HES Parent & Family Newsletter

• Lockdown Drill:
• Monday, January 13th
• • The school office will not be admitting visitors during the drill.
• Students & Staff will hear this message announced on the PA system:
• "Lockdown, Lock, Lights, Out of sight." Repeated three times.
• We will only have one full lockdown drill this year, all other drills will be modified drills
• Here is are some resources you may use at home to help prepare your student for the lockdown drill.
• These videos are about the SRP Lockdown. Lockdown Video Series for students grades K-3 YouTube Video-Video # 1, Video # 2(about remaining quiet during the lockdown), Video # 3 (rabbit yoga pose for a strategy for how to remain out of sight during the lockdown). Grades 4-6 start video at 14:57 minutes,end video at 21:38 (21:38-22:30--explains self evaluation which we can avoid addressing at this time).

As we head into the colder months, we want to share important information about preventing the spread of respiratory viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance to help schools and families stay healthy and safe during this time.

Key Recommendations from the CDC:

• Encourage Hand Hygiene: Regular handwashing with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of viruses. Please remind your child to wash their hands frequently, especially after coughing or sneezing.

• Cover Coughs and Sneezes: Teach your child to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue or the inside of their elbow to reduce the spread of germs.

• Stay Home When Sick: If your child is feeling unwell, please keep them home to rest and recover. We encourage families to follow the CDC’s guidelines for when it's safe to return to school after illness.

We appreciate your support in keeping our school community healthy. Together, we can help ensure a safe and productive school year for all of our students.

If you have any questions or need more information about the CDC guidelines, please feel free to reach out to the school nurse or the office.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

• Monday, January 13th
• Lockdown drill
• Lunch today is Cheese bread dunkers
• Alternative today are pizza munchables
• Tuesday, January 14th
• Lunch today is baked potato bar with pulled pork or chicken
• Alternative today are pizza munchables
• Wednesday, January 15th
• Lunch today is hot dogs
• Alternative today is chili
• Thursday, January 16th
• Lunch today is macaroni and cheese
• Alternative today are pizza munchables
• Friday, January 17th
• Last day of the quarter
• Lunch today is chicken patty sandwiches
• Alternative today is a pizza munchables
• Monday, January 20th
• No School-Martin Luther King Jr. Day

In an effort to reduce milk waste and manage costs more effectively, we are making some changes to our milk distribution at snack time for students in grades 1-6. Moving forward, we ask that families who wish to purchase milk for their children at snack time complete the attached form. This will allow us to distribute milk more accurately and ensure that funds are collected appropriately.

Please take a moment to fill out the form and indicate which of your students you would like to receive milk during snack time It's important to note that students receive a free carton of milk each day during school breakfast and lunch. However, milk is only free at lunch if the student takes the school meal. Otherwise, students in grades K-6 will be charged $0.60 at lunchtime for their milk.

Milk distribution at snack will begin September 9th, 2024. We will add students to the list and milk will be delivered to students during their scheduled snack times.

Cost per milk $0.60:

• Quarter 3- 1/21/25-3/21/25 (42 school days)= $25.20
• Quarter 4- 3/31/25-5/28/25 (40 school days) = $24.00

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work to make this process more efficient.

Snack Break Milk Request

Kind regards,
Angela McQuinn
Assistant Principal, Houston Elementary School

Happy New Year, Houston Elementary families! We’re excited to continue our focus on the CharacterStrong trait of Responsibility this month. That’s right—we’re not finished talking about how important it is to be responsible for our learning and behavior. And there's gnome better time than the new year to embrace this idea!

This coming week, our morning announcements will feature a special "Fail-a-bration," inspired by the book Fail-a-bration by Brad Montague. You might be asking, “Why are we celebrating failure at school?” Well, Houston Public Schools is committed to continuous improvement, and part of that improvement involves focusing on the F.A.I.L. (First Attempts In Learning). We believe it’s important for students to understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process.

Throughout the morning, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the value of failure and learn how to use mistakes as stepping stones toward growth. It’s going to be a great chance for our students to celebrate their learning journeys and take responsibility for their growth.

Thank you for supporting your child's learning as we continue to grow together at Houston Elementary!

Check out this Fail-A-Bration resources for more information about throwing your own Fail-A-Bration at home.

We are excited to share that one of the first goals of our Student Leadership Committee is to honor teachers for their dedication and positive impact on students. Each week, the committee will nominate a Teacher of the Week based on traits like kindness, helping students, being hardworking, acknowledging good behavior, and demonstrating responsibility.

The Teacher of the Week will receive a handwritten letter of appreciation, a special parking spot for the week, and a small gift to recognize their outstanding efforts.

This past Wednesday, January 8th, the committee met and nominated Mrs. Merchlewitz as our Teacher of the Week! Mrs. Merchlewitz was chosen for her kindness and the way she always greets students with a smile. Her respectful and helpful nature brings a sparkle to our school and brightens the day of everyone around her.

Congratulations, Mrs. Merchlewitz, and thank you for all you do to make Houston Elementary a better place!

This week’s Hurricane FORCE Positive Office Referrals of the Week come from 4th grade. Congratulations to Savannah K. & Jensen M. who were nominated by their teachers, Mrs. Meyer & Mrs. Smith. Both students were nominated for their respectful, responsible, and caring character traits. Congratulations to Savannah & Jensen or first positive office referral of the New Year!

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement and growth, our 2nd-grade students have been reflecting on how they can grow personally and academically in the new year. With excitement and enthusiasm, they set goals that focus on strengthening their skills and making strides toward becoming even better learners.

In the picture, you'll see the creative and thoughtful ways our students have identified areas they want to improve. From reading more books to practicing math facts and even developing better listening skills, these young learners are ready to tackle the new year with a growth mindset!

We are excited to see our 2nd graders thrive as they work toward their goals and continue to grow in their learning journey! Keep up the great work, students!

We are thrilled to share that the Math Wizards team had an amazing start to their season at the meet held at Kingsland on Monday, January 6. Representing Houston Elementary School, the team demonstrated respect, responsibility, community, and dedication throughout the competition.

A special congratulations to 5th grader Caleb Evanson, who earned 7th place in the individual round, and 6th grader Easton Kildahl, who also took home 7th place in his grade level’s individual round. They faced off against more than ten other teams, each bringing their best challenges. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and teamwork!

Congrats, Math Wizards! Keep up the fantastic work!

We are excited to welcome two new student teachers for the second semester, Ms. Kuttner (In 5th grade with Mrs. Fingerson) and Mrs. Belter (In 3rd grade with Mrs. Lambrecht), who are joining us from Winona State University! They will be working with our students in various classrooms, bringing fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to our learning community.

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Winona State University in providing real-world teaching experiences for these future educators. Please join us in welcoming them to the Houston Elementary family, and we look forward to the positive impact they will make in our classrooms!

• January 20th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Data Day. No School for Students, Hurricane Watch available.

• January 31st: Professional Development, No School for Students, Hurricane Watch available.

Please check the school website calendar for more information as well as other events/opportunities.