Hodge Family Newsletter

Happy Friday!

This week at Hodge, we were busy learning in our classrooms preparing for end of the 9 weeks assessments. We brought our biggest brightest, widest whitest smiles for SMILE Day which was also Picture Day. And we celebrated our week of hard work with STEAM Clubs at the end of the day on Friday!

Next week at Hodge, we will be coming to the close of the 1st 9 Weeks Grading Period. Please remember that Friday, October 11 will be a half day and dismissal will be at 12 noon. You can expect that report cards will be available to you in HAC (Home Access Center) the following week, on Friday (10-18). We have included the parent instructions for accessing report cards in HAC in the Parent Information Section for your convenience.

Denton ISD has worked to establish a process for parents to communicate concerns with our school and district personnel to ensure your concerns are addressed efficiently. DISD has also established Communication Commitments for our Denton ISD Learning Community to support building strong Family-School partnerships that support student success. You can click the links below for all the details and information:

DISD Communication Process (English) DISD Communication Commitments (English)

DISD Communication Process (Spanish) SDISD Communication Commitments (Spanish)

New in this issue of the newsletter, you can find more information about the following in the Parent Information section below:

• EXPO (Gifted and Talented) Parent Information
• Volunteer Information
• Instructions for Accessing Report Cards in HAC

Have a happy weekend!

Andrea Hare

Principal

Hodge ES - Denton ISD

New or Returning?

Check out this new Parent Information Flyer below. Click the Green Button.

You can also pick up a pamphlet of the same information from our front office.

📢 Hodge Happenings This Week! 🎉

This week at Hodge, students had a blast cashing in their Class Dojo points for treasure box rewards and enjoyed popsicles for winning their grade-level Dojo challenges! 🍭🍦 Today was also picture day, and everyone looked amazing all dressed up! 📸✨

Proud of our students for their hard work and school spirit! #HodgeHappenings #DojoWinners #TreasureBoxFun #PictureDay

Hodge Hawk 5's are students who have been recognized by other students for demonstrating the character traits we are learning about in RISE or the traits listed in our Hodge Student Creed.

Students in K - 2!

Students in 3 - 5!

Parents, here is a Virtual Calming Room that you could use at home or one the go to support your children in regulating their emotions. This amazing resource was shared with us by MHMR and they asked us to share it with everyone. It is in both English and Spanish!! We hope that you find this tool helpful for your families!

Next week we will continue our Character Strong topic: Responsibility and wrap up the 1st 9-Weeks Essential 8 topic: Self-Management. It is our responsibility to avoid distractions, practice flexible thinking, and to organize things and choose the right strategy. We can show self-control by responsibly doing the right thing for ourselves and others such as being a buddy, not a bully.

For ideas and information about how to talk about the importance of Responsibility at home, check out these CharacterStrong Parent Newsletters:

English

Spanish

In the next few weeks, the counselors will be joining classrooms to cover our Emotional Wellness, Bully Prevention, and Healthy Choices topics for this year. All topics are mandated topics from The State of Texas and parents have the option to preview these lessons. Please click on this link to preview the information for these lessons. Thank you!

October

10.11 Half Day of School. Dismissal at 12 noon.

10.14 School Holiday. No school.

10.24 5:30 - 7, PTA's Fall Carnival

10.31 Burger Day! More information to come as the event gets closer.

Denton ISD will provide engagement for students on the upcoming early release day, October 11th, 2024, from 12:00 pm until 3:00 pm for elementary children. The Extended School Day program will coordinate with each campus to provide engaging activities for students while teachers are participating in Professional Learning Communities. In addition, Denton ISD transportation will be provided at both the early release time (12:00pm) and the regular release time (3:00 pm) for all eligible elementary bus students. If you indicate on the form that your child will ride the bus, please notify the ESD office 24 hours prior to the Early Release Day if there has been a change in pick up plan. Parents must sign up each month to participate. If your student currently attends ESD, you do not need to sign up. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the Extended School Day office at 940-369-0080. Participation in this opportunity will require completion of the form below. All forms must be submitted no later than midnight on Saturday, October 5th, 2024 to participate.

English

Spanish

If the links above do not work for you, you can also access them at this webpage: www.dentonisd.ord/domain/69

We have opportunities for parents and community members to mentor on a weekly basis, as well as volunteer on a regular basis or for one-time events. Volunteer opportunities could include attending field trips, assisting in classrooms, helping in the lunchroom, working with student clubs and organizations, and helping with STEM or Reading Nights, Fall Festivals, and Field Days. Please click on the volunteer application icon to start the application and background check.

Here is a link to the volunteer website:

https://www.dentonisd.org/volunteer

Here is the link to the application:

https://forms.dentonisd.org/Forms/volunteerapplication

Please watch this Parent Information and Awareness video for an overview of the assessment procedures and services for gifted and talented students in Denton ISD. If you would like to know more about the gifted and talented program, you access additional information on the district EXPO website: https://www.dentonisd.org/expo . Here you find detailed information about the EXPO program including the identification process, forms, testing dates, etc.

The First 9 Weeks Report Cards will become accessible to parents on Friday, October 18 through the Home Access Center (HAC). Please review these instructions for how to access that information:

English

Spanish

This year looks a bit different in the Library. Mr. Boyd has had a helper in the library in the past years and unfortunately this year he does not. There is a big need for volunteers in the Library. PTA has created a sign up for the year to get some volunteers to assist with Book repairs and special projects.

Things may change and more needs may be asked.

If you can, please take the time to review the sign up and help out!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AABAE22A4FCC07-51696327-library#/

Per Denton ISD, Volunteers must have a Volunteer background check completed each new academic year. https://www.dentonisd.org/volunteer

We also ask that you log your volunteer hours here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrsmXsYqSfcny-O6kipoVETjQq7UcMLbdaoUAZWfKF7pSmeQ/viewform

Apply Now to Be a Recipient of Angel Tree

Families who are experiencing a financial burden and want to apply for Christmas assistance must complete the application process online.

Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an Angel their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in your community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. Gifts are distributed to the family to place under their family tree, making Christmas brighter for all those in need.

See flyers below.

Please be informed of our campus telecommunication device policy, including cell phones and smart watches:

• Students are not allowed to use telecommunication devices while on campus, except when a school staff member gives explicit permission to do so while the staff member closely monitors the student’s use.
• Students must keep all telecommunication devices turned off and/or on silent and stowed away in their backpacks at all times. Students may wear their watches on their wrists while on campus as long as they do not use it to make phone calls, text, access the internet, or any other telecommunication features.
• The first time a student does not adhere to our telecommunication device policy, the device will be confiscated by the school and it will remain in the office until a parent or guardian comes to pick it up.
• The second time a student does not adhere to our telecommunication device policy, the device will be confiscated by the school, it will remain in the office until a parent or guardian comes to pick it up, the parents will be charged a fee of $15, and the student will be required to keep their device at home or check it in and out with their homeroom teacher at the beginning and end of each school day.

This policy is congruent with our district policy and the Denton ISD Code of Conduct.

Be sure to join the Hodge PTA at our Meet the Teacher event on Monday (8/5), from 6 to 7. The PTA will be selling T-shirts for $10, and you will be able to buy one for half price, only $5, if you join the PTA as well! Here are some other amazing perks to being a Hodge PTA Member throughout the school year:

• Preferred Seating for Grade Level Performances, End of Year Ceremonies and Graduation
• Quicker Sign Ins for Party Days and During the Day School Events
• Ability to Attend Exclusive During the School Events, such as Half day Assemblies, the Holiday Singalong, and Hodge Podge (Field Day)

So, it will definitely be worth the $10 membership fee to join!

In case you don't know, The Family Center is a counseling center that provides Denton ISD students, their families, and Denton ISD staff members with 10 free counseling sessions per semester. Did I mention that it's FREE?! Our center is run by graduate-level interns that are currently getting their master's in a counseling-related field. We operate at two locations: Braswell High School and Strickland Middle School. You do not have to go to/work at those schools to qualify for services. The Family center provides services to those 4 years old and up.

RESOURCES

• A link to the Denton ISD Family Center Website (click here)
• Flyer for the Family Center (Below)

Check out the flyers below.

For Denton ISD Employees and Families: If your child needs a Sports Physical for the upcoming school year, please keep the Employee Health & Wellness Center in mind. To schedule an appointment, please call 940-369-1380. The clinic is located at 1006 Fulton Street, Denton, TX, 76201.

Center Hours
Monday through Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The cost for the physical is $30 regardless if you and your dependent(s) are on a Denton ISD Medical Plan. Credit Cards, HSA Cards, and FSA cards are the only forms of payment accepted at the clinic. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Benefits Team at 940-369-0028.

The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation-Medical History Form that you will need to complete prior to your child's examination is attached below this paragraph.

Do you have concerns about your child’s development? If so, please contact the special education department at your child’s school. Special education and related services are available to all eligible individuals ages three through 21 years of age. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) agencies provide services to children ages from birth to their third birthday for learning, speech, behavior, or other delays. Your child’s school and ECI agencies provide services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, have visual impairments, and/or have deaf blindness.

Early intervention is key to children's future successes!

For more information click here: English Spanish

DISD has partnered up with ParentGuidance to offer the following FREE parent resources:

• On-demand courses
• "Ask a Therapist"

Denton County created a navigator to assist residents with mental health resources. It is available in English and Spanish. Residents can complete the DCPH Links Intake Form that you can find here for assistance.

Please know that all families are expected to follow our school procedures for pick up and drop off:

• Drop Off: No students are permitted to be dropped off before 7:15. Please use the front car line to drop off. However, please know that we ask that no cars pull into the circular drive prior to 7:15. This is to assure that once cars are driving on campus, we have staff present to ensure everyone's safety. Once staff are present, please be sure to pull all the way up and leave space in the cross walk. Staff will open the car door or students can get out on their own--you do not have to wait for a staff member. If you want to park and walk your child to the door, you can. Children are not permitted to cross the crosswalk without a parent. Our staff is not permitted to allow students to cross the crosswalks without parents. Parents must walk them across the crosswalk. Students must be entering the building at 7:38, to get to class by 7:40, to be on time. If students arrive after 7:40 they will be considered tardy which can result in truancy issues. If your child is tardy, please park and walk them into the building and sign them in with the front office staff.
• Pick Up: Dismissal is at 3:00. All parents must have a car tag and use the designated car lane (Front Lane for Grades K - 5 and the Back Lane for PreK, PABS, and COMS) to pick up their child in a car. Parents may park and walk across the crosswalk to pick up their child with a car tag. Or parents can check their child out of the office with a photo ID. Parents who are picking up their child without a car tag will be asked to check them out of the office. If the child walks home, our staff will walk them across the street in the front of the building and at the back of the building, but they will not walk them any further. It is not permissible for walkers to be picked up by car on the other side of the street.

If you have questions about our procedures, please contact your child's teacher or the front office.

All changes in transportation (how the child is getting home) or early pick ups must go through the office. Please do not tell your child's teacher or send a note to the teacher. Parents are required to call or email the front office prior to 2:00 PM to make changes to how their child is going home. This is very important so that we can make sure that all changes are communicated to all the staff that need to know before the dismissal process begins. Similarly, if you are picking your child up early, please pick them up before 2:00. This is important so that we can communicate the change to all staff that needs to know before dismissal systems begin.

All adults will need to provide a government issued photo id in order to enter the building during school hours. No exceptions will be made. This is for any and all events that occur on campus during school hours.