

Have a child starting in kindergarten next school year? Join us virtually on February 3 to learn all about kindergarten at NA! The meeting agenda and discussion points include:
  • A Day in the Life of a Kindergartener
  • Is your child ready for kindergarten?
  • Registration Information
  • Preparing your child for kindergarten
  • Kindergarten Orientation (Process and Transitions)
  • Curriculum Night

A link to the meeting will be posted on the NA website soon!
Transitioning from Blackboard Collaborate to Google Meet

Starting in the second semester, teachers will begin to transition to the use of Google Meet in place of Blackboard Collaborate. This transition is occurring to address some of the technical issues that have been experienced by some families when using the Blackboard Collaborate platform.
 
Your child’s teacher has been working on setting up Google Meet sessions so that they can be securely accessed through Blackboard in a manner similar to how they accessed classes in Collaborate. As a part of Google Meet security, students cannot enter a Google Meet session unless a teacher is in the session. If your child tries to join a class before the teacher arrives, he/she will receive a message that says “You are not permitted to join the meeting“. If this occurs, your child should wait a few minutes and try again to enter the class.

This document will provide more information about Google Meet. If you have a child in grades K-8, the Google Meet app should already be installed on their iPad, but if it is not, it can be downloaded through the Self-Service app.
New Testing Window for the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) for grades 2-7

The new testing window for the ITBS will be February 8-12 for students participating in in-person instruction in grades 2-5. Students participating in in-person instruction in grades 6 and 7 will be administered the test on January 27 and 28. Fifth grade students in NACA will have the opportunity to participate during this testing window as well. Students in Grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 who attend NA Cyber will be able to take the ITBS later this spring.
Resources
Missed a Newsletter?

All building newsletters are archived weekly on the North Allegheny website. This designated webpage will be updated with links to the previous week’s newsletters at the beginning of each school week by 11:30 a.m. A link to the archive is accessible on the District’s homepage and on each building’s homepage.
Community Flyers
The North Allegheny School District often receives requests for the distribution of athletics and approved non-profit community organization digital flyers. All requests for community flyers to be included in this newsletter must be submitted via email only at flyers@northallegheny.org. Flyers will only be posted and removed from the District website on Friday. Visit our website for details on how to submit flyers.
Building Contacts
Main Office - 724-935-5081
Nurse's Office - 724-935-5081
Counseling Office - 724-934-4400