SH STEM Academy Parent Newsletter
September 2024
Sam Houston STEM Academy Attendance Incentive Plan!
Sam Houston STEM Academy 2024-2025 Attendance Goal:
96 % attendance for students and staff per 6 weeks, semester, and school year.
To encourage positive attendance, the STEM Student Success Squad has implemented the following attendance incentives:
** Attendance incentive qualifications include ALL absences other than school-related, including tardies and early checkouts. 3 tardies and/or early checkouts equate to one absence. Students must be present for the ENTIRE school day to qualify for the attendance incentive rewards.**
6 Week Homeroom Class Attendance Competitions:
Each 6 weeks, the classroom with the highest attendance percentage in their grade level will receive extra recess.
Each 6 weeks, the classroom with the highest attendance percentage in the ENTIRE school will receive a lunch pizza party.
6 Week INDIVIDUAL Attendance Competitions and Incentive Rewards:
Each student who has the highest attendance for the 6 weeks in their homeroom class will receive a free dress pass for a specific date, and their free dress award winner tag must be worn and displayed
Each student who has 96% attendance for the entire 6 weeks will receive a trip to the STEM Story Station, and their name will go into a drawing for one of the following
(2) Eating up the Minutes- Students will have a special lunch with a special guest.(10 names drawn)
At the end of each 6 weeks, the PARENT of each student with perfect attendance will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a “Flash Pass” good for the following 6 weeks indicated on their pass to skip the drop-off and pick-up line. (6 names will be drawn)
Semester INDIVIDUAL Attendance Incentive Reward:
Each student with 96% attendance for the entire semester will attend the campus STEM Student Success Squad attendance party.
Yearly INDIVIDUAL Attendance Incentive Reward:
Each student who has 96% attendance for the entire year will be allowed to attend a special STEM Student Success Squad attendance field trip at the end of the school year.
In addition, the STEM Student Success Squad will periodically reward parents, students, and staff for students attending for the day at random.
For Questions regarding the 24-25 Attendance Incentive Plan email Mrs. Livingston.
September 2024- Click the calendar image to visit the campus events calendar with dates & details for the entire 24-25 school year!!!
September 2024- Attendance Awareness Month
09/02- Labor Day Holiday-No School Student & Staff Holiday
09/03- Teacher Work Day- No School for Students ONLY
09/06- East Texas Professional Credit Union- Dollar Dog Kickoff (students only)
09/10- First Grade EcoLand Field Trip
09/12- Surprise Student Greeter Guests @ Morning Drop-off
09/13- 3rd Grade Read to Ride Launch Event (students only)
09/16- MISD September Board Meeting
09/20- Big Kahuna PTO Fundraiser Kick-Off
09/20- Surprise Student Greeter Guests @ Morning Drop-off
09/23- National IT Professional Day
09/24- Sam Houston STEM Academy Open House
09/25- See you at the Pole 6:45 AM
09/23-09/27- Common Assessment Testing (Closed Campus for Testing- No visitors on campus, No early checkouts, No deliveries)
09/27- 09/12- Surprise Student Greeter Guests @ Morning Drop-off
Dates to Remember
October 2024
Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
National Principal Month
10/1- Early Release/Parent Conference
10/2- School Custodian Appreciation Day
10/3- MISD Homecoming Carnival
10/4- National Instructional Coaches Day
10/7-10/11- MISD Fall Break
10/15-10/25- SH AVID Sock Drive
10/28-11/1 Red Ribbon Week
10/28- Camo Dress
10/29- Wacky/Tacky Dress
10/30- Western Dress
10/31- Storybook Character Day
November 2024
11/1- Wear Red
11/14- Annual Thanksgiving Lunch (Parents Welcome! More Information to come)
11/15- Grades 3-5 STEM Pirate School- The Science of Pirates @ Memorial City Hall
11/18-11/22- Common Assessment Testing (Closed Campus for Testing- No visitors on campus, No early checkouts, No deliveries)
11/25-12/1- Thanksgiving Break- No school for students and staff
MISD Pre K-8th Dress Code
Please be mindful in following the MISD K-8 dress code this year. I have attached a copy above for your review. If there are "free-dress" days or dress celebration days, you will notified in advance in writing, otherwise, the schedule for dress code is as stated. We will begin enforcing this dress code immediately.
Thursday is college shirt day for MISD students and staff. Students may wear a college shirt with uniform bottoms. Friday is Maverick Spirit day, students may wear jeans or shorts within the school dress code guidelines with a Maverick, SH spirit shirt, or Red Uniform shirt.
September is Attendance Awareness Month
Throughout the month of September we will have student and parent rewards and celebrations for students with unexcused tardies, early checkout, or absences!
Attendance matters, this includes tardies and early checkouts. 3 early checkouts will equate to one absence. Over the span of time, if a student misses 2 days of school a month, they will have missed up to 20 days in a year, and over 90 hours of instructional time. This is a vital part of their instruction and education. Attendance policies can be reviewed in the MISD Student Handbook. However, we do understand life happens and students get sick. Absences are excused by turning in physician notes and our campus will accept three parent written notes. These can be turned in by your child to the office or emailed to our office.
Drop-Off Procedures
For the safety and health of our Sam Houston students and staff, if the temperature is below 40 degrees or it is raining we will have one drop off line. We will begin to help students out of their vehicle's at 6:50 am and do take into account the longer drop off time when showing grace for tardies on these days.
Please Handle With Care!
If your child is coming to school after a difficult night, rough morning, or a tough weekend, please email “handle with care” and your child’s name to Mrs. G and Mrs. Livingston at the addresses below and we will forward it to your child’s teachers. Nothing else will need to be said or asked unless you are willing. This will let us know that your child may need extra time, patience, or a little more love than usual during the day.
Please Make sure your car tags are visible at ALL times during student pick-up!
We want to ensure our students are safely picked up from school. You MUST have your car tag visible or you will be asked to pull to the side and will have to show your id to pickup a student. Please keep tags visible until your child is in the vehicle with you. Do not take them down once your number has been entered. This will help the line move more quickly. It will continue to get faster as students learn the procedures. Thank you for your cooperation and patience. We have created a new system that should remain over the next several years where your student will have the same tag number for their entire duration at Sam Houston as well as if they have siblings and mergers. Thank you for your patience as we work out all the kinks to improve our processes & make things easier and smoother for our Sam Houston families.
Here's the scoop! Click the photo to join PTO today! There is still time!
With each membership you will help your child’s class earn their chance for an ice cream celebration! Most scoops wins
•EACH family member gets your child "ONE SCOOP" towards the total number for your student’s class!! (Once you know your homeroom teacher, we will update it to the correct total this week)
A paper copy is coming home with your student this week if you would like to join this way!
***You DO NOT have to volunteer to be in PTO*** Just joining gives us $5 more dollars to put directly back to our campus!!!
SH STEM PTO Year in Review
- 210 PTO Members
- 585 Students Supported
- 65 Staff Members Supported
See Flyer for More Details on PTO funds and expenditures!
This information was also sent home with your student in English and Spanish as well as hard copy of the PTO membership form if you still need to become a member for the 24-25 school year.
