
Buckalew Buzz
April 8th, 2024
Connect With Us!
Buckalew Bears Motto:
"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"
Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. 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/
Instagram: @buckalewbears
Twitter: @buckalewbears
From Mrs. Price
Buckalew Families,
Well today was interesting to say the least! We had high hopes and were very optimistic to see the solar eclipse, however a rainstorm wanted to debut just at the right time! Thank you again to PTO for purchasing our memorable memento of solar eclipse glasses to document such a rare event! We also had high hopes of a clear dismissal but just as we were about to dismiss, lightening moved in within our radius and we needed to make a call for our biker walkers. As always, our staff and students adapted and adjusted and rolled with our day today with a smile on their face. Thank you to all of you who also adjusted quickly from biker walker to car rider, we appreciate your patience and understanding that safety is always our priority.
What a wonderful Saturday! It was so great to see so many current, future, and former Buckalew Bears at our annual spring signature event, the Buckalew Bash Carnival! A big shout out to Catherine Boeger, who organized and oversaw such a huge event! This event is not possible without volunteers and donations. I want to give a big thank you to all of Buckalew parents and staff who volunteered in various places from set-up to clean up. Another big thank you to all of those who donated to the silent auction or raffle. The Buckalew Bash had another successful year with approximately 1,300 people in attendance and raised a combined net profit of approximately $34,000 between the carnival and online silent auction and this could not be accomplished without a team community-wide effort. Thank you!
I would like to personally invite those of you who are volunteering at Buckalew in any capacity to attend our Chip! Chip! Hooray for our Volunteers! event, honoring you on Friday, April 26 from 11:20-12:45 in the library. Please see the information below for details.
Today, we received the first layer of CISD Bond Package B that passed this November and Buckalew received 96 chromebooks to replace 96 chromebooks that have a specific identified operating system. Those were exchanged quickly and returned back for classroom instruction in the same day. I will continue to update our community as we continue to see the bond project impact at Buckalew.
Just a reminder, we are now registering incoming kindergarten students and new families for next year. Last, students do not have school on Friday, April 19th. It is a professional learning day for teachers.
Thank you for sharing your children with us!
Mrs. Price
Volunteer Invitation- April 26th
Watch D.O.G.S.
Interested in serving as a WATCH D.O.G.?
Hey Fathers and Father Figures! Interested in serving as a WATCH D.O.G.? Contact Angela Fonville at aakinfonville@conroeisd.net for more information and open calendar spots!
Dates to Remember
Upcoming Events
**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**
April
8- Online 24-25 KG Registration begins
9 - Spirit Night at Chipotle 4pm to 8pm at Chipotle located at 6538 FM1488 (see details in PTO section below or PTO social media for details)
11- 2nd Grade Field Trip
15-19- campus closed to visitors for STAAR testing
16/17- 4th/3rd ELA STAAR Testing
18- KG Field Trip
19 - Staff Development Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
20- Kendra Scott Spirit Night 4-6pm (see details in PTO section below or PTO social media for details)
25- 2nd Grade Program
26 - Chip Chip Hooray Volunteer celebration 11:20 - 12:45 in the Library
29 - First Grade Pet Drive (see details below)
29-2- campus closed to visitors for STAAR testing
30- 3rd and 4th Grade Math STAAR Testing- closed campus to visitors (Date Changed)
May
1- PTO Meeting
6-10- Teacher Appreciation Week
23 - Early Dismissal 12:10
23- Kindergarten Program
23- 4th Grade Graduation
August 2024
14 - First Day of School
Attendance Call Out Notifications
Buckalew's attendance call-out will be changing from a 7:30pm notification to 10:45am. This information is designed to notify parents of absences earlier than later. As we move to the new time, please know that you may have already called in and excused the absence or checked your child in the front office after 9am. If you know you've notified the school of the absence, or were a late arrival, and you receive this call, please know that our attendance office will be reconciling the absence(s). While we adjust to this new call-out, please know you can always check and verify your child's absences and tardies (and grades) by going to Parent Access Center.
GT Nominations for Summer Testing
GT NOMINATIONS FOR SUMMER TESTING – Nominations are Due Tuesday, April 30, 2024
The window is now open for parent nominations for GT Screening and will continue through April 30. Parents may nominate their student for Summer GT Testing by completing the District Nomination Form, available through any 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade teacher, or by asking Nikki in the front office. If you would like a form emailed to you, contact Mrs. Smith tonsmith@conroeisd.net. Second grade students who did not participate in the October 2023 CogAT administration are the only second grade students who are eligible for summer testing. Parents may now nominate, one time per level of test. In other words, students may test once each school year to see if they meet district requirements and /or qualify in other subject areas. GT testing will be held at Bush Elementary on May 28 – 30 from 8:00-11:00. Nomination forms may be returned to your student’s 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade teacher OR to Nikki in the front office. You may also email completed nomination forms to Mrs. Smith tonsmith@conroeisd.net. ALL NOMINATION forms are due NO LATER THAN April 30!
First Grade Pet Drive
First grade is collecting pet supply donations for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter from April 29-May 10th. Needed items are listed below and can be turned into a box at the front office.
Items include: Cat food, dog food, towels, blankets, grooming supplies, and pet toys.
Thank you for your support!
First Grade Teachers
Senior Walk- for high school graduating seniors and their parents
CISD Camps and Clinics
Conroe ISD Summer Enrichment and Remediation Programs
Conroe ISD is offering summer programs for enrichment and remediation. The following programs are being offered:
Kids Quest Academics: Grades K-3
Kids Quest Academics: Grades 4-6
Fine Arts (Art and Choir): Grades 4-6
Robotics: Grades 3-6
For more information about CISD summer programs, visit the following district link:
https://www.conroeisd.net/department/tl/summer-school/
You may contact Mrs. Smith at tonsmith@conroeisd.net if you have any questions about summer programs offered by CISD.
Kid Quest Academics K-3
Kid Quest Academics 4-6
Fine Arts 4-6
From Nurse Alison
Ilnesses
COLD AND FLU SEASON
We are seeing an increase in Strep, Flu, fevers and stomach viruses at school. If you think your child may be ill or getting ill, keep them home. We want to keep everyone well and the best way is to keep your child home when ill and handwashing.
CISD ILLNESS POLICY:
If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. In addition, students with diarrhea or vomiting must stay home until he/she is diarrhea and vomiting free without diarrhea or vomiting-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours.
Let's keep our Buckalew Bears Healthy!
Nurse Alison
Bond 2023 Projects
Bond Projects coming to Buckalew:
Infrastructure
- Critical infrastructure like chillers, boilers, air handlers, generator, freezer/cooler, roof sections, & electrical service equipment
- All campuses will receive safety & technology infrastructure updates
Technology Devices
- All campuses will receive updates to their technology devices.
- 96 chromebooks were exchanged that had a specific operating system 4/8/24
Elementary Gym
- proposed date to be complete: August 2025!
Specific updates on Bond Projects at Buckalew:
- land survey completed December 2023
- perimeter fencing completed February 2024
- impact resistant film installed on all exterior glass January 2024
- Parent Lunch Reservations -
Lunch Reservations
Go to Lunch Reservations and find the green 'Parent Lunch Reservation' button on our Home page. It will take you through to Signup Genius from there.
Click Here to be redirected to our Website
If anyone other than a parent or guardian comes in to have lunch with a student, the Front Office will need a note from the parent/guardian giving permission for that person to have lunch with that child. Please either send a note in the back pack to the Front Office on the day OR email contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net.
- From Specials -
Music News
2nd Grade Program
Attention 2nd Grade Parents!
Our 2nd Grade Program is coming up soon! Save the date for April 25th at 6:00 pm. More information will be coming soon.
___________________________________
Special Program T-shirts will be sold to commemorate the 2nd grade music program! These are a wonderful way to remember this performance with your students' classmates. The front of the t-shirt will have a picture in the theme of the program and the back with be the same theme with ALL 2nd grade students' names listed. T-shirts must be pre-ordered and will be available for pick up the night of the performance, so don't wait! They will be $20 each and can be paid for online with School Cash. I hope you will join in purchasing a t-shirt to remember this special occasion!
To order a t-shirt, please order online through School by logging into your School Cash account by April 3rd. PLEASE NOTE: the link to order will not appear until March 6th. In order to receive a shirt by the evening of the program, this deadline is firm! Thanks for understanding! There will also be an option to donate a t-shirt to a student who might not be able to purchase one otherwise. All proceeds will go towards funding different music department needs like programs, choir, instruments, etc. in the future.
Library News
Hello, attached are library activities that are happening at our local community libraries next week. There is an application for a public library card. Parents can fill out the application and return it to Buckalew by April 17. We'll get them to the public library, they will make the cards and then deliver them to our school!
this is the last month to check out library books. All library books will be due the first full week in May: May 6th kinder and first grade turn in library books, May 7th 2nd and 3rd grade turn in library books and May 7 4th grade turns in their books.
BOGO book fair May 20, 21, and 22 - save the date!
If you would like to be added to the library volunteer e-mail sign up genius, please contact Stacy Butterfield, our Library Volunteer Coordinator at BuckalewPTOVolunteers@gmail.com and she will add you to our list.
If your student has a lost or damaged book from last year it was added to School Cash Online in May and you received an e-mail letting you know you have an item to purchase. The expectation is those lost/damaged books are paid for BEFORE checking out books this year. Feel free to bounce back with any questions!
Library Book Notifications
Conroe ISD Library Services has enabled daily email notifications so you are informed of the items checked out by your student. Notifications for these daily messages can be managed in Parent Access Center (PAC). Please see instructions below to either enable or disable emails.
Counselor's Corner- From Mrs. Points -
Safety Kids
4th Grade Safety Kids perform a very important role in our building. They are school leaders who model the best in hallway behavior and manners. Safety Kids welcome and assist other Buckalew students to class in a timely, positive manner. They also protect the safety of all students walking down our busy morning hallways. If your current 3rd grader is interested in joining the team, the link is below. The last day to sign-up is Friday, April 26th.
Conroe Cares
I am self-aware.
I can manage myself.
I am aware of others.
I can build relationships with others.
I can make responsible decisions.
Buckalew's Pawsatively Awesome Character Focus
April Perseverance
May Citizenship
Buckalew Bears PTO Information
Get involved with the Buckalew Elementary PTO!
Please consider joining the Buckalew PTO! Memberships and yard signs are currently available for purchase on the Buckalew Spirit store at https://buckalewbearspto.com.
Upcoming Events
Last PTO Meeting: Friday, May 3rd · 11:30 AM · Buckalew Library
Spirit Night
Our Spirit Night event is Tuesday, April 9th 4pm to 8pm at Chipotle located at 6538 FM1488. Enjoy a delicious meal and fundraise for our fabulous school at the same time! You must present this flyer or mention BUCKALEW to your server.
PTO Updates
Thank you to all of our Buckalew family and friends who supported our Boosterthon Fun Run! Proceeds from the fundraiser support the PTO’s budget, which helps our school in many ways. PTO funds are used to pay for field trips, Dreambox, grade level instructional supplies, playgrounds, counseling resources, technology, campus morale, staff development, campus updates, teacher luncheons, and school beautification. As the fundraiser exceeded our goal, we are able to make a few additional purchases for Buckalew. At the December 1 PTO meeting, we approved the purchase of 4 new water bottle filling stations, solar eclipse viewing glasses for students to use this Spring, 2 new microwaves for the teacher’s lounge, and extra school supplies for teachers to use if their classroom supplies run low. Thank you for supporting the Buckalew PTO!
Yearbook Information
Yearbook deadline has been extended along with the custom ads and custom page deadlines to 4/12/24.
Custom pages are FREE to each yearbook purchaser. With the purchase of each yearbook comes two FREE custom pages parents can create that print ONLY in their yearbook.
We also extended the recognition ad deadline to 4/12/24. These are $25
! Please follow the directions above 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
Kroger Rewards and Boxtops
Volunteer with the P.T.O.!
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 below.
Our Purpose
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.
Please Sign Up to be a CISD Volunteer
Click the button below to complete the form. You will need your drivers license number;
- Information For Ongoing Reference -
Bring Your I.D
Did you recently move?
In the event you are moving or have recently moved, please email your new proof of residency document (i.e. a recent gas, water or electric bill / or your signed and dated lease or sales agreement) to legeorge@conroeisd.net. Please include the student's full name and homeroom teacher so his/her information can be updated.
Thank you,
Lindy George
Smartwatch and Cell Phone Guidelines
CISD PreK-6th Grade Cell Phone and Smartwatch Guidelines
At the October 17, 2023 CISD School Board Meeting, the trustees approved the PreK-6th Grade Cellphone and Smartwatch policy. The policy approved states:
● Cell phones and smartwatches may be used respectfully and responsibly before school and after school.
● Cell phones and smartwatches should not be used to capture video, audio, or images at school or on the bus.
● Cell phones and smartwatches should be set on silent mode and kept in backpacks, lockers, or other designated storage areas and should not be visible during school hours including instructional time, reward time, free time, lunch, and in the hallways.
● Use of cell phones and smartwatches may be permitted in extenuating circumstances with permission from a staff member. (ex. to notify parent/ guardian of a late bus)
Currently Buckalew's Student Addendum states the following on Student Electronic Devices.
If a student brings an electronic device (cell phone, e-reader, smart watch, etc.) they bring them at their own risk. The school is not responsible for any damage, lost, or stolen electronic devices. The expectation is that electronic devices are powered off when students enter the building and stored in a backpack until they exit the building. Any communication between parent and student during the school day must go through the office or teacher.
Teachers will communicate with parents if there are times that personal electronic devices will be allowed to be used during classroom activities. Expectations for use will be communicated to students, and students will be monitored to ensure the devices are being used properly.
Students who do not comply with school procedures will have the device given to the assistant principal, who will contact the parent to discuss the concern and plans moving forward, and schedule a time for the device to be picked up. Please see CISD Student Handbook for further information on electronic devices.
Birthday/ Holiday Treats and Celebrations
Cookies are preferred birthday treats and must be store bought due to allergy, safety and sanitation concerns. Treats are served in the cafeteria during the students' lunch time and should be brought to school before 11am. No balloons, candles or deliveries.
Please email your homeroom teacher to check if there are any specific classroom allergies at least 1 school day beforehand.
CISD Parent Access Registration/ Login
Parents will need to register for Parent Access Center (PAC) account if their student(s) are new to Conroe ISD. Students previously enrolled in CISD will have an active PAC account. You can view your childs grades and other important information regularly. Instruction son how to register are below.
If you have difficulty accessing the PAC, please call CISD head office on 936 709 7752 or email helpdesk@conroeisd.net.
Arriving to School after 8am
Students are considered absent if they arrive at school after 9am unless they have a note from a health care professional for an appointment on that day.
Buckalew Safety
Need to send a Note to the Front Office?
From The Attendance Office
Absences
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.
School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. and students will be counted tardy if they are not in their classroom at that time.
School Absences
State law requires that children miss no more than 10% (18 days) of the school year. Students that miss more than 18 days are subject to not be promoted to next grade level. The law goes on to state that it is the parent/guardian’s duty to monitor the student’s attendance and requires the student to attend school. It is important for students to remain in school until the close of each school day at 3:10 p.m. unless illness has caused a child to leave earlier.
Tardies
Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. each day. Students that arrive at school between 8:01 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. are tardy.
Absences
State attendance is taken each day at 9:00 a.m. Students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will be marked absent for the day unless they have a signed note from a healthcare professional for an appointment that morning.
If your child is going to be absent, please contact the school attendance line at 281-465-3410 or send an email to buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net. Please state your child’s full name, grade, homeroom teacher, date or dates of absence, and reason for the absence.
Medical Appointment
If your child is arriving late or returning to school due to a medical appointment, please provide a health care provider’s note upon entering the school to ensure your student is not marked tardy or absent for the day. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please do so no later than 2:30 p.m. The student will not be called from their classroom until you arrive at the school. Please plan accordingly.
Dismissal
We strive to dismiss all our students safely from our building. Please do not come to the Front Office at dismissal time to call your child from class. We cannot dismiss students directly from the classroom or in the hallway at dismissal time. Students will not be released after 2:30 p.m. from the Front Office.
If you are checking out your child prior to 2:30pm, please come into the Front Office and provide your identification. We will then call your child to meet you in the Front Office. Due to safety reasons, we cannot call your child to the Front Office unless you are here.
If you are checking your child out during specials or lunchtimes, please note that it may take a little longer to locate your child from their specials or lunch room and for us and them to get their back packs from their room. Please leave ample time for this if you have any appointments to attend.
Parents of Biker/Walkers - No Dogs!
We have an abundance of children and families who bike or walk to and from school. Many of your family members include your pets, joining you on your bike or walk to and from school. For your liability, and the safety of others, please refrain from bringing your dogs into the biker walker area beyond the posted signage. We have 2 signs in this area posted that should allow room for your dog, however, will prevent them from being in our most congested areas during arrival and dismissal. We have many children afraid of dogs, even though your dog may be friendly and well-mannered. We have also had dogs get into altercations with other dogs in front of this area and we kindly ask that if you choose to bring your dog, that they stay beyond the posted signs as you watch your child enter or exit our doors.
Thank you for your understanding.
Need A New Car Rider Sign?
Active Start and Breakfast
Breakfast is served in our cafeteria from 7:30-7:55 daily. See below for menu. See fees below for both breakfast and lunch.
Checking out your Child
If anyone other than a parent/ guardian checking out a student from our campus, we will need a note, sent in with your child, in their backpack on that day or an email to buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net. If we do not have a note from a parent/guardian, the Front Office will call to get permission for your child to leave our campus.
The Emergency Card completed at the beginning of the school year is for us to be able to contact someone in a situation where we cannot get hold of a parent/guardian. It is not permission for those emergency contacts to check out a child, any time.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to keep our students safe whilst on our campus.
Car Rider/ Dismissal Sign
For KG ONLY: We are requiring Kindergarten parents only at Biker Walker to carry this sign with them to pick up their child at the biker walker doors. With our growing enrollment and various staff members on duty, it adds an extra layer to make sure we are connecting the correct kindergarten student with their care giver.
Take a photo of the sign? We have had several people ask if they can use a photo of this Dismissal Sign on their phone. The answer is YES! Feel free to take a picture to keep on your phone in case of transportation changes or loss of the sign, or emergency instances with severe weather. Please know that the original sign is IDEAL, as it is designed for those calling dismissal to be able to read. On a cell phone, that will slow down the line.
Transportation
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.
Drop Table
We offer parents the courtesy of a drop table to deliver forgotten items, which is located in our Front Office. There are pens, paper and tape available for you to use to clearly identify items for your child to pick up. We will call the classrooms at 10am to inform all students of items on the drop table.
Please make sure lunches and birthday cookies are clearly labeled and brought into our school before 11:15am so that we can send them to the cafeteria on our lunch cart, for the allotted lunch times. We have limited staff available after this time.
We thank you for understanding.
Transportation Changes
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.
Alternatively, please print the form to the Front Office below:-
Lunch Information
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 $3.30
Lunch
Student Lunch $3.20
Student Reduced Lunch $.40
Non-student Lunch/ 2nd Student Lunch $4.60
Entree $3.00
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.
Water Bottles
Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker.
Lost and Found
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