Ithaca North Elementary

Our mealworms have officially completed their life cycle and transformed into beetles! Students have enjoyed observing each stage of this amazing metamorphosis and seeing firsthand how living things grow and change.
What an exciting milestone for our 4th grade classroom scientists!

Even though construction is underway at Forest Hill Nature Area, their team brought the learning to us!
Our 4th graders participated in a hands-on animal skull investigation, using clues such as teeth, nose structure, and eye placement to determine which animals the skulls belonged to. Students put their observation and critical-thinking skills to the test while learning how physical features help animals survive in their environments.
Thank you to Forest Hill Nature Area for bringing this engaging experience to North School!

This is one of our favorite days of the year! We love having our varsity football and varsity cheerleading teams come to our lunch and recess! We have great leaders to look up to!

THURSDAY PREVIEW: Superhero Accessories & Sock Day! It's time to gear up for Thursday! Let’s see those super accessories and fun socks in action. What to wear: Superhero socks, wristbands, hats, or capes! Here are a few ideas to help find your superhero accessories around the house: use supplies to make a lightweight DIY cape, or just pull on a pair of bright/mismatched fun socks!

From creative student projects to leading tech teams in healthcare, our alumni continue to make a major impact!
Meet our featured alum from the Class of 2017:

Current Title: Salesforce Administration Manager at Rula (leading a team of 8 software engineers supporting mental healthcare access)

Higher Education: Kettering University (B.S. in Computer Science, Cybersecurity specialty)

Favorite School Memory: Creating an Indiana Jones–stylized comic book series!

It is fantastic to see how creative storytelling and technical expertise have combined to build a thriving career in tech leadership and service.

Day 2 of Homecoming Week was downright HEROIC! Today we suited up for Superhero Day, and the halls were packed with iconic graphic tees! It was awesome seeing everyone channel their inner hero. A huge shoutout to our amazing staff and teachers who joined in on the action and brought their favorite heroes to life—you all truly save the day every single day! Two days down, and the energy just keeps getting bigger. We can't wait to keep the momentum going tomorrow!

Presenting 'Raising Resilient Kids' with Tracey Galgoci, MA, LPC 🔎📖🏫🌎
Register here: https://forms.gle/tDfcpA2usdChtLq96

Parenting in a world of phones, gaming, social media, and screens can feel complicated. There are a lot of questions, a lot of opinions, and rarely one perfect answer.

That’s why we’re inviting parents and caregivers to join us for Raising Resilient Kids: Navigating the Pitfalls of a Screen-Based Childhood with Tracey Galgoci, MA, LPC.

This will be a practical, welcoming, and judgment-free conversation about raising kids in today’s digital world. Come as you are, bring your questions, and hear realistic ideas you can use with your own family.

There is no expectation to have it all figured out. This is a space for honest conversation, questions, and practical strategies that can work in real family life. You do not have children attending Ithaca Public Schools to attend.

Refreshments & Door Prizes!

WEDNESDAY PREVIEW: Everyday Real-Life Heroes! Not all heroes wear capes—some wear scrubs, uniforms, or high-vis vests! Tomorrow we celebrate the heroes in our community. What to wear: Dress like an everyday hero—doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, teachers, military members, or postal workers. Keep it simple! Scrubs, a sports jersey, a high-vis vest, or a homemade paper badge taped to a plain shirt does the trick.

Sixth graders put a STEAM twist on their bocce ball games today by using dash robot launchers to launch their bocce balls. Teams competed to see whose code would land a ball closest to the triangle target.

Homecoming Week is officially HERE, and Day 1 did not disappoint! Our halls were bursting with spirit and energy for Grade Level Color Day! From 3rd grade to 6th grade, everyone showed up in full force, painting the school with incredible class pride and unmatched spirit. If Monday was any indication, this is going to be an unforgettable week. We can’t wait to see everyone bring that same hype all week long!

TUESDAY PREVIEW: Favorite Superhero Graphic Tee & Comic Brights! Day 2 is all about showing off your favorite characters and bold power colors! What to wear: Your favorite superhero t-shirt OR bright comic book colors (red, blue, yellow, green, or purple). Don't have a superhero shirt? Any top featuring an empowering word like "Kind," "Strong," or "Brave" totally counts as a hero shirt!

Third grade is representing green today!!!! Way to show school pride on our first spirit day of Homecoming week!

Congratulations to 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Caldwell for receiving QBX and Michigan One Community Credit Union Teacher of the Week!

Miss Sopocy’s 5th graders got their hands messy this week with a fun science experiment! Working in pairs, students used gummy worms, baking soda, and vinegar to explore chemical reactions and model how decomposers break down matter. It was awesome watching our 5th graders practice real teamwork and critical thinking as they worked together to make their worms help "decompose" and discuss how the science works. Hands-on learning at its best!

MONDAY PREVIEW: Superhero Color Squad!
Tomorrow kicks off Homecoming Spirit Week! Let’s fill the hallways with color.

What to wear: Dress in your assigned grade-level color!

3rd Grade: GREEN

4th Grade: ORANGE

5th Grade: PURPLE

6th Grade: RED

Any basic t-shirt, sweatshirt, or socks in your grade’s color works perfectly. Zero fuss required!

HOMECOMING SPIRIT WEEK IS NEXT WEEK!
Get ready to show off your superpowers and school pride! Next week is Homecoming Dress-Up Week, and we are keeping it simple, fun, and 100% budget-friendly.

No need to buy fancy costumes! Everything your child needs can be found right in their drawers, closets, or around the house. Check out the lineup below and dive into the spirit:

THE DAILY LINEUP

Monday: Superhero Color Squad

The Look: Dress in your grade level’s assigned superhero color!

Around-the-house tip: Any basic t-shirt, sweater, or socks in your grade color works perfectly.

Tuesday: Hero Graphic Tee & Comic Brights

The Look: Wear your favorite superhero shirt OR wear bright comic book colors (red, blue, yellow, purple, or green)!

Around-the-house tip: Have a shirt with a positive word like "Kind" or "Brave"? That counts as a superpower shirt too!

Wednesday: Everyday Real-Life Heroes

The Look: Dress like a real-world community hero—doctors, nurses, firefighters, teachers, military members, or postal workers.

Around-the-house tip: Scrubs, a high-vis vest, a sports jersey, or a simple paper badge taped to a shirt instantly does the trick.

Thursday: Superhero Accessories & Sock Day

The Look: Rock your favorite superhero socks, hats, wristbands, or capes!

Around-the-house tip: Tuck a small towel or pillowcase into a shirt collar for an instant DIY cape, or wear fun, mismatched colorful socks!

Friday: Homecoming Hero Spirit Day!

The Look: Show your ultimate school pride! Wear your BLUE & GOLD school colors or spirit shirts to cheer the YELLOWJACKETS on for Homecoming!

Quick Friendly Rules for a Safe Week:

No weapons or play props (keep swords, shields, and blasters at home).

No full-face masks or scary face paint (we need to see those smiling faces!).

Let’s make this the highest-participation Homecoming week ever!

A big thank you to our school safety officer, Officer Greene, for coming in to speak with all of our 5th graders! He walked students through different situations to help prepare them and answered their questions. Officer Greene reminded every one of the importance of safety drills and staying calm so that every student feels confident knowing what to do. We truly appreciate his work in keeping our school community safe, prepared, and informed!

Sixth grade Student Council members are building positive relationships and strengthening our school community by creating posters for Homecoming Week. Working collaboratively, students designed colorful reminders of each day’s theme to help schoolmates join in the fun and show school spirit. This project gives students an opportunity to contribute to North Elementary creating a welcoming sense of community throughout the school.

Remember to make reading at home part of your back to school routine! Enjoy a good book with your family!

Fourth graders expanded on their science unit about animal sense structures by creating animal ears in STEAM lab!