Ithaca North Elementary

Third graders read Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile in STEAM lab and were challenged to design Botley robots that could replicate the "egg swap" Mrs. Chicken carried out in the story to save her chicks. It was a perfect story to extend their science work on inherited traits and animal life cycles!

During our Homecoming week the incredible 5th graders stepped up as amazing leaders to mentor our youngest learners in Kindergarten. Together, these buddy pairs headed outside for an outdoor learning adventure to explore living and non-living things. The 5th graders guided the kindergartners through the environment, helping them identify objects, ask great questions, and record their findings. Seeing our 5th graders shine as patient leaders and watching our kindergartners jump into hands-on science with such excitement was truly inspiring. Everyone had a fantastic time engaging, exploring, and learning together! Way to swarm together, yellowjackets!

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.

Together, we’ll talk about topics like:

Setting realistic boundaries around screens and technology
Navigating social media, gaming, and phones
Building independence, resilience, and problem-solving skills
Strengthening communication and connection at home
Making room for play, relationships, sleep, and real-world experiences
Responding when limits around technology feel difficult

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.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 27
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Place: North Elementary

This FREE event is for all South and North families. Food, drinks, giveaways, and childcare will be provided.

Register here: https://forms.gle/tDfcpA2usdChtLq96

Whether screens are already a challenge in your home or you simply want to think ahead, we hope you’ll join us for the conversation.

Superhero Accessory Day! We have enjoyed this week! It has been so nice to see the kids participate in spirit days! Some of our students are very creative!

FINAL POM POM SALE TOMORROW AT LUNCH! Get ready to cheer loud at the mini-parade and Friday night football game! We are selling our last and final round of pom poms during lunch tomorrow at North Elementary. Price: $2 Exact Cash ONLY: Please send your child with exact cash ($2)—no change will be on hand or given. Great Cause: 50% of all proceeds will go directly to our Hoops for Hunger food drive! Send in $2 exact cash tomorrow so your student can snag the last of our school spirit pom poms and help feed families in our community!

FRIDAY PREVIEW: Homecoming Hero Spirit Day! The big day is almost here! It’s time to bring maximum school pride for Homecoming Friday! What to wear: Show off your ultimate school spirit! Wear your Ithaca shirt or school colors of BLUE & GOLD

Parent Teacher Conferences

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!