Dearest Walker Families,

(Please pardon the tardy arrival of this newsletter - technology issues prevailed this weekend.)

We hope you have plans for a fantastic Fall Break! This week is a 4 day week and our teachers have planned engaging activities to support progress.

Speaking of accomplishments, we love to share about the success of our team and our Stars. Ms. Peggy Patrick, Walker Cafe Lunch Hero, has been named Employee of the Month by Aramark - Congratulations, Ms. Peggy! Also, our beginning of the year MAP tests are complete and we'd love you to take a peek at the overall achievement outcomes for our school (shown below). If you love data and want to know more, reach out - we are happy to dive into the data with you.

Finally, please take a moment to watch this important video from Mrs. Baumann & Mrs. Tate. We feel it is so important for our parents to be informed and understand the significance of being 10 years old in Texas. If your Star is 10 years old or almost 10, please help them understand the power of their words. Your partnership is appreciated.

With great respect,

Michelle Baumann, Principal

Misty Young, Assistant Principal

Dear Walker Parents,

McKinney ISD and the State of Texas are proactive in their efforts to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all parents and students. Senate Bill 11 mandates that all schools conduct safety audits once every three years to evaluate the safety of their campuses. MISD is conducting a safety/security audit at Walker Elementary School this school year of 2024-2025.

As part of the Safety Audit, you are invited to participate in a Parent Safety School Survey. We would appreciate your support in helping us gather this information by giving us your feedback. The parent surveys will be anonymous, and participation is optional.

The following link will give you access to the survey:

https://mckinneyisd.wufoo.com/forms/parent-safety-survey

If you have any questions regarding this Parent School Climate Survey, please contact Misty Young or Michelle Baumann at 469-302-4600. For information about the Senate Bill 11 or the MISD School Safety and Security Audit, please contact Robert Montgomery at 469-302-4096.

Please be sure to include me in your school communications when it comes to health concerns regarding your student. I want to be able to partner with you in caring for your student's health needs, and this will help me know what the needs are.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please call or email.

I am happy to help in any way that I can.

Thank you,

Nurse Joanne

These are simple ways to intentionally reinforce the skills we are working on at school, while providing fun strategies to grow together as a family. We invite you to make some memories and join in the fun!

Review Kindness as a family! Remember that Kindness is acting with understanding, generosity, and care. Schedule a family movie night so that you can specifically watch for different ways people show Kindness. Let everybody know that you’d like them to point out examples of how the characters show Kindness as you watch the movie. Be sure to pause periodically to discuss the examples of Kindness you see. You could also talk about missed opportunities for Kindness and what you might have done differently!

Find a time to sit in a circle together and celebrate a Kind beginning of the school year! If you want, gather some favorite snacks and play some celebratory music for the occasion. Take turns sharing responses to the following prompts or make up your own! Remember to practice Kindness as you listen to each other.

Celebration Prompts:

• What is 1 way a family member has shown you Kindness this week?

• What is 1 way you want to grow in Kindness toward others this school year?

• FREE Breakfast, $2.85 for Lunch

  All sites: Free & Reduced price – $0.00 for Breakfast and Lunch

  Adult (including school staff): $2.25 for Breakfast, $4.25 for Lunch

• Online by credit/debit or electronic check at My School Bucks. You will need your student’s 6 digit ID number to make an account. If you do not know your student’s ID, please contact their campus. My School Bucks now has an option available to pay an annual, one-time flat fee of $12.95 for a single student or $26.95 for a family. The “OnePay” option gives you unlimited transactions for 12 months, instead of the per-transaction fee of $2.75 for individual transactions. Please note that if you don’t specify the OnePay option when signing up, the system will charge $2.75 per transaction no matter the amount of funds you are loading, so the OnePay option is a better deal if you will consistently add money or are on a recurring transaction plan.

Free and reduced price meal applications are available to all students throughout the year, and families can apply at any time using the online application OR paper application, although online applications are the preferred method, as they are usually much quicker and reduce dependence on paper. The online application can be accessed at: mckinneyisd.nlappscloud.com.

Additional Information: https://www.mckinneyisd.net/school-nutrition/

MISD's After School Program - Now Enrolling!

McKinney ISD's After School Program is open for enrollment. Now featuring new programming, more registration options and new lower rates! Space is limited. Register early to reserve your child's spot.

2024-25 Registration Fee & Rates

Registration Fee: $40 Per Child

Full Time M-F: $300 Per Child, Per Month
Full Time Sibling: $290 Per Child, Per Month
MISD Employee Full Time M-F: $165 Per Child, Per Month
Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Full Time M-F: $125 Per Child, Per Month

Part Time (3 days): $206 Per Child, Per Month

Daily Drop – In Rate: $ 22.50 Per Child, Per Day

All MISD After-school Program Policies and Procedures can be found in the MISD After-School Parent Handbook. The MISD After School Program Parent Handbook is unique to the after school program but does not include all of MISD Policy/Procedures. The parent handbook is a supplement to the MISD Policy/Procedures.

Information About MISD After School Program

Dear Walker Families,

My name is Christine Aldridge and I would like to welcome YOU to the Walker Elementary PTA. What a privilege it is to serve alongside such amazing families, teachers and administrators for the 2024-2025 school year!

Please visit our PTA website, https://walkerstarspta.net for all the information on PTA activities. On our website you will find volunteer opportunities, calendars of PTA events and so much more. (Please keep in mind that the information contained in our website is specific to PTA-related events and programs and may not encompass ALL of your student’s school activities).

The PTA’s goal is to enrich the Walker environment for our children, families and community. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions regarding Walker PTA- we welcome your feedback and the opportunity to connect with each parent/guardian of our Walker Stars. I look forward to an amazing year as we work together to enrich the lives and education of our Walker community.

Sincerely,

Christine Aldridge

President, Walker Elementary PTA

president@walkerstarspta.net

Follow us on Instagram: @royleewalkerpta

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WalkerStarsPTA

STEP ONE: The first step in volunteering is to complete a confidential volunteer application required by MISD. Volunteers will not be permitted without first completing this step. Be advised, this could take between two days to two weeks to complete. You will receive an email once you're approved, and you are welcome to volunteer any time throughout the school year following that. Please note, this must be completed annually.

Click HERE to fill out your volunteer application now!

STEP TWO: Please fill out the form below to tell us what areas you are interested in helping with. This form allows us to pair you with opportunities that interest you most. This is simply an interest inventory and not a commitment to any service. Based on your selections, you will receive email invitations to volunteer throughout the year. Please check all applicable volunteer opportunities.

Click HERE to fill out the volunteer interest inventory form.

The McKinney ISD GT Department is currently accepting referrals for 1st & 2nd Grade Gifted and Talented services. We are looking for students who are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, and environment. Parents, teachers, community members, and students are welcome to submit the referral either online or paper-based. The deadline for these referrals is September 26, 2024.

Parent Online Referrals (For Parents to Complete Only):

English Referrals

Referencias en español

Paper-Based Referrals Parent Referrals:

Paper-based referrals can be found here for PDF Download, printing, and completion.

*This form is REQUIRED for our department to assess any student for GT Services. This must be completed prior to the deadline on September 26th.

As a service to McKinney ISD students and families, the district provides the Community Folder for school related, non-school related, and non-profit organizations. Electronic communication has become standard and is preferred by many parents; the schools are sharing more and more information via email as a convenience to parents. This also cuts back on paper coming home in folders. Information posted and accepted must be youth-oriented and will be reviewed and approved by the Communications Department. Updates will be posted often, so we ask that you check back for the latest opportunities and information from our community.

To view the latest information posted in the Community Folder- CLICK HERE

A critical ingredient in the safe school recipe is the uniform classroom response to any incident. Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by all McKinney ISD schools and District Administration and staff. Historically, schools have taken this scenario-based approach to respond to hazards and threats. Each McKinney ISD classroom is furnished with the Standard Response Protocol poster that provides teachers with readily accessible response procedures and provides information during a crisis event. The attached handout explains Standard Response Protocol that is taught to students, faculty and staff.

Please this link to view the Standard Response Protocol parent information.

A valid state or government issued photo ID must be presented each time you visit, volunteer, or pick up a student. Please be prepared with your ID upon arrival. Photos of ID will not be accepted.

A background check is required each school year for people wanting to volunteer in McKinney ISD. This includes making copies, lunch duty coverage, classroom parties, field trips, and any other volunteering that takes place in our building or on our campus. We encourage you to complete your volunteer application as soon as possible to avoid any delay in the processing.
Volunteer Application

We always welcome your feedback. Connect with us via email, phone or schedule a meeting with Mrs. Baumann and/or Mrs. Young. Below is also a link to provide feedback, appreciations, compliments, concerns, or suggestions as we continue to ensure we are doing our very best at Walker.

mbaumann@mckinneyisd.net

myoung@mckinneyisd.net

469-302-4600

Share your ideas and feedback about Walker

My School Bucks (online cafeteria payment system)

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Free/Reduced Lunch (participants complete each year)

Student Accident Insurance (optional insurance)

Staff Favorites

Mrs. Baird's Teachers on the Rise

KLAK Teacher of the Month

H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards

Email: mbaumann@mckinneyisd.net
Website: https://schools.mckinneyisd.net/walker/
Location: 4000 Cockrill Drive, McKinney, TX, USA
Phone: 469-302-4600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkerelem
Twitter: @WalkerElem