Hirsch Hawk Herald

Dear Hirsch Hawk Parents and Guardians,

As we turn the calendar to November, fall is here in Houston, but we’re still feeling that warm Texas sunshine! Today marks the end of Daylight Savings Time, so don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour. Hopefully, the extra time will bring some restful moments with family.

Last week we had an exciting event that helped our students learn about the democratic process and the importance of civic engagement. Last Thursday, students participated in our school’s mock election, casting votes for their favorite monster candidate—either Orange or Blue! Students registered to vote with their own “voter registration” cards and used their school IDs to cast their ballots, just like in a real election. It was fantastic to see students so engaged, and we’re all eagerly awaiting the results, which we’ll announce in a special celebration on Wednesday, November 6.

With Election Day around the corner, we remind parents that Tuesday, November 5, is Election Day for you, and is a perfect opportunity to model the importance of voting and civic participation. Also, please note there is no school on Monday, November 4, or Tuesday, November 5. We look forward to seeing students back on Wednesday, rested and ready for another great week!

At the end of the month we will be honoring our grandparents with Grandparents' Day at Hirsch! This is a fun time to connect with grandparents and grandparent figures. We invite our guests to join us and visit classrooms (PK, 1st-5th) for craft making. Our Kindergarten grandparents will delight in the annual Turkey Tango performance. To avoid long lines, we ask all guest to pre-register with the link below.

Grandparents' Day Pre-Scan

Best regards,

Principal Patterson

Hirsch Elementary School

"Unstoppable Heroes: Empowering Every Student to Soar"

Dear 5th Grade Parents:

It's time to start planning for Middle School! Spring ISD offers both choice and program opportunities for students. The goal is to ensure families can find the best fit for their student, whether it’s taking part in a specialty program at their neighborhood campus or applying to one of the district’s schools of choice.

The opportunities to explore different interests and careers are extensive and distinguish Spring ISD as a district of choice with no limits on what students can achieve.

With students at the center of everything we do, we want our families to have options as they look for the right fit for their child. No matter what school your child attends, our mission is always the same: Provide an excellent education that prepares students for lifelong success – in college, career and/or the military.

Learn more about our schools of choice below. Please note, families can apply to multiple schools using a single online application.

Learn more at www.springisd.org/choice

Attendance is so important for student success. Hirsch Elementary is committed to encouraging students to come to school everyday. Each grade level is participating in weekly and monthly attendance contests to see who has the highest attendance. Classes and grade levels with the highest attendance will get a reward! Everyday attendance equals everyday success. Thank you for partnering with us for your child's success.

On December 12, you can order your child Chick-Fil-A for lunch, while also helping to support Hirsch Elementary! We are excited to offer six days throughout the school year where you can order a special lunch for your child! Each meal starts at $9.50. Use the link below to order! All orders must be received by noon the day before delivery.

https://form.jotform.com/ChickfilASpring/hirsch-elementary-school

• November 4-: Hirsch Food Drive

• November 4-5: Student Holiday (NO SCHOOL)

• November 7: PK Field Trip (Rescheduled Date)

• November 8: 3rd Grade Field Trip

• November 11: Veteran's Day Program

• November 14: Brighter Bites Distribution

• November 18-22: Book Fair

• November 19: Student Council Leadership Conference

• November 21: Kindergarten Music Program

• November 22: Grandparents' Day

• November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)

Hirsch Elem PTO

Stay up to date on our PTO by following our PTO Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/HirschPto/

After being approved by the Spring ISD Board of Trustees in early August, the district will include a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the upcoming Nov. 5 ballot.

The measure proposes a tax rate of $1.1569 per $100 of property valuation for the 2024 fiscal year, a 5-cent increase from the current rate. This would cost the average homeowner an extra $7 per month, generating about $20 million for the schools on an annual basis and allowing the district to eliminate its budget deficit and provide teacher and staff raises.

Homeowners who are receiving a homestead exemption for disability or are age 65 or older would not see an increase above their tax ceiling as a result of the VATRE.

The proposed tax rate, if approved by voters, would provide critical funding for teacher and staff salaries, including a 2% across the board raise for all staff. Starting teacher pay would increase from $60,500 to $61,500 per year, and targeted adjustments would be made for teachers with 5-15 years of experience, putting it in line with other local school districts.

With no increase in the state’s per-student allotment since 2019 and an inflation rate that has hit 17%, many school districts, including Spring ISD, have had to look to tax increases to generate needed funding.

Voters will have the chance to vote on the measure on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

We're pleased to announce our partnership with Brighter Bites! This wonderful program offers our families fresh produce free of charge each month! This program is open to EVERYONE at our school, regardless of income. Please see the flyer below for more information and to sign up! Click the picture for the link, or use the link here: https://fs27.formsite.com/brighterbites/enroll23/fill?id82=707&id161=1

If you want to volunteer to help bag the pallets of fresh produce, then click HERE!

https://www.schoolcafe.com/springisd

Please visit the website above to see the menus for each week. If you click on the third button (View Menus (as a guest)), you can navigate to Hirsch Elementary to see what's being served each week. Please be aware that menus can change due to available inventory.

We want to show our Hawks that the sky is the limit when it comes to how high they can fly! On Wednesdays we ask all students and staff to wear their favorite college, university or military shirt!

• Parents may send treats to their child’s class.
• Only store bought cupcakes or cookies (no peanut butter or nuts)
• Sent with child or dropped at office
• Parent may NOT come to class
• Teacher’s discretion when to do cupcakes (not at lunch due to regulations)
• No goodie bags, balloons, etc.