NAVIGATOR NEWS GLENN H. RUSTAY, Principal -- LORIE MONROE, BROOKE WIGGINTON--Assistant Principals

Northport K-8 School - A TITLE 1 SCHOOL - OCTOBER 2014

Northport K-8 School Media Center has developed and initiated a brand new program at the school that teaches and promotes leadership skills and training through a program called "Northport Leadership Summit." The Northport "Leadership Summit" will be held monthly and will showcase and spotlight community leaders. The very first summit was planned by Media Specialist, Lynne Gruszka in collaboration with Linda Cox, Fort Pierce City Clerk and Karen Sweeney, District Aide to Florida State Representative, Gayle Harrell. The first summit guest was Representative Gayle Harrell from District 83. The second "Leadership Summit" will be held on Friday, October 24 in the Northport Media Center with guest and community leader, Nick Mimms, Deputy City Manager of Fort Pierce.

Northport K-8 School participates each year in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Saint Lucie County "Bowling For Kid's Sake!" The school is so appreciative of the excellent work that the organization produces in the school to help raise the achievement level of selected students in kindergarten through third grade. The mentors and the AmeriCorps tutors visit the school on a daily basis to assist the teachers and students and help to raise the bar for student success. The "Bowling For Kid's Sake" event this year was held at Superplay in Saint Lucie West recently. Northport’s administration and staff were so proud when the school's name was announced as the business or school with the largest giving for the 3:00 pm time slot.

Northport K-8 School honors and supports all who are fighting the courageous battle against Sickle Cell Disease this month. Awareness as a school community is being raised by instructor, Marie Solide whose daughter Kookie passed of Sickle Cell Anemia very recently. On October 8, Northport community will wear red clothing and donate to the cause by purchasing bracelets in honor of the many lives lost. The proceeds of the purchase of the bracelet will be presented to Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Anemia in the name of Northport K-8 School and The Tough Kookie Foundation. According to the Center for Disease Control, there are about 90,000 to 100,000 Americans affected by the disease, mostly African Americans and those of Greek, Hispanic and Western Asian ancestry. Northport will celebrate the life of Kookie and the hundreds of thousands of other lives lost to this tragic disease, in support of Mrs. Solide, who is a beloved teacher at the school.

Northport K-8 would like to invite all of our parents and community to like our “Facebook Page”. It is listed under “Northport K-8 School”. This is an excellent tool to inform our parents and families of up- to-the-minute school information. You can also follow us on twitter @NorthportK8.

Northport K-8 Upcoming Activities October 1st-31st: : Northport K-8 School is honoring September as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Our beloved teacher, Marie Solide, lost her daughter Kookie very recently to Sickle Cell Disease. We want to support Mrs. Solide as a member of our Northport family. Please wear RED on Wednesday, October 8 in support of Kookie's fight and Mrs. Solide's tragic loss. Students, parents and staff also will be able to purchase bracelets for Sickle Cell awareness for $1.00 during the entire month. All proceeds will go to support Howard University Center For Sickle Cell Disease in the name of Northport K-8 School! Northport Motto: FAMILY FIRST!

October 6th: Yankee Candle Fundraiser begins. All students are eligible to participate in helping fundraise for our school. Prizes will be awarded to the students based on the amount of items sold. Please check the materials that will be going home. All sales must be turned in by October 17th to assure delivery before Thanksgiving. October 7th: Million Dad March. Northport will be participating in the "Million Father March!" We support the strength of the family at Northport and we want to participate in this very worthy effort to tighten the bonds between fathers and their children. We are encouraging dads to drop their kids off at school that day and then stop in to our media center for coffee, juice and a light breakfast. We are trying to tighten that knot that binds moms, dads, grandparents and our school family as tight as possible to the sake of our children. Thank you moms and dads for helping us educate your precious ones! We so appreciate your partnerships. Make sure to get the word out to all the DADS!!!.

October 8th: "Walk To School Day!" Meet at Sportsman's Park basketball courts at 8:30 and using the community sidewalks, walk or bike to school together with parents, students, teachers and staff! Learn more at walkbiketoschool.org. As we arrive at Northport, a light breakfast will be served! See you at the courts.

October 13th: PTO Meeting at 4:15pm in the parent room.

October 14th: Family night at Moe’s Southwestern Grille. A portion of all sales between 5:00 pm- 10:00 pm will be awarded to our school. Please support our community and our school.

October 15th: SAC (School Advisory Council) meets at 8:30 am in the Media Center.

October 18th: Blue Elephant Wildlife Show will be held in the gym from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. More information will be sent home for students interested in attending this presentation.

October 22nd: Early release @ 2:00 pm

October 21st: End of 1st Nine Weeks

October 24th: Northport K-8 Second Leadership Conference in the Media Center at 9:30 am.

October 27th: The Scholastic Fall Bookfair begins in the Media Center, and ends November 7th.

October 29th: Early Release @ 2:00 pm

October 29th: PTO Stevi B’s Night. Wear your Northport K-8 Spirit Shirt and come out to support our school. A portion of the sales between 2:00 pm– 8:00 pm will be donated to Northport!