SJE Weekly Update

Happy New Year Team!

I hope that you and your families had an enjoyable and restful winter break! It has been so great having the opportunity to recharge and create incredible memories with loved ones. While the break has been simply AH-MAZING, I hope you are as ready as I am to kick off the Spring semester and get settled back in to routines.

The work we accomplished in the fall will help to propel us to even greater heights in the spring. We will now be all gas no brakes as we continue to enrich the learning of all our students! You all are true rockstars and I know at SJE we are destined for greatness!

Remember, Monday, January 6th is a workday. The work day will be 7:30-3:30 with a lunch from 11:30-12:45. This is your time to prepare for your students by solidifying plans, making copies, or organizing your rooms. Also, please be sure to remove all holiday decor, bulletin boards, etc. and refresh your areas for the Spring semester. Paraprofessionals will be available to assist and will receive their schedule from the APs on Monday. As a reminder, we will meet in the library at 8:30 am for about 30 minutes. Be sure to bring your appetites! You can also wear warm ups and baseball caps on Monday as temperatures are expected to be chilly! Save your SJE Hoodie for Tuesday ;-). See the details of why below!

I'm looking forward to seeing you guys back on Monday!

Keep Aiming for Greatness!

Tory

There have been questions surrounding the threshold for taking students out to recess with the cooler temperatures. The magic number at SJE is feels like temperatures at 51 degrees and above we are good to go outside! Remember we use the Perry Weather App as our official weather source. Should you have questions, please let me know.

As we are transitioning back in to our routines, you are allowed to wear b-ball caps of Friday's in the month of January if you'd like! The Friday dress code will need to be followed as there are no comfy clothes unless it has been announced. Let me know if you have questions!

Intruder Audits

Based on past intruder audits, the major concerns found on campuses were the following:

1. Propped exterior doors that did not have a staff member monitoring it,

2. Loose items near doors that could be used to prop exterior doors open (cones, door stops, curled up rugs, weights, bricks, etc.),

3. Unattended internal rooms not locked up,

4. Classrooms doors not locked when students are present,

5. Portable Classroom doors need to be locked at all times even when inside "secured fencing",

6. Exterior doors inside secured fencing areas are now supposed to be locked when not monitored by a staff member,

7. Exterior doors not closed or locked (could be broken or not)

8. Students or staff letting unauthorized people in the building.

Internal Audits

To keep you informed: The district has resumed internal audits. Our focus will be to visit campuses that have not been audited by Region 6.

Join us at the annual Conroe ISD Employee Health Fair, a FREE event for all CISD employees and their family members of all ages! This is an opportunity to learn about health and wellness resources in our area, as well as the chance to participate in interactive exhibits and screenings – all to help you on your journey to better health, located in one place on a non-workday. Have you attended before? Come again and tour the Memorial Hermann Life Flight helicopter, visit with new exhibitors, and pick up some fabulous new giveaways! Be on the lookout for more information about the health fair in your employee mailbox soon, or visit the health fair website.

When: Saturday, February 1, 2025

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Where: The Woodlands College Park High School

You will be able to experience the following:

• Interactive exhibitor booths
• Product samples and giveaways
• Biometric wellness screenings by Quest Diagnostics®*
• Blood drive by Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center*
• Dental cleanings and exams by Biomedent*
• Flu vaccines by Kroger
• Hands-only CPR and AED training courtesy of CISD Health Services
• Hearing screenings by CISD Health Services
• Naloxone use training courtesy of CISD Health Services
• Screening mammograms by The Rose and Assured Imaging*
• Skin cancer screenings by SkinIO*
• Ultrasound screenings by Elite Medical Imaging*
• Free chair massages
• Police, fire, and rescue exhibit, including Memorial Hermann Life Flight helicopter tours
• Blood pressure, spinal health, Body Mass Index (BMI), and other health screenings
• The chance to win door prizes for employees checking in with their CISD ID badges

* Appointments required for biometric screenings, blood drive, dental cleanings/exams, mammograms, skin cancer screenings, and ultrasound screenings. For additional information, please refer to the flyer attached below.

2025 Health Fair Flyer FINAL.pdf

NEW in 2025! Win a FREE healthy breakfast for your campus/department! If your campus/department has the highest percentage of employees attend the fair, you’ll win! Remember your CISD ID badge so you can be counted.

We look forward to seeing you on February 1, 2025!

Let's have a little fun as we settle back into our routines for the Spring semester! Please join in the fun of Underground Spirit Week. We won't tell students, let's see if they can guess the "spirit" theme of the day based on how we are dressed! If you participate, feel free to wear comfy clothes this week only.

There is some consideration for before school tutorials to begin in January. I am seeking to gain input before making a decision. While after school tutorials may be somewhat more convenient, following a long day, both students and teachers are exhausted which makes tutorials less impactful. There would be criteria that would need to be met for students to participate and there will only be one teacher tutor per grade level. Parents would also need to provide transportation for students to arrive at 7:00 am. Please take a moment to complete the short survey to provide your thoughts regarding before school tutorials.

https://forms.gle/kZV7JFGsjzxfhv1NA

Core Team will be popping into classes beginning the week of January 13th during your intervention time for your Feedback Burst! We are excited to see the work that is taking place as we are closing gaps and enriching the learning of students! The focus will be Engagement. We will leave feedback during our visits and be here to support you where needed. We are excited to witness the AH-MAZING work you do each day!

Home Access Center (HAC) will go live on January 21 and will operate alongside the Parent Access Center (PAC) until at least Spring Break. (PAC will be decommissioned within the two weeks after March 17). During this transition, parents will have access to both applications. As HAC launches, PAC will display a notification informing users that HAC is now online and that student information in HAC updates in real time. To prepare for HAC's replacement of PAC, documentation for parents and staff will be available in the Knowledge Base (https://kb.conroeisd.net) by January 18.

ACET sponsors two scholarship programs - one for students and one for paraprofessionals. These programs are designed to support the growth and development of high school seniors and paras in their higher education journeys. We are pleased to announce this year's scholarship season is now open! The applications can be accessed by visiting the ACET website at www.acetx.org or by simply clicking the link below. Included are instructions on accessing and completing the applications. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2025.

Giving Back & Scholarships – Association For Compensatory Educators of Texas

Mrs. Melchor and Ms. McBride attended a STOIC Standout Professional Learning and created a useful flyer with tools that can be implemented in your classrooms right away! I know we are each working to continue fostering a rich learning environment for all students. Consider this tool for your reluctant learners as you are working to stretch them to conquer high achievement! Mrs. Melchor and Ms. McBride will be sharing various strategies that can be implemented over the coming months, so stay tuned! Thank you ladies for providing an invaluable resource that can support our entire campus!

• We will begin taking about 15 minutes during planning to plan intervention time. There will be more details to come during PLC.
• Be sure to complete Employee Verification (Beginning January 6, 2025, all employees will receive an email instructing them to log in to the Conroe ISD SSO and the Employee Access Center (EAC), where they will review their contact information and tax form delivery methods. Employees must then use a link within the EAC to confirm that their information is correct.

  Employees who have not completed the verification process will receive the email up to five more times, through the deadline of January 17, 2025.)

• It is imperative that we spend time reteaching expectations when students return Tuesday. This will be vital to a successful Spring semester. Remember HALLS, TABLES, and SHINE should be incorporated in the reteach. Check with your grade level Foundations representative if you have questions regarding any of the acronyms or expectations.
• Be mindful of your teaching zone during instruction. Mrs. Manning has created a useful chart for your reference and can be found here.
• While we have had an abundance of fun dress opportunities during the months of November and December, we will need to follow our dress code moving forward. No comfy clothes, baseball caps, or athleisure unless it has been announced. Review the Staff Handbook, found below, if you need a refresher for what should be worn on which days.
• Remember our work hours are 7:30-3:30. All staff members are expected to be at their duty post at 7:30. If you will be late, your must notify me. It is understood that emergencies will arise and you may be a few minutes behind, however coverage will need to be provided for you so be sure to inform me as soon as you know. All teachers should be at their doors greeting students at 7:30.
• Please minimize use of your personal device when we are with students. If you need to take a personal call that is understood, however this should be the exception and not the rule. We must maintain active monitoring and student engagement at all times.
• Remember we are the models of the behavior we expect to see of students. Be mindful of your voice volume when speaking to students. Refrain from yelling when redirecting. While the "teacher tone" may some times be needed, we never yell at kiddos.

SHINE HALLS, and TABLES:

The Foundations Team is working on relaunching the SHINE guidelines, HALLS, and Tables expectation (cafeteria) with new posters and lessons for reteaching. The date to unveil the new visual is January 6th. The video for the SHINE guidelines will be replayed during announcements on Monday, December 9th after the SHINE pledge. The Foundations team will also be highlighting classes that are displaying excellent HALLS and TABLES expectations. Classes will receive a "You've been caught by the Foundations Team...." shout out during announcements.

Important Notes about the Hallways in the morning:

All homeroom teachers should have a discussion with their class about the expectation of students going directly to their classroom after exiting the cafeteria in the morning. Students should not roam the hallways visiting teachers from previous years nor escort siblings to class. All teachers need to redirect students back to their classroom and remind them of the expectation of going directly to class.

SHINE.mp4

Team, as we say goodbye to the fantastic Mrs. DeGarcia and Mrs. Sanchez who will be starting their new journeys, we say hello to two AH-MAZING ladies joining the SJE family! Our new Clinic Aide, Ms. Alicia Ramirez and our new PEIMS Clerk, Ms. Siukey Payne, will begin within the coming days! I will keep you posted as I receive updates on their processing with HR. In the meantime, Mrs. Ducre and Mrs. Rodriguez will be available to assist with any needs.

The Year at a Glance for the Spring Semester can be found here! There is also a button below. Let me know if you have any questions!

The Core Team would like to recognize Mrs. Kelly Wade as our Shining Star for the week! Ms. Wade consistently goes above and beyond to support students, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment. Her dedication shines through during staff events, where she takes the lead in planning and ensuring everyone feels valued. Always ready to lend a helping hand, Mrs. Wade exemplifies teamwork and inspires colleagues with her work ethic. Her commitment to excellence and collaboration has made a meaningful impact on both students and staff alike. Enjoy one week of preferred parking in our Shining Star parking spot right under the tree in the front of the school! Keep aiming for greatness!

Absence reporting system for parents/guardians that allows them to submit a student absence at any time. The app is in the parent portal and will be in the SSO:

See directions below specific for the Attendance Offices and Parents - we plan for these to go live on November 11th, 2024

• Attendance Reporting System App - Attendance/PEIMS Internal Directions
  
• Absence Reporting System App - Parent Directions

During the week of January 27-31, 2025, the Texas Education Code, §29.9072 requires public schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on the Holocaust using resources developed or approved by the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission (THGAAC). The THGAAC web page for Holocaust Remembrance Week provides the following resources, which can be used during Holocaust Remembrance Week as well as other times of the year:

• Holocaust Instruction Requirements for Texas Schools

• How to Teach About the Holocaust

• Planning the Week on Your Campus

• Elementary School Resources

• Middle School Resources

• High School Resources

• Request a THGAAC Speaker for Your Classroom, Campus, or Community Event

Teachers also have access to these resources via the CISD Social Studies webpage, through the newsletter, or through the curriculum maps in each grade. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Campbell (mcampbell@conroeisd.net).

• To qualify for economically disadvantaged on the PEIMS side (and accountability), they still have to prove they met that criteria as of October 25, 2024. Someone who was not economically disadvantaged on the 25th and becomes so on the 26th or after would not be included as economically disadvantaged in the Fall Resubmission. As I understand it, though, continuing to qualify after that date would impact Title I status and percentages on the Federal Programs side.

• January 16 is the TEA resubmission deadline, but this does not mean we have until that day to enter information. Our complete resubmission file is due to Region 6 by January 9. We can't both finalize information as of the 9th and submit on that day. I'm getting more information together regarding timeline. The initial submission, though, is due December 12.

Education for Tomorrow Alliance micro-grants are designed to provide resources to support teachers and student education in Montgomery County in celebration of EfTA's 35th anniversary. Micro-grants up to $500 (averaging $350 each) help support innovative educator-initiated programs, projects, or field trips that focus on career, leadership, or STEM-related topics. The application is open and funds will be awarded on a rolling basis from October 2024 through March 2025. Educators can learn more at www.efta-us.org/micro-grant-application.

More information about the grant can be found here.

Grant process and overview can be found here.

1/3-Niya Woods

1/6-Dymond Ducre

1/6-Jennifer Southwell

1/10-Adrianna Schotborgh

1/26-Madison Racca

1/30-Martha Gingras