The Fence Post

Dear Sandbrock Ranch Families,

Happy November! We are kicking off our Ranch Hands this month and hope to get more males involved in our school. If you or someone you know is interested, please sign up here. I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who completed our district’s Family Engagement Survey. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us make our school the best it can be for our students. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with your children each day, and we deeply value your partnership. You have through today to complete it if you haven't yet!

PTA Fundraiser, Charleston Wrap, is running through November 9th. There are so many great holiday gifts, wrapping paper, and treats. Information is going home with all kids this week.

Art is collecting items! Please bring any of the following items to the art room.

· Empty plastic water bottles

· Dry noodles (Rigatoni, Ziti, Penne)

· Stick branches (about a foot big)

November is packed with exciting events and learning experiences at Sandbrock Ranch Elementary! Here’s a quick look:

• Nov 11: Star Spangled SRE/3rd Grade Showcase – Celebrate Veterans Day with us as our 3rd graders put on a patriotic showcase!
• Nov 11-15: PE Skating Unit – Lace up for fun! Our skating unit will be rolling through PE, teaching skills and safety.
• Nov 19: Picture Retakes – Smile! Picture retakes are available.
• Nov 21: Thanksgiving Feast – A favorite tradition! Students will have the option to buy a Thanksgiving meal through the lunch line. Due to capacity, this is a closed student event only.
• Nov 25-29: No School

Take a moment to read through our Parent Handbook. We have captured some important nuts & bolts below.

Thank you again for your ongoing support and cooperation.

For Kids,

Claire Springer

Principal

Sandbrock Ranch Elementary

On Friday, November 8th, the Child Advocacy Center of North Texas will visit our campus to present two lessons to our students, Happy Bear (PK-2) and Kid Safety (3-5). These presentations will teach students developmentally appropriate skills such as:

• Recognizing the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.
• Implementing effective strategies for conflict resolution.
• Identifying personal space and recognizing appropriate boundaries.
• Learning resistance skills such as saying “no” to protect personal space.

As part of the registration process for the 24/25 school year, parents had the opportunity to either opt in or out of their child receiving this lesson. If you opted your student out of this opportunity, we will have an alternate activity available for them during their grade level presentation. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Applewhite at capplewhite@dentonisd.org.

In today’s digital age, it’s common to feel pressure around when to introduce cell phones to children.

The Wait Until 8th initiative encourages families to hold off on giving kids smartphones until at least 8th grade. Research shows that delaying smartphone use can help children develop stronger social skills, better attention spans, and improved mental health. Early smartphone access is linked to challenges such as cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and higher rates of anxiety and depression.

By joining this movement, you’re helping foster a childhood filled with real-world connections, face-to-face interactions, and focused learning. To learn more about the benefits of waiting, visit the Wait Until 8th website. Together, we can support our kids in growing up healthier and happier.

If you are interested in learning more about smartphone alternatives, you can find a list here.

Reference: Wait Until Eighth

https://www.waituntil8th.org/

We can't do it without you! Please consider volunteering to help in the gym during our skating unit. The fun starts with you! We truly can't do all we do without the help of our volunteers!

Volunteer Sign-Up : https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945ABAC2AA3FCC43-51709292-skating

District volunteer background check must be completed: https://forms.dentonisd.org/Forms/volunteerapplication

Office Procedure Change:

The front office will not answer phones between 7:20-8:00 AM and 2:45-3:30 PM. All voicemails will be returned same business day. This change will help us ensure we are getting students in and out of the building safely and have more hands on deck for supervision.

All transportation changes need to be made prior to 1:30 PM according to the Parent Handbook.

Volunteer Procedure Change:

All volunteers must coordinate their date, time, and purpose with the classroom teacher or staff member they are assisting. If this is not approved in advance, volunteers will not be allowed inside the building. This includes parents, guardians, room parents, PTA members, Ranch Hands, community members, etc...

Thank you for your attention to this matter, as it helps us ensure the safety of our campus.

Arrival/dismissal procedures (see maps below)

Students will dismiss according to their mode of transportation and their location in the building. Students who are car riders in Hall of Courage or Compassion will dismiss out the front (orange zone). Students who are car riders in Hall of Commitment will dismiss out the back (blue zone). Families who are split will join their siblings in the cafeteria to dismiss out blue zone. Do not hesitate to email your child's teacher to seek clarification.

You will receive The Fence Post, a monthly newsletter from the principal at the beginning of each month.

You will receive a weekly email from your child's teacher with classroom updates, reminders, and logistics. This email will include a grade level newsletter with curriculum updates, learning targets, exemplar work, etc...

We keep our schoolwide Facebook page, school website, and Instagram updated with upcoming events.

Our 24-25 events calendar is planned for the year. Go ahead and mark these dates now!

Students will come home each day with a schoolwide take home folder, SRE planner, and guided reading baggie. Please help us keep these items neat throughout the school year.

Every classroom will have a way to share pictures, fun happenings, celebrations, etc... Be on the lookout for how your child's teacher will be sharing this information.

Student Planners

• Teachers and students will use to communicate between home & school.
• We ask that parents sign their child's planner nightly and log your child's 20 minutes of reading.
• We included a guided reading book log to help us keep track of books checked out to your child throughout the year.

Take Home Folders

• These folders will be used for school communication, flyers, student work, etc...

Guided Reading Baggies

• Every student will receive a zipper bag with their name on it to carry their guided reading books back and forth.
• All students should read for a minimum of 20 minutes per night.
• This zipper bag will travel with your child to the next grade level.
• We ask parents to kindly send in a $5 fee if the baggie is damaged or lost for a replacement.

Birthday Celebrations

There will be no in-class birthday parties at any grade level. In efforts to promote health conscious activity, we are eliminating sugar treats for birthdays. Students will be recognized during a special birthday announcement. They will be invited to the office to receive a special gift.

Children should not bring invitations for a private party to school, unless the invitations include everyone in the student’s class. Children who do not receive invitations do not always understand why they are being excluded. We will not deliver cupcakes, balloons, flowers, birthday baskets, etc. to the classroom as not to disrupt the learning environment.

Parents can purchase a birthday slide on the school-wide slideshow for $5.00. The slide show is displayed in the office and main hallway of our school. Slides will be displayed for the week of your student’s birthday. To purchase a slide, please contact the school secretary at kwarrick@dentonisd.org

Our cafeteria serves breakfast & lunch each day. Breakfast starts serving at 7:10 AM each morning, you will drop your child off in the back circle drive (by the horses) at this time. It is important that our students get to school before 7:30 AM to ensure they have enough time to eat before school starts at 7:40 AM.

The cafeteria will open for lunch visitors on September 9th. We want to spend the first few weeks getting our students acclimated to schoolwide expectations and lunchroom procedures before we invite guests into our building. Thank you for understanding! This year there will NOT be assigned days to eat with your child. After September 9th, you may have lunch with your child Tuesday-Friday. This year we will have a designated visitor table for lunch. You and your child are invited to sit at this designated table, you may not include other children with you.

Ice cream & snacks are sold each day at lunch and are an option for students with money on their lunch account. If you would like to monitor this, please go into your child's SchoolCafe account to put limits on days they are able to purchase. We recommend students buying ice cream 1-2x/week. Thank you for helping us help kiddos make healthy choices!

If you would like to apply for school meal assistance (lunch/breakfast at a free or reduced price), please use the link below. You will be able to complete an application here beginning July 22nd. Please note that families must reapply each school year.

SchoolCafé (schoolcafe.com)

It will prompt you to sign up for a SchoolCafe account first (or sign in if you already have an account from last year), then you may click on the benefits link within. This is also the place to add funds to your child's breakfast/lunch account if they will be eating in the cafeteria this school year.

For questions, please refer to the Denton ISD Child Nutrition website below or call (940) 369-0230.

Child Nutrition / Homepage (dentonisd.org)

We kindly ask that all smartwatches, phones, and other technology be kept at home to ensure a focused and distraction-free learning environment. If your child needs a device for after-school communication, please ensure it is stored in their backpack during the school day. Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us maintain an optimal learning atmosphere for all students.

• No hoodies or hats are allowed at school, unless it is a designated school wide hat day.

• All students are encouraged to keep a change of clothes in their backpacks in case of emergencies. Please help your child’s teacher by keeping a change of clothing available. These messes can happen unexpected by accidents, spills, water, mud, etc…

• Athletic shoes are a must on the days that your child attends PE classes. We also recommend that girls wear shorts under their skirt/dresses on these days.

• Please keep in mind that all students play on the playground for recess each day. Backless shoes or flip flops are not recommended.

• If a student is improperly dressed, he or she can call home for a change of clothes. If a change of clothes is not available, the school office will provide a change of clothes when possible.

• • 7:10 AM…Cafeteria opens for breakfast

  • Enter through the back circle drive

  • The cafeteria stops serving breakfast at 7:30 AM.

  • 7:20 AM…Doors open for arrival

  • Students enter the building by hallways or through the front doors

  • 7:40 AM…Tardy bell rings & Announcements/Morning Circle starts

  • If your student arrives after 7:40 AM, the doors are locked. We ask that parents bring their student to the front office for a safe check in.

  • 1:30 PM…Deadline to inform the front office for the ‘day of’ dismissal changes.

  • 2:30 PM…Students will not be dismissed from the front office past 2:30 PM each day. If you need to pick up your student for an early dismissal, please do so prior to 2:30 PM.

  • 3:00 PM…All students are dismissed from the building

  • 3:15 PM…Walker Go in the Green Zone closes. All students are sent to the front office to wait for their parent.

  • 3:30 PM… We welcome parents to walk in and check out their child. Our office is closed before then due to student safety and limited staff.

  • Any parent without a car tag will have to wait until 3:30 PM to check out their child.

  • To drop off lunch, water bottles, snacks, student items, etc… please use the cubbies in the front foyer. Email your child’s teacher to let them know you left something for your child. Teachers will send students to grab their item out of the cubbies.

  • Volunteers are welcomed & valued! All volunteers will need to be processed through the district volunteer form prior to being on campus.

  • Lunch visitors will check in at the front desk prior to their child’s lunch.

  • Campus closed to lunch visitors on Mondays

Email: cspringer@dentonisd.org
Website: https://www.dentonisd.org/sandbrockes
Location: 3690 Hunter Street Aubrey St 76227
Phone: 940-304-3500
Facebook: facebook.com/sandbrockranchelementary
Twitter: @SRE3C