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September 30, 2026
Multicultural Night
What a night!! This past Friday we celebrated all our students during Multicultural Night!! This event was filled with fun and connection to our community! HUGE thank you to each of our lovely NRE families who hosted a booth, to those who gave performances and last but NOT least - all of the amazing people who planned, set up, ran, and broke down this event! We could not have had such a wonderful night without your efforts!
Last week's NRE Trivia question asked how many different languages are spoken in the homes of our NRE families. The answer was 45 languages! Multicultural Night was a beautiful reflection of the many cultures, languages, and traditions that make our school community so special.
Take a peek at Multicultural Night! Seeing our school community come together on this night is a beautiful reminder of what makes NRE such a great place to be.
We were able to raffle off some great prizes last Friday as well! If you purchased a ticket please see the raffle list section to see if you won!
THANK YOU AGAIN to everyone who came and made Friday the success that it was! It was so great to visit with and learn more about our wonderful NRE community!
The Book Fair is Here!
September 28th - October 6th
Did you know our library budget is based primarily on Book Fair earnings? Mrs. Peck is working hard to grow our library collection, and every purchase helps!
Come find some new favorites, grab a few holiday gifts, and support our NRE library while you shop!
Can’t make it in person? Our online Book Fair will be open for two weeks! You can also use your child’s teacher E-Wallet to purchase books for their classroom. Teacher QR codes will be available in their weekly communications or on their bins at the Book Fair.
View the flyer for more details, including shopping hours.
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The Chick-fil-a Cow Calendar is back!🐄
The highly popular Cow Calendar is making its return, and our local Chick-fil-A is giving our PTO the opportunity to sell them as a fundraiser! That means our families can get their calendars early and at a special discounted price before they’re available to the public.
The calendar features the iconic Chick-fil-A Cows and comes packed with monthly Chick-fil-A coupons for favorites throughout the year. And the best part? The coupons are worth significantly more than the price of the calendar!
If you love Chick-fil-A, you’ve gotta get this calendar!
Calendars will be sent home with your child within 2 weeks of ordering. Please allow extra time around Fall Break.
Every purchase helps support the NRE PTO!
If you have any questions, email Crystal Spencer at PTOVicePresidentNRE@gmail.com.
The Charleston Wrap Fundraiser is Coming Soon!
October 18th - 31st
The Charleston Wrap fundraiser is back! Just in time to help you prep for the holidays, this gift & wrapping paper fundraiser opens on Sunday, October 18th! Please check out the catalogue - there are so many options to get you ready for the holiday season.
If students choose to participate in this fundraiser, prizes will be awarded for reaching sales goals. Not only that, a generous 40% of sales come back to NRE PTO! Use Organization ID 29822 when you register! Don’t wait too long if you want to take part, the deadline for the fundraiser is Saturday, October 31st!
There are some really great items available for purchase at very reasonable prices - please consider doing some of your holiday shopping early and help support NRE!
Volunteer Shout-Out
Thank You, Virginia Wallace!
A huge shoutout to Virginia, our Multicultural Night Chair! She put so much time and heart into making this special night happen. From working with families to help them bring their culture and traditions to life through their booths, to coordinating with vendors and making sure all the little details came together, she was behind so much of what made the evening feel so welcoming and fun.
We are incredibly grateful for all of the time, energy, and care she poured into Multicultural Night. Thank you, Virginia, for helping bring our NRE community together and making this night so special!
Know someone who goes above and beyond for NRE? Whether they help at events, volunteer behind the scenes, or are always willing to lend a hand, we’d love to recognize them!
Help Us Feed Our Teachers During Conference Week
Fall Conference Week is coming up, and we’d love to show our amazing teachers some extra appreciation by keeping them well-fed all week! PTO is covering most of the food, but we could use a little help to fill in the rest.
Check out the week’s menu and see how you can help!
Upcoming Spirit Nights
Local restaurants host “spirit nights” where a designated portion of the proceeds from your order will be generously donated back to NRE PTO. All you have to do is mention NRE or show the flyer when ordering.
Chipotle
Wednesday, Sept. 30
4-8 PM
Fujiyama
Thursday, Oct. 8
All Day
Add to Calendar
Add to Calendar
Winning Raffle tickets
If you bought raffle tickets at the Multicultural Night please check out the numbers below to see if you have a winner!
Please email a picture of your ticket to PTOvicepresidentNRE@gmail.com to claim your prize!
Winners have until Friday, October 30, 2026, to claim and pick up their prize. Any unclaimed prizes after that date will be returned to the PTO prize pool.
Questions With...
Emalie Berke (3rd Grade Teacher)
1. Who was your favorite teacher growing up, and what made them so memorable?
My favorite teacher was my 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Harmon, who I'd heard was mean and cried about getting, but she turned out to be strict yet fair, with high expectations and a fun habit of rewarding us with ice cream once we'd read enough books. I later reconnected with her as an adult to thank her for inspiring me to become a teacher, and we still text and email occasionally, even though she's in her 80s and somehow more active than I am!
2. What brought you to NRE?
I was teaching 1st grade in the Bronx when I went through a major life change and decided it was time for a fresh start, moving out to be near my siblings, my one-year-old niece, and my nephew, who was born just two
days before my move. I almost took another 1st grade job in the district, but our old counselor, Kristina Hilton, a good friend of my sister's from a previous job, talked up NRE so much that she convinced me to take the job here instead, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made!
3. What’s something you could happily talk about for hours?
Anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with Taylor Swift, cheering on UConn basketball (both men & women- we take our hoops VERY seriously in Storrs, CT, AKA the basketball capital of the world!), and my dog Benji.
4. If you weren’t working in education, what career would you have?
I'd like to think I'd be accepting my Academy Award by now- teaching was always my true calling, but from middle school through senior year, I was 1000% convinced I was also destined for Hollywood, complete with high school acting awards and a spot (that I turned down) in a college theater program. Turns out I traded red carpets for classroom performances... but I like to think my classroom presentations still deserve a standing ovation!
5. If you could instantly teleport anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If I could instantly teleport anywhere, it would be to London, where I studied abroad and interned at a primary school during my master's program and met some of my best friends. I'd go back in a heartbeat...but only if all my London friends could come with me!
NRE staff members: Please help us keep our PTO Pulse Staff Spotlight going! We’re always looking for staff members to feature, and we’d love to highlight you. Simply click the button above and complete the short form. We’ve included lots of fun questions to choose from, so you can answer the ones that best reflect your personality!
nre trivia
Think you know NRE? Put your knowledge to the test with this week’s trivia question! Submit your answer using the button below. Everyone who answers correctly will be entered into a random drawing for a prize.
What is our mascot's name?
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Prongy
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Dash
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Prancer
🎉 Congratulations to Last Week’s Trivia Winner: Maike Beverly
If you’re our lucky winner, keep an eye on your inbox! The PTO Vice President will email you with all the details to claim your prize.
❓Question: Approximately how many different languages are spoken in the homes of our NRE students?
✅ Correct Answer: 45
Coat and Costume Drive
Now through October 9
The Coat and Costume Drive is in full swing! Bring your unneeded winter gear (jackets, gloves, hats, boots, etc.) to NRE. We have bins outside the front doors where you can easily drop off donations. We also have bins in the front lobby.
Also, take a look in the bins or on the rack for anything you might need! Consider it a swap - give what you don't need and take what you do need. You do not have to make a donation to take something you need. We want to make sure all NRE kiddos have warm gear this winter.
All leftover items will be donated to Help and Hope Center in Castle Rock.
PTO Text Messages
Opt into PTO Text Messages to stay up to date on all the biggest events! It only takes 10 seconds— click here.
PTO texts keep you in the loop with all the important reminders and updates. Stay connected and don’t miss out!
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Volunteer Opportunities
NRE has a great volunteer site to see all available volunteer opportunities. Everything from events to board positions to committee needs will be listed.
Please check it out here!
Enberg Photography Mini Sessions are back!
Just like before, sessions are $100 and 50% goes right back to the PTO. This is the perfect way to refresh your family photos while giving back to our school community.
Session Details:
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20-minute session
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Includes 6 edited images (with the option to purchase more)
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$100 — 50% supports your PTO
Enberg Photography
Ongoing fundraisers
🛒 Earn Money for NRE by Shopping at King Soopers
King Soopers donates back to the community through their Community Rewards Program. There is no cost to families to participate and it takes 1 minute to link your King Soopers account to NRE PTO! We are really hoping to take full advantage of this great community partnership! See the very easy steps in the flier below.
Reserve the Rock to celebrate a special occasion. First, sign up for your date, then make your $20 donation to PTO through MySchoolBucks. Additionally, PTO has volunteers who are willing to paint the rock for you if you’d like! Click the picture above to find out more or to reserve the rock.
📦 Earn Money for NRE with Box Tops!
Did you know you can support Northridge Elementary just by buying the products you already use? Box Tops for Education is an easy way to help raise money for our school—no clipping required! Getting started is simple: Download the Box Tops for Education app. Create a free account. Search for and select Northridge Elementary as your school. Scan your grocery receipt within 14 days of your purchase. The app will automatically find eligible Box Tops products and credit earnings to NRE. Every receipt makes a difference! Those small earnings quickly add up and help fund programs, events, classroom resources, and special opportunities for our students.
🪠 Plumbing & drain services that give back to NRE!
bluefrog Plumbing + Drain will donate 10% of any job to our school, up to $500 How It Works: 1. Mention Northridge Elementary when scheduling over the phone or online at bookthefrog.com 2. Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain will write a check to NRE at the end of the month. 3. Invite Others to Parcipate! This offer is available to everyone including family, friends, faculty, and staff.
👕 Wear Your NRE Pride!
NRE PTO is partnering with a company called “Mostly For Nerds” (MFN) to provide NRE Swag! You can now purchase tshirts, hoodies, hats, etc. MFN is also generously donating $5 per item sold back to NRE PTO. More items will be available in the future, and if you have a request for items that you’d like to see available, please let us know. Check out the online store now!
Do you have piles of amazing art from your student at home and nowhere to display it!? Would you love to have it all in a beautiful and convenient book to enjoy? Plum Print has given Northridge the opportunity to support our school while we transform our children’s artwork into custom books! Not only will they donate 20% of the sale back to Northridge but they have also provided a $25 off code for us! Please take a look at the flyer below and use the code NORTHRIDGE when you place your order. This will give you $25 off your order and send 20% back to NRE!
Meet the pto
The Northridge Elementary PTO is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to bringing students, staff, families, and our community together to make NRE an exceptional place to learn, grow, and connect. Through fundraising, volunteerism, family events, teacher appreciation, and community partnerships, we help create meaningful experiences and provide resources that enrich our entire school community.
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Helpful Links
