Ithaca North Elementary

What a great day for some water sports! Thank you Mr. Rayburn for a great Field Day!

Please join us in celebrating our May Students of the Month! This month, our focus was on highlighting students who consistently demonstrate Enthusiasm, Leadership, and an Other-People Mindset. Whether it is lifting up a classmate, taking charge of a project, or simply bringing a bright smile and a positive attitude to school every day, these students embody the very best of our school family. Thank you to our honorees for your dedication, your kindness, and for showing us all what it means to be a future-ready leader. Congratulations to all of our selected students!

5th Grade Greenfield Village Trip! Yesterday, our 5th graders went to Greenfield Village and had an amazing time! It was awesome to see them make real-world connections to what they’ve been learning in class all year long. They got to visit the Wright Brothers' bike shop and childhood home, see Henry Ford’s childhood home and the Ford Motor Company, explore Thomas Edison’s lab, and so much more! A special thank you to our PTO for helping fund this trip and for our amazing school t-shirts! Also, thank you to our great bus drivers for getting us to the village and back to North safely! We are so proud of our students for representing our school so well.

Ms. Foglesong's class enjoyed a delicious summertime watermelon treat on Thursday, thanks to our amazing weekly volunteer, Mrs. Paradise! We are so incredibly lucky to have had Mrs. Paradise in our corner all year long. From helping out weekly with reading, math, and projects, to even helping us tackle the job of cleaning out lockers, she has been an absolute blessing to our students. Thank you, Mrs. Paradise, for your endless support, hard work, and for ending our year on such a sweet note!

Four of our sixth-grade students recently spoke at Ithaca's three Memorial Day ceremonies, sharing reflections based on correspondence with veterans. The students reviewed personal letters detailing who veterans remember on this holiday and why the day carries such significance for those who served. Inspired by these firsthand accounts, the four speakers composed and delivered their own meaningful responses to honor the occasion. Great job Morgan, Lylian, Emery, and Everley. Thank you for taking your holiday to reach out to our community this way.

More photos of our art day!

These 3rd graders are crafty and creative! Our coloring/art day was a success and you can see their talent. We had everything from shoe design to rock painting. Enjoy!

Mr. DeRosia's 5th graders were rewarded with a Chick-Fil-A party for their amazing performances on their NWEA tests on a deal they made with him. They earned it with all of their hard work this school year!

North Elementary would like to welcome Mrs. Emma Nyman Kelly, to our 3rd grade team! Mrs. Kelly will be teaching 3rd grade next school year!

North Elementary would like to welcome Alma College Grad, Ms. Mary Draher, to our 3rd grade team! Ms. Draher will be teaching 3rd grade next school year!

Just look at these beautiful faces! These are from ACES Day. I sure will miss these smiles.

If you haven't been to the Saginaw Chippewa Tribes Ziibiwing Center, I highly recommend it. Mrs. Hull's 3rd graders had an engaging experience learning about the history of the Anishinaabe people. Mr. Ray was a very kind and knowledgeable guide. The kids observed many aspects of the people's history that we discussed in class. Thank you to our PTO for making this trip possible.

A few more photos of our trip to the Ziibiwing Center.

This week in 5th Grade Music we completed our instrument exploration with percussion! We tried out a variety of different instruments and practiced playing them to a steady beat. They were rock stars!

A very special celebration for some truly incredible staff members! We recently gathered to honor three exciting upcoming milestones in our school family. We celebrated two amazing educators who will be retiring at the end of the school year, marking the end of their wonderful careers, and one fantastic staff member who is getting married this summer! It was a beautiful time to relax, socialize, and simply enjoy each other’s presence as a team before the end-of-year rush. Please join us in wishing all three of them the absolute best in their next chapters!

Third graders learned about Aida de Acosta, the first woman of powered flight, in STEAM lab and were challenged to design flying machines inspired by the one she used. Lots of creative engineering was put to use!

Ms. Zimmer brought her tortoises in today and shared so much fascinating information with our 4th graders! Students loved the hands-on learning experience and had a great time asking questions and meeting these amazing animals!

Miss Sopocy’s 5th graders had a wonderful day exploring our community on a walking field trip! Our first stop was the Commission on Aging, where students had the incredible opportunity to sit down with local veterans. They asked questions, listened to amazing stories, and got a firsthand look at photos and items the veterans used during their service. A huge thank you to the veterans who spent time with our students today, we deeply appreciate your service and your wisdom! We also stopped by the Historical Museum for a fun scavenger hunt! It was a fantastic way to look at historical artifacts and learn more about Gratiot County. Thank you to the museum for having us and sharing your wisdom with our class!