
Outback Outlook
February 28, 2024
SPRING PARTIES COMING SOON
Spring Parties are Friday, March 8th. Parents are welcome to join their child(ren) during their scheduled party time. All visitors must have a photo ID and will be Raptored in to attend the party.
This is a full instructional day and not an early release. Siblings and younger children are NOT permitted to attend.
RSVP here for a pre-printed Raptor badge.
Party Schedule:
ECSE - 9:00-9:45 a.m.
1st Grade - 8:40-9:30 a.m.
3rd Grade - 9:35-10:25 a.m.
4th Grade - 10:30-11:20 a.m.
Pre-K - 11:20 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
2nd Grade - 12:00-12:50 p.m.
Kinder - 12:55-1:45 p.m.
5th Grade - 1:50-2:40 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE - PTA SPIRIT NIGHT AT PICCOLO SNOWMAN
KOALA & SONS GAME NIGHT REGISTRATION
THANK YOU OKE PTA!
PREKINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Online registration for the Katy Independent School District Prekindergarten program for the 2024-2025 school year will open April 1, 2024. Parents must complete the online registration process through Katy ISD’s PowerSchool Registration website in order for their child to be screened for program eligibility.
The Katy ISD Prekindergarten program follows the state Pre-K guidelines which focus on oral language development, reading and math readiness, as well as science and social studies knowledge and skills. Click the Katy ISD Prekindergarten program link for a list of eligibility requirements or call the Office of Interventions, at 281-237-7062.
LUNCH VISITOR GUIDELINES
LUNCH VISITORS:
Lunch is one of the most exciting parts of the day for kids! It is a time when students get to talk with their friends and take a mental break from the classroom. Lunch is a time when children can develop friendships and feel connected to others. Allowing students this time to interact with their classmates and other students helps develop their social skills by learning to listen, interact with others, and develop qualities such as empathy and understanding toward others. Practicing and building these social‐emotional skills outside of the
classroom is a critical component of a child’s development.
Lunch visitor guidelines are in place to provide students with an opportunity for social interaction time with their peers and to foster social learning opportunities. We will begin accepting lunch visitors on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. The last day for lunch visitors will be Tuesday, May 7, 2024
‐ Parents/Grandparents (with parental permission) may have lunch with their child one (1) time per week. By limiting this, the parent and child visits become more memorable and special. Lunch visitors must check in at the front office before your child’s scheduled lunch time to secure a spot (photo I.D. required.) You will be given a Raptor badge and a numbered badge. Both must be worn while in the building.
‐ No lunch visitors on Mondays. This gives students an opportunity to catch up with their friends after the weekend and socialize with peers around them.
‐ No lunch visitors on special event days. These days will be listed in the Outback Outlook newsletter, on our campus website, and communicated by teachers.
‐ Guests will sit at the visitor table with their child. Parent seating is limited and will fill up quickly. If the parent table is full, you will have to wait until seating becomes available. Visitors are not permitted to sit at the student tables. Friends of your student are not allowed to be invited to the visitor table. A student must stay with their visitor while the visitor is present. A student may not go back and forth between the student/visitor tables.
‐ Parents should never approach other students. Parents are requested to talk with a cafeteria monitor should there be any concerns. Parents may not go to the student tables.
‐ Preschool aged children or below must remain with their parent at all times. Due to space limitations, school-aged or older siblings are not permitted.
‐ The cafeteria is a NO‐PHONE ZONE. No pictures or videoing will be allowed.
These procedures will help alleviate overcrowding in the cafeteria. As always, we appreciate your continued support.
OKE MUSIC UPDATES
2nd Grade Parents,
Our musical is quickly approaching! The 2nd graders have been working so hard and will present their musical, The Bear Went Over the Mountain on Thursday, March 21st. Students will perform at 9:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and at 6:00 p.m. If your child has a special part in the musical requiring a costume, they have been contacted by the costume committee. Students that are in the chorus (group on the risers) will need to wear jeans, tennis shoes, and a short-sleeved shirt to school on Thursday, March 21st. The musical shirts you ordered will be at the school for them and they will go home after the night performance. We will be sending home a note with 2nd grade students next week. If you have any questions, please contact the music teachers. Thank you so much for all your support!
Mrs. Guest and Mrs. Younkers
3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Parents,
Our recorder unit in music will begin after Spring Break. If you ordered a recorder through the school, they will be given to your child when we return from Spring Break. If your child is bringing a previously purchased recorder, please make sure it’s sent to school with them beginning the week of March 18th. If your child does not have a recorder and you didn’t purchase one, we have a limit number of extra recorders left. Please contact the music teachers with any questions about recorder. Thank you!
Mrs. Guest and Mrs. Younkers
TARDIES
Our doors open at 8:10 a.m. Your child(ren) should be in their classroom by 8:20 a.m. Students are preparing for the day and starting morning warm ups at this time. Your child is tardy at 8:30 a.m.
Please have your child ready to exit the car when you are in position to unload. Your child is encouraged to exit on his/her own. Do not drop your children off prior to 8:10 a.m. as there will be no adults on duty to supervise before that time.
If your student arrives at school at 8:30 a.m. or later, you will need to park and escort your child into the front office to sign him/her in. A tardy sign will be placed in the car rider drop-off line each morning promptly at 8:30 a.m. We appreciate your assistance with getting your student to school on time each day.
ATTEND TODAY, ACHIEVE TOMRROW!
Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up!
Attendance Reminders:
- Students are considered tardy if they are not in class when the 8:30 a.m. bell rings.
- Students are counted absent if they are not in attendance at school by 9:55 a.m.
- A parent or guardian should notify the school when a student is absent for any reason.
- Students need to bring a doctor's note in order to have their absence excused for a healthcare appointment of any kind.
- Students must be in attendance 90% of the school year or retention is considered by the Attendance Review Committee.
Check out this past week's attendance:
Thursday, February 22 - 96.47%
Friday, February 23 - 96.08%
Monday, February 26 - 95.79%
Tuesday, February 27 - 97.07%
PBIS IN THE OUTBACK
Small group students work hard to earn rewards & opportunities to play games!
BEANSTACK
LOVE AND LOGIC TIP OF THE MONTH
Brief statements are remembered. Lengthy lectures are forgotten.
The less time we spend talking, the less time they have to be resistant.
The less time we spend talking, the more time they spend thinking.
Want to know more about Love and Logic? Go to www.loveandlogic.com
KILPATRICK BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB
OKE BIRTHDAY MARQUEE REQUEST
OKE PTA NOMINATIONS FOR 2024-2025
LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Kilpatrick Library is in need of library volunteers. We prefer our volunteers to commit to one hour per week on a regular basis.
The library currently needs one or two volunteers first thing in the morning: 8:10 a.m. to
9:30 a.m.
The duties would include helping students locate and choose books, checking books in and out to students, shelving books, keeping the library organized, and more.
Library volunteers allow Kilpatrick to keep the library opened for circulation all day long. With library volunteers we are able to offer more library activities and programs.
If you would like to volunteer, please email:
Kristen Adams; Library Liaison at kadams26@gmail.com or Prudence Johnson; Library Aide at prudencesjohnson@katyisd.org
Thank you,
Sharon Audelo, Librarian
Prudence Johnson, Library Aide
MISC. PTA FORMS & LINKS
Thursday, February 29
- Rotation Day 1
- 2nd Grade Musical Rehearsal - 3:40-5:00 p.m.
- Read Deed Run - 3:40-4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 1
- Rotation Day 2
- Spirit Day
- Watch DOGS
- Special Olympics - 2:00-3:00 p.m.
- 2nd Grade Musical Rehearsal - 3:40-5:00 p.m.
Monday, March 4
- No Lunch Visitors
- Rotation Day 3
- JA in a Day (3rd Grade)
- Cook Learn Grow - 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Tuesday, March 5
- Rotation Day 4
- PTA Executive Board Meeting - 9:30 a.m.
- Katy Robotics - 3:40-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6
- Rotation Day 1
- EureKa! (Kinder)
- Watch DOGS
Thursday, March 7
- Rotation Day 2
- 4th Grade Field Trip to OLC
- Piccolo Spirit Night - 4:30-8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 8
- No Lunch Visitors
- No Specials
- Spring Parties
- Watch DOGS
- 5th Grade Field Trip to George Ranch
SAFETY TIPS FOR KIDS WALKING/RIDING BIKES TO SCHOOL
Parents, please review the following tips with your students…
• Cross at a crosswalk and follow the instructions of the crossing guard or the walk/don’t walk signal while preparing to cross the street.
• Always look left, right, left before crossing.
• Only cross streets at the cross walks. Walk your bike/scooter when using cross walks.
• Always wait until there is no oncoming traffic before crossing.
• Walk, don’t run across the street.
• Don’t walk while using ear buds, texting, or doing anything else that may prevent you from hearing traffic or distract your attention.
• Pay close attention to your surroundings.
• Always walk with a buddy.
• Avoid using secluded shortcuts.
• Never approach a vehicle.
• Never talk or take rides from strangers, or even people you know, without permission from your parents.
• If someone calls out to you or approaches you, quickly get to the nearest adult you trust and tell them what happened.
CAR RIDER REMINDERS
Here are a few friendly reminders that we would like to share about the car rider line at arrival and dismissal times. Our school doors open at 8:10 a.m. and the tardy bell rings at 8:30 a.m. Students need to be seated in their homeroom classes by 8:30 a.m. Students arriving after 8:30 a.m. will receive a tardy slip from the front office. Please allow sufficient time so that your student can be ready and in place for school each day.
Dismissal for students begins at 3:40 p.m. Please make sure you are in the car rider line by that time. If you arrive after 3:55 p.m. when our staff members have finished taking down car tag numbers, you will need to park and come into the building with your ID to pick up your student(s). Late arrivals are documented and monitored.
Some helpful tips for creating a safe and smooth running environment during car rider arrival and dismissal:
- Please refrain from parking in front of the school and walking across the car rider line during arrival/dismissal to drop student(s) off at the front door or to pick them up from the front door. If you would like to walk to the front, you will need to come as a walker in the morning and/or park your car off campus and cross at the crosswalk.
- Please remain in your car at all times during arrival and dismissal. We have adults and eventually safety patrol students that are happy to assist your student(s) getting in and out of the car. Students should exit the door on the passenger side of the vehicle only.
- Please make sure you are remaining in the right lane the entire time. We should only have one lane of traffic flowing. The 2nd lane should not be utilized during arrival or dismissal. This lane is for emergency personnel only.
- Please keep your car rider tag displayed throughout the car rider line until you have your student(s) in your vehicle with you.
- Parents picking students up through the car rider line must enter the line at the END of the line, which forms on Gaston Road, north of Cinco Ranch Blvd.
TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES
Telecommunication devices are defined as items such as, but not limited to, cell phones, smart phones, smart watches, electronic readers, and laptops with the capability of sending and receiving messages or information, and any related accessories (including but not limited to wires, headphones, and ear clips).
Elementary students in Pre-K, K, and 1st grade shall not possess a telecommunication device during the instructional day (8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.), while riding to/from school on District transportations, during tutorials or detention, or while participating in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity on or off school property. For example, an elementary student performing at a PTA meeting or on a field trip to the zoo may not be in possession of a telecommunication device; however, an elementary student could possess a telecommunication device at an event open to the public (in which the student is not performing) such as at a carnival or a sporting event.
Elementary students in grades 2-5 may possess telecommunication devices; however, these devices are only to be used for instructional purposes under the direction of a teacher. These devices should be turned off and not visible at all times during the school day on school property, including on school transportation.
Students who bring devices from home will be asked to keep them in their backpacks shut off unless directed by the teacher to be used for instructional purposes.
VOLUNTEERS & RAPTOR REGISTRATION
Katy ISD requires all volunteers serving on or off-campus during or after the instructional day to register with the district through its Raptor security system.
Once registered and approved, individual volunteers can:
· Sign up as a campus volunteer by completing the volunteer recruitment form provided by your campus organization(s) or contact your campus volunteer coordinator.
· Submit and track hours via their volunteer profile for every Katy ISD campus at which they volunteer
· The system also provides quick and easy submission of individual off-campus volunteer hours