Havard Elementary Cowboy News

Happy New Year! As we begin 2025, please accept my heartfelt wishes for a year filled with happiness, health and success for you and your families.

In this new year, we will maintain our commitment to excellence and student success. We hope that every child at Havard reaches their full potential. We look forward to another semester of collaboration and shared aspirations as we prepare your children for a bright future.

If you have any questions about events or activities, please contact the front office. For any questions or concerns, you can reach me at lappel@galenaparkisd.com, or you can schedule an appointment at 832-386-3710.

Thank you for helping us make this an amazing start to 2025!

Dr. Lisa Hamblen

Upcoming Observance Dates:

January 1-31: School Board Appreciation Month

We would like to remind you of the importance of good attendance for all students. It is very important for children to be in school as much as possible. Every day a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning. Too many absences can affect achievement for the absent student. Last year, our attendance was 95.1%. That means our students missed approximately 6 days each. Our goal for this year is 96.1%. This would mean that students miss about 5 days out of the 167 days in the school year. We will be monitoring student attendance closely. We know that you all play an integral role in ensuring your children are present and on time everyday. Lets work together to improve attendance and student success!

Current Totals

1st 6 Weeks Attendance: 96.2% AWESOME!

2nd 6 Weeks Attendance: 95.68% We did better than last year. Let's keep trying to get to our goal!

• If your student misses school, please send a note to their teacher or email AttendanceHAV@galenaparkisd.com when they return. If they are absent for more than 3 days, a doctor's note may be required.
• Please include the following on excuse notes:
  • your student's name
  • teacher's name and grade
  • date
  • your name
  • reason for absence
  • a number to contact you if there are questions.

English Newsletter

This is a time for new beginnings and renewed focus, and I encourage both students and parents to reach out if you need support or have any questions. Whether it's academic guidance or social-emotional resources, I am here to help you navigate this important time. Let’s work together to make the rest of this school year a success!

Common reasons to see the counselor:

• Help managing emotions like anger or sadness.

• Social skills

• Concerns about bullying or conflict with others

• Struggles with academic motivation

• Coping with changes at home (e.g, divorce, loss)

Character Education Theme of The Month: Courage and Perseverance

Discussion Questions:

• What makes it hard to keep trying when things don’t go as planned?

• How can asking for help show both perseverance and courage?

Activity:

• Set up a jar where family members write down something challenging they’re working on. At the end of the week, review progress together.

• Celebrate small wins and talk about steps to keep going.

Reflection:

• Share a time you kept trying even when it was hard. What did you learn about yourself?

Requirements for our dress-up days and our school’s dress code guidelines:

• Students who are not participating in the dress-up theme for the day MUST wear the standardized dress.
• Students who are participating in the dress-up theme for the day, MUST wear clothing that follows the dress code guidelines.
• At Havard, we allow students to wear Havard shirts any day of the week. If your student is not participating in the dress-up theme, they may wear a Havard shirt and uniform bottoms Monday – Friday.
• Wednesdays are College Days. Students may wear a college shirt and standardized dress code bottoms. We take $1 donations for the James B. Havard Memorial Scholarship fund. Donations can be given to the front office staff.
• Friday is Spirit Day. Students may wear a Havard Spirit shirt or standardized dress tops with either jeans or standardized dress code bottoms.

Additional rules from the handbook are:

• Pants must fit at the waist or a student must wear a belt; there will be no sagging.
• Pants may not have any holes exposing skin above the knee.
• Shorts, skirts, dresses, and skorts must be mid-thigh or longer.
• NO leggings unless under a skirt or dress.
• NO backless shoes.

Are you interested in volunteering at Havard or attending a field trip with your child? If so, please complete the GPISD Background Check at the link below. This must be completed and approved before you are eligible to volunteer or participate in any field trips. If you would like to be contacted to volunteer, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form.

#CowboysHAVexcellence

Website: https://www.galenaparkisd.com/Domain/12
Location: 15150 Wallisville Road, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 832-386-3710
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HAVCowboys
Twitter: @GPISDHavardElem