Principal's Message

Comet Families,

On behalf of the faculty and staff of Walter G. Nord School, welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! I am incredibly excited and honored to serve as the next Principal of Walter G. Nord School. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated staff and partnering with our Nord families to support the growth and success of our amazing fourth- and fifth-grade students.

For the past five years, I served as Assistant Principal at Marion L. Steele High School. Prior to that, I had the opportunity to teach at Nord School, as well as in the Elyria and Maple Heights City School Districts. My wife, Olivia, our daughter, Marley, and I proudly call Amherst home and love being part of this incredible community.

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, please do not hesitate to call the Nord Main Office at 440-988-4441 if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I look forward to a great school year!

Our custodial staff has been hard at work all summer getting our building ready to welcome students on Wednesday, August 20, 2025! All homeroom assignments will be posted in the PowerSchool Parent Portal on Friday, August 15 at 3:30 PM. Please note that, for student privacy reasons, homeroom lists will not be posted outside of the school building. If you need assistance accessing your child’s homeroom teacher information in PowerSchool, please contact the main office.

We hope to see you all at our Open House on Monday, August 18, from 5:30–6:30 PM. To help reduce overcrowding and traffic, we encourage students with last names A–M to attend from 5:30–6:00 PM, and last names N–Z from 6:00–6:30 PM.

As you prepare for the start of school, please review this newsletter for helpful information. We’ve also compiled a Frequently Asked Questions document for your reference. Follow @NordPrincipal on X and check the Walter. G Nord Website regularly for updates.

Enjoy the rest of your summer—we look forward to seeing you soon!

Go Comets,

Nick Toney
Principal, Walter G. Nord School

Returning Student Registration

All emergency, medical, and contact information for all K-12 students will be collected through the Returning Student Registration process in your PowerSchool Parent Portal account at the start of each school year.

To complete the process, please go to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account, click on the Returning Student Registration link in the left menu, and follow the prompts. For step-by-step directions, please refer to this Online Returning Student Registration Directions document.

If you completed this process last year, most of your child's emergency and contact information will be pre-filled on this year's form. You will simply need to check, verify, and update any changes.

Thank you in advance for updating your returning student's information as soon as possible.

School Times

During the school year, Walter G. Nord School's Main Office is open daily from 7:45 am - 3:45 pm.

8:20 am: Building Opens to Students

8:30 am: School Day Begins

3:10 pm: Dismissal for Car Riders and Walkers

3:20 pm: Buses Depart

PikMyKid

Walter G. Nord School uses the PikMyKid app for student dismissal. Please download the app and complete your registration prior to the start of the school year.

If you have any questions about the app, feel free to contact the main office at 440-988-4441, or reach out to PikMyKid support at support@pikmykid.com.

If there is a change in your child’s transportation, please make the update directly in PikMyKid. During dismissal, staff will follow the designations entered in the app. All changes must be made by 2:00 PM on the day of the change.

Click here for PikMyKid procedures and frequently asked questions.

Supply Lists

Each grade level has specific supply lists. Students may bring their supplies to Open House or on the first day of school.

4th Grade Supply List

5th Grade Supply List

School Fees

Please review the following school fees for the 2024-2025 school year:

Fourth Grade: $50.50

Fifth Grade: $46.50

Please call Mrs. Dotson, Financial Secretary, at 440-988-4441 if you would like to set up a payment plan or if you have any questions. All school fees must be paid in full in order to attend Camp Fitch or the Columbus field trip.

School Meals

Breakfast and lunch may be purchased in the cafeteria each day. The Board of Education has set the prices for the 2024-2025 school year at:

Breakfast $1.85

Lunch $3.35

Milk $0.50

Please go to http://PaySchoolscentral.com to complete the Free/Reduced Application and/or add money to your student's account. For more information about school meals for the 2024-2025 school year, please visit our Amherst Schools Nutrition Services Website.

Cell Phone and Smart Watches

At Walter G. Nord School, we require that students keep their cell phones silenced and in their locker during the school day. We also ask that smartwatches be kept in student lockers.

If any family member needs to get an emergency message to their child during the school day, please call the main office at 440-988-4441. Thank you for your support in limiting distractions to the educational environment.

Grade Level Teams

Students at Walter G. Nord School are spilt into grade-level teams. Below is a list of the teachers on each team and what subject they teach.

Fourth Grade Teams

Mrs. Burman (ELA), Miss Antush (Math), Ms. Hershiser (Science and Social Studies)
Miss Maria (ELA), Miss Backman (Math), Mrs. DelVecchio (Science and Social Studies)
Mrs. Mullen (ELA), Mrs. Smith (Math), Mrs. Stellwagen (Science and Social Studies)
Mrs. Watkin (ELA and Social Studies), Mr. Zajkowski (Math and Science)

Fifth Grade Teams

Mrs. Ehrhardt (ELA), Mrs. Born (Math), Mrs. Liming (Science and Social Studies)
Miss Hegarty (ELA), Mrs. Bailey (Math), Mr. Hermensky (Science and Social Studies)
Mrs. Homolya (ELA), Mrs. Taylor (Math), Mrs. Henry (Science and Social Studies)
Mr. Mullen (Math and Science) and Mrs. Kinser (ELA and Social Studies)

Camp Fitch

Our fifth grade students will go on their overnight trip to Camp Fitch the week of September 22nd. Students in Costello, Henry, Homolya, Kinser, Mullen, and Taylor homerooms go Monday, September 22nd - Wednesday, September 24th. Students in Bailey, Born, Ehrhart. Hegarty, Hermensky, and Liming homerooms will go on Wednesday, September 24th - Friday, September 26th.

Click here for the Camp Fitch 2025 Information Packet that was sent home last spring. If you missed the informational meeting last spring, click this link to view the presentation. More information will be sent home with students the first week of school. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the 5th grade Camp Fitch trip, please contact Camp Director Brandy Duda at brandyduda@campfitchymca.org.

Comet Impact

Google Education Suite for Amherst Students - Caregiver Notification

All Amherst students will be using the Google Education Suite of services throughout the school day. This includes Google Core Services and Select Additional Services.

The Google Education Suite provides a variety of tools that enhance learning, collaboration, and communication in the classroom. These services are designed to be a safe and productive environment for your children to learn.