Ithaca Public Schools

🛠️ Attendance Support Starts Early 🛠️
Transportation issues? Morning stress? Family schedule changes? Reach out early—schools can connect you to supports before absences add up.

Need support or want to learn more? Visit fewerthan5.com for family resources. Funding for Strive for Fewer than Five is supported by the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center.

Happy Constitution Day! Today these first graders learned about the importance of the Constitution. They wrote their own classroom Constitution and signed it. They also learned about the symbolism of the American flag. Students then created their own American flags!

Our preschool playground has brand new equipment that was just installed in August! We are excited to see our Junior Jackets sliding, climbing, rocking, pedaling, and playing all year long. A special thanks to our Maintenance and Custodial Department at Ithaca Public Schools who played a huge role this summer in preparing and putting the finishing touches on this new play space.

From flying down ziplines at 6th-grade camp to racing through Rocket Math, this North Elementary alum turned their passion for learning into an inspiring career in education!
Meet Class of 2016 graduate Abby Workman!

Degree: Bachelor's Degree in Learning Disabilities with a minor in Reading

Current Role: K-5 Special Ed Resource Room Teacher at Kenowa Hills Public Schools

Favorite North Elementary Memories: "I remember going to 6th-grade camp and getting to ride a zipline for the first time. Oddly enough, I also enjoyed doing Rocket Math because I'm a very competitive person."

We love seeing our former students making such a powerful difference in the classroom and empowering the next generation of learners!

Our 1st and 2nd grade students had the opportunity to travel to the Heritage Center at Alma College on Tuesday to watch a dance performance. The dancers are students at the Academy of Performing Arts in Alma. Our Junior Jackets had a wonderful experience and were polite and well-mannered during the show. Bravo!

Each week, students receive Junior Jacket Tickets for demonstrating excellent behavior and setting a positive example at South Elementary. On Fridays, we draw one 'winner' from each classroom as our Junior Jacket Ticket Winners for the week. Here are the first winners for the 2026-27 school year.

South Elementary has some new graphics! We are excited about our new look! Thank you, Aaron's Graphics for getting these installed for us over Labor Day weekend.

Ms. Schrader's 2nd graders are shown here, paired up to work together on highlighting the different elements of Book Reviews! Their Shiny Snoopy for the week is also highlighted in the photos! Each week, a student who has followed their classroom rules and expectations earns the Shiny Snoopy Award. As their reward, Shiny Snoopy gets to visit their desk and stay with them for the entire week!

Mrs. Yelsik's 2nd graders have been playing games to strengthen their understanding of place value. Here, they are rolling the dice and using strategies to create the greatest 3-digit number they can to compare with their partner’s number.

🤒 Not Sure if They Should Stay Home? 🤒
If your child can participate in school activities, attending may be the best choice. When in doubt, contact your school—your attendance team can help.

Need support or want to learn more? Visit fewerthan5.com for family resources. Funding for Strive for Fewer than Five is supported by the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center.

North Elementary: Where the journey began.

Our alumni spotlight series continues! Today, we are catching up with Rugelio Ramereiz to see where life has taken him since his days at North!

We love that his favorite memory is the epic day the entire class got to challenge the principal to a game of dodgeball! Talk about an unforgettable way to build some school spirit (and get a little competitive). Today, Rugelio is bringing that same energy and team spirit to the world as a Director of Recruitment, College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University.

We love seeing our North family thrive out in the world!

4th grade is off to a great start! We kicked off the school year with mealworms! Students will be observing these tiny creatures as they learn about their life cycle and explore the adaptations that help them survive in their environment. Hands-on science makes learning come alive! We can't wait to see what our scientists discover!

Ms. Hayes and her Kindergartners read the book, “My Mouth is A Volcano” and discussed what to do if they feel like they are going to explode! 😊🌋 They also got to create a “volcano” and watched it explode (that might have been a favorite 😆

After reading a book called Dreaming Up in STEAM lab and seeing how young builders can use all sorts of items to make models of real structures, kindergarteners used building cards to create their own models.

Thank you, Project Full, for your snack donations for the first trimester! We are so appreciative of your generosity! Thank you to all these 2nd grade Junior Jackets, too. They helped us carry and deliver all the snacks to classrooms!

Mrs. Schaeding's 1st graders had their first day of partner reading on Tuesday and they did a fantastic job! 📚👫 Partner reading is an important part of learning in our early elementary classrooms! Reading with a partner helps students build confidence, practice fluency, strengthen comprehension, and learn from one another. Best of all, it makes reading engaging and fun! ❤️📖

North Elementary: Where the journey began.

Our alumni spotlight series continues! Today, we are catching up with Trevor Paradise to see where life has taken him since his days at North!

We love that his favorite childhood memory is a classic: breaking something and having to go find mom to show her how bad it really was! Today, Trevor is doing great things as a Program Supervisor .

We love seeing our North family thrive out in the world!

🍎 Everyday Attendance Starts Now 🍎
Showing up every day early in the year helps kids build confidence, connect with classmates, and stay on track with learning.

Need support or want to learn more? Visit fewerthan5.com for family resources. Funding for Strive for Fewer than Five is supported by the Region 5 MiFamily Engagement Center.

Our 6th graders kicked off the school year with a hands-on mystery! Students were challenged to analyze ink handprints and match them to everyday household items like doorknobs, light bulbs, and pencils.
It was a fantastic welcome-back activity that tested their critical thinking, teamwork, and perseverance. Way to crack the code, class!