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The Lion's Roar
February 2024
A Message from Mr. Mitchell
February is the shortest month of the year, but it will be a very busy one for our Lions! This month we celebrate Black History Month, 100th Day of School, National School Counselor Week, Valentine's Day, and state testing. With so much going on, we want to maintain our primary focus, which is student success. Parents, help us make sure that our students are coming to school every day, trying their best, attending tutorials and practicing good study habits at home.
A critical indicator of academic success is student attendance. Regular attendance in school is vital to your child's current and future educational achievements. Poor attendance can negatively affect your child's learning; a continual pattern of absences over time will take a toll on your child's progress. Our ultimate goal is to tam with parents/guardians to ensure the success of each and every student.
Progress reports will be available February 15, 2024 via Skyward. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's grades, we encourage you to reach out to the teacher. Click here to get step by step directions on how to access the grades.
This month our third graders will participate in the Texas Reads One Book event which promotes a love for literacy. Students will be reading Judy Moody was in A Mood by Meagan McDonald. Our teachers have worked very hard to ensure students have access to daily trivia questions, discussions, and other activities pertaining to the novel. We encourage you to build the home-school connection by asking your child about the novel.
We would like to take a moment to remind everyone about our dress code policy. Our dress code plays a crucial role in maintaining a positive and focused learning environment while promoting respect and professionalism among our students. We request your cooperation in ensuring that your child adheres to the dress code daily.
Parents are invited to eat lunch with their student every Monday. All visitors must follow the clear bag policy. Also, all visitors will be required to check-in with proper identification in the front office and obtain a visitors badge. The lunch times can be found below.
Be sure to read the newsletter in its entirety as we have some very important information to share with you.
With warm regards,
Mr. Lemond Mitchell
Principal, Shirley J. Williamson Elementary
🔔 Bell Schedule 🔔
PK- 5th Grade
7:35 AM -3:15 PM
Tardy Bell
7:35 AM
*Parents must walk the student in.
Dismissal
3:15 PM
❗Testing Dates- Mark your Calendar ❗
Parents & Guardians,
It is very important for students to be present for the following District/State Assessments. Please do not schedule doctor appointments and refrain from early checkout on the following dates:
📆 Campus Calendar 📆
Reporting an Absence
Parents are highly encouraged to email parents or doctor's note about your child's absence to AttendanceWILL@galenaparkisd.com
Be sure to include the following:
1. Student name
2. Date(s) of absences
3. Specific reason for the absence
4. Parent/guardian Signature
5. Parent/guardian phone number
6. Date note was written
Additionally, notes should be submitted no later than 3 school days after the student's absence. Only the first five parent notes will excuse the absence, according to the GPISD Student Handbook (p. 3). If you have any questions, please contact our Data Specialist, Ms. Sapp at 832-386-4004.
Transportation
Parents will not be allowed to walk up and pick up a student from the door at dismissal. Early pick up ends at 2:30 PM daily. We ask for patience as this is the first month of school and students will be learning new car tag numbers.
Bus Riders
Please check your bus route number on the Galena Park ISD transportation site. School personnel does not assign a student a bus route. Please communicate with the office by 2:30 pm if the students need a transportation change.
Walkers
Walking is reserved for students who reside in the subdivision surrounding the campus. Pre-K & Kinder students will only be released if with a sibling or if parent meets student. Thank you for helping us to keep students safe at dismissal.
Car Riders
Morning Drop Off-
- We ask that students be dropped off along the circle ramp to ensure the safety of all students.
Afternoon Pick Up-
- All car riders need a tag with a school assigned number for dismissal. An ID check is required if you do not have car tag at the time of pick up. Siblings will have the same car tag number if living in the same home. Practice car tag numbers with students. This will speed up the process.
Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the staff parking lot. This is for your safety. All parents must remain in their car and utilized the designated areas to safely drop- off and pick-up students. Thank you in advance for complying with our procedures. These procedures are in place to keep our students safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
Theme Days
Fridays are Spirit Days or College Day at SJW and students are encouraged to wear a spirit shirt or a college/university shirt.
Stay tuned for other special days when students can dress up or celebrate!
Student Grades
Student Birthdays at SJW
We know celebrating a birthday is very special, and we want to welcome you to send store bought cupcakes or goodie bags with your child or drop them off to the front office staff before 2:00 pm. The teacher will pass out the treats after 2 pm to the students in the class. Please get with the teacher about the number of students in the class.