GALATAS GAZETTE

Denae Wilker, Principal

Candace Mathis, Assistant Principal

Dawn Wright, Assistant Principal

Laura Heemann, Counselor

Through the collaborative efforts of all who pass through our door, we provide a safe learning community that develops lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Website: http://galatas.conroeisd.net/
Location: 9001 Cochrans Crossing Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalatasCISD/
Twitter: @GalatasCISD

The Spirit Wear store closes on September 6! Don't miss your chance to grab some awesome Greyhound gear! This will be your last change for the fall (the store will reopen for a short time in January).

**All sales are final. No returns or exchanges. Size charts are available on the website.

Order at the link below:

We enjoyed meeting many families this week at our Parent Orientation Nights! If you were unable to attend, or would like to review this presentation, please visit the link below.

Our Galatas Handbook Addendum is also available for your reference.

Destination Imagination (DI) is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at a tournament. DI is designed to teach three essential skills: creativity, teamwork, and problem solving. A typical DI team spends weeks preparing and rehearsing for a regional tournament that takes place in February or April.

If your 4th grade student would like to apply for a position on the Galatas Top Dog DI Team, please fill out the application below and submit it to Ms. Conrad or Ms. Thomas by Friday, September 15.

Please see below for an update from Dr. Curtis Null, CISD Superintendent. In the video, Dr. Null recaps the start of the school year and shares timely information about a variety of topics.

With continued record heat in our area, we want to be especially mindful of those members of our community who may be more susceptible to heat-related illness due to medical conditions or age. Home varsity football games in Conroe ISD are streamed for free on our Athletics YouTube Channels, and we encourage anyone who has not built up a tolerance to these temperatures to enjoy the games from the comfort of their own home in the air conditioning.

Watch North Shore HS at The Woodlands HS

Watch Katy Paetow HS at Conroe HS

For anyone who feels they must watch the game in person, we encourage you to bring an empty water bottle and utilize our free water stations so you can stay hydrated. Please also dress in light colored, breathable clothing and drink plenty of fluids before attending. We will have cooling stations and medical professionals on site. There will be many opportunities this season to watch a game under the Friday night lights when temperatures are cooler.

Listen to Dr. Null talk about heat safety at football games.

Conroe ISD is convening a School Cell Phone Committee to evaluate the District’s current cell phone guidelines and the recommendation by the School Health Advisory Council Mental Health Subcommittee. Any parents or community members interested in participating should complete the form at the linked site by Wednesday, August 30th.

Please support our school by joining our amazing PTO. The link below will take you to the Galatas PTO website, where you can join the PTO and explore ways to get involved at Galatas.

It is a great way to get connected with our Galatas community and other parents.

The Library is looking for volunteers to help with shelving, straightening, organizing, checking in books, checking out books, assisting students in finding what they are looking for, minor book repair, and assisting our librarians.

For information, details, and to sign up, please visit the link below:

Please sign up if you are an ExxonMobil employee or spouse of an ExxonMobil employee. Record your Galatas volunteer hours and ExxonMobil matches it with a corporate donation to our school. You will be contacted by the ExxonMobil Coordinator with further details.

If you would like to display your Galatas Pride in your neighborhood, the PTO has yard signs for sale! Signs are $25, and you can order yours here.

A Volunteer in CISD Application must be completed EACH YEAR in order to volunteer at Galatas.

Please visit volunteer-in-cisd to complete the process.

All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I. D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.

Lunch visitors are invited to enjoy our outdoor dining area (weather permitting). On rainy or other inclement weather days, we will have seating available in the Activity Room.

** Please consider limiting lunch visits to once or twice per month for each student, so that all parents have an opportunity to visit for lunch.

**Please limit the number of visitors to no more than four.

**A driver's license or government issued photo i.d. is required for adults each time they visit Galatas. We are unable to accept a photo of an i.d. Please allow time (about 5 minutes) to complete the required check-in at the front office prior to your child's lunchtime.

**Please understand that if you arrive more than 5 minutes after your student's scheduled lunchtime, there is a possibility you will not be able to eat with your child, due to the limited amount of time allotted for lunch.

**We want to ensure the safety and security of everyone as they enjoy time together. If a grandparent, family member, or adult other than the parent of the student wants to visit your child during lunch, the parent must send in written permission to the front office. The note will only need to be sent in once, and at that time a notation will be made in the visitor system so that the school will have a record of the permission being granted. If a note is not sent, we will call a parent to grant permission before the visitor is allowed to join a student for lunch.

Lunchtime is limited to 25 minutes. A staff member will be monitoring the door, and will assist your child in returning to the cafeteria to join their class. Guests should then head back to the front office to return your visitor sticker.

Kindergarten 12:05 PM-12:30 PM

1st Grade 12:20 PM-12:45 PM

2nd Grade 11:50 AM-12:15 PM

3rd Grade 11:35 AM-12:00 PM

4th Grade 11:10 AM-11:35 AM

Please be mindful that the next grade level parents are also excited to visit their children for lunch. We ask parents to exit promptly at the designated time, to allow the next group to have lunch together. Thank you!

1. Medication: If your student requires daily or "as needed" emergency medication at school, please email the nurse at kriggs@conroeisd.net, as soon as possible to set up an appointment to check in the necessary medication/medications and forms.
2. All medications must be checked in by a parent/guardian. Students may not bring medication to school. **Cough drops/cough lollipops ARE considered medication, and also must be checked in through the clinic for student use.
3. Change of Clothes: Please provide a daily change of clothes in your student's backpack. This is especially important for our kinder and first grade friends.
4. Illness at School: If a student is sent home sick, per CISD policy, the student must be symptom free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to campus or attending any school sponsored function.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our Galatas family healthy! I wish everyone a happy and healthy school year.

Kind Regards,

Katy Riggs, RN

With the exception of service animals, dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds, including at the top of the hill during arrival and dismissal.

This is for the health and safety of our students and staff.

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (936-709-5014), the front office (936-709-5000), or email Robin Curtis (rcurtis@conroeisd.net) before 9:00 AM to explain the reason for their absence. To ensure the accuracy of your child's attendance records, please call or email each day your child is absent.

Attendance is recorded at 9:00 AM each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 AM due to a doctor’s appointment, he/she will be counted present if you bring your child back to school on the same day with a doctor's statement that verifies the appointment.

If your child will be out for an extended period, please let us know by emailing Robin Curtis at the email above.

Transportation change notepads were sent home with each student at the beginning of the school year. Please use these forms any time a student needs to go home in a different way from the permanent designated mode of transportation.

All transportation changes must be received in writing by 2:00 p.m. We are unable to accept a phone call. You may send a written note to your child’s teacher (place it in your student's PAWS folder), or fill out a form in the front office. Please include the date, your child’s full name, section number, bus number (if applicable), and your signature. If an emergency arises, you may send an email to galatastransportation@conroeisd.net . The e-mail must include all of the above information, including a parent signature, and must be received before 2:00 p.m. If you submit a transportation change by email, it must go to the email address referenced above; transportation changes should not be emailed directly to the teacher.

Please send a new note for each day the change occurs; we cannot accept notes for multiple days or with multiple changes. District policy states that a student may only ride the bus they are registered to ride; students may not have a transportation change to ride a different bus.

Please help your student be fully prepared for their day by ensuring that they have all needed materials (backpack, lunch, water bottle, etc...) before leaving for school in the morning.

To minimize interruptions to classrooms, please limit drop-offs to the following items:

• Water bottles and lunches may be placed on the Drop-off table before 10:00 a.m. at the front office. These items should be labeled with your child’s name and section number to ensure proper delivery. Items are taken at 10:00 a.m. to a drop-off table at the end of each hallway, so please email the teacher to let them know that you have dropped off the water bottle or lunch. You may email your child’s teacher to let them know to allow your child to check the drop-off desk after 10:00 a.m.

• If you need eye glasses delivered to your child, please do not put them on the drop-off table. Bring them to the office staff for immediate delivery to your child.

• Any class work or homework that is dropped off will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox to be picked up during the day.

Delivery of flowers, balloons, etc. to students at school are not permitted.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker. Students may refill their bottles during the day at one of our new water bottle filling stations.

Do you want to recognize an AWESOME Galatas Staff member? If so, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to Parent Access.
2. Click on communication.
3. Choose Teacher/Staff Excellence from the drop down menu.
4. Select the employee to receive recognition from the drop down menu.
5. Click create TAE.
6. Click any of the pre-populated choices that apply.
7. Type any additional comments in the Additional Comment box.
8. Click the box labeled Create Teachers Achieving Excellence button.

When you visit Galatas, we have designated the 8 parking spaces at the entrance (closest to the school) as "visitor" spots. We welcome you to use these spots when you visit the campus. The lower parking lot has been designated as "staff" parking, (as well as a couple of spots that are reserved for our Springetti Parking winners).

If all the visitor spots are full, we ask that you please park at either Cattail Park, the row of spots closest to Galatas in the Community Baptist Church, or the closest end spots at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. These two churches have graciously offered these spots to us as our Galatas Family grows.

Thank you for your help with parking!

Sometimes it is necessary for a student to be checked out of school before dismissal.

If you know that you will need to check-out your child during the school day, please let their teacher know so that they can help your child gather their belongings and prepare for an early departure.

As a reminder, to ensure the safety of all students at dismissal, the latest a student can be checked out of school is 2:45 p.m.

The speed limit in the Galatas school zone is 20 mph. This is to ensure the safety of all of our community members during very busy times in the morning and afternoon. As families enter and exit the car line, please take care to drive slowly and carefully.

In addition, cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited. As you enter areas around schools, please end your calls and put your phone away.

The CISD Police and Montgomery County Sheriff's Department patrol our school zones to ensure everyone's safety, and will issue citations if necessary.

Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe!

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

--Only cross at crosswalks! Our crossing guards and staff are here to keep everyone safe and ensure that families cross intersections in an efficient manner.

--Please do not park behind staff cars in the school parking lot. Please park in a parking space, as blocking cars could cause a safety concern in case of an emergency.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at Hayden's Run and Wyndspire South. Please keep the sight lines at the entrance clear for entering and exiting vehicles.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at South Silvershire Circle. Please do not park on the grass or lawn of the homes. Take care not to block driveways and leave enough room for residents to easily drive in their neighborhood at all times.

The CISD Board of Trustees has approved the 2022-2023 calendar. For your planning purposes, please download the calendar here.

We thank you in advance for planning all vacations and travel outside of the school calendar. When students are absent, they miss valuable instruction that takes place daily. In addition to the loss of that instructional time, Texas schools are rated not only on academic performance, but also on student attendance. Daily attendance plays a large role in our accountability rating from the state.

We appreciate your support and look forward to a great school year!

September

4 No School: Labor Day Holiday

12 PTO Meeting – 10:00 a.m.

14 Individual Pictures

28 Newcomer Coffee--9:00 a.m.

October

3 Walk to School Day

6 No School: Student Holiday

9 No School: Holiday

10 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.

13 Kinder and 4th Grade Group Pictures 8:15 a.m.

16-20 Book Fair

17 Bedtime Story Night-6:00 and 7:00 p.m.

20 Storybook Parade-8:20 a.m.

23-27 Red Ribbon Week

26 Individual Picture Make-up Day

31 Science Day

November

7 No School: Staff Development

9 3rd Grade Program: 6:00 p.m.

10 Galatas Family Movie Night: 6:30 p.m.

13-17 Generation Texas Week

14 PTO Meeting- 10:00 AM

17 Galatas Fun Run

20-24 No School: Thanksgiving Break

December

4-8 Hour of Code

8 4th Grade Choir Program 8:30 a.m.

12 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.

12 Holiday Party: 2nd grade

13 Holiday Parties- Kinder & 1st

14 Holiday Round Robin–3rd

14 Holiday Party/Service Project- 4th & Special ProgramsParty

15 Polar Express Day (Students wear p.j.’s)

15 Early Release Day, End of Nine Weeks– 12:10 p.m.

December 18-January 2 Winter Break

January

3 Classes Resume