Bearkat Chat

This vision is achievable when we work together as staff, parents, and community with the common goal in mind. Thank you for working with us as we raise our Bearkats to be contributing members of society with high academic abilities, logical reasoning skills and positive outlooks on life.

We are headed into May with big plans to finish our school year strong! Thank you for all your support.

We had a wonderful turn out for our first annual Paws and Paint - thankful for the smiles and fun at the end of the year! Our auction winners will be notified soon if you have not been contacted already. We do have 4 fast passes for car rider that were auctioned off. These four will advance to the cafe entrance in front of others - they will have an alternate car tag color. Please allow them to pass and understand that it was a fundraiser item that will last until Dec. of 2024.

We also just had our prek and K roundup - we loved meeting our newest Bearkats and their families.

Please remember that attendance matters until the very last day! We need our Bearkats at school unless they are sick. STAAR testing is over, however, we do have all of our end of the year testing to complete so that we may celebrate the successes of each child's growth.

If you are planning to pick up your student early from school on the last day, please look for an email next week regarding notifying us early to make the day run smoothly. We do have plans for students all day that includes their PTO party - we encourage you to leave them at school and let them come home at their normal dismissal time, however, we understand some of you may be starting your summer early.

Please see our dates below as they include important information for the month. This next week is Staff Appreciation and we are looking forward to celebrating all of our staff members! Also, notice we will not have lunch visitors the last week of school.

May 7 - 2nd grade Concert 9:15 am

May 8 - Stuko Dollar Day

May 8 - Willie's Spirit Night

May 14 - PTO Budget Planning Meeting AM / BIG CPOC PM

May 16 - Kinder Concert AM

May 17 - 5th Grade Day @ Main Event

May 17 - Wear Green in support of Mental Health Awareness

May 20 - 5th grade Field Trip

May 21 - VIPS Breakfast in Cafe

May 22 - Stuko - Dollar Day

May 23 - PTO spirit Shop

May 27 - Student/Staff Holiday

May 28 - May 31 (NO LUNCH VISITORS THIS LAST WEEK UNLESS YOU ARE VOLUNTEERING)

May 28 - Graduation Walk for Seniors and 5th grade "clap out" 9:45am - Parents are welcome to help us begin the line at the car rider entrance but will not be able to access the inside of the building.

May 29 - Global Day of Play - Boosterthon LipSync if earned

May 30 - Grade level Meeting & CyWood Graduation

May 31 - Last Day of School for Students

June 1 - CyFair HS graduation

May 2024

Dear Black Elementary parent,

Please plan to pick up your student(s) medications PRIOR to the last day of school. The last week of school the nurse will be available for medication pick up only on the following times:

Tuesday May 28th from 7:45am to 12:30pm

Wednesday May 29th from 8:30 am to 4:00pm

All medication must be picked up from the clinic by a parent/ guardian or designated responsible adult. If it is someone besides a guardian, please email the nurse at dixon.gates@cfisd.net.

Medications not collected during the above times will be disposed of by 9:00am on May 30th unless prior arrangements have been made with the school nurse at 281-320-7145.

Dixie Gates, MSN RN

School Nurse

Black Elementary

14155 Grant Road

Cypress, Tx

(P) 281-320-7145

April was full of testing for the upper grades. I missed my big bearkats, but was able to spend time with the little Bearkats. After testing I was able to visit the upper grades. It was fun to go to their classes to color, draw, and just have some down time. That is one of my favorite things to do, just lay in class with the kids.

We had our first Paint with Miss L and Mrs. Mote this year. I was not able to attend, but for the silent auction I was able to offer time to be my handler. Mrs. Mirelez is going to get with the winners soon and they are going to make my schedule. I cannot wait to see what they come up with.

We only have a few more weeks left of school, and I plan on getting as much time as I can with my Bearkats.

As always, I love my Bearkats. #INeedThemMoreThanTheyNeedMe

#HeartOfABearkat

Dear Parent/Guardian of a CFISD 5th Grade Student,

The parent/guardian of a 5th grade student may opt their child into the Young Adult

collection of books at their campus library. The description of the Young Adult collection is

available in the Parent Portal which can be accessed by clicking the link on the district website

(https://www.cfisd.net/domain/10). If you would like to choose for your student access to the

Young Adult collection, please visit the parent portal and select opt-in. If you do not want your

student to access theYoung Adult collection, no action is needed. Your student will have default

access to the Juvenile collection of books unless you have opted your student out of the library.

If you have any questions, please contact your campus librarian.

We hosted our first Paws & Pain Event in April, which was a guided painting project led by Mrs. L & Mrs. Mote. We had a great turnout & saw some very impressive art! The PTO was excited to bring in this new event, and to allow the kids more opportunities to interact with each other outside of school hours. The ticket price for this event paid for all the painting supplies, a beverage, & two snacks.

Alongside this event, we had our online auction fundraiser, which raised almost $6,500! Parents could bid on teacher experiences for their student, baskets donated by staff, local business donations, & even King/Queen of the Car Rider Line! Thank you for all the support!

Are you interested in chairing a position next year? A description of each position can be found on our website:

www.blackpto.net

Elena Velasquez

PTO President

president@blackpto.net

5/17 - 5th Grade Day Celebration @ Main Event Tomball

5/21 - VIPS Appreciation Breakfast

Summer birthday? No worries! We will celebrate all summer birthdays during the month of May. So be sure and send in those requests. It will be the highlight of your student’s day.

*Please send your submissions at least 2 weeks in advance.

https://www.blackpto.net/home

Bearkat Family we are now in the final race to the end of the school year. This means that the Teacher and Staff Appreciation is approaching us and that will be the week of May 6th – 10th. We have sent out a sheet to let you and our youngest Bearkats know how they can participate in celebrating our Teachers & Staff that work so hard. If you have agreed to donate a HEB gift card/egift card, please get it email to us at hospitality@blackpto.net or to the school with your child addressed to Black PTO Hospitality. Here is the link in case you would like to still sign up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084BA5AF2EA6FA7-49014739-heb5gift. We will be using these gift cards to get items to help us treat the Bearkat Teachers & Staff during that week. If you would like to assist the PTO Hospitality, please contact Jessica or Latanya at hospitality@blackpto.net. Here is a link to for the Staff favorite things in case you are needing it https://staff-fav-23.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4. We would like to Thank all our Bearkat Family that has contributed to things through out the entire year and this upcoming event. Below you will also see our corporate local Sponsors that have made donations to make Teacher & Staff Appreciation great along with each of you. Please patronize our sponsor’s business as a Thank You. If you know anyone else that would still like to be a sponsor, please point them my way.

Our Top Bearkat Volunteer of the Month for April is Wendy Garfio! Here are some of the perks of being the top volunteer of the month -

· Convenient Reserved Parking Space with your name on it at the front of the school

· You will also be recognized on a Volunteer of The Month sign in the front office and in the Bearkat Chat.

· One Friday lunch with your Bearkat during the month (VIPS must be notified of date prior to let the front office know)

Thank you to all our volunteers dedicating your extra time at the school! **Don’t forget to log your offsite volunteer hours on the PTO webpage: https://blackpto.membershiptoolkit.com

· Please consider signing up to help volunteer for the 5th grade field trip to BizTown this year on May 20, 2024.

· What is BizTown? It's a mock town located at the Junior Achievement Center in Houston. Students have to elect city officials, run businesses, learn about mortgages, and work with the student-led city council, etc. Students will be going to and from the facility on buses like a normal field trip that will last the majority of the school day. This is a great learning opportunity, and it requires volunteers as Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization.

· We need at least 40 volunteers to make BizTown happen for our 5th graders. One 1.5 hour in-person training session is required. You can not show up the day of the field trip and expect to attend without training. Volunteers will need to provide their own transportation to and from, both, training and the field trip.

· Training Dates (One is required):

May 14, 2024 @ 4-5:30

May 16, 2024 @ 4-5:30

Biztown Volunteer Training Sign Up

· Field Trip Date:

May 20, 2024

· Location:

BizTown Facility

3710 Dacoma St

Houston, TX 77092

· Please email Sara Martin at juniorachievement@blackpto.net for more information.

5th Grade Day

When: Friday, May 17th 9:00am-2:00pm

Where: Main Event Tomball

24620 Tomball Parkway

PARTY FEE: Have you paid your PTO party fee?

Party Fee of $25.00 includes: 5th Grade Day event (Main Event), t-shirt, memory book.

Would you like to make a donation to this event?

Black Elementary PTO - 5th Grade Day Donation 2023-2024 (blackpto.net)

If you have any questions regarding volunteering, please e-mail Jessica Mauro at vips1@blackpto.net or Amy Wurdeman at vips2@blackpto.net.

WHAT DOES PTO FUND?

Field Trips for all grades

Cultural Arts events for all grades

Holiday Parties

End of Year Parties

Playground Equipment

Staff Development

Back to School Staff Luncheon

Field Day

Music/PE Equipment

Author Days

Technology

5th Grade Celebration

Veterans Day Program

Staff Appreciation/Hospitality

STAAR Testing Snacks

Lenny the dog

WHAT DOES PTO DO?

Yearbook

Book Spirit Night Events

School Wide Event Volunteers

Birthday Wall

Science Resource Demos (SRC)

Staff Appreciation Events

Spirit Shop

Manage PTO Website

Marquee

Junior Achievement

Class Parties

5th Grade Sidewalk Paws

School Shirt Sales

Organize volunteers for: Workroom, Library, Book Fair, HRC, Nature Trails, Hearing and Vision Screening, Clinic, etc

HOW TO HELP?

Become a PTO member

Donate to fundraisers

Participate in Spirit Nights

Shop at the Spirit Shop

Volunteer

HOW TO JOIN?

Joining PTO by registering at blackpto.net

You are not committing to volunteer, but only to help support our school and all that we provide our students. Volunteering is a FUN bonus! Getting involved and meeting new people all while supporting Black Elementary!

Questions: contact Membership@blackpto.net

Childfind services

The Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District Special Education Department provides educational services to over 10,000 students with special needs.

Teachers, instructional aides, speech pathologists and related service personnel provide instruction and related services to students who have a disability. Students are eligible for special education services from the age of 3 through 21. Students who have hearing and vision disabilities may receive services from birth.

To be eligible for special education services, students must meet eligibility requirements as a student with an orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, auditory impairment, visual impairment, diagnosis of deaf/blind, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, learning disability, speech impairment, multiple disabilities, autism, non-categorical early childhood, or traumatic brain injury.

Cypress Fairbanks ISD instructional arrangements for elementary school-aged students include in-class support, resource classes and speech/language therapy. Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE, formerly PPCD), adaptive behavior, and LIFE Skills classes are offered as cluster services at the elementary level.

In-class support, resource classes, LIFE Skills, adaptive behavior and speech/language services are available at all secondary level campuses.

Related services may include psychological services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, orientation and mobility training, school health services, adaptive equipment and special transportation.

Other special education service options include the Dorothy Carlton Center, the Maybelline Carpenter Center, homebound, adaptive physical education, itinerant and on-site services to the visually impaired.

As part of the Northwest Harris County Cooperative for the Hearing Impaired, services for students who have auditory impairments are offered at Birkes Elementary, Matzke Elementary, Spillane Middle School and Cy-Ridge High School. In addition to receiving instruction at the on-site campuses, students may be served by itinerant teachers, speech pathologists, and/or an audiologist at their home campus.

Are you the parent of a pre-school (3-5 years) or school aged child and have concerns regarding your child’s physical, speech, and/or emotional development? Is your child experiencing academic problems which could interfere significantly with educational success? If so, contact the Special Education Department at 281-897-6400 to discuss your concerns and learn more about the referral process.

Cy-Fair Tipline is an anonymous reporting system that allows students and parents to communicate school concerns or threats to their campus administration through the Internet or via text messaging. Students and parents are able to submit reports/tips via text or email anonymously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the system: http://www.safe2helptips.com/cf148s. This link is also located on the school website under 'Contact Us'.

Get current information from the school by signing up to receive School Messenger. Just follow the steps below:

Please follow the directions below to OPT IN to receive emergency information from CFISD.

Siga los siguientes pasos para registrarse y recibir alertas de emergencia del distrito.

Email: black@cfisd.net
Website: black.cfisd.net
Location: 14155 Grant Road, Cypress, TX, USA
Phone: 281-320-7145