HES Parent & Family Newsletter

We invite all parents and families to join us for a virtual meeting to explore the possibility of starting a Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at Houston Elementary!

When: Thursday, October 24th, at 6 PM
Where: Online link to meeting

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn how you can get involved and make a difference in our school community. Discover how the PTO supports our students, teachers, and community—and how you can be a part of it.

Let’s come together to strengthen our Hurricane family and make Houston Elementary an even better place for our children to learn and grow. We hope to see you there!

In an effort to reduce milk waste and manage costs more effectively, we are making some changes to our milk distribution at snack time for students in grades 1-6. Moving forward, we ask that families who wish to purchase milk for their children at snack time complete the attached form. This will allow us to distribute milk more accurately and ensure that funds are collected appropriately.

Please take a moment to fill out the form and indicate which of your students you would like to receive milk during snack time It's important to note that students receive a free carton of milk each day during school breakfast and lunch. However, milk is only free at lunch if the student takes the school meal. Otherwise, students in grades K-6 will be charged $0.60 at lunchtime for their milk.

Milk distribution at snack will begin September 9th, 2024. We will add students to the list and milk will be delivered to students during their scheduled snack times.

Cost per milk $0.60:

• Quarter 1 - 9/9/24-10/31/24 (37 school days) = $22.20
• Quarter 2- 11/5/24-1/17/25 (41 school days)= $24.60
• Quarter 3- 1/21/25-3/21/25 (42 school days)= $25.20
• Quarter 4- 3/31/25-5/28/25 (40 school days) = $24.00
• Total cost for milk = $96.00

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work to make this process more efficient.

Snack Break Milk Request

Kind regards,
Angela McQuinn
Assistant Principal, Houston Elementary School

• Monday- October 21st- BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Tuesday, October 22nd- Creamy chicken enchilada bake
• Wednesday, October 23rd- Crispy chicken nuggets
• Thursday, October 24th- Meatballs & gravy
• Special Shrek the Musical performance for students this afternoon at school
• Friday, October 25th- Sausage cheese flatbread

All school meals are served with milk, vegetable and fruit options.

The alternative for the week is Chicken lettuce salad

This week Riley S. & Piper M. were nominated by their 2nd grade teachers Mrs. Botcher & Mrs. Martin for their kindness, respect, and responsibility taking. Congratulations Riley & Piper.

We are excited to share that our preschool students are participating in the S.M.A.R.T. program this year, which promotes continuous improvement in physical and cognitive skills. Recently, the children enjoyed an engaging lesson that included an obstacle course designed to enhance their coordination and balance. They practiced walking heel to toe, navigating a go-slow balance beam, crawling like alligators, and finishing with a fun pencil roll. After this active session, they had the opportunity for free play, fostering creativity and social skills.

To learn more about how the S.M.A.R.T. program works, please visit ACTG's S.M.A.R.T. page.

We look forward to seeing our young learners continue to grow and thrive!

This year, our preschool students are engaging with "Mat Man" as part of the Handwriting Without Tears program, which supports our commitment to continuous improvement in student achievement. Mat Man is an interactive character that helps children develop important skills for school readiness, including fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and body awareness.

Through fun activities involving Mat Man, students learn to recognize shapes, improve their hand-eye coordination, and gain confidence in their ability to create and write. This foundational learning not only prepares them for writing but also enhances their overall cognitive development, setting the stage for future academic success.

We are excited to see how our preschoolers continue to grow and thrive with Mat Man, paving the way for a successful educational journey! To learn more about Mat Man and the benefits of the Handwriting Without Tears program, visit Meet Mat Man.

Our 5th-grade students recently took on an exciting real-world learning challenge: the Egg Drop Challenge! In this hands-on exploration, students designed and built containers to protect a precious payload—an egg—from a high drop. They engaged in critical thinking as they evaluated their designs, tested their creations, and suggested improvements based on their findings.

This activity not only fosters creativity and problem-solving skills but also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and perseverance. As they worked through the challenges, we couldn't help but think that maybe Humpty Dumpty’s fate would have been different with the help of such innovative thinkers!

We are proud of our students for their hard work and creativity in this project, and we look forward to more engaging learning experiences that connect classroom concepts to real-world applications! Mrs. McQuinn had a lot of fun too. Thank you 5th graders for the fun afternoon!

During Fire Safety Week, all of our K-6 students had an incredible opportunity to visit the firehouse, where they learned about important aspects of fire prevention and safety. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing Fire Department Crew for their dedication and for making this educational experience so engaging and informative!

The day was made even more special as Mr. Olson joined students for lunch and participated in a fun game of kickball during recess. It was a fantastic day of learning, teamwork, and community spirit. We appreciate the strong partnerships that help keep our students safe and informed!

• October 17- 18: MEA - NO SCHOOL
• October 25: Picture Retake Day.
• October 25, 26, 27: HHS Drama Club presents "Shrek the Musical" in the elementary gym.
• October 31: End of 1st Quarter
• Students wear orange and black day
• Students in grades 3-6 going to movie theater
• October 31: Early Childhood Screening - NO AM or PM preschool.
• November 3: Daylight Savings Ends, Turn your clock back 1 hour.
• November 11: Veterans Day Celebration

Please check the school website calendar for more information as well as other events/opportunities.