• Dec. 16 - Car Drop Off Changes Begin on ND Campus and Picture Retake/Make Ups and Booster Club meeting 3:15 pm in multipurpose room

• Dec. 17 - 4H Clover Bud meeting 9:40 am

• Dec. 18 - Grinch Day, students can wear green/Grinch themed clothes

• Dec. 19 - Frosty Fest during the school day, students can wear pajamas

• Dec. 20 - Teacher Work Day, NO STUDENTS!!!!

• Dec. 23 - Jan. 7: Christmas Break (Schools Closed)

Greetings Griffin Nation! 

The holidays are fast approaching with Christmas just around the corner and our students are anticipating time spent with family and friends. Before we go, North DeSoto Schools would like to express our thankfulness for the high level of community support that’s needed to keep students learning and schools executing consistent learning experiences that are aligned to our district’s core value of High Performance. In addition, parents and community members play a vital role in supporting both students and schools as they navigate new learning and change that’s needed to ensure student safety and student learning. 

As our ND school community continues to grow and welcome additional students and parents at a brisk pace, we must adjust accordingly to maintain safe, efficient, and effective operations that meet the demands of the upward trend of enrollment. 

One trend that we are most familiar with is the dynamic ND campus egress (entry/exit) that the school community must navigate daily. No doubt, the need and desire to improve this daily experience is a collective goal of all. Each year as we begin a new school year the need is revealed as “New Learning” when students and parents navigate from one ND school to another. This “New Learning” is challenging and mirrors the learning and teaching that takes place in every ND classroom. It is understood and appreciated that High Performance teaching and learning must create a “Productive Struggle” to ensure the highest level of collaboration and problem solving. 

In a proactive effort to collectively problem solve and improve the campus entry/exit flow, your help in “New Learning” is needed beginning December 16, 2024. Please partner with us in high performance learning/teaching as we shift forward with an effort to ensure safe, efficient, and effective navigation of the ND campus. The shift will include moving cars onto the loop road as buses shift to the interior of the campus. To learn the shift, color coded maps and numerical signage to help identify entry/exit points as well as sequenced drop off/pick up routes will be provided. In addition, maps will be distributed from each ND School and posted on social media the week of December 9th. 

This perimeter shift in car traffic creates several advantages and is supported by research, strengthening our school safety protocol. By reducing vehicle movement within internal areas, it minimizes the risk of accidents involving pedestrians, especially children. This separation also creates safer zones for students to walk without the danger of vehicular traffic. Additionally, it can facilitate better supervision and visibility for staff and security personnel, further contributing to a secure environment. Overall, perimeter traffic management is an effective strategy to prioritize student safety. 

Thank you in advance, Grin Nation, for your patience and participation in this High Performance “New Learning”! 

Russel Tabor, Principal NDLE

William Cater, Principal NDMS

Joseph Saverino, Principal NDHS

Casey Hamon, Principal NDUE

PDF of Letter

PDF of Map

Hi parents! During the Holiday Season when we are out of school, there are many activities you can do to help your child continue practicing what they have learned during this first semester. 

• Read books together. Ask them questions about what you read to make sure they understand the story. Talk about what they see in the pictures. Explain the meaning of words they do not know. Reading books that are above their reading level with an adult helps build vocabulary and background knowledge which is helpful at every age. 

• Play word games. When you are out and about, ask your kids what letters they see. Ask them what sounds the letters make. Have them practice breaking apart words into sounds. Ask them what sound they hear at the beginning of words, and if they are really good at that, ask them what sound they hear at the end of words. Clap out the syllables in words. Come up with lists of rhyming words. These are all easy, no preparation activities that you can do when you are waiting at a restaurant, doctor’s office, anywhere. These types of word games help build the skills they need to read fluently.

• Play board games and practice following directions. Memory match games, puzzles, and simple board games (Trouble, Connect Four, Candy Land, Bingo) are great for early childhood. Simple games like this help children follow directions, recognize patterns, develop strategies, count, add and subtract, and learn how to play fairly with others. Other movement games like “Simon Says” or “Mother May I” are also great for helping children follow directions. 

• Practice fine motor skills. Coloring, cutting paper with child size scissors, tracing, and playing with play-do are inexpensive activities that help students build up the muscles in their hands to help them write, tie shoes, open snacks/food, and increase coordination. These are also activities that help students use creativity. 

• Practice gross motor skills. Running, jumping, climbing, throwing balls, etc. are all ways to develop the large groups of muscles in the body to increase coordination.

• Talk about manners and bathroom routines. Talk with students about what our Little Griffin SOAR behavior expectations are (Safe behavior, On task students, Act respectful, Responsible choices). Discuss manners and your expectations of their behavior at school. Review the steps in going to the bathroom and washing hands independently and practice if needed. Be mindful of the bottoms you buy for school to make sure your child can get them down and up themselves. 

• Early Childhood Technology Options. Kindergarten and First Grade students have chromebooks at home. There are a variety of learning apps on CLEVER that are available to them by our school district. Pre-K teachers encourage parents to sign their students up for Reading Rosie. Starfall is another great educational website and app for Pre-K students.

The NDLE faculty and staff work really hard to provide a well-rounded education for their students, but remember that parents are the most important teacher your child has. With over 500 students in our school, parents are the ones who can give the individual attention that 3-7 year olds need. In January, all grade levels will review routines, procedures, and expectations while beginning to promote more independence to prepare students for the next grade level. With parents’ help, we can work together to make sure our Little Griffins SOAR into learning the fundamental skills that will help them succeed in their education. 

Soccer is growing at ND schools. There are boys and girls recreational soccer teams for every grade level. Most teams practice on our ND campus. A post card went home in student folders on Friday. Click the link or scan the QR code if you are interested in your child playing. https://bit.ly/4ffBy7s

If you need to get in touch with our administration team, please send them an email instead of a Rooms message or call the office at (318)925-2383. This will ensure a quick response.

Mr. Russell Tabor, Principal russell.tabor@desotopsb.com

Mrs. Lindsay Burford, Assistant Principal lindsay.burford@desotopsb.com

Mrs. Stephanie Arinder, Counselor stephanie.arinder@desotopsb.com