Longhorn Stampede

Christopher Stowe, Principal

Courtney Katkoski, Assistant Principal

Dawn Walls, Counselor

Website: https://lonestares.misd.org/
Location: 16600 FM 2854 Road, Montgomery, TX, USA
Phone: (936) 276-4500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsemontgomery/
Twitter: @lse_montgomery

Our campus has been digging deep in to our students' Middle of the Year (MOY) screener data along with data from the STAAR Interim assessment. We are celebrating the hard work from both students and teachers as our data shows that Lone Star continues to be a high achieving AND high growth campus. In Math ,our iReady screener data shows that the median student at Lone Star Elem in grades K-5 is 57% of the way to a year's worth of growth. In fact 20% of our students have already grown a full year/grade-level's worth at the half-way point in the school year according to the iReady screener!

Because Math continues to be Lone Star's campus-wide WILDLY Important Goal (WIG), I encourage families to continue to use curricular resources that teachers share from Eureka Math: A Story of Units and iReady's personalized pathway. Students can access iReady lessons on a computer, chromebook, or iPad through ClassLink. For the best growth students should be working on iReady lessons for a total of 45 minutes per week through a combination of time at school and at home. The login information is in the graphic below.

We will be celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week February 12-16. Students and staff can also dress-up! We want to celebrate the power of compassion and generosity in our daily lives. Families are encouraged to perform simple yet meaningful acts of kindness for others, whether it's offering a smile, lending a helping hand, or paying for someone's coffee. We wish to inspire positivity, foster connections within communities, and remind people of the profound impact that small acts of kindness can have on both the giver and the recipient.

Later in the month be sure to check out the PTA watch party for Navigating the Smart Phone Era. This will be a great resource for parents thinking about getting their child a phone and teaching them how to use it. It's also good for those parents who prefer to wait to get a phone for their child, because it's likely that at least one friend is going to get one along the way. Our children do not automatically know the dos and don'ts of cell phone usage; they must be explicitly taught the social conventions and norms, and given feedback on what to do and not to do. This will be a great start in getting to know how to do that.

I know I always thank our families for their continued emphasis on attendance, but I'm so proud that Lone Star continues to lead MISD in our attendance. However, we are noticing that our attendance rate is starting to dip. We are averaging between 40 and 50 students absent each day- That's equivalent to 2 to 2.5 classes absent every single day. To reach our WILDLY Important Goal, we need to average 23 students absent per day. Research confirms that student achievement is DIRECTLY tied to student attendance.

We know that kiddos get sick and we know that vacations happen. That is why we have always promoted the "Strive for 5" absences or fewer throughout the school year. As we move deeper into the second semester please remember to be at school for as many days as possible and to turn in doctors notes or parent notes as soon as you can. If you have attendance notes that you need to send in digitally, please send them to LSEattendance@misd.org or Jennifer.Drago@misd.org.

Please check your Skyward Family Access for attendance records. You can see exactly how many absences each student has and whether you have turned in a doctor's note or a parent note. Students with excessive absences will also have letters shared in Skyward. Students who miss more than 10% of school days may be denied promotion to the next grade level, and families of students who are chronically absent may be referred to truancy court for contributing to their non-attendance.

If you have questions after reading the newsletter, please reach out to the appropriate staff member and we will help answer your questions. If you're not sure who to ask, you can always reach us at 936-276-4500.

-Mr. Stowe

February 8- GT Family STEM night, 6-7:30pm ESC

February 12- PTA Watch Party "Navigating the Smartphone Era"

February 12- District 5th Grade Choir Concert

February 12-16- KINDNESS WEEK

February 15- Tribe Day

February 16- Student Holiday/Staff Development Day

February 19- President's Day - Student Holiday

February 21- Spirit Night at Hunger Crush Cafe

March 5- Spring Pictures

March 7- 2nd grade program, 6pm

March 8 - Student Holiday/ Staff Development

March 11-15 Spring Break Holiday

March 23- LSE PTA Spring Carnival

March 28- Prek/K Egg Hunt

March 29 - Good Friday Student Holiday

April 16- Reading, Language Arts STAAR (3rd-5th)

April 23- Science STAAR (5th grade only)

April 30- Math STAAR (3rd-5th)

Field Trips

Pre-K- April 26, 7 Acre Wood

Kinder- TBD, Oil Ranch

First- March 28, Houston Interactive Zoo

Second- completed in Fall

Third- TBD, Oil Ranch

Fourth- April 23, Minute Maid Park

Fifth- May 2, TBD

Field Day

May 10

Awards/End of Year Parties (these dates are tentative)

Pre-K- May 14, 9:30am

Kinder- TBD- May 15 or 16

First- May 21, 9:15am

Second- May 20, 11:30am* (corrected time)

Third- May 17, 11:00am* (corrected time)

Fourth- May 20, 10:15am

Fifth- May 17, 8:45am* BACK TO ORIGINAL DATE

Fifth Grade Clap-out, May 22, 10am

I wanted to share some reminders for all parents who are dropping off in the mornings.

The most important reminder is to drive safely and be courteous to everyone in the mornings.

Here are a few other important reminders:

• The car-rider line is the ONLY method of car drop-off available and it closes at 8:15am.
• If you are parking your car, you MUST WALK your students into the school. They cannot be dropped off at the curb to avoid the car-rider line.
• If your child is attending a before school activity, please walk them to the front door and wait for the appropriate staff member to arrive to collect them.
• Curbside drop-off is never allowed.
• If you arrive after 8:15am, please park and walk your children inside the front office for a Tardy pass.

Hello, Lone Star Families!

Love is in the air and so are the germs! I have been seeing a lot of stomach aches and sore throats this past week. Please keep a close eye on your kiddo(s). Common symptoms I am seeing are:

-sore throat

-pain with swallowing

-fever/chills

-red and swollen tonsils

-headache

-nausea

-stomach cramping

-vomiting

-diarrhea

Please remember if your child has a fever of 100.0, vomiting and/or diarrhea they will need to stay home and be symptom free and medication free for 24 hours before returning to school. If your child has been prescribed an antibiotic for strep throat, they will need to be on the antibiotic for 24 hours before returning to school. Best prevention is to be sure to wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water and stay home if ill. Let’s spread love, not germs!

Stay Well!

Monica Smith, RN, BSN

monica.smith@misd.org

Dear Montgomery ISD parent,

Digital safety is critically important to Montgomery ISD, which is why we are now using Bark for Schools to help us protect students online while using school-issued technology and devices. Parents now have the option to sign up for a free account as part of Montgomery ISD’s partnership with Bark.

Bark monitors for signs of potential issues like:

• Cyberbullying
• Suicidal ideation
• Online predators
• Threats of violence
• And more

Alerts at the first signs of danger

When possible dangers arise on school-issued accounts, Bark for Schools sends us alerts so we can address the situation in a timely manner. These alerts also give us insights that help us promote the wellness of students.

Sign up to get alerts with Parent Portal

Students use their school-issued accounts both at school and at home, and families are often in a better position to respond to urgent alerts after hours, on weekends, and during breaks. To receive an invitation to create your optional free account for the Bark for Schools Parent Portal, please navigate to bit.ly/MISDbark and fill out the request form. As soon as you opt-in, you’ll be able to receive after-hours alerts if Bark detects potentially time-sensitive issues.

Bark Parental Portal Request Form

Please fill out this form if you want to receive an invitation to create your free account for the Bark for Schools Parent Portal. You will receive an email from Bark and as soon as you opt-in, you’ll be able to receive after-hours alerts if Bark detects potentially time-sensitive issues. Please email Diana Teel at diana.teel@misd.org if you have any questions or concerns.

docs.google.com

Check out these parenting resources

• Visit the Bark Blog to stay informed on all things kids and tech.
• Download this guide for helpful tips on talking to your child about common issues.
• Join the Parenting in a Tech World Facebook group and connect with other parents raising kids in the digital age.

Learn more about Bark for Schools — including their commitment to student privacy. Thank you for partnering with us to help keep students safe online.

Thank you,

Montgomery ISD Technology Services

Please be sure to visit our PTA website and join up. Our organization does so much to support our campus from Room Parents to Large Carnivals and plans great family events throughout the year. It's a great way to stay involved and in the know of all things Lone Star.

School begins each day promptly at 8:15am. The car rider line will close at this time.

If you arrive after 8:15am, you will need to park in the parking lot and escort your children inside for a tardy pass. Students may not be dropped off.

Transportation changes can be made through PikMyKid up until 2pm each day.

The last time to check out a student early is 3:00pm. If you have an emergency, please contact the front office.

School ends each day 3:40pm and dismissal begins at that time. Please keep these times and the time it takes to dismiss all students in mind as you register students for extra-curricular activities.

At dismissal, if you need to buckle a child into a seat for car rider, after your child is safely in the car, please pull forward into a visitor parking spot so that you can safely buckle in your child and keep our line moving.