Buckalew Bears Motto:

"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"

Our school hours are officially 7:55-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30.

Email: contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Website: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 2814653400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/
Twitter: @buckalewbears

Dear Buckalew Families,

I want to express how proud I am of your children! They have done an AMAZING job starting off the first 4 days of 2025 returning to construction! Also, let's GO TEXANS!!! On Thursday, feel free to wear your TEXANS or favorite TEAM jersey. Friday, we have homeroom class photos.

If your children haven't mentioned it yet, they returned to some changes as our construction has officially begun! Whether you bike, walk, or drive, you probably noticed the construction right away. Your children are adjusting wonderfully to sharing one playground, new schedules, and observing the construction trucks and excavators coming and going. It’s an exciting time!

A huge shout out to our PTO for welcoming our staff back on our Monday workday with a food truck! What a special treat! We are truly blessed to have such an incredible PTO so supportive of our staff.

This BUZZ is FULL of information this month. Please take your time to read through it. Here are some important announcements with more details in the Buzz:

• We are excited to announce that construction for our new gym is officially underway! Below, you will find a section dedicated to keeping everyone updated on the progress and how our campus is adapting with a focus on safety.
• Information about the After School Grade Level Play-Date Fundraiser is included below.
• CISD is seeking your input on the 25-26 school year calendar.
• Our next PTO Meeting is on January 17.
• We invite you all to our "Student Showcase" on January 23rd from 6-7 PM. This is a come-and-go event where your children can share what they have been doing in their grade level.
• Activities and events scheduled through May are outlined below, but please note they are subject to change.

We thank you repeatedly for your patience as we navigate the construction (and the weather)!

More information about all these announcements and more can be found below.

On behalf of our staff, we are excited to kick off 2025 with all of you!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Price

**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**

January

1/15 Spirit Night - Marco's Pizza ALL DAY

1/16 1st Grade Playdate 3:10–4:30

1/16 Wear your favorite football TEAM jersey/sweatshirt!

1/17 Class Photos

1/17 PTO Meeting 11:30-12:30, Library

1/20 School Holiday (MLK Day)

1/21 4th Grade Choir Resumes

1/23 Student Showcase 6:00-7:00, come and go event for current students and family

1/30 100th Day of School

February

2/6 Kindergarten Play Date 3:10-4:30

2/7 PTO Meeting (in Art Rm) 11:30-12:30

2/8 Sci Tech

2/10-2/13 Book Fair

2/13 3rd Grade Play Date 3:10-4:30

2/14 No School

2/17 School Holiday (President’s Day)

2/18-2/21 Random Acts of Kindness Week

2/27 3rd Grade Music Program 6:00-7:00

2/28 Spring Photos

March

3/3 Go Texan Day! Wear your Rodeo Gear (a day late due to spring photos)

3/3 Youth Art Month

3/4 3rd Grade Field Trip

3/5 Big Art Day

3/7 End of 3rd Grading Period

3/10-3/14 Spring Break

3/19 1st Grade Field Trip

3/21 Down Syndrome Awareness Day

3/24 Mitchell & Collins Band & Orchestra to Visit 4th Graders @ Buckalew

3/26 4th Grade Field Trip

3/27 1st Grade Art Night 6:00-7:00

3/27 Kindergarten Field Trip

April

4/2 National Autism Day

4/4 PTO Meeting 11:30-12:30, Library

4/10 2nd Grade Program 6pm

4/15 STAAR Reading Testing 3rd & 4th Grade

4/16 STAAR Reading Testing 3rd & 4th Grade

4/18 School Holiday

4/21 No School

4/29 STAAR Math Testing 3rd & 4th Grade

4/30 STAAR Math Testing 3rd & 4th Grade

May

5/5 Teacher Appreciation Week 5/5-5/9

5/6 Nurse’s Appreciation Day

5/6 4th Grade Field Trip to Mitchell & Collins

5/8 Choir Concert

5/9 PTO Meeting 11:30-12:30, Library

5/14 3rd Grade Author’s Tea

5/15 GT Expo Night 6:00-7:00

5/22 Yearbook Signing

5/23 Kindergarten Program 8:30

5/23 4th Grade Graduation 10:00

5/23 End of 4th Quarter/2nd Semester

5/23 Last Day/Early Release 11:55

5/23 TWHS Graduation

As part of the CISD Bond 2023 Package, 16 elementary schools will receive a separate gymnasium. Currently, Buckalew Elementary shares its gym with the cafeteria. We are thrilled to be among the 16 campuses to receive a new gym, and one of only four schools to have it started this school year!! Buckalew will not only be receiving a new gym but also undergoing infrastructure improvements and ongoing safety renovations.

We appreciate your patience during this time as we plan systems that will meet the needs of all our students over the next 6-12 months of construction. We've successfully navigated the challenges posed by COVID-19, and we are confident we can manage this transition smoothly as well. Thank you in advance for your understanding!

To keep you updated, I will continue sharing the information in most recent order of change, below for your reference.

During the construction process all of our students will be utilizing one playground. Because of this, lunch times are being adjusted for a 2nd time since our Thanksgiving break. This ensures that each grade level has their own recess time and is able to transition smoother in and out of the gym/cafeteria. Thank you for your patience as we work through our construction systems.

Lunch reservations can still be made on the Buckalew website.

Please take note of the new times:

We will provide updates on our new car rider procedures as soon as construction begins and starts to impact our car rider line. Although the route will remain the same, it will be modified because we will lose access to the parking lot currently used for drop-off and pick-up. You can see the beginning stages of a new covered sidewalk, which will become our new student drop off and pick up location for car rider.

The parking lot will be updated to include additional parking spaces; however, we will lose one of our two back parking lots, and the pick-up and drop-off areas for car riders will be relocated along the new route. We will share a visual representation of these changes as soon as we are prepared, which we expect to be ready by mid-February to March.

We recommend considering alternative transportation options such as biking, walking, carpooling, or taking the bus once construction is underway. If you choose to drop off your child, please do so between 7:30 and 7:45 AM, as we anticipate an increase in traffic in the car rider line due to the loss of one of our parking lots. Please do NOT drop off along the main road of Alden Bridge, but utilize Lakeside Park as an alternative.

Starting winter break, construction began staging for our new gymnasium in phases. The new gym will be located near our existing bike racks, as this area was chosen for its emphasis on student safety. Due to this location, we lose access to our K-2 playground during the construction process and have adjusted our schedule to utilize our other playground during this time.

The bike rack area has been relocated within the same vicinity, but this change should not disrupt our bike and walker routines.

Additionally, the back parking lot closest to the existing cafeteria and gymnasium will be affected. The new gym will occupy some of the classroom space internally, and the back parking area will be redesigned to accommodate those displaced classrooms. Construction will also include adding more parking spaces to the back lot due to building the extension for displaced classrooms into our existing parking lot.

• If your child arrives at school before 7:45, they will either go to Active Start or their homeroom classroom.

• All grade levels will be scheduled for Active Start twice a week 7:30-7:45. If it is not your child’s day for Active Start, they will go straight to their homeroom classroom upon arrival.

• Instruction will still begin at 7:55.

• Choir, Safety Patrol, and breakfast will follow normal schedules.

• The grade level Active Start schedule will be:

To make things easier for our families, CISD is launching an app to help you report your student's absences to our school when they are out. Documentation such as doctor's notes will still need to be submitted to our campus attendance office (Lizabeth Vasquez) but we are excited about the convenience of the app.

You will access it through the Parent Portal.

Absence Report System- Parent Directions

Please contact our reading interventionist Caroline Le @ chlee@conroeisd.net for more information.

Ages 3-9th grade are invited to participate.

Contact Courtney Henry at 713-294-2165 if you have any questions!

3/24- Mitchell and Collins Intermediate Band and Orchestra Directors visit Buckalew during the school day.

5/6- 4th Graders go on a Field trip to visit their feeder Mitchell or Collins Intermediate School

Mitchell Parent Orientation Save the Date:

5/5 6-7pm or

5/13 6-7pm

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.

In order to volunteer at school, a Volunteer in CISD Application must be completed.

Please visit volunteer-in-cisd to complete the process, or click on “Volunteer (Parents)” in your student's Parent Portal.

Parent Portal is a free program available to all CISD parent/guardians that allows viewing of helpful information regarding student attendance, report cards, progress reports, daily grades, state test results, Students Achieving Excellence (SAE), discipline, available lunch money, and other district resources. Parents may also sign up to receive an email alert when an assignment score is inputted or updated using the Parent Access icon in the Parent Portal. Parents/Guardians wishing to access this service must have a valid email address.

We are excited about a new year in the cafeteria. Here are some things to help you navigate breakfast and lunch at school so your child can be successful. Please see the following information regarding eating breakfast/lunch at school and changes for the 2024-25 school year:

• Please load money onto your child’s school lunch money account through My School Bucks.

• Please complete a Free/Reduced Lunch Application if you believe you might qualify.

Please note this very important change regarding Lunch Charges effective today:

• Per board policy, we have a new charge process that has been established that limits students to 15 charges (1 charge = a breakfast and a Lunch).
• Once a student has charged 10 times, a school administrator will contact you to make you aware of the situation and discuss options on how to clear your child’s charges, how to use My School Bucks, directions on completing a Free/Reduced application, or will consider any special circumstances.
• Please be aware of the process once your child has 15 charges. Please know that we will complete this task with the utmost discretion as possible:
• Elementary/Intermediate Students (EC – 6): Students that reach or surpass the 15-charge limit will receive a modified meal as follows:
• Breakfast would consist of milk and cereal
• Lunch would consist of a sandwich and milk.
• Junior High and High Schools (7 – 12):
• Students that reach or surpass the 15-charge limit will have charging privileges removed until a full payment has been made, a payment plan has been initiated, or a campus administrative override has occurred for extenuating circumstances.

Thank you for helping us provide your child the best experience at school to meet their breakfast and lunch needs effectively and efficiently!

Saturday, January 11th the following students' artwork will be representing Buckalew in the Western Art Show!! We are so proud!! Please congratulate them when you see them and thank you ALL for your dedication and hard work this past year in Art!!

Library Schedule: all classes (except for KINDER) are scheduled to visit the library every other week with their homeroom. KINDER classes visit every 3 days. When a student checks out a book, it is checked out for 14 days. Each time your student comes to the library with their class for their 55-minute specials time, their library books are due.

Many of our Friday’s are a 30 minutes “special” specials class. Kids can turn in and check out during this “extra” library time.

If they finish reading their book before their class is scheduled, they can come to the library during active start and swap out books. KINDER has been taught how to do this as well. KINDER can keep their library book longer than 3 days if they want. Library books should be kept in the back packs so They kids have them at home and at school.

Our library is a fun and busy place to be. The week of November 5th we filled over 80 notices for books on hold! That was a 3-day school week 😱 We also had over 700 library books past due, overdue, late, not-turned-in-after-14-days, you get the picture.

2nd, 3rd and 4th students have the ability to log in at home and see what books they have checked out and when they are due. We have practiced this many times in library class with chrome books.

Thanks for encouraging your student to keep tabs on where their library books are and getting them back to the library on time.

Parents, we are getting into rainy season and that means recess mud! Please pack an extra pair of clothing in your student's backpack in case your child gets muddy and dirty - yes, including 4th graders!

January Parent Resource Newsletter

Join the PTO and Support our Buckalew Bears

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

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

The purpose of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is to:

(a) Promote the welfare of children at Buckalew

(b) To foster cooperation between parents and teachers in the education of children at Buckalew

(c) To unite school and community efforts in securing the best education for all children

(d) To engage in fundraising activities for the educational and recreational benefit of Buckalew, its children, teachers, and staff as determined by the PTO and in accordance with the PTO by-laws.

Next PTO meeting will be Friday, January 17 @ 11:30am in the Buckalew Library

President- Brooke Roberts

VP Fundraising- Chelsey Martin

VP Communications- Felisha Hennessey

VP Parent Involvement- Christine Schaible

Co-Treasurer-Carrie Foster

Co-Treasurer- Rachel Simpson

Secretary- Jainelle Kemp

Parliamentarian- Anna Russell

Volunteer with PTO

If you are interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities, please email BuckalewPTOVolunteers@gmail.com and let us know that you would like to be included on our volunteer list. You can also sign up using the QR code here.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out our website BuckalewBearsPTO.com.

Garden Club

We are growing radishes, romaine, spinach, and a variety of lettuce. The 4th graders in garden club come out each week to water and maintain the plants, we get a chance to sketch out plants to see their progress each week, and then we have a short lesson.

We Need Carnival Volunteers!

Attention, amazing parents! We need your help to make this year’s carnival a huge success! If you're interested in joining the Carnival Committee and ready to help- comment below or email Chelsey Martin: chelsey.martin821@gmail.com. Our first meeting is this Friday! Let’s come together to make this carnival unforgettable!

Yearbook Information

Please follow the directions below to purchase your yearbook here: www.treering.com/validate and enter our school’s passcode: 1016910708713746 Please direct any and all questions to Kristen Stocker or Kate Herring at buckalewyearbook2023@gmail.com

You have until 4/15/25 to create your custom pages

Interested in volunteering in the library?

Email buckalewptovolunteers@gmail.com for more information on how to get involved!

Lost and Found

Our lost and found is quite full! Is your child missing any clothing, water bottles, or lunch bags? Please have them check the lost and found. There may be an item, or more, of theirs that they didn't know they lost!

Please label all of your kiddo’s belongings, especially sweatshirts and jackets.

👀👀👀👀👀👀

The rezoning process is currently underway to establish the initial attendance boundary for Rob Eissler Elementary School, which is located at 14000 Old Conroe Road. This school will be part of the TWHS feeder system and is scheduled to open in August 2025. The document below contains comprehensive information about the entire process, and it also includes a link that will take you directly to the District Attendance Boundary Process Webpage. On this webpage, parents and guardians can access FAQs, review the proposed scenarios, and provide feedback to the Attendance Boundary Committee.

Rob Eissler Elementary Parent Letter.pdf

Rob Eissler Elementary Parent Letter Spanish.pdf

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (281-465-3410) or email buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net 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.

Please remember that attendance is recorded at 9:00 a.m. each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 a.m. 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.

For state law information on attendance, please visit: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/attendance/

School hours are from 7:55 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. The tardy bell rings at 7:55 a.m. and students will be counted tardy if they are not in their classroom at that time.

Our goal is to ensure the safe dismissal of all students from our building. To facilitate this, please refrain from coming to the Front Office at dismissal time to retrieve your child from class. We are unable to release students directly from the classroom or hallway during dismissal. After 2:30 p.m., students will not be released from the Front Office.

Should you need to check out your child before 2:30 p.m., kindly visit the Front Office with your identification. Upon your arrival, we will call your child to the Front Office for dismissal. For safety reasons, we cannot call your child to the Front Office without your presence.

Please be aware that if you are checking out your child during specials, lunch, or recess, it may require additional time to locate your child and for them to collect their belongings. If you have appointments, we advise allowing extra time for checkout.

Our school community includes numerous children and families who commute by biking or walking. It's common for family pets to accompany you. However, for everyone's safety and to limit liability, we ask that you do not bring your dogs into the biker and walker area past the designated signs. There are two signs in place that provide space for your pets while keeping them out of the congested zones during peak times. We recognize that many children are fearful of dogs, regardless of how friendly and well-behaved they may be. Additionally, there have been instances of dogs clashing with each other near this area. Therefore, we respectfully request that if you bring your dog, please ensure they remain outside the marked boundaries while you and your children are entering or leaving the school.

We appreciate your cooperation.

If you have lost or need a new car rider sign, please email the following email address with your child(rens) full name, home room teacher and grade, we will send 2 copies home with your child:-

buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net

Active Start is a before school "free play" for students arriving at school from 7:30-7:45. Weather-permitting, students go to the k-2 playground prior to the start of school. Students arriving after 7:45 will go straight to homerooms.

Breakfast is served in our cafeteria from 7:30-7:55 daily. See below for menu. See fees below for both breakfast and lunch.

If someone other than a parent or guardian is checking out a student from our campus, we require a note sent with your child in their backpack on that day, or an email sent to buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net. Without a note from a parent or guardian, the Front Office will call to obtain permission for your child to leave our campus.

The Emergency Card filled out at the start of the school year enables us to contact someone if we cannot reach a parent or guardian. However, it does not grant permission for those emergency contacts to check out a child at any time.

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as our goal is always to ensure the safety of our students while they are on our campus.

All parents should have received two Car Rider/Dismissal Signs at the Meet the Teacher event. These signs are crucial for safety when dismissing over 800 students. We appreciate you keeping one sign in each vehicle.

For Kindergarten only: Kindergarten parents at the Biker Walker are required to bring this sign when picking up their child at the Biker Walker doors. With our increasing enrollment and the rotation of staff members on duty, this ensures the correct kindergarten student is released to their caregiver.

Regarding taking a photo of the sign: Many have inquired if a photo of the Dismissal Sign on their phone is acceptable. The answer is yes! You are welcome to take a photo to have on your phone in case of transportation changes, loss of the sign, or emergencies such as severe weather. However, please note that the original sign is preferred, as it is easier for the staff calling dismissal to read. Using a cell phone may delay the line.

1. Bus rider (eligible if home is 1 mile or further from school) Bus routes are posted online on and you can check the link below in "what bus do I ride". You can also register your child for the bus by clicking the link below in the Buzz. You can also register for CISD SMART TAG

2. Car Rider Signs. The car rider line will be at the rear of the school and the bus line will be at the front of the school. ALL Parents should have received TWO car rider signs (yellow) at Meet the Teacher night. Please display the car rider sign in your front passenger window so our staff can read your card. See below to help you navigate our car rider line if you are new.

3. Day Care. Day care vehicles drop off and pick up students in the front of the school with the buses. If your child will not be riding the day care bus due to an early pick-up or transportation change, please notify the day care so they know your child will not be riding that day.

4. Biker/Walker. Kindergarten students must have a parent/guardian/designated adult present with the car rider sign at the Biker Walker doors (under the patio) at dismissal in order to walk or bike home. All other Biker Walkers will exit the school near the bike racks. All other biker/walkers are released at dismissal to ride or walk home independently.

On severe weather dismissal days, students will not walk or bike ride home. If your child is a biker/walker as your primary mode, then you will be a car rider on severe weather days. There is no rainy day dismissal.

Our school provides a drop table in the Front Office for parents to leave items their children have forgotten. Pens, paper, and tape are available to label these items clearly. At 10am, we will notify the classrooms about the items available for pickup on the drop table.

Please ensure that lunches and birthday cookies are clearly labeled and delivered to our school by 11:00am. This allows us to transport them to the cafeteria on our lunch cart in time for the designated lunch periods. Our staffing is limited after this time.

We appreciate your cooperation.

To make transportation changes, please send a note in your child's backpack to the teacher OR email: buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net prior to 2pm with your childs full name, grade and homeroom teacher. Any changes submitted after 2pm will not be seen until the following school day.

We are working with our students on understanding the lunch-buying process. It can be quite confusing for our elementary students. We are currently speaking with our students and explaining to them, if they bring a lunch, they should eat their lunch before going through the line and purchasing an additional lunch. As we try and navigate each student through the lunch line, every child has a different need, and we never want to deny students from going through the lunch line. We encourage you to communicate with your child your expectations in either: eating the lunch you are providing/packing; buying extra lunch only and going through the line one time; or explaining that if they go through the line a second time, their account is charged again. We also encourage you to check your child's account, by going to the link below and you can check and monitor your child's purchase history, and if necessary put a limit on the account by contacting our cafeteria directly.

Breakfast

Student Breakfast $2.00

Student Reduced Breakfast $.0

Non-Student Breakfast/ 2nd Student Breakfast $3.40

Fruit/Vegetable/Bread $1.75

Milk $1.15

Lunch

Student Lunch $3.20

Student Reduced Lunch $.40

Non-student Lunch/ 2nd Student Lunch $5.00

Entree $3.35

Milk $1.15

Fruit/ Vegetable/ Grain $1.75

A La Carte

• Extra entrees, extra sides, chips, cookies, etc. are all charged a la carte prices and are not included in the meal.
• For example, if a student gets a meal of chicken smackers, mashed potatoes, and milk, but wants an extra portion of chicken smackers, the extra portion is not considered a part of the meal and will be charged an additional $3.00.
• If a parent wishes to restrict a la carte purchases, please contact the Child Nutrition Office.

You may prepay by using My School Bucks. You will find a link to this service, lunch menus, and other helpful information by clicking on the child nutrition resource button below. If you would like to put a cap on your child's spending on your lunch account, then please notify our cafeteria manager by calling 281-465-3467.

We encourage children to bring water bottles daily. Ensure your child's name is written clearly on the bottle using a permanent marker. Water bottles should have sealing lids to avoid spills in backpacks, lunches, desks, and on clothing.

A friendly reminder to please label all of your child's belongings with first name and last initial or last name. **Water bottles, lunch boxes, hats, and especially outerwear such as hoodies/jackets/sweaters are all great things to label as these items tend to pile up quickly in the Lost and Found, which is located right outside of the gym. We really hope to reunite these lost items with their owners before the break!

If you have any additional questions, please contact gabinkwon84@gmail.com

PDF to help you navigate Buckalew-specific dates, procedures, and information. Please note that all information in the attached handbook is subject to change due to state and local policy updates.

We thank you for planning ahead. Please use this calendar for your planning purposes to maximize instructional days. We have calendars for the next two school years below.