GALATAS GAZETTE

Denae Wilker, Principal

Candace Mathis, Assistant Principal

Dawn Wright, Assistant Principal

Laura Heemann, Counselor

Through the collaborative efforts of all who pass through our door, we provide a safe learning community that develops lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Website: http://galatas.conroeisd.net/
Location: 9001 Cochrans Crossing Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-5000

Front Office Hours: 7:25 AM-3:45 PM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalatasCISD/
Twitter: @GalatasCISD

During the weeks of October 10-13 and 16-20, the Activity Room will be unavailable for inside lunch guests due to the Book Fair set-up. As a result, only outside dining options will be available for lunch guests during those two weeks. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause on inclement weather days.

We thank you for your understanding, and invite you to visit the Book Fair with your children before and after school the week of October 16-20.

Each year, our Kindergarten "Puppies" and our fourth grade "Top Dogs" classes each have a whole group picture taken for the inside front and back covers of our yearbook. Those pictures will be taken on Friday, October 13. The students are asked to please wear a Galatas spirit shirt, if you have one, or a shirt in our school colors, gray and burgundy.

If you would like to order a photo of your student's whole class picture, please visit the link below to order. Orders will need to be placed by Thursday, October 12.

Students had a great time celebrating Walk & Roll to School Day with their friends!

Students will have a chance to help us create the cover of this year’s Galatas yearbook!

The theme this year will be "Gameshows"! Help us celebrate Galatas by submitting your best artwork today. You can help your child find inspiration by tuning into the Gameshow Network for ideas. Information regarding ordering yearbooks will be available soon.

Guidelines:

• Entries should be original student artwork, and may be done with marker, pastels, paint, watercolors, etc…

• Maximum size should be 8.5”X11” and must be a portrait (vertical) layout.

• Artwork should feature a Greyhound!

• No need to include our school name or the year...those will be printed on the yearbook by the publisher.

• All submissions must be received by Friday, November 3.

Initial submissions will be collected electronically - we will select one winner from each grade to be featured on the inside, as well as an overall design winner for the cover. We will then make arrangements to collect the original artwork from the selected students.

Please email a photo of your students' artwork to galatasyearbook@gmail.com, and include their name and section number in the email (images will be judged anonymously by grade level). Please make sure your child's name is not on the front of the picture.

On October 10, Chris McCord, CISD Assistant Superintendent of Operations, will be presenting information on the bond followed by our General PTO Meeting. We hope to see you there!

Please sign up below if you plan to attend the October 10th Bond Presentation and PTO Meeting at 10 AM.

Prop A of Bond 2023 includes 5 major renovations and 2 master plans. Major renovations at The Woodlands High School, Oak Ridge HS 9th Grade Campus, Knox Junior High, Creighton Elementary, and San Jacinto Elementary. Prop A also includes Phase II of the Oak Ridge High School Master Plan and Phase I of the Booker T. Washington High School Master Plan.

To view details about these projects and learn more about Bond 2023, please visit the link below.

Mark your calendars and let your community know about the Bond 2023 Town Halls! On October 21 (11 AM) and 23 (10 AM & 12 PM), Dr. Curtis Null, Superintendent, will present information about Bond 2023 at the Jett Center and be available to answer questions from community members. We hope to see you there!

We are looking forward to our Book Fair and Reading Week, which will take place October 16-20! Stay tuned for more information about that super fun week, but in the meantime we are excited that the online Book Fair is open now! Please visit the site below to get a head start on shopping for some great books for your family!

Click on each picture to read more about the fun activities we have planned for Reading Week!

Our PTO is also excited to offer an optional project for students to kick-off Reading Week.

Students can create a project based on a book they choose to read. They may create a display on a 22x28 inch poster board (no trifold boards) that includes literary elements and visuals.

This project is voluntary and will be due no later than October 12th, to be displayed during Reading Week (October 16-20).

Students must be able to carry the displays into school without assistance.

Please review the guidelines with your student and register at the link below if they are interested in participating.

Please contact programs@galataspto.com with any questions.

Your help is needed for Reading Week! Please check out the opportunities at the links below.

Book Fair

Volunteers needed to man cash registers, restock, and assist students. Literati (our Book Fair company) is offering a 20% discount to Book Fair Volunteers.

Sign up here: Book Fair Volunteers

Reading Week Volunteers

Looking for volunteers to support Reading Week events, including a parent Reader's Theater for Bedtime Story Night and Reading Fair Project judges!

Reading Week Volunteers

Third grade students celebrated the end of their fairy tale unit with a dress-up day, special activities, and lots of fun!

The GT Nomination window for parent nominations for the Spring, 2024 Gifted and Talented screening opens October 2- December 12, 2023.

Parents may nominate their 3rd and/or 4th grade student by completing the District GT Nomination packet, available by contacting our Assistant Principal, Dawn Wright, at dwright@conroeisd.net. It is strongly encouraged that parents consult with their child’s teacher(s) prior to nominating their child. If your child has already qualified for Gifted and Talented services in some content areas but not all, you must nominate them again if you would like for them to try to qualify in additional areas. Students must take the full battery of tests as specific subject areas cannot be isolated for testing purposes.

Parents of 2nd grade students: Please do not nominate your 2nd grade child at this time! All second grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment in October which will serve as a GT screener for second grade students. More information to come at a later date.

Parents may nominate their Kindergarten and/or 1st grade student but it is highly advised that parents consult with their child’s teacher prior to nominating their child as tests can be frustrating for younger students due to the amount of time involved in testing.

Spring GT testing will take place at Galatas Elementary during the school day from January 22-February 2, 2024.

All completed nomination packets must be returned to Dawn Wright on or before December 12, 2023.

The 21st Annual Conroe ISD Police COATS for KIDS DRIVE will take place from October 2-18! We will have collection bins on the Galatas front and back porches to collect new or gently used (clean) coats, hoodies, and sweaters.

During last year's Coats for Kids Drive, 1,100 coats, jackets, and hoodies were collected and distributed to campuses in need!

We will enjoy some fun dress-up days and daily health challenges!

We are so happy that the weather is cooling down, and that families are able to enjoy visiting for lunch on our patio! We would like to update our information to include two important safety reminders.

1. Please keep students and other children at the tables with you ; do not allow them to run or play during lunch time.

2. Students may enjoy lunch with their parents/family only; please do not invite other students to eat lunch with your family.

These changes will be added to our Lunch Visitor Information article below for your future reference. Please review the information regarding lunch visitors with your family.

If you would like to display your Galatas Pride in your neighborhood, the PTO has yard signs for sale! Signs are $25, and you can order yours at the link below.

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (936-709-5014), the front office (936-709-5000), or email Robin Curtis (rcurtis@conroeisd.net) before 9:00 AM 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.

Attendance is recorded at 9:00 AM each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 AM 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 by emailing Robin Curtis at the email above.

All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I. D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.

Lunch visitors are invited to enjoy our outdoor dining area (weather permitting). On rainy or other inclement weather days, we will have seating available in the Activity Room.

** Please consider limiting lunch visits to once or twice per month for each student, so that all parents have an opportunity to visit for lunch.

**Please limit the number of visitors to no more than four.

**Students may enjoy lunch with their parents/family only; please do not invite other students to eat lunch with your family.

**A driver's license or government issued photo i.d. is required for adults each time they visit Galatas. We are unable to accept a photo of an i.d. Please allow time (about 5 minutes) to complete the required check-in at the front office prior to your child's lunchtime.

**Please keep students and other children at the tables with you; do not allow them to run or play during lunch time.

**Please understand that if you arrive more than 5 minutes after your student's scheduled lunchtime, there is a possibility you will not be able to eat with your child, due to the limited amount of time allotted for lunch.

**We want to ensure the safety and security of everyone as they enjoy time together. If a grandparent or other family member of the student wants to visit your child during lunch, the parent must send in written permission to the front office. The note will only need to be sent in once, and at that time a notation will be made in the visitor system so that the school will have a record of the permission being granted. If a note is not sent, we will call a parent to grant permission before the visitor is allowed to join a student for lunch.

Lunchtime is limited to 25 minutes. A staff member will be monitoring the door, and will assist your child in returning to the cafeteria to join their class. Guests should then head back to the front office to return your visitor sticker.

Kindergarten 12:05 PM-12:30 PM

1st Grade 12:20 PM-12:45 PM

2nd Grade 11:50 AM-12:15 PM

3rd Grade 11:35 AM-12:00 PM

4th Grade 11:10 AM-11:35 AM

Please be mindful that the next grade level parents are also excited to visit their children for lunch. We ask parents to exit promptly at the designated time, to allow the next group to have lunch together. Thank you!

The Birthday Book Club is a great way to celebrate your child’s birthday or half birthday and help support the Galatas Elementary Library. We have partnered with Bound to Stay Bound, one of our library book vendors, so book selections can be made directly from the website.

Please visit the link below for more information and ordering instructions.

1. Medication: If your student requires daily or "as needed" emergency medication at school, please email the nurse at kriggs@conroeisd.net, as soon as possible to set up an appointment to check in the necessary medication/medications and forms.
2. All medications must be checked in by a parent/guardian. Students may not bring medication to school. **Cough drops/cough lollipops ARE considered medication, and also must be checked in through the clinic for student use.
3. Change of Clothes: Please provide a daily change of clothes in your student's backpack. This is especially important for our kinder and first grade friends.
4. Illness at School: If a student is sent home sick, per CISD policy, the student must be symptom free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to campus or attending any school sponsored function.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our Galatas family healthy! I wish everyone a happy and healthy school year.

Kind Regards,

Katy Riggs, RN

All students should have a SMART Tag on their backpack. Each day these tags are scanned by our staff members as part of our dismissal procedure to ensure that each student goes home the correct way.

SMART Tags are also used by our CISD Transportation Department, as a way to ensure authorized riders board our buses and improve the safety and security of students who utilize our bus transportation services. For more information on the SMART Tag system, please click here.

If your child loses their SMART tag, please notify their teacher and we will replace the tag. There is a $2.00 fee to replace a lost tag; that fee will be assessed in our School Cash system and you will be notified of the charge.

Transportation change notepads were sent home with each student at the beginning of the school year. Please use these forms any time a student needs to go home in a different way from the permanent designated mode of transportation.

All transportation changes must be received in writing by 2:00 p.m. We are unable to accept a phone call. You may send a written note to your child’s teacher (place it in your student's PAWS folder), or fill out a form in the front office. Please include the date, your child’s full name, section number, bus number (if applicable), and your signature. If an emergency arises, you may send an email to galatastransportation@conroeisd.net . The e-mail must include all of the above information, including a parent signature, and must be received before 2:00 p.m. If you submit a transportation change by email, it must go to the email address referenced above; transportation changes should not be emailed directly to the teacher.

Please send a new note for each day the change occurs; we cannot accept notes for multiple days or with multiple changes. District policy states that a student may only ride the bus they are registered to ride; students may not have a transportation change to ride a different bus.

Please help your student be fully prepared for their day by ensuring that they have all needed materials (backpack, lunch, water bottle, etc...) before leaving for school in the morning.

To minimize interruptions to classrooms, please limit drop-offs to the following items:

• Water bottles and lunches may be placed on the Drop-off table before 10:00 a.m. at the front office. These items should be labeled with your child’s name and section number to ensure proper delivery. Items are taken at 10:00 a.m. to a drop-off table at the end of each hallway, so please email the teacher to let them know that you have dropped off the water bottle or lunch. You may email your child’s teacher to let them know to allow your child to check the drop-off desk after 10:00 a.m.

• If you need eye glasses delivered to your child, please do not put them on the drop-off table. Bring them to the office staff for immediate delivery to your child.

• Any class work or homework that is dropped off will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox to be picked up during the day.

Delivery of flowers, balloons, etc. to students at school are not permitted.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker. Students may refill their bottles during the day at one of our new water bottle filling stations.

Do you want to recognize an AWESOME Galatas Staff member? If so, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to Parent Access.
2. Click on communication.
3. Choose Teacher/Staff Excellence from the drop down menu.
4. Select the employee to receive recognition from the drop down menu.
5. Click create TAE.
6. Click any of the pre-populated choices that apply.
7. Type any additional comments in the Additional Comment box.
8. Click the box labeled Create Teachers Achieving Excellence button.

When you visit Galatas, we have designated the 8 parking spaces at the entrance (closest to the school) as "visitor" spots. We welcome you to use these spots when you visit the campus. The lower parking lot has been designated as "staff" parking, (as well as a couple of spots that are reserved for our Springetti Parking winners).

If all the visitor spots are full, we ask that you please park at either Cattail Park, the row of spots closest to Galatas in the Community Baptist Church, or the closest end spots at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. These two churches have graciously offered these spots to us as our Galatas Family grows.

Thank you for your help with parking!

Sometimes it is necessary for a student to be checked out of school before dismissal.

If you know that you will need to check-out your child during the school day, please let their teacher know so that they can help your child gather their belongings and prepare for an early departure.

As a reminder, to ensure the safety of all students at dismissal, the latest a student can be checked out of school is 2:45 p.m.

The speed limit in the Galatas school zone is 20 mph. This is to ensure the safety of all of our community members during very busy times in the morning and afternoon. As families enter and exit the car line, please take care to drive slowly and carefully.

In addition, cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited. As you enter areas around schools, please end your calls and put your phone away.

The CISD Police and Montgomery County Sheriff's Department patrol our school zones to ensure everyone's safety, and will issue citations if necessary.

Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe!

With the exception of service animals, dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds, including at the top of the hill during arrival and dismissal.

This is for the health and safety of our students and staff.

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

--Only cross at crosswalks! Our crossing guards and staff are here to keep everyone safe and ensure that families cross intersections in an efficient manner.

--Please do not park behind staff cars in the school parking lot. Please park in a parking space, as blocking cars could cause a safety concern in case of an emergency.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at Hayden's Run and Wyndspire South. Please keep the sight lines at the entrance clear for entering and exiting vehicles.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at South Silvershire Circle. Please do not park on the grass or lawn of the homes. Take care not to block driveways and leave enough room for residents to easily drive in their neighborhood at all times.

The CISD Board of Trustees has approved the 2023-2024 calendar. For your planning purposes, please download the calendar here.

We thank you in advance for planning all vacations and travel outside of the school calendar. When students are absent, they miss valuable instruction that takes place daily. In addition to the loss of that instructional time, Texas schools are rated not only on academic performance, but also on student attendance. Daily attendance plays a large role in our accountability rating from the state.

We appreciate your support and look forward to a great school year!

October

6 No School: Student Holiday

9 No School: Holiday

10 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.

13 Kinder and 4th Grade Group Pictures 8:15 a.m.

16-20 Book Fair

17 Bedtime Story Night-6:00 and 7:00 p.m.

20 Storybook Parade-8:20 a.m.

23-27 Red Ribbon Week

26 Individual Picture Make-up Day

31 Science Day

November

7 No School: Staff Development

9 3rd Grade Program: 6:00 p.m.

10 Galatas Family Movie Night: 6:30 p.m.

13-17 Generation Texas Week

14 PTO Meeting- 10:00 AM

17 Galatas Fun Run

20-24 No School: Thanksgiving Break

December

4-8 Hour of Code

8 4th Grade Choir Program 8:30 a.m.

12 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.

12 Holiday Party: 2nd grade

13 Holiday Parties- Kinder & 1st

14 Holiday Round Robin–3rd

14 Holiday Party/Service Project- 4th & Special ProgramsParty

15 Polar Express Day (Students wear p.j.’s)

15 Early Release Day, End of Nine Weeks– 12:10 p.m.

December 18-January 2 Winter Break

January

3 Classes Resume